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In
the Spring of 2005, I got a call from Ken Forsse, Teddy's creator.
It was a call I had been waiting for and looking forward to for a long
time. Teddy was coming back.
In
mid 2006, BackPack Toys re-released Teddy Ruxpin. It was the first time
in nearly a decade that Teddy had been available brand-new, and the
first time since Worlds Of Wonder had ceased production that Teddy had
been produced in the high quality the character and fans deserved.
"Teddy IV" used Mp3 cartridges instead of cassette tapes to animate the
Illiop, and his eyes, fur and exteriors are also the highest quality.
BackPack Toys' also re-designed the toy's controls, making him easier
to use, less prone to damage, and much safer for small children than
previous versions. In addition, Ken Forsse personally re-worked the
original storybooks and art giving Teddy a more uniform look and
clarifying the storyline throughout.
The BackPack Toys Teddy also helped to return the character to the
national pop culture scene. He was featured in a national TV
advertising campaign in 2006 and in 2007 and 2008 was the spokesbear
for "Love Our Children USA" along with actor Cameron Mathison.
TeddyIV is also more eco-friendly than before, using smaller battiers
with a longer battery life (AA) . This version also maintained the
smaller size of the previous versions.... less appealing to the adults
who remember the larger, perhaps a bit sturdier versions of our youth,
but also much easier for the youth of today to play with and carry
around.
Teddy
IV will probably also rival the WoW version in longevity, and will
certainly be talking long after the Playskool and YES! versions have
been silenced. Unfortunately, a long production run with additional
products and promotion was not to be for TeddyIV, as BackPack Toys
ceased promotions and tech support in 2009 and pulled their Teddy
Ruxpin online advetising and website completely in 2010.
TeddyIV is no longer available from retailers, although as of
12/2010 TeddyRuxpin.com is now linked to Ty's Toy Box, which still has
some of the software available.
I would reccomend buying TeddyIV for a child, as he is more durable and
will be less prone to accidents. For an older kid at heart or a
collector, I would still buy the original version- which is more easily
repairable and will probably be around the longest out of any of the
versions released.
So
far, post-BackPack sales of TeddyIV (Ebay, other online auctions, etc.)
have been scarce, meaning most of BackPack's customers were satisfied,
although for those determined to get one there will certainly be units
availble from time to time on Ebay for the remainder of this decade and
probably into the next.
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