One of the world’s most famous teddy bears is going under the hammer for a pawsome £30,000.
Aloysius, made in 1910, starred in the hit ITV drama, Brideshead Revisited, which was first shown on television in 1981.
In the show, based on the Evelyn Waugh novel, Aloysius belonged to Lord Sebastian Flyte, played by beloved English actor, Anthony Andrews.
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His appearance sparked a boom in the antique teddy bear market and he is now expected to fetch more than £30,000 at an auction by Special Auction Services (SAS).
The auction house in Newbury, Berkshire, is featuring a collection of pieces from teddy bear history.
Aloysius’s owner, Ian Pout, opened Teddy Bears of Witney, in Oxfordshire, in 1985.
It was the first shop in the UK dedicated to selling old and new teddy bears.
SAS Director and Bargain Hunt Expert, Thomas Forrester expects Aloysius to go for even more than is currently estimated, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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“It is a historic bear with provenance unattainable in any other walk of life,” he said.
“He is much loved among the wider community.”
Mr Pout’s love of bears started at a young age after he was read Winnie-the-Pooh stories by his father.
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Pooh is also featured in the auction in a 1971 handwritten letter signed by illustrator, Ernest H Shepard.
The letter explains that the model for Pooh bear in the books was actually his son’s Steiff bear, Growler.
With the letter, comes a watercolour sketch of Growler, or Winnie-the-Pooh, as he’ll be more widely known, which is estimated to go for between £8,000 and £12,000.
Mr Pout said: “One of the wonderful things about teddy bears is they seem to improve with love.
“You have a doll and it breaks and that’s the end of the doll.
“The more you love a teddy bear the more it acquires character.
“To say that it will be sad to part with the collection is an understatement.
“However, for better or for worse the decision is taken and, if we are to part company, I have decided there would be no cherry-picking.
“So with the exceptions of my own childhood bear and one specially made for our 35th anniversary, every single item in our museum collection will be sold.
“If any of them bring tears of joy to their new owners I will be happy.”
Other highlights include a Schuco teddy bear bellhop estimated at £2,000 to £3,000, Fuchsia, a bright pink mohair teddy bear made by the British company Dean’s Rag Book estimated at £1,500-2,000 and a Schuco pink mohair bear in a green tinplate three-wheeled cart is expected to make between £1,000 and £1,500.
One bear whose head can be removed to reveal lipstick and whose body comprises a mirror and powder could make between £800 and £1,200.
Daniel Agnew, Teddy Bear and Doll Specialist says: “This is by far the finest and most exciting collection of teddy bears ever to come to auction.
“It’s a small but perfectly curated collection and it will be very interesting to see what some of these unique characters and artefacts realise.”
The auction is being held in December.
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