Gavin James, a retired Niagara-on-the-Lake resident, took in the collection of unique teddy bears at St. Mark’s Church’s Tea with Teddy sale on Saturday while sipping tea and enjoying warm scones.
“I drink tea a lot, so I know good tea,” he said. “They’ve given it a good try.”
“The scones too. Excellent,” said James, who particularly admired the Paddington bear, which was already sold just a few hours into the sale.
The two-day sale, held on Nov. 29 and 30 at St. Mark’s Addison Hall, featured over 100 teddy bears from around the world, along with a variety of Christmas decorations, linens, jewelry, clothing, silver and china.
Special items like a 50-year-old Sears kids’ wagon and a 1936 Lionel train set attracted collectors and holiday shoppers.
Church member Carolyn Porter was happy to help make the sale a success.
“We’ve had some lovely pieces find a new home today,” she said.
Porter, who also co-chaired the jewelry table for the Cherry Festival in July, said all proceeds from the sale would help support the church’s operating budget.
“It’s a good time for this sale — before Christmas. And by shopping, people help support the church. They’re happy to do that,” she said.
Trudi Watson, a member of the church since the 1960s, has been organizing fundraisers like this for over 20 years.
It’s always great to see the community come together and support the church, especially during the holidays, she said.
“It’s very successful to bring people together,” she said. “Especially when you’re serving something like tea because even if they don’t buy anything, they can have a cup of tea and meet people,” she said.
“It’s easy. It’s comfortable,” she said.
Whether shopping for vintage teddy bears or a special item to gift a loved one for Christmas, Watson said the sale offered something for everyone.
Alongside the wide variety of items for sale, tea and scones were available for purchase at $15 per person to help support the church’s initiatives, with hot chocolate also offered for non-tea drinkers.
The Baking Twins made the scones from Vineland, a small business known for its delicious baked goods that the church has long supported, said Watson.
The tea, served in cups and saucers, was prepared by volunteers using St. Mark’s fully-equipped kitchen.
Looking ahead, community members can donate jewelry for future sales by bringing items to St. Mark’s Church starting in April. Jewelry donations will be accepted until July when preparations for the Cherry Festival begin.
