Ken Yenke Book Sale Page

Bright Star Promotions, Inc.
Proudly Introduces . . .

Ken Yenke

Author, authority on Teddy Bears
and Museum Curator.

Ken has written three colorful and informative books.

Ken's job allowed him to travel the world, where he began his teddy bear education at museums, art galleries and antique shops. His appetite grew for books about Teddy Roosevelt, and this helped establish him as an expert. To this day he reads and traps images of bears in his memory, plus adding old bears to his personal collection. Ken enjoys the history behind each bear he sees or reads about and absorbs this information like a sponge, which is crucial for appraising bears.

Ken Yenke, a native of Cincinnati, moved with his wife Brenda first to Indianapolis as a sales manager, then on to Philadelphia and finally settling in the Cleveland area.
A corporate account manager by day, he soon found himself devoting time to his passion of teddy bear collecting. Brenda and Ken share their love for teddy bears. Brenda is an accomplished seamstress who can historically correct and restore original teddy bears.

For over eighteen years Ken has been the preferred appraiser for Good Bear of the World. Whenever a member, worldwide, requests information or identification help, the mail is forwarded to him. He speaks to countless bear clubs, senior citizens groups, antique clubs and libraries. Ken has been instrumental in raising funds to buy bears for distribution to hospitals and to open toy museums. In addition to numerous articles he has also written three books: Teddy Bear Treasury Vol. 1 (sold out) and Vol. 2, and Bing Bears and Toys. American Greeting Corporation has featured many of Ken and Brenda's bears in their 2000 calendar and plan to add others to their coming calendars. Bears from their vintage collection have been featured on American Greeting's gift-wrap and Valentines.

Ken is the writer of a popular newspaper column on Antiques published in the Cleveland Sun Newspapers, feature articles in Teddy Bear Review and Bears&Buds' Online Teddy Bear Magazine and appears at many of Bright Star Promotions' Teddy Bear Shows as well as some other leading show, where he appraises collector's bears and antiques. All appraisal donations benefit Good Bears of the World.
"It seems a lifetime ago," Ken says, "that I was in the Air Force, attended Butler University and began working on my career." Married for 46 years he and Brenda have five children and share their home with hundreds of very interesting old bears. "I always look forward to helping others discover more about their teddy bears." Ken continues, "Teddy bears continue to be great contributors to the human experience."