Please meet Grimsby, Steiff's Christmas Teddy bear Elf

Please meet Grimsby, Steiff's Christmas Teddy Bear Elf!   He is nine inches tall, but with that huge pointy hat, he reaches 13 inches!   Let's not forget his little pointy shoes and little jacket, which are removable.   He is a U.S. Exclusive, made only in 1988.   He also has own personal sleigh and a big sack to fill with toys.  I bought him for very little, so he was a great deal.

Grimsby was raised in  Utqiaġvik, Alaska, just inside the Arctic circle.   Back then the town was simply known as Barrow.  It  is the most northern city in the United States, and it was a great place to live if you were a Teddy bear.   It was a very tight-knit community.   There was not much that happened that he didn't hear about, and he knew every bear in town.   He lived with the Postmaster Darla and her family in the Browerville section just a couple blocks from the Post Office.   He would go to work with her, sitting beside her in her pickup truck and making sure she didn't hit any potholes in the town's unpaved roads.  He greeted customers, helped sort the mail, pointed out the special issue stamps for sale, filled out customs documents and weighed the smaller packages.    He kept himself very busy. 

Then one day,  just two weeks before Christmas, Grimsby was informed by the Powers That Be that he was not to go to the Post Office anymore.   He was not a postal worker and nine-inch Teddy bears were not exactly a perfect fit for the job.   He was crushed!!  What would he do now?  Then Darla made a suggestion that changed his life.   How about helping out at home wrapping all those Christmas presents?  Well, Grimsby was certainly glad for something to occupy his time.   At first, the tape was a bit of a sticky problem.  The rolled up paper took a while to get used to, and then he had to learn how to make proper bows.   The first few packages he wrapped were a bit of a sad sight.  Then slowly but surely, he became more proficient.   He really put his heart into it.  The gifts under the tree on Christmas morning were so beautiful, Darla was impressed.   She showed pictures of his creations to everyone who came into the Post Office, and soon the entire town was abuzz.   With Valentine's Day approaching, people wanted to give a gift to someone they loved that was wrapped by Grimsby.   The best part was that he found something he really enjoyed doing.   He loved experimenting with different types of paper and ribbon and creating little masterpieces.

Later that spring, Grimsby opened his own online shop, The Wrapping Bear.   Orders now come in from all over the world.  He's had to expand his business and rents a local warehouse and employs twenty-five other Teddy bears.  Plus, if you live in the Arctic Circle, he'll deliver your package himself wearing his little elf outfit and his little velvet sack on his custom-made sleigh.    He may even have some help from eight special reindeer.