Meet a Marine Corporal Who’s Looking for a Few Good Men--to Buy Her Teddy Bears

Okay, listen up! U.S. Marine Cpl. Lori Bradley makes teddy bears. You want to poke fun? “I really don’t get much static,” said Bradley, 22, a communication specialist at the El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, “although I guess it’s different from what you stereotype a Marine. Everyone needs a hobby.”

Besides being a hobby and an outlet for self-expression, she said, “it’s also a matter of business” since her military work schedule prevents her from holding an outside job. “It’s better than working at a fast-food place where you wear a uniform.”

“I’ve always liked teddy bears, so besides enjoying it as a hobby, now I sell them to make extra money,” said Bradley, a Crystal Lake, Ill., native who lives in Mission Viejo. But she cautions others about making light of her craft, a pastime she may continue after her four-year hitch is up in two years. “Most of my sales are to other Marines.”

One of the reasons for her military sales success, she believes, is the way she outfits the bears. “Most of them have Marine dress blues to cover their fur,” she said, “so right away there’s a connection.” She also makes Civil War, cheerleader, camouflage, cowboy and karate clothes, “but basically I just make clothes out of whatever fabric is on sale.”

Most Marines, who pay $40 for one of the 16-inch-tall bears, said Bradley, “say it’s for their wife or girlfriend.” But she noted that some keep them in their rooms in the barracks.