Coming To Your Rescue With This Amazing Lifesized Steiff Saint Bernard Dog

It's the dog days of summer - in a big and Steiffy way - around these parts lately! Check out this note from a reader in North Carolina who asks about a very large, and equally unusual, Steiff "friend for life." Over a series of conversations, Jack writes...
 

"Steiffgal:  I came across your site, and I thought that I would see if you happened to know anything about a St. Bernard dog that I have had since I was 2 years old, I am 45 now! So he has been in the family with me for 43 years.  

The dimensions are as follows: length from nose to rump - 52"; height at head - 33"; and height at rump - 29". 

He weighs in at about 20 pounds and is standing. He does not have a squeaker or make noises of any kind. He was never on wheels. As for the fur, the entire head is made of a soft fur (maybe a polyester), while the entire body seems to be made of a hair-like material with the feel of wool. His nose is made of a vinyl-like black material. The keg around his neck is made of real wood, but it is missing the spigot piece.

You wanted to know if the piece is really a Steiff.  Yes, this is a Steiff, but one of the problems with the piece is that when I was 10, after learning about tools, I removed the ear tag so the dog would not be in any pain. Funny, now is when I am feeling pain thinking of any lost value. 

As for his history, my father bought him for me at FAO Schwarz in New York City in December, 1971. I asked him recently for more information and he said... 

"I bought it off the floor, it was an FAO Schwarz Christmas exhibit centerpiece. It was big money then. It took a ride with me on the Long Island Railroad home to you, which of course generated many strange looks. It is life size – the Steiff is the same size as Sock." 

Sock was our family's real live Saint Bernard at the time.
 

I also sending along a few more pictures from 1971; these are from scans of old negatives from the Christmas when the dog was given to me. For some reason the wooden keg is not showing in these pictures, but I think my parents turned the collar around so they could hang my stocking from the giant Steiff dog.

Thank you in advance for any help you can provide about my big buddy.  I have looked for many years for information on him, without success.

Best,
Jack" 

Jack, here's some very big news - your life sized St. Bernard is indeed a Steiff, and a rare one at that.  He is not cataloged in standard Steiff reference books, which explains why it was difficult to find information on him specifically.  And it is not surprising that he was purchased at FAO Schwarz, as this store had a tradition of selling exclusive life sized dogs in the 1960's, including a 40 cm standing Beagle (available 1965 through 1966) and a lying 135 cm Collie (available in 1966 only.) Although it is not clear if the St. Bernard is an FAO Exclusive, it is certain that very few were made and that they would have only been sold at very high end stores in the USA like FAO Schwarz.  Above please find the single sales sheet that was printed about him, dated June, 1970.  His specific Steiff article number is 4049/10. 

 

Here's what makes this big boy "best of show." He is standing, unjointed, and  "officially" sized at 100 cm (which equals about 40 inches).  According to the sheet, his head and legs are made from dralon (an artificial plush) while his body is made from mohair, which is wool.  Jack's dog appears to have a dralon head and an all mohair body, but it is impossible to tell from the photos alone.  The Saint Bernard has great airbrushing, especially on his face, which really gives him a lifelike appearance and an authentic texture.  In the catalog picture, he is shown without his wooden barrel - but the one on Jack's dog looks to be original, and sometimes catalog pictures do not exactly resemble the final item which is shipped to stores.  

 

It is interesting to note that because of its date of production, Jack's dog is called a "Schautiere" or display animal - not a "studio animal." Steiff only launched the name "Studiotiere" or "Studio animal" in 1979/1980.  So technically, any life sized items produced before that time period are actually "Schautiere."

   

Steiff was certainly barking up the right tree in the 1960's and early 1970's when it came to creating these life-sized canine creations.  And, for some reason, many of them, like Jack's St. Bernard, do not appear in standard Steiff reference books.  So for all of you out there experiencing a little "puppy love" over these collectibles, here are a doggy dozen for your viewing pleasure!  

 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Basset Hound.  He is 75 cm, sitting, and made from mohair plush.  He appeared officially in the line in 1960 and then again in 1967; this document was printed in July, 1967.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Peky Pekingese.  She is 40 cm, standing, and made from Crylor artificial plush.  A very similar model appeared in the line from 1973 through 1975; this document was printed in June, 1970.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Tibetan Terrier.  She is 80 cm, sitting, and made artificial plush.  She does not appear in the standard Steiff reference books.  This document was printed in June, 1970.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Collie.  She is 90 cm, standing, and seems to be made from both mohair and artificial plush.  She does not appear in the standard Steiff reference books.  This document was printed in June, 1970.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Cockie Cocker Spaniel.  He is 75 cm, sitting, and made from mohair plush.  He appeared officially in the line in 1960 and then again in 1967; this document was printed in October, 1967. 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Tessie Schnauzer.  She is 50 cm, standing, and made from Dralon.  A very similar model appeared in the line from 1973 through 1975; this document was printed in June, 1970. 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display German Shepherd.  He is 90 cm, standing, and made from mohair plush.  He appeared officially in the line from 1966 through 1967; this document was printed in June, 1967. 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Arco German Shepherd.  She is 100 cm, sitting, and made from mohair plush.  She does not appear in the standard Steiff reference books.  This document was printed in June, 1970. 
 

