Collectible Vintage Teddy Bears - Clemens & Baki Germany

Clemens Spieltiere & Baumann & Kienel (Baki) Germany - Collectible Teddy Bears

Clemens Spieltiere was founded by Hans Clemens in 1947. An entrepreneur who started in the gift and plush business later in life shortly after WWII when he was well into his 40s. He started by making teddy bears from war blankets purchased from the English Army to stock his Porcelain and China Gift Shop in Mannheim Germany. As early as 1949 his stuffed plush animals and bears had paper pendant labels showing Clemens and his logo.

Clemens Germany Zotty Teddy Bear

Likely a Clemens Teddy Bear, c1950s to 60s, no ID, fully jointed made from Dralon Plush with Glass eyes.

Clemens Mohair Squirrel

A Clemens mohair plush red squirrel with his original swing tag.

Clemens Swing Tag with Logo

A Clemens swing tag, c1960s.

Hans Clemens presented his plush animals at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in Germany in 1952 and the first printed ads for Clemens plush appeared in 1948.

Hans Clemens retired in 1983, the firm turned over to descendants to run.

A wonderful collaboration occurred in 2004. The designers Jack and Marion Finhold, famous in their own right for producing unique artist teddy bears and miniatures since 1976, began designing exclusively for Clemens.

Clemens Mohair Plush Mouse

Designers Jack & Marion Finhold

Fully jointed, mohair fur plush bears and other animals were designed by the Finholds exclusively for Clemens beginning in 2004.

Clemens Mohair Plush Bear

Exclusively designed with Love by Jack & Marion Finhold

Clemens Camel Mohair Plush with harness

Hans Clemens' Porcelain & China Gift Shop remained opened until 1968. Plush animals continue to be produced by Clemens Spieltiere in Germany.

Baumann & Kienel (Baki) Germany, was founded in 1951 by Franz Baumann in Flensburg Germany. He began in 1946 with teddy bears made from war blankets purchased from the English Army, and he took his bears to show at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1949. In 1951 he collaborated with a childhood friend, Franz Kienel to form Baumann & Kienel, first trademarked as Baumki and later changed to Baki. In 1954 the factory was moved to Rodach. Franz Baumann was grandson to Johann Hermann, of the Hermann Teddy Bear dynasty.

Baki Germany Dachshund Dog

Baki plastic button logo

An early Baki Germany Mohair Plush Dachshund Dog with red plastic chest ID button. c1950s. 

Baki Plush Marmot Groundhog

Baki Foil Paper Swing Tag

A later Baki plush animal. A marmot or groundhog with the Baki foil paper label swing tag. Baki Pluschtiere, the foil paper swing tag used c1960s to 80s.

Both Clemens and Baki are lesser known German maker's in the collecting genre. Happy Hunting!

Items shown can be adopted at Mandicrafts.

P.S.  Sorry for the long absence over the summer. I have been going through cancer treatments, both chemo and radiation, and have just completed that journey. I now have just anti body treatments which will continue for another few months. All is preventative, after having the cancer excised earlier this year. Strangely, treatments created a sort of writing block so I was unable to come up with any blog posts! Hopefully, I will now be able to continue more regular posts once again. Thank you for your patience.

Bear Hugs

Mandy

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