My Funny (Steiff) Valentine

February 14th is right around the corner so Steiffgal thought it might be fun to create a Steiff themed Valentine to get everyone in the mood for this universal day of love! It's important to celebrate those who are important to us, so don't forget your special someone(s) on Sunday! Here's Steiffgal's "sweetheart celebration", dedicated to all the wonderful friends and readers around the world who have made Steiff part of their lives too!

Part 1: Cupid

My funny Valentine,
Sweet comic Valentine,
You make me smile with my heart...

What would this day of love be without a cupid? This sweet little girl could certainly be the inspiration behind this song made famous by Frank Sinatra! Here we have Schlenkerpuppe Dolly, or Floppy Doll Dolly. She is 28 cm tall, unjointed, and made from trevira velvet. She has brown and black pupil eyes and a tiny felt mouth. Her hair is a shock of brownish-blond mohair. Dolly wears charming pink and white footie pajamas trimmed in lace. She is stuffed with pre-formed foam. Dolly, and a whole series of 28 and 45 cm Schlenkerpuppe dolls, were featured in the Steiff catalog from 1972 through 1983.

Part 2: Chocolates

Forrest Gump is famous for saying: "Mama always said life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get." Well, Steiffgal would be thrilled to get a giant crate full of the next item in this Steiff valentine!

Sweets for the sweet... readers and fans of this Steiff blog! Please give a delicious welcome to Mr. Chocolate. This deep brown mohair Ted is 25 cm, fully jointed, and has distinctive, elegant suede paw pads. He came complete with a small gold box of - what else? - chocolates when he was new. His design is modeled on the classic Steiff "Mr. Cinnamon" bear pattern from 1903. He was produced in 1997 only for the Toy Store of Toledo, Ohio in a limited edition size of 2,000.

Part 3: Flowers

In Victorian times, some people used floriography, or "the language of flowers", to communicate through flowers and floral arrangements those thoughts and feelings that could not be spoken aloud. It goes without saying that this part of the Steiff Valentine could be considered a "floral fantasy!"

It wouldn't be Valentines Day without flowers, and this very unique Steiff Bear takes care of that - literally. Here we have Teddy Flowers, who was the very first issue in the Margarete Steiff Edition series. This program, initiated in 2004, presented Steiff Club members from around the world the opportunity to enter a contest to purchase one of 500 extraordinary collectibles. The response to the contest was overwhelming, and Teddy Flowers, being the debut bear, continues to be of great interest to collectors even today.

Flowers is 33 cm, five ways jointed, and made from special white mohair which has been custom embroidered with a spray of elegant alpine roses, gentian, and edelweiss in pink, blue, and white stitching. This mohair was made on a very special embroidery machine in St. Gallen, Switzerland, dating from 1890! This beautiful mohair is complemented by Teddy's white felt paw pads, red embroidered nose and mouth, and blue claw stitching. Flowers arrived in a special presentation box lined with excelsior and came with a special book and certificate detailing her production.

Steiffgal hopes this trio of Valentine's Day treats has got your heart racing in anticipation of this special day of love!

Have a question about one of your beloved Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.