German Bing

The Company

1863: Brothers Ignaz and Adolph Bing founded the Company and it was based in Nuremberg, selling toys and kitchenware. A factory, known as Bing Brothers Nuremberg Toy Factory, was established in the 1880's to manufacture tin toys.
1907: Bing began producing plush toys including teddy bears.
1909-12: Neinrich Muller, the founder of Schuco, joined the company. 
1917: Agents Concentra specialise in marketing all Bing products under different brand names. Bing was the only toy manufacturer to continue production during WWI.
1919: L Rees & Co., based in London, act as distribution agents of Bing toys in Britain and Commonwealth. Stephen Bing, Ignaz's son, becomes director general and the company name was changed to Bing Works.
1927: Stephen Bing and all other family members left the company. A variety of reasons are offered ranging from boardroom disagreements to the treatment of Jews (the Bing family were Jewish) by Adolf Hitler.
1932: The company went into receivership

Identification 

Early pre 1910 Bing teddy bears had a metal shaped sign in their ear, which had to be altered after Steiff objected. It is very rare indeed to find teddy bears from Bing with this tag.

1910 these early bears had a Metal tag G.B.N under the arm

1919 -1927 bears had a red metal tag marked B.W

1927-1932 bears had a blue metal tag marked B.W found either on wrist or under arm

Early Bing mechanical bears had a metal button on their bodies marked DRPDIVDRGM - this is a patent pending mark.

Some had letters on the key winders.

Early Bears pre 1920

had black shoe button eyes, small ears set wide apart on the head, curved paws, front final seam 

Later bears post 1920

generally had shaved muzzles, back leg seams meeting a pointed heel pad, glass eyes

 Mechanical Bears

were found both dressed and undressed and took many forms such as skating bears tumbling bears, head turning bears and other moving bears for which they were famous.