 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display "House Dog."  She is 90 cm, sitting, and made from long grey artificial plush.  She does not appear in the standard Steiff reference books.  This document was printed in November, 1969.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Snobby Poodle.  She is 80 cm, begging, and made from mohair plush.  She appeared officially in the line in 1967 only; this document was printed in October, 1967.

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Polar Pomeranian.  She is 60 cm, standing, and made from mohair plush.  She appeared officially in the line in 1960 and then again in 1967; this document was printed in October, 1967. 

Here we have Steiff's Schautier or display Newfoundland Dog.  She is 100 cm, standing, and seems to be made from both mohair and artificial plush.  She does not appear in the standard Steiff reference books.  This document was printed in October, 1967.

Steiffgal sends lots of Teddy hugs and thanks to Carsten Esser at Teddy Dorado Auctioneers for sharing these marvelous photos from their Steiff archives with us today!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on rare 1960 and 1970-era life sized Steiff dogs has got your tails - and tongues - all awagging! 

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

Lassie Come Home With The Answer To This Steiff Mystery!

Steiffgal's a bit of a sassy Lassie when it comes to Steiff riddles about dogs, and this one really merits a pat on the head.  Check out this note from a reader who asks about her adorable Collie with somewhat of a mysterious ear tag number.  Joan writes...

"Dear Steiffgal,

I am hoping you can solve this Steiff mystery.  No doubt you can. ;o)

Please see the attached photos of my dear Steiff lying collie.  What's puzzling is the number 2325,90 on his eartag.  Is this simply a misprint? Or? 

I date this 1960-67.  Is that correct or does that strange "9" mean something else?

Any light you could shed would be much appreciated as always!!  Thank you!!

Regards,
Joan"

Let's not take this challenge lying down!  What Joan has here is Steiff's simply marvelous lying Collie.  He is unjointed and in a very comfortable, lying down (but still somewhat attentive) position.  His facial mask, ears, arms, legs, and underside are made from short tan mohair.  His back, chest, and tail are made from very long mohair which has been gloriously and realistically airbrushed with black, tan, and grey highlights.  Collie's face is detailed with black and brown pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose, an open, pink felt lined mouth, and a bright red tongue.  This item was produced in 25 and 43 cm from 1960 through 1975.  

The real mystery, as Joan points out, is the number on his yellow ear tag.  The  number is 2325,90. There is no reference to this product with this number in the Steiff Sortiment Book, the gold standard reference on vintage Steiff products.    Before the comma, this number translates to 2 = lying, 3 = mohair, and 25 = 25 cm.  After the comma, this number means 9 = "display animal or special edition" and 0 = "normal color".  What could this all mean?

Let's play by the numbers.  The ,90 means "special edition", and in many cases, that means that the item was produced for a certain period of time for a very specific market or sales channel.   Then it may have been produced and distributed on a much wider scale after that specific time frame.  A very good example of that is Steiff's bisons.  This pattern, available in 12, 17, and 30 cm, was produced as a United States exclusive in 1960.  A few years later, in 1962 and 1963, this identical design was produced in the same three sizes for worldwide distribution. (Bison with “90” as the last digits of their ear tag article numbers are from 1960; while those from 1962 and 1963 sport “00” as their last digits.)  The 17 cm bison with the ,90 ear tag detail is pictured here on the left. 

Doggonit, let's figure out what we can about Joan's confounded Collie.  As Steiffgal has mentioned many times before, Steiff is an art, not a science, and there are times that it may be impossible to figure out exactly the back story behind something.  But here are a few possible ideas:

1.  Yup, it could be something as simple as a typo on the eartag.  Steiffgal has several items in her collection where the numbering system on the ear tag, which should reflect the make-up of the animal at the time, just doesn't match up.  

2.  It could also be something as simple as an omission in the Steiff Sortiment Books. For better or worse, this does happen as it would be all but impossible to capture the thousands and thousands of distinctive Steiff products in the Steiff archives. 

3. It is very interesting to note that Joan's Collie was also produced in a sitting up pattern in 12 and 22 cm from 1960 through 1969.  These are pictured here on the left.  And, like the bison mentioned above, in 1960 both the 12 and 22 cm sitting Collies were United States exclusives.  These sitting up Steiff Collies produced in 1960 collies each have the ,90 as part of their yellow ear tag identification number.  

Given all of that background, it is Steiffgal's best guess that Joan's Collie was produced in 1960, based on his identification, design, and other things happening with Steiff's product distribution around that time.  It is possible that he was also a United States exclusive in 1960, and that information was just not captured in the publicly available records.  Or, it is also possible that he was just about to be an exclusive, and for some reason the company changed its mind at the last minute, but did not change his eartag to reflect this. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion concerning Joan's cryptic Collie has been a real mind bender for you!

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

One Heck Of A Giant Classy Steiff Lassie!

Good golly, take a look at this huge and marvelous Collie!  That's just what Steiffgal did when she got this inquiry a reader about her "life sized Lassie."  Check out this note from Kathy, who writes on behalf of a friend who would like to learn more about her family's treasure - that just happens to have a very interesting history as well. She shares:

"Hi Steiffgal,

I found your blog on-line and was so excited to find you!  Your love of Steiff is contagious.

I've attached some photos of a large Steiff Collie that I would like information on.  The dog belongs to a dear friend of mine and I am helping her out with her research.  

My friend bought the dog at a garage sale about 40 or so years ago.  The owner of the dog worked for Mrs. Gerber, of the Gerber Baby Food Company, as a house cleaner.  She often took her young son along to the Gerber's home when she was cleaning, and Mrs. Gerber grew quite fond of him. Whenever she traveled overseas she would bring the boy a Steiff animal.  When he was 10 she brought him the Collie.  After the boy had grown up he no longer wanted the dog and his mother didn't either so she sold him to my friend.  

I've had a difficult time trying to find information or a value for it.  Thank you for any help you can provide.

Best,

Kathy"

Steiffgal is certain that many Steifflife readers are thinking "Lassie come home... to me" upon learning about this dog.   Indeed, what we have here is fabulous and wonderful, and Steiffgal is not surprised to learn that Kathy could not find reference to it online as it is really, really rare.  

This best of show beauty is the studio (i.e., life sized) Collie produced exclusively for the upscale toy retailer FAO Schwarz.  He is in a lying position and made from mohair which has been realistically airbrushed with all shades of tan, brown, beige, and black.  He has a long, fluffy mohair "mane" and an equally robust tail.  His face is detailed with a prominent muzzle; large, pert pupil eyes; an open, felt lined mouth with a red felt tongue; and a black, hand embroidered nose.  He is approximately 135 cm long and was produced in 1966 and sold in the 1966 through 1967 time frame only.

One place this rarity is documented is in the FAO Schwarz catalog archives.  According to their 1967 catalog, this playful pooch is described as follows: "The distinctive looks and noble air of this popular breed are captured by Steiff in this faithful companion.  The long mohair plush coat, long nose, open mouth, and long red felt tongue give him the familiar "collie look."  53 inches long, with authentic marking and deep-throated voice".  

From the collector's perspective, this dashing doggie truly represents the best of both worlds.  

1.  First, he is a Steiff "Studio" treasure, meaning he is life-sized, and/or designed specifically for display purposes. So what exactly does this mean?  In the case of “life-sized” animals, if in nature a tiger is almost 6 feet long, then the Steiff Studio tiger would be almost 6 feet long. In the case of a display product, an item may be produced in exceptionally large proportions in order to make a statement in a window vignette. For example, Steiff has produced an almost 3-foot-tall standing Studio ladybug and a two-and-a-half-foot-tall sitting “Hush Puppies” Basset hound. 

2.  Second, he was made exclusively for FAO Schwarz.  And here's why that matters.  Although Steiff has been merchandising FAO Schwarz with items from its line since the early 1900s, it wasn’t until the early 1950s that Steiff started producing store exclusives for its long-time American retail partner. These treasures included a Texas Longhorn, unusual puppets, unique studio pieces like this Collie, and even a walrus pajama bag, among numerous other items. Despite their “relative newness” to the marketplace, these items are all among the most sought-after Steiff collectibles because of their exceptional attention to detail, unique designs and, of course, the fact that so few were manufactured to begin with!

Now for the question that always makes Steiffgal want to head off to the dog-house - Collie's value.  As always, Steiffgal is not a formal appraiser and truly believes something is worth what someone will pay.  Kathy's photos and notes do not give much information on the dog's actual physical condition.  It would be critical to know if the Collie has any rips, tears, weak or balding spots, odors, or other structural issues before giving a firm value range, as those factors can