Our Bears Have Deep Roots
Plush in a Rush is a family-owned business. That means you can find my uncle and me in the office, working every day to deliver quality plush toys to small businesses and organizations throughout the United States.
Plush in a Rush is also a family-oriented business. We treat our customers, employees, and even our vendors as a large, extended family.
We’ve been designing and distributing stuffed animals since 1992, and you may have purchased our bestselling Colorama Bears—a colorful collection of teddy bears with bright hues and friendly faces. The photo below shows the original six colors: blue, red, orange, green, yellow, and purple.
The original lineup of Colorama Bears in six classic colors
When I joined the business in 2003, my dad and uncle told me they “borrowed” the Colorama name from a line of lamps their father sold in the 1950s and ’60s. I haven’t tracked down a working lamp, but I did find some vintage ads that share the name with our bears.
Newspaper Ads from the 1950s
A colorful legacy in print
An ad that inspired a bear brand
Legacy ads from the 1950s
I never got to meet my grandfather, Ted, but my dad and uncle say he always put customers first.
This photo was taken at the Third Annual Dinner & Entertainment Show for the Lighting, Lamp & Electrical Manufacturers Salesmen Association, held on February 24, 1944, at Hotel Park Central. The framed copy still hangs in my uncle’s office today.
Back then, salesmen went door to door. While technology has changed how we do business, our commitment to treating customers with warmth and respect remains exactly the same.
Ted at the 1944 salesmen’s dinner—this photo hangs proudly in our office
A big pile of yellow Colorama Bears on the set of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
My grandfather would be surprised to know our teddy bears made it onto an Emmy-winning series like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. In one memorable scene, the star is lying atop a big heap of yellow Colorama Bears—a fitting tribute to our legacy, and his era.
Now you know a little more about our roots. If you’ve shared a story about your company’s beginnings, we’d love to hear it!
