Delivering Winter Wishes

Description: Santa rides a patterned polar bear as a penguin carries his toy bag behind him. Polar bear wears a bell and Santa holds the reins tight.

Artist: Jim Shore

Purchased: Early Christmas Gift 2009

6.25 inches long, resin, hand-painted

Fenton Polar Bear

Fenton polar bear.

Manufacturer: Fenton

Volcanic Ash Polar Bear

Polar bear figure made from ash from Mount St. Helens.

1996 Olympics Coca Cola Polar Bear Tennis Pin

Officially licensed by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games. This is one a few I have.

Manufacturer: Aminco International, Inc.

Purchased: January 1997

Alaska Polar Bear Salt Shakers

I think it is funny that I found these in Bluefield, West Virginia. Painted ceramic with a "Victoria Ceramics" sticker on the bottom of each.

Manufacturer: Victoria Ceramics

Dimensions: 4" x 1.5" each

Purchased: August 1997

Always Playing Soccer Coca-Cola Figure

One of a sports series done by Coca-Cola. Can't seem to find much about them on the web. I might actually have to crack open a collector's book.

Manufacturer: Enesco

Dimensions: 4.5" x 4.5"

Purchased: August 1997

Polar Bear Bottle

Based on the "Federal Law Forbids Sale or Re-Use of This Bottle" on the back, this bottle probably comes from somewhere between 1935 and 1964 (though it could be from later). It is embossed on the bottom with "R-776" or "R-778" and another "66" or "99". We'll go with 1935 until I discover otherwise.

Manufacturer: Unknown

Dimensions: 11.75" x 3.25"

Purchased: July 2005

Snow Baby on Polar Bear

This is not one of the new Department 56 Snow Babies. I think this one may be German. I need to research it some more. I almost didn't buy it because it was a Snow Baby but I'm glad I did. You can see the glittery look to the Snow Baby's snowsuit and the snow. It has an indentation on the bottom of "S007".

Dimensions: 2.75" x 2.5"

Purchased: December 1996

Bing & Grondahl Mother's Day Plate 1974

One of the annual Mothers Day plates put out by Denmark's Bing & Grondahl. At the time I bought it I thought it would be reasonably rare. But it seems like there are always at least three of these on ebay at any given moment.

Manufacturer: Bing & Grondahl

Dimensions: 6" x 6"

Purchased: May 1997

Anchorage F.O.E. 4207 Binky Pin

This was the pin for the Anchorage, Alaska Fraternal Order of Eagles Lodge 4207. I'm not sure they still use it. The pin features Binky, the Anchorage Zoo polar bear made famous when a woman climbed over the barrier to get a better picture.

Turns out she and Binky disagreed on how close she should really be. The woman survived and Binky became famous through a picture of him with her tennis shoe dangling from his mouth.

I actually met Binky (from a distance) a few weeks before he passed away.

Dimensions: 1.25" x .75"

Purchased: January 1996

Polar Bear Magic Towel

It is funny how things affect one. This silly little "magic" towel (it expands into a full grown towel when wet), has sentimental value because it was the last polar bear item my mother gave me before she died.

Manufacturer: DTD, Norfolk (Made in Taiwan, ROC)

Dimensions: 1.75" in diameter

Received: December 1996