For He's A Jolly Good Fellow!

Dog-gonnit, it's always the perfect time for a little Steiff surprise! Steiffgal most unexpectedly came across this darling doggie. It was the first time she'd ever seen or handled one of these absolute rarities in person. Come take a look at this black and white beauty named Fellow and see what makes him so interesting, and important, from the design and product development perspectives. 

This precious puppy is a fine Fellow indeed. He 17 cm tall, sitting, and head jointed. He is made from long, shaggy black and tan mohair. His precious and pouty face comes to life with oversized black and brown glass pupil eyes, and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. He has a non-working squeaker in his belly, folded over ears, and three black hand embroidered claws on each of his feet. He retains his long trailing "f" button and traces of his red ear tag as his Steiff ID. This model was produced sitting in 7, 10, 14, 17, 22, 25, 30, 35, 43, 50, and 60 cm from 1928 through 1931 overall.

Like many of Steiff's beloved c. 1925-1935 pet patterns, Fellow was also produced in a number of variations and novelties. He was made standing on all fours in 12, 14, 17, 22, 28, and 35 cm from 1928 through 1931 overall. He appeared on regular or eccentric wheels in 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, 22, and 28 from 1928 through 1931 overall. And the 17 and 22 cm sitting versions, and the 22 cm standing version, were also fitted with a Swiss made press and release music box.

Steiff fans can't help but notice the striking resemblance between Fellow and another beloved button in ear buddy of the same era - Molly the Puppy. You can see the two side to side in the photo below. Molly was introduced in 1925 and was an immediate sensation. She could easily take the title of "mitochondrial Eve" behind the 40 new canine species Steiff introduced between 1925 and 1938. Steiff used Molly's basic appealing, endearing “young dog” pattern on other little known dogs of the 1920s and 1930s, including Trolly (a white, yellow, and brown St. Bernhard puppy), Flock (a blonde and white puppy), Zotty (a white puppy), and this Fellow. 

It is not clear why Fellow only appeared in the catalog for a handful of years. It is possible that his sales were not strong, or that his black mohair material was either very expensive or simply not available on a commercial scale. Another factor might just be Molly's popularity. According to the Cieslik's Button in Ear The History of the Teddy Bear and his Friends, ..."Molly was Steiff's greatest success after the Teddy bear... Between 1925 and 1932, over half a million Molly products were made." As such, Steiff may have decided to "fish where the fish are" and focus on its Molly production, given her sales superstar status.

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed learning all about this fabulous Fellow!

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

Let The Good Times Roll With This Vintage Steiff Molly Dog On Wheels

Mark Twain once wrote, “The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven not man’s.” And who could disagree? No company can match Steiff's attention to detail, quality, and appeal when it comes to our favorite canines. Next to Teddy bears, dogs have always been Steiff's most beloved and popular editions.  

Steiff's pre-war dogs on wheels could easily be considered the best of all worlds. These endearing, softly proportioned pets are adorable on their own, as well as the perfect pals for turn of last century dolls. Their wheels give them a distinctly playful - and old fashioned - appearance. So Steiffgal was more than delighted to learn of a very large - perhaps lifesized - 1920s era Steiff Molly on the go! This particular Molly on wheels is scaled to be either a large pull toy, or a small riding animal for a toddler. 

This Steiff pretty puppy is the wheel-deal indeed. She is standing, unjointed, and 35 cm tall. She is made from very long tipped tan mohair which has faded overall to a vanilla color over time, but is still very lush and full. Her floppy ears are "folded over" as they have been since her launch in the mid-1920's. She has oversized brown and black pupil eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. She rides upon four red wooden wheels. Molly on wheels was made in 28 and 35 cm from 1927-1943 overall. This example was made in the earliest part of that time frame, given that she retains her long trailing "f" button and traces of her red ear tag, as pictured here.  

Steiff's Molly the Puppy is a very important design for three key reason.

1.  First, she is one of the very few Steiff dogs that doesn’t have a “breed” associated with her. For example, Terry is the Steiff Airedale, Foxy is the Steiff Fox Terrier, and Snobby is the Steiff Poodle. This model is simply known as Molly the Puppy.

2.  Second, her 1925 introduction was so successful that she can be credited for opening the floodgates to a huge influx of Steiff dog designs. Between 1925 and 1938, close to 40 new canine species were noted in the Steiff catalogs after her debut. These included the now classic Bully Bulldog, Arco the German Shepherd, and Peky the Pekinese, as well as some lesser-known designs including Cheerio, the laughing dog, Putzi, a caricatured standing dog, and Lord the Great Dane.

3.  And third, she was a prime source of highly successful “theme and variation” product launches. Through the early 1940s, Molly appeared sitting and standing and in numerous color combinations, including red and white, green and white, and blue and white. She appeared as a puppet, purse, pincushion, music box, and Charleston animal, among other items. Smaller versions appeared standing on eccentric wheels, while larger ones, like the example under discussion today, appeared on centered wheels. Steiff used her basic appealing, endearing “young dog” pattern on other lesser known dogs of the 1920s and 1930s, including Trolly (a white, yellow, and brown St. Bernhard puppy), Flock (a blonde and white puppy), Zotty (a white puppy) and Fellow (a black and white puppy). A picture of Fellow and Molly are featured here on the left, the photo is from Theriaults. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's prewar Molly the Puppy on wheels has been more fun than a joyride for you!

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