Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company: Annette Funicello

"Four prestigious Teddy Bear industry awards… Sixteen industry award nominations... Annette Funicello's beautifully designed Teddy Bears have made a loving and notable impression in the collectibles world – much as Annette has in the entertainment world. Annette's bears are made of the finest mohair and truly can be defined as a lasting collectible.

Before she became a national icon from America's Golden Age of Television, and award-winning aficionado of teddy bears, Annette was a wide-eyed youngster on a road trip from New York to California. At just 4 years of age, Annette said goodbye to all her friends in New York and moved west with her parents. During the long road trip, lonely Annette contracted severe chicken pox. To comfort her during this particularly arduous journey, Annette's parents bought her a teddy bear named Brownie. A source of unconditional love and comfort, Brownie the Teddy Bear helped her through this difficult time and left a lasting impression with Annette.

Years later, America came to know and love Annette for the first time as a "Mouseketeer" in the 1950's classic television program, The Mickey Mouse Club. Full of youthful cheer and exuberance, Annette continued to grow up in front of the camera and microphone as a movie star, recording artist, and the all-American girl next door. In 1992, her on-camera charm and longtime love of teddy bears merged as Annette introduced her very own Teddy Bear collection on QVC. An instant success, the Annette Funicello Bear Company went on to sell more than $22 million in teddy bears on QVC. Today, Annette's "warm & fuzzy" friends are sought by collectors the world over.

     - "Profiles & Bios - Annette Funicello",             http://www.qvc.com/co_funicello_bio.html

(Annette is currently struggling with multiple sclerosis, and it is admirable to note that the Annette Funicello Collectible Bear Company donates a portion of their proceeds from the sale of bears to the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society in the name of “Annette’s Amazing Angels”.)