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The North American Bear Company (NABCO) was formed in 1979 out of one monther's frustration in not finding the right toys for her young son. Barbara Isenberg, who is still NABCO's chief designer, teamed up with her brother and a fashion designer friend to make teddy bears different from anything that was currently available. Their goal was to produce teddies with appeal to adults as well as children, offering both unique designs and high quality.

The inital NABCO line was the Very Important Bears. The VIB's were followed by the VanderBear Family, created in 1983. This was a family of classic golden jointed teddy bears. The baby of the family, Muffy VanderBear, was introduced in 1984. She has been captivating both little girls and teddy bear collectors ever since. Muffy has been in a variety of special collections featuring high quality and detailed costumes, with her family and often alone. The family was discontined after 1999's 'Garden Party'. Muffy continued until 2001. NABCO still produces occasional "Limited Edition" Muffy bears, Muffy Mohair miniatures and annual "Couture" collection bears.

Most North American Bear Company products appearing in our catalog came to 'Everything Teddy Bears' from collectors sales and estate sales. There are a few which were purchased from store closings. In all cases, we have attempted to research the original costumes and 'go-withs' and note any missing items. Presence and/or condition of the original name/series tag is also noted.