Our story
A family of collectors, since 1992
Village Bears began in 1992 as a small shop on Siesta Key, Sarasota, Florida, a few steps from the sand. When Gulf storms made the island too uncertain a home for a collection worth protecting, we moved to the mainland and kept everything else exactly as it was. More than three decades on, we are still a family business. We still choose every piece by hand, and we still answer the phone ourselves.
The collection
We have long carried Steiff and GUND, along with the work of the North American Bear Co., including Muffy VanderBear. Beside them sit the artists collectors seek out by name: R. John Wright, Deb Canham, and a small circle of others whose editions are made in the hundreds, not the thousands. Every limited edition we offer is listed with its edition size, because we know that number matters to you.
Thirty years of buying, trading and selling bears around the world have also made us a quiet meeting point for collectors. We acquire private collections, find new homes for pre-loved pieces, and help collectors reach one another when the bear they’re after is no longer made.
Salli, our Head Bear
Salli knows the editions, the artists, and often the history of the very bear you’re looking at. Whether you’re completing a series or choosing a first gift for someone you love, she is the person to ask.
Write to Sallior call 941.366.2667
Our care
Every bear ships as soon as your payment clears, packed by hand and fully insured. Shipping is complimentary on orders over $500.
The colors of our house
The navy and grey throughout our shop are the skies flown by our family: Paul and Jake, both pilots, and soon Annabel, a pilot in the making. The warm tan on our Last of Edition pieces comes from the aged lume of a vintage Breitling 765 dial, a small nod to what we collect when we aren’t collecting bears.
Sky navyCloud grey765 lume
Visit the shop
Sarasota, Florida
Monday–Saturday, 10 am–5 pm · 941.366.2667