Steiff and Teddy Temptations Galore At Special Auction Services' November 2020 Doll and Teddy Bear Event!

In the mood for something fun? Our friends at Special Auction Services near London are hosting their signature late fall Dolls and Teddy Bears Auction on Tuesday, November 24th and Wednesday, November 25th. Mark your calendars for two days of century spanning toy temptations! As always, Steiffgal dove right into the sale catalog, looking for eye-catching treasures that might have a backstory to them. Here are three that called to her... plus some BONUS insights on each from SAS' own toy man, Daniel Agnew. 

This first auction highlight really takes the pole position. It is lot #83, a Steiff woolen miniature rabbit on skis. It is cataloged as, "A rare Steiff pom-pom woolen skiing rabbit (Skihas 17) 1936-40, with brown and black glass eyes, pom-pom yellow and white rabbit, pom-pom green trousers, whiskers, mohair ears, orange wool scarf, wired body, wooden skis and poles and FF underscored button with crisp yellow cloth tag in ear --8in. (20.5cm.) long." It is estimated at £800 - £1,200.

Steiffgal: Daniel, could you please share with us why Steiff's pre-war woolen miniatures are so appealing to collectors. Could you also tell us anything else about this lot - for example, in the broadest sense its history, or how it was discovered in such fine condition nearly a century after its production?

Daniel: I was delighted to see this ski rabbit. He belongs to a good client who is slowly selling his collection with me. I have known him from antique fair for years since I was around 10 years old. He has a huge collection of toys and hasn't brought in his best items yet. He didn't really know what he had. I let out a little gasp when I saw this toy and its exceptional condition. When you see the flag or tag behind the button in such crisp clean condition, it's such a thrill. These woolens, often called pom-poms in the UK, have their own charm. There are some collectors who specialize in them. Who can remember winding wool around two donut shaped pieces and then tying and cutting them to make a pom-pom ball? We did as children. These are like them, but 100 times more skillful than a childish attempt! Steiff made an amazing range.

This second auction highlight is really elephant-tactic. It is lot #94, an early Steiff fully jointed elephant. It is cataloged as, "A rare and fine Steiff jointed elephant circa 1908, with grey mohair, black boot button eyes, white felt tusks, swivel head, jointed limbs with black stitched toes, tail and squeaker --10 ¼in. (26cm.) height seated (slight tear to one tusk and slight matting)." It is estimated at £800 - £1,200.

Steiffgal: Daniel, can you give the readers a little history on this design, and why elephants are so important in Steiff's legacy?

Daniel: This Steiff elephant is in exceptional condition; this type of fully jointed elephant was one of the first animated or jointed toy animals. Before 1902, all Steiff animals were static models. It was Richard Steiff who experimented with various ways to make Steiff products move. This resulted in a handful of jointed animals, like the now famous rod jointed bear and an elephant. The whole Teddy Bear market is based around this one concept, taking a bear or elephant and making their limbs moveable, so they end up standing on their hind legs, with front legs like arms. As such, a new toy was created, a humanized animal. Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristics to an animal; this was a hugely popular concept in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and led to the birth of the world's most popular toy. This example, missing the famous button in ear, so making hard to date precisely, probably dates to around 1908 and is a prized example.

And bear with Steiffgal as she chooses a non-Steiff selection as her third pick. She not-so-secretly has eyes for 20th century-era Cramer bears, given their appeal and precious detailing. As such, lot #109, a sweet Cramer cub takes the bronze here. He is cataloged as, "An Eduard Crämer teddy bear 1930s with light brown mohair, brown and black glass eyes, inset short blonde mohair face mask, brown stitched nose, mouth and remains of claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump and growler --15in. (38cm.) high (bald spots, holes in lower head around neck from moth attack, general wear, thinning and fading)." It is estimated at £250 - £350.

Steiffgal: Daniel, can you give the readers a brief history on Cramer bears and what makes them so appealing... as well a reason or two why Cramer items should be of interest to Steiff Teddy bear collectors, too?

Daniel: Cramer is an interesting firm. 20to 30 years ago, we would not have known a great deal about this company. Thanks to research by the Ciesliks, we now know how to identify their bears. Eduard Cramer took over his father-in-law's Schalkau (Germany) toy factory in 1885. It is thought that he made his first Teddy bear in 1905/06, but little is known about his early bears. By the 1920s, Cramer Teds are known as very good quality bears, made from the finest mohair and felt. Their most distinct bear, like lot #109, has a very characteristic inset heart-shaped face mask. I think it's all about the nose stitching; once you get used to the way Cramer made their bears, they become fairly easy to identify. There is a delicate way they are stitched with finer than typical thread. Another non-Steiff bear that would be of interest to Steiff collectors is lot #100, an incredibly rare Strunz jester teddy bear. He's pictured here on the left. He is rod-jointed and dates from c. 1904. Strunz and Steiff had huge rivalry and there were many lawsuits between the two companies. This clown costume is identical to Steiff's jester clown doll from the same era.

For more information on this great sale, and to see the catalog in its entirety, please click here!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on SAS' upcoming Steiff and toy auction highlights has added a playful touch to your day.

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