Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer

Pauline Hill, teddy bear lover and owner of the new Bear With Me store in the Town and Country Center in Sunnyvale, hugs her favorite bear 'Gustav.'




She comes 'bearing' gifts

Sunnyvale store offers many treats for local teddy bear collectors and enthusiasts

By Melissa Matchak

They come in all shapes, sizes and colors; beady eyes staring out at the world, they sit, waiting for someone to take them home.

The teddy bears at Bear With Me in Sunnyvale are no different, but may have a better chance of being adopted. The store is a haven for teddy bear lovers and collectors alike, with a wide range of bears big and small filling almost the entire space of the store. Bear With Me, which opened in April of this year, carries limited edition bears for serious collectors along with popular favorites for everyone.

Pauline Hill, owner of Bear With Me, says she always thought a teddy bear store would be a great idea.

"I've always loved teddy bears," Hill says. "I knew it would be slow in the beginning but everyone that comes in says what a great store it is."

Hill says she knew it was meant to be when she was looking at the property and saw a teddy bear sticker in the window. The sticker remains and Hill is optimistic that her store will flourish.

One display case houses bears dressed in costumes from The Wizard of Oz, while another houses bears from a teddy bear maker in Germany. Limited edition teddy bears and collectibles from Barton's Creek by Gund, Boyds Bears, Hermann-Spielwaren, Little Gem Miniatures, Knickerbocker and more are available at the store. Some of the bears in the store have been retired and are therefore no longer being made, and two bears in the store were nominated for Golden Teddy Awards, a competition run by Teddy Bear Review Magazine.

Hill also has bears made by artists from Santa Cruz and Los Gatos. The store also offers handmade artwork, note cards and jewelry done by a local teddy bear artist. Also for sale are kits for those who want to make their own bear, which include a pattern, fabric, joints, eyes and suede for the palms.

Hill also offers her knowledge of teddy bears to those looking to learn more about collecting or about an old family teddy bear. Hill's store is unique in that it is one of the few teddy bear-only stores in the area.

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Bear With Me is located in the Town and Country Village in downtown Sunnyvale and is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays. Shoppers can find Hill at her store during all those hours, as she runs the store herself, with occasional help from her son. Bear With Me can be reached at 408.730.4911.

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