Teddy Bear & Friends

Bearington Collection Multiplies Joy With Spring Bunnies

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Bella and Bunni
Bella and Bunni

If you’ve been living anywhere in the United States, you have to agree on one thing: spring is sure taking a long and leisurely route for its arrival. With snow alternating with gusty storms, and sunshine playing hide-and-seek with clouds, it’s hard to believe that we are in the month of April. (However, I know that the looming IRS deadline for tax payments will work as a brisk wake-up reminder.) With the weatherman not cooperating, and the taxman as our only signal that mid-April is upon us, I have to say “thank goodness” for Bearington Collection and its spring bunnies.

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Spacing Out: The truth behind ‘Star Trek’ and its plush connections

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Vermont Teddy Bear Kirk and Spock from "Star Trek"
Vermont Teddy Bear changed the shape of its bear pattern to reflect Spock’s Vulcan heritage.

It’s hard to believe, but it was a little over 50 years ago that the term “tribble” entered the American lexicon. Now, most people of a certain age, as well as many people who adore science-fiction screenplays, know that a tribble is a round ball of twittering and vibrating fur that invaded the starship Enterprise. These at-first-adorable houseguests are a precursor to the horror-film “Gremlins,” which also begin life as cute and sweet-natured before becoming overbearing and domineering. No wonder that the fan-favorite “Star Trek” episode was called “The Trouble with Tribbles,” because that’s what these furry folks brought with them—loads of trouble, mayhem, and laughter! It also explains why “Star Trek” has continued to be a vehicle that begs to be made into different collectible figures, plush toys, and even teddy bears.

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Sweet and Lovely: Zwergnase’s bears mirror fashionable young girls

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Zwergnase Yolinda, Yolanda, Mareile
Three little maids all in a row: Yolinda and Yolanda, the bears, joined by human friend Mareile

For us arctophiles, teddy bears are members of the family. It doesn’t matter if they are so tiny they can be cradled in the palms of our hands, or so huge that they dominate one-third of a king-size bed. The physical size of the bear doesn’t matter; its ability to touch us emotionally and sentimentally is what counts. Teddy bears are our “spirit animals,” and Zwergnase knows that there is a definite marriage between mohair and mental connections, plush and psychic telepathy. They make bears that bridge the gap between children’s playthings and playful children themselves.

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