Terry and Doris Michaud visit Britain’s teddy bear hotspots.

It seems like it was just yesterday when the first teddy bear entered our lives, but it was actually some 36 years ago when we acquired the first of what was to become a major collection of antique teddy bears. That dates us as old-timers, but we can be grateful that we started when we did, as the hobby was in the early stages of what would become a worldwide phenomenon.

Toy Shoppe owners Danny and Barrie Shapiro make connections that last a lifetime.

Since Danny Shapiro opened The Toy Shoppe in Richmond, Va., in 1975, he and his wife, Barrie, have paired hundreds, perhaps thousands, of collectors with the highest quality teddy bears and dolls. The Shapiros are matchmakers, relationship experts. Above and beyond anything else, they are partners.

Jacqueline Ruyak pays a visit to Budapest teddy bear shop Macimüvek.

Macimüvek, the only teddy bear shop in Budapest, is located in a small courtyard off Szent Istvan Street, near the center of the city. It is a block from the historic Nyugati train station, and about a five-minute walk from the Danube.

At Groves Bears, every collector feels at home.

Around 3,000 people reside in the quaint community of Bluffton, Ohio, where Groves Bears has made its home since 1994. With more than 5,000 teddies and other cuddly creations offered, the shop has a teddy bear population greater than the population of Bluffton itself!