A TEDDYbear collection is set to reach a staggering £100,000 when it goes up for auction.

Musician Jena Pang, from Southend, hopes to relocate to Hong Kong so has put his beloved collection of vintage Steiff Bears – part of his 250-bear collection – up for sale.

In all, 100 bears will be sold, with one bear alone likely to attract bids of up to £15,000.

Former Westcliff solicitor, Mr Pang, 36, began collecting his bears in 2002, but his love of teddy bears goes back to his childhood.

He said: “As a child, I always liked teddy bears. I came from a single parent family because my parents were divorced. I had no brothers or sisters so bears became my best friends.

“When I started working in law in Hamlet Court Road, there was a teddy bear shop which I used to walk past everymorning.

I used to see all the teddy bears in the window inviting me to go in.”

Mr Pang began his collection of modern Steiff and Hermann Bears, but it was after being invited to a twice-yearly teddy bear show in Kensington that he met other collectors and started to buy vintage Steiff bears as an investment.

So great is his love of teddy bears, some even accompany him on social occasions. He has also been known to fly them first class when he goes on holiday and takes them to the theatre and opera at Glyndebourne.

He said: “I have collected a number of miniature Artist Bears that fit into my pocket.

They are very tiny and nice to have if you go forameal. It’s a bit like carrying a mascot.”

The Oxford graduate, a violinist and pianist, who has performed around the world, also teaches music, lining his bears up as an audience for his young pupils.

Mr Pang hopes to carry on his music career when he and his mother, whom he cares for, move home to Hong Kong from where they originate. While the whole vintage collection, some 100 years old, will be going under the hammer, one bear will be staying with Mr Pang.

He said: “Because I’m moving abroad I can’t take all my very delicate vintage bears with me, but I am going to keep my first Steiff bear, Timmy, with me.”

The bears will be sold by Special Auction Services in Newbury, Berkshire, on December 4.

Daniel Agnew, teddy bear specialist at the auction house, said: “At the core of the Jena Pang collection are twenty-four exceptional antique Steiff teddy bears.

These types of bear only come to auction very occasionally, so to have so many near mint bears in one sale is extremely rare and makes this auction a must for all collectors.”