Debut
Stevenson Brothers
Carving rocking horses has been a Stevenson family tradition for over 60 years. The quality of their workmanship is unquestionable, from the selection of the best kiln-dried timber (to prevent warping) and the standard of the joinery to the hand-stitched leather tack, the real horse hair for mane and tail, and realistic eyes. The insistence on perfection is clear, as each horse comes with a lifetime guarantee. Having made over 6,000 rocking horses to date, they are collected the world over.
Hansa Animals
Hansa is respected the world over for its finely crafted collection of our planet’s animal kingdom. Originally created for exclusive European collectors, each plush animal is meticulously handcrafted from portraits of real animals in their natural habitat. And, each animal comes with a “Toys that Teach” tag describing in detail each animal’s habitat, lifestyle, gestation period, care of their young and/or eating habits. Hansa’s goal is to help educate children and adults alike, about the natural lives of these magnificent creatures, and to understand, respect and appreciate the importance of our co-existence with all animals.
Tucher + Walther
Tucher + Walther was established in 1977 by Elisabeth Walther and Bernhard Tucher in Nurnberg, Germany, the traditional toy center of the world. Since Nurnberg had a long tradition of manufacturing tin toys, many from old factories that were no longer in production, Tucher + Walther were able to get their hands on a continuous supply of world famous traditional tin toys that could be sold to collectors. As many of the toys needed repair before their re-sale, they ultimately decided to open a small repair shop. Their business took off and the antique toys proved to be best sellers.
De Poppenstee
20 years ago, Bets van Boxel, along with her Husband Jos, decided to actively pursue her hobby of re-creating children of the world into dolls. Bets has always been fascinated by people and the stories they have to tell, simply by how they look – their emotion, their body language and overall outward appearance. She and Jos travel the world extensively, spending most of their time in places that provide a glimpse into what traditional life is truly like for natives. Today, they have set a world-class standard in doll making.
Fine Art Models
Fine Art Models was founded by Gary Kohs, a marketing consultant, as a retirement project back in 1989 with a single premise: to produce the finest scale models in the world. His philosophy was simple, a steadfast commitment to excellence. As a direct result, their models are equal to and, in most cases, exceed the standards of models found in museums today.
Mader Tops
The Mader family business, owned and operated by Klaus and Margit Mader, was founded in 1991 in Austria. The spinning top always played a major role in their woodworking shop. What began as a hobby to fill time, with a very special “thrown top” Klaus used to play with in his homeland as a child (called a TOTZ’N), transformed into a passion that occupied a significant amount of their time, as these toys can be somewhat addictive.
Maxi-Marionettes
Maxi Kiermeier has been fascinated by marionettes ever since she can remember. At only age 16, she began creating her own marionettes and giving them to family members as gifts. At that time, you could not buy the figures shown in marionette theatres, nor were they well suited for the “four walls” of one’s home. While they were lovely in their movement and perfect for theatre, upon closer inspection, their look was rather crude. Not long after meeting her husband, Maxi created a one-of-a-kind marionette for his birthday.
Oberammergau Hampelmann
In the early eighties, Karl Braun, Klaus Vogt and Markus Wagner’s interests in local history and sculpture led them to many visits of the Oberammergau Museum with its extensive collection of early works. In contrast to the ever more developed art of woodcarving, including machine made products, they were especially taken by the simplicity of these early works. Over time, experimentation with techniques, materials, tools and experience gained, as well as the popularity of these Hampelmann, as shown by the demand for them, led to the formation of a small workshop community.
Finhold Gallery
Jack and Marion Finhold have managed to capture the attention of bear lovers around the world with their collection of charming little mohair personalities. Using only the finest natural fabrics and fibers, their ability to infuse a teeny, tiny soul into each of the bears and mice they make has resulted in their worldwide recognition and demand.
Arcurio Models
During the 1930’s, automobiles in Europe were the equivalent to Sleeping Beauty compared to the booming American metropolis. New York and San Francisco began to witness the very first traffic congestion. However, many European cities could go for weeks without seeing a single automobile with an “Otto Motor.” In addition, numerous newspaper articles about American luxury cars became a sensation among readers and created an unprecedented, and unexpected, yearning.
Katrin Mueller
Katrin Mueller, one of the world’s most endearing bear makers, has been creating unique, hand-made bears for over ten years. Her signature long neck and short-legged bears are the most widely imitated and collected the world over.
Trigger Pond Cottages
Anyone will tell you, turning your childhood hobby into a full-fledged, successful business is a dream come true. James Hemsley has done just that and more. He has been building 1:24 and 1:12 scale Old English Countryside Cottages & Houses for over 15 years. As a result, his models are on display in homes throughout the world.
Ositos
Angela Schulz, born in Bad Aibling, Germany in 1974, has been making remarkable bears and other creatures for more than 8 years. It was her husband Peter who initially encouraged her to start selling her creations. Just after setting up a workshop at her local School of the Arts five years ago, she started making her bears.
Stuff'd Stuff
Judy Senk has transformed her childhood sewing skills and love of things old into wonderfully unique art. Her creative use of vintage fabrics and antique accessories has made her one of America’s most beloved bear makers.
Scott-Waters Design
Marilyn Scott-Waters, a native Californian, spent the majority of her career working for someone else. However, six years ago, she was laid off after a merger from her clothing design job -- an inspiration-crushing existence churning out high performance motorcycle apparel. She took the news in stride and decided to look at her situation as an opportunity to do something different.
Cosa
Artist-made bears from Germany
