Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Teddy Ruxpin 1980s Talking Bear


Teddy Ruxpin, the bear that could read.

Today I spoke to Google AdWords about possibly setting up some SEM to help advertise my blog a bit more. While speaking with my new account manager, Dan, he brought up a slew of old toys, games and cartoons from his childhood.

Dan, born in 1983, asked me if I had a Teddy Ruxpin. Teddy Ruxpin was an animated stuffed bear that could read aloud thanks to a cassette tape somewhat hidden in his back. Teddy's eyes and mouth would move while he read giving Teddy a somewhat creepy lifelike feel.

Teddy Ruxpin hit the market in September of 1985 and by then, I was too cool for toys. As an 8th grader, I was already writing for our local newspaper and collecting Monkees articles from Tiger Beat.  So I can't say I ever owned or wanted a Teddy Ruxpin bear. How about you? Did you, your siblings or kids have a Teddy Ruxpin talking stuffed bear?

Here are some fun facts about the robotic reading stuffed bear known as Teddy Ruxpin.
  •  Author and inventor, Ken Forsee created the animated Teddy Ruxpin.
  • Originally released by Worlds of Wonder, Teddy Ruxpin was a hot selling toy in 1985 and 1986 -- sadly Worlds of Wonder was also a one-hit-wonder going bankrupt three years later.
  • Teddy Ruxpin became such a beloved character he was named the official "spokesperson" for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 1985.
  • The short-lived live action TV series, The Adventures of Teddy Ruxpin aired on ABC from 1987-1988.
  • An original Teddy Ruxpin bear with box fetches $100+ on eBay.


View a vintage commercial for Teddy Ruxpin.

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19 comments:

  1. AnonymousJune 1, 2011 at 9:02 AM

    Oh wow! I remember this fella! I didn't have one, but I think I had a friend that did. Frankly, the moving eyes creeped me out...

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  2. Oilfield TrashJune 1, 2011 at 10:44 AM

    I remember him. My brother had one.

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  3. LindseyJune 1, 2011 at 11:20 AM

    I totally had one. I too was born in 83 so this was the coolest thing around. Loved it!

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  4. Bossy BettyJune 1, 2011 at 11:31 AM

    Oh God. I think the nightmares are going to come back now....

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  5. Underground DudeJune 1, 2011 at 1:09 PM

    Wow, this really brings back some childhood memories. I totally had a Teddy Rubskin...that's totally what I called him as a child too.

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  6. ~ NoelleJune 1, 2011 at 1:31 PM

    OMG!
    Yes, I had one..
    LOVED HIM!!!!
    Thanks for the wonderful memory~

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  7. AlysonJune 1, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    I still have mine, though I don't have the box anymore. Got him for my first birthday (was born in 85). Mom says I used to scream bloody murder every time someone turned him on.

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  8. BelleJune 1, 2011 at 1:50 PM

    My girls remember him. We got my granddaughter Tickle Me Elmo and she cried for fear. She never played with him.

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  9. Rawknrobyn.blogspot.comJune 1, 2011 at 2:12 PM

    That's an adorable commercial. I don't remember Teddy but I was already reading my college texts then. I'm feeling really old right now but I do still have a collection of teddy bears.
    xoRobyn

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  10. Ms. AJune 1, 2011 at 4:43 PM

    Oh, Teddy. Daughter opted for a "Cricket" doll, instead.

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  11. UnknownJune 1, 2011 at 6:05 PM

    I used to be freaked OUT by these! My parents bought me one, and I could swear to you he was watching me in my sleep...

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  12. Riot KittyJune 1, 2011 at 6:50 PM

    I loved him! I was 8 most of that year, but hey, I still loved stuffed animals.

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  13. Amber Von FeltsJune 1, 2011 at 7:58 PM

    We didn't have a Teddy Ruxpin, but we did have a animatronic ALF toy that did the same stuff. He was AWESOME! I wish I still had that one!

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  14. MarleneJune 1, 2011 at 9:28 PM

    I think I paid close to $100 for my kid's Teddy Ruxpin back in about 1990!

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  15. AdaJune 1, 2011 at 10:00 PM

    I HATED these things as a kid! They scared the crap out of me with their glassy, soul-less eyes!

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  16. KellyJune 1, 2011 at 10:34 PM

    Oh yeah, I remember Teddy Ruxpin, the talking stuffed monster. He would speak to me in that creepy voice and, just for kicks, chase neighborhood kids down the road with a bloody knife.

    What a creepy bear. I thought it was possessed by the devil.

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  17. TeachinfourthJune 1, 2011 at 10:44 PM

    I so wanted one of those...

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  18. AnonymousJune 2, 2011 at 12:58 AM

    I never had a Teddy Ruxpin. I did have the Cricket doll. Remember her? She played tapes like Teddy did, but was a blue-eyed blond with a pleated skirt and Cindy Brady-esque curls. No one seems to remember her but me.

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  19. TomJune 3, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    I love the yawning kid in the commercial.

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