A remarkable collection of rare teddy bears, including the iconic bear featured in the 1980s TV drama Brideshead Revisited, has sold for over £290,000 at auction.
The collection, which had been housed at the Teddy Bears of Witney shop, was sold by Special Auction Services (SAS) in Newbury.
The standout item in the auction was Aloysius, a 1910 teddy bear made famous by its role in the popular ITV series Brideshead Revisited, based on Evelyn Waugh’s novel.
Aloysius, Lord Sebastian Flyte’s beloved bear in the period drama, fetched a remarkable £26,000.
The collection, which had been estimated to bring in around £150,000, was part of a decision by shop owner Ian Pout to sell the items due to his advancing age.
Pout, who has been collecting teddy bears for over 40 years, said he felt it was time to part with the treasured collection, though he admitted it was a bittersweet decision.
The only bears kept by Mr Pout are one from his own childhood and another from his 35th wedding anniversary, he said.
“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.”
“If any of them bring tears of joy to their new owners I will be happy.”
One of the other highlights of the auction was Happy, a rare 1926 Steiff teddy bear with large eyes, which sold for £45,000.
Also part of the collection was a handwritten letter from 1971 by Ernest H. Shepard, the artist renowned for illustrating the Winnie-the-Pooh books. The letter, which described the Steiff bear Growler as the inspiration for Winnie-the-Pooh, sold for £14,000.
The auction drew collectors from across the globe, with many teddy bears and related items sold to private buyers. Daniel Agnew, SAS’s teddy bear and doll consultant, remarked, “It’s the end of an era seeing this collection leave the shop in Witney.”
