ThreadBearCare
West Sussex · 30 years
What they have said about taking work
She says she is working only part time, cannot take any further restorations until October; has arranged for another restorer to take bears on
They are trading. This is what they have chosen to tell people about their capacity, which is more than most of this trade says at all.
A one-person bear restorer in West Sussex, run by Kate Healey, who works on antique, vintage and modern teddy bears and also soft-bodied dolls. The common jobs are pads and paws, noses, joints, ears and replacing lost arms or legs, taken in by post or by an arranged visit.
Getting hold of them
- Their own site
- You can walk in at
Email is the way in. They do not take cold calls.
If your case is urgent, say so in the first sentence. They make exceptions and they will not think to ask.
If it gets lost
Not stated
This is a blank on their page, not an answer from them. We have never asked anybody in this trade the question. Of the 185 businesses we have read, 4 have written anything down about losing an item: 2 say it is insured, 2 say the risk is yours. The other 181 are silent, and silence is not a policy either way.
If you would rather not have to phrase it
“Before I send it, can I ask what happens if it gets lost or damaged while it’s with you? I’m not trying to catch you out, it just can’t be replaced. Whatever the answer is, could you put it in an email so I’ve got it in writing?”
“No, we don’t cover it” is a fine answer to get. It tells you to insure the post yourself for the full amount, both ways.
They return it by Royal Mail Special Delivery or Parcelforce. Naming a tracked service is not the same as accepting liability for it.
Getting it there is on you, and the cover above may not start until it arrives. Send it tracked and insured, whatever it costs.
If it is lost or damaged
Their website does not say what happens if your item is lost or damaged while they have it. Return postage is paid by you.
Ask before you post anything you could not replace. Only four of the businesses we hold publish an answer to this.
What they take on
- Full restoration and rebuilds
- Mending and seams
- Restuffing
- Fur restoration, de-matting and pile lifting
- Eyes and noses
- Joints
- Fire, flood and smoke
Works in mohair.
What they won’t do
The part every other directory leaves out. None of this is a criticism. It is how you avoid three wasted weeks.
- Won't quote from photos. Needs it in hand first
- Minimum charge of £25 whatever the job
- Won't accept anything by post until they give you a date to send it
Their exact words on what they refuse
Quoted from their own pages, unedited, because a paraphrase of a refusal is the kind of thing you find out was wrong three weeks in.
- “I will be unable to take on any further restorations until October and a continuation of only working on a part time basis.”
Getting it there
- Takes work by post
- You can bring it in
- Comes back standard
Money
- Minimum charge £25
- Will not quote until it is in their hands. Looking at it costs nothing
Anything else they say
- Bears and co cannot and should not be hurried and I like to take time and make sure the best restoration is undergone, so an approximate time would be three to four weeks depending on an influx of patients.
- Is your quote inclusive of materials? Yes, unless there is a necessity to buy in an excessive amount of mohair for large repairs, such as a missing limb or badly damaged torso.
- Do you have a minimum charge? Yes £25.00 to cover the cost of the time the restoration takes, materials and postage and packing.
- Can I change my mind? Of course, I would only ask for the postage for his return.
- In addition to Teddy Bears I also restore soft-bodied dolls.
- My precious Teddy Bear sat too long in front of the fire? Yes, also a couple of poorly bears with burnt heads, difficult at times, however not impossible.