32¢ - 1998 “Teddy” Bear Created

National Teddy Bear Day is celebrated on September 9th every year so I thought I would see what stamp would honor this special day.

The Teddy Bear Created stamp (US #3182k), often referred to as the “Teddy Bear” stamp, is part of the "Celebrate the Century" series, which commemorates important events and cultural icons of the 20th century. The first day of issue was February 3, 1998, in Washington DC. The "Teddy Bear" stamp was issued as part of a sheet celebrating the 1900s to honor the beginning of this iconic toy. The stamp commemorated the teddy bear and its association with President Theodore Roosevelt.

The teddy bear's history dates back to 1902, during President Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt's term in office. The story goes that Roosevelt was on a hunting trip and refused to shoot a bear that had been captured for him, as it was unsportsmanlike. This act of compassion inspired a political cartoon, which then led to the creation of the first "Teddy's bear.”

Rose and Morris Michtom, New York City shopkeepers, created a toy bear which they called “Teddy’s Bear.” That first “teddy” bear sold quickly, and orders for more poured in. This continued demand led to the founding of the Ideal Toy Corporation. The bear photographed for the stamp is the bear made by the Ideal Toy Corporation and is from the collection of author and bear historian Dee Hockenberry.

A toymaker in Europe also claimed to be the creator of the teddy bear. Around the same time that the teddy bear was becoming popular in the United States, a German toymaker named Margarete Steiff and her company began producing stuffed bears. Margarete Steiff's nephew, Richard Steiff, designed a bear toy in 1902 that had movable arms and legs. This bear was displayed at a toy fair in Leipzig, Germany, in 1903, where it caught the attention of an American buyer who ordered a large shipment of the bears. These German-made bears were sold in the U.S. around the same time as the American "Teddy's bear."

Because of this, both the American and the German toymakers are credited with creating the teddy bear, though the name "teddy bear" comes from the American story about President Roosevelt.

The teddy bear became a popular toy, symbolizing comfort and companionship. Eventually, children everywhere wanted their own teddy bear. Kids still love the teddy bear today!