1980s European Bear -- possibly home made from kit

by Rose L
(Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA)

My Dutch grandmother gave me this bear on a trip to the Netherlands in 1985 or 86 (making Bear at least 32 years old). I believe she may have made him herself from a craft kit; he has no tag and some asymmetry in his construction, such as one leg a bit longer than the other, that further suggests home made rather than factory.

Bear is approximately 11 inches (27 cm) long, and fully jointed. His eyes appear to be resin or plastic and his nose is rubbery. His fur is coarse and somewhat matted, and has been so as long as I can remember. He is stuffed with wood shavings and has some kind of metal structural support in his torso (we found that out when he was x-rayed at the Amsterdam airport, and security wanted to cut him open because they thought it was a concealed knife blade!) Ignore the ribbon, I added that decoration myself.

I'm interested in anything anyone knows about the toy company or craft company that made him or his kit and what, if any, monetary value he may have. He is quite unusual, I have not been able to find images of anything like him. I don't know where to even BEGIN looking for craft or toy companies in Holland in the 1980s!

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