Arctophile is an independent English-language publication about teddy bears and the people who collect them. We write about where the bear came from, who made the pieces that survive, and where you can see them today.
The name comes from the word collectors use for someone who loves and collects teddy bears. Our readers include longtime collectors, museum visitors, and people who just inherited an old bear and want to know what they have.
What We Cover
The site is organized into four sections. Each one follows a different thread of the same history, and articles often link across them.
- History & Heritage: the origins of the teddy bear, the Theodore Roosevelt story, and how soft toys changed over the twentieth century.
- Collecting & Brands: plush makers such as Steiff, collectible editions, and what moves the collector market.
- Museums & Archives: teddy bear museums and toy collections around the world, with notes on what a visit actually shows.
- Classic Animal Plush & Dolls: vintage animal plush and antique dolls, including the materials they were made from and how to date them.
Who Writes Arctophile
Arctophile is part of an editorial network run from Indonesia. Four writers cover the sections, each with a defined beat.
- Larasati Hapsari researches the early twentieth-century toy trade, from the 1902 Roosevelt cartoon to the first Steiff bears sold in America.
- Yohanes Matulessy tracks plush manufacturers, brand archives, and auction results.
- Cut Rizka Maulida covers toy museums, archive collections, and the provenance of bears on display.
- Andi Tenri Ajeng writes about vintage animal plush, antique dolls, and materials such as mohair, wool felt, and bisque.
Every article is checked against the sources described in our editorial guidelines. When a popular story and the documented record disagree, we say so and show which is which.
Reaching the Editors
We welcome corrections, questions about a piece in your collection, and news from museums. Visit our contact page or write to [email protected].