# Sign consisting of a grinning bear holding a smaller sign **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091 "2004-08-23T14:53:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/1 "2004-08-23T14:53:02Z")
I have noticed many large signs around town that consist of a grinning “teddy-like” bear holding a smaller sign that contains the name of the business establishment. They are not associated with any particular business, but they tend to be found in front of mom-and-pop-type auto repair garages. I’ve lived in several parts of the country but don’t remember seeing these signs until I moved to LA. The signs are very large; the bear is typically about 15-20 feet tall. Does anyone know the origin of these signs? Was this the standard sign of some now-defunct retail chain, and later businesses kept the sign because of its recognizability? There seems to be a standard-shaped bear and many other variations, although the bear is usually in the same pose. Check [here](http://www.roadsidepeek.com/roadside/roadchar/rdbear/index.htm) for some pictures of these “road bears”. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/2 "2004-08-23T14:59:10Z")
“Bear” is/was a system for adjusting auto suspensions and drive trains. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/3 "2004-08-23T15:02:19Z")
Here is a history lesson on Bear and the bears. [http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/1995-05-11/feature.html](http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/1995-05-11/feature.html) ---
**Author:** ![Hyperelastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/4 "2004-08-23T20:19:47Z")
Fascinating! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/5 "2004-08-23T21:25:33Z")
Cool… Well, thanks for clearing that up. For many years, I thought those bears, the old-fashioned TravelLodge sleepy bears (images of which the chain has apparently completely purged from the web), and [Jerry Bears](http://www.rocknwillys.com/GD_Dancing_Bears.jpg) were all the same mascot. ---
**Author:** ![PaulFitzroy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2acd7d/32.png) [@PaulFitzroy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulFitzroy)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/6 "2004-08-23T21:34:32Z")
Intrigued, I did a search for ‘Bear Manufacturing’ hoping to find images of said bears. I found what I thought was the website for the company: [www.bearmfg.com](http://www.bearmfg.com/) Little did I know that the good and honorable name of Bear Manufacturing was also being used by large, hairy gay men. And they have their own flag! The plot thickens… ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/7 "2004-08-23T22:19:30Z")
> [@PaulFitzroy](#): > > Intrigued, I did a search for ‘Bear Manufacturing’ hoping to find images of said bears. I found what I thought was the website for the company: > > [www.bearmfg.com](http://www.bearmfg.com/) > > Little did I know that the good and honorable name of Bear Manufacturing was also being used by large, hairy gay men. And they have their own flag! The plot thickens… _deer in headlights_ _runs and hides behind a twink_ ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/8 "2004-08-23T23:05:12Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > _deer in headlights_ > > _runs and hides behind a twink_ Hey, the courts have ruled that you cannot use the Twinkie Defense! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/9 "2004-08-23T23:13:41Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Hey, the courts have ruled that you cannot use the Twinkie Defense! 😉 Hell, **Poly** …you’ve SEEN me. I’d have to hide behind about five twinks just to be inobtrusive… ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/10 "2004-08-23T23:34:14Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Hell, **Poly** …you’ve SEEN me. I’d have to hide behind about five twinks just to be inobtrusive… ::: visualizes **JayJay** behind five twinks ::: ::: thinks of several comments ::: ::: decides that none of them are appropriate for a GQ thread ::: ::: points **JayJay** towards the “Bear” sign of the OP with a suggestion that he come up with a comment to get the thread back on topic ::: ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2004, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sign-consisting-of-a-grinning-bear-holding-a-smaller-sign/261091/11 "2004-08-23T23:53:01Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > ::: visualizes **JayJay** behind five twinks ::: > > ::: thinks of several comments ::: > > ::: decides that none of them are appropriate for a GQ thread ::: > > ::: points **JayJay** towards the “Bear” sign of the OP with a suggestion that he come up with a comment to get the thread back on topic ::: Um…there’s a garage near my mom’s house with that sign! _runs away_ And I’m not the one that brought it up, anyway! So nyah! 😛