At turns luxuriant, grotesque, pathetic, mysterious, and eminently lovable, the handmade and highly eclectic creations of the crafters behind Tedde ooze personality from the moment you pick them up. And you can't help but pick them up, even if they look like they might bite.

Teddes take off from the point where Ugly Dolls stopped taking chances, and they haven't pulled back yet. And I say that from the perspective of someone who also loves Ugly Dolls, which changed a lot of people's perceptions about stuffed animals and what kids could see in them. But Teddes - some of them, anyway - tap into something different, something a little more ancient. More than anything, these Teddes remind me of the battered, threadbare, distorted dolls of our own childhood - the ones we loved so hard we slowly destroyed them - but made new.




Z adores the Tedde the company sent us to review, which is, as far as I can tell, a color/fabric variant on their Herman doll. That's the thing about Teddes - you never know how many of any one kind are going to be floating around in the universe before the makers float off on another odd design instead. Some are so bizarre, you have to wonder if they sell. But that's part of the charm of this line - they really seem to be giving their designers free reign in a very bold way. Whatever attention they get for that, they deserve.


(Incidentally, it's just this kind of experimentation that the CPSIA, if left in its current state, will kill next February. What companies like Tedde needs is a front-end materials testing provision that will allow them to buy pre-approved fabrics, buttons, etc. and then use them in ideosyncratic combinations without having to test products in their final state.)

You're probably wondering about pricing. Well, the best thing about Teddes is that pricing varies considerably. They start at $20 or so, and there are several in that category; we consider the $20 to $30 price range to be eminently reasonable for a thoughtfully handcrafted item. Some of the most exciting ones run $50 and up, though.

Here are a couple I love, which border on the clean-cut fleece look of Ugly Dolls, but come with an extra dose of vigor.




As for Z's Tedde, it's pretty much ruling the roost these days. One of her favorite things about the doll is that it can stand up - its tail is firm enough to serve as a secret kickstand, supporting its slightly rounded form as it grimaces, snarls, or smiles nervously at you.


You can check out Tedde's lineup on the Tedde website, and when you do you'll see just how risky some of their designs can be. We haven't been longtime followers of the brand, but assume new items are added and removed from the mix relatively frequently, and see some promoted throughout their site that are no longer sold.