Banque Nationale du Canada

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Hi!
I know it's been a while since I came here, but the fact is, I've given up collecting animal toys through EBay. So, every find I get come from flea markets or so.

Here is a beauty that I found in a second hand store in my home region, last January. It is a Grizzly Bear figure made of soft , light foam (almost unbreakable, really!) and it is marked "Placements Banque Nationale Inc" on its back; in other words, from the Canadian Nationale Bank. I have been searching through the net to get information about this bear and other figures the National Bank could have made. But there is absolutely Nothing on the internet about it, not a clue. I don't even know when, or even why the National Bank released a Grizzly Bear toy.

Anyway, here it is, beautiful and very playable. But very mysterious.

I really like promotional figures like this, things designed for special occasions, events, or companies. It is a good way to get truly unique figures.

I have (or had, unsure if I still do) several similar pieces, the art-style and material seem to match. I recall lobsters, a generic dolphin, a generic fish, a horned owl, a humpback whale, a calculator and a propane tank, but there were undoubtedly many more. I don't know what company makes them but the idea seems to be that they print a companies logos on them to use for advertising. I had several copies of some of these with different companies names on them.

I would start by searching for Canadian promotional stationary manufacturers, likely a company that designs promotional materials like business cards also makes these.

Cute figur :)