Collectible Bears by Annette Funicello

       Above you can see our seven inch, pink plush teddy bear by the Annette Funicello company. This little feminine fluffy bear is trimmed with angels wings, a faux pearl tiara, a lace collar and silk rose buds. Attached to her ear is a gold angel. Her small size makes her the perfect companion too many of our other teddy bears displayed in the nursery. She is fully jointed and her snout is short and fluffy, her nose is embroidered brown.

Funicello bears have ear attachments
 just like Steiff bears. 

 

 More About Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She rose to prominence as one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the original Mickey Mouse Club. As a teenager, she transitioned to a successful career as a singer with the pop singles "O Dio Mio", "First Name Initial", "Tall Paul" and "Pineapple Princess", as well as establishing herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre alongside co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s.

• Biography from YouTube
• Mickey Mouse Club
• Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon - Beach Party 1963
• Funicello on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous 1993
• Interview on the Home Show 1993

              In 1992, Funicello announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and by 1992 she began to partner with teddy bear artisans and L.L. Knickerbocker to manufacture several lines of collectible teddy bears. She then donated a portion of these sales to fund research for neurological disorders.
       Each of her teddy bears came with: a signature logo pin (an angel in the bear's ear) sewn in label, a hand tag and gift box with a certificate of authenticity. All of the Funicello bears are produced in thematic series like: Angel bears with wings, Bears of the Sea, Holiday Bears etc...
       In 2004 the closing of her company was announced after Annette lost her ability to walk and by 2009, she could no longer speak and required constant care in order to thrive. On April 8th, 2013, she died of complications resulting from multiple sclerosis.

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