Horsing Around With This Charming Mare Pair

Are you ready for another Steiff mane event? Well, this one's twice as nice, as it features a pair of ponies! Check out this note from Steiff superfan Tom about his wife's childhood friends. He shares...

"Hi! I am hoping to find out about these two 7" horses. They were my wife's when she was a child, and if they are worth insuring, we would like to know. Also, when they were made, if they have an "item #" and description. Thank you!"

Well, its off to the races with these fine fillies. These both are Steiff ponies made exclusively for the high end North American toy retailer F.A.O. Schwarz. They are standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair that is airbrushed with lovely chestnut highlights. Their manes and tails are made from very long greyish white mohair. Their faces are detailed with black button eyes and a little hand stitched and airbrushed mouth. Overall, this design is extremely realistic, appealing, and playful - all at the same time! 

In terms of history, this pony pattern was produced from 1963 through 1972 in this size only. Its article number is 3759/02. According to the original F.A.O. Schwarz catalog, this horse was described as “… a handsome 8.5 inch steed covered in tan and white mohair plush with flowing white mane and tail. Complete with brindle, saddle, and saddle blanket. An F.A.O. Schwarz exclusive. A toy to excite your child’s imagination, to give fun-filled hours, and provide fond memories that happily can last a lifetime.” As noted in the cataloging, these horses all left the factory in Giengen with lovely, to-scale fittings; from the photo Tom provided it appears that several of these items have been lost to time. The picture on the left, from Steiffgal's collection, shows this pony with all of her original accessories, including tiny stirrups.

Tom is also chomping at the bit to learn the value of these horses. As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has not seen these horses firsthand to check for condition. They are lovely, but have some key issues - including missing accessories and IDs and light playwear. In the past two years, complete F.A.O Schwarz horses in very good to excellent condition with all IDs have sold in the c. $118-$495 range on eBay. It would be Steiffgal's best guessimate that "Tom's twins" might trade hands on a similar online channel in the c. $75-$120 range each. This assumes that they are as presented without any significant structural or aesthetic issues not captured on camera.

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed today's equine stable fable!

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