Collection: Robert Raikes

Robert Raikes who was the creator of the Raikes Bear was well-traveled according to ThoughtCo. Raikes was born in California and lived all over the United States. He also lived in England, and after joining the military, lived in various parts of Southeast Asia.

Raikes had a passion for carving, which resulted in the famous Raikes Bear. His earliest carvings consisted of wooden sculptures that ranged from furniture to carousel horses. In the 1970s, Raikes was asked to produce dolls. As a result, the first version of the Raikes Bears, which had a carved wooden face and cloth bodies filled with sawdust, hit the market.

In the next few years, Raikes perfected his aesthetic and his teddy bears started to become very popular. In the 1980s, Raikes created the first Raikes Bear that most people are familiar with now.

After selling the bears for several years, Raikes sold the licensing rights to a company called Applause. After a couple of successful years, Raikes reclaimed the rights to the unique bears, hoping to perfect them and bring a limited number to the market. With that, their value increased immensely because only a few bears were available at one time and they were being crafted by Raikes himself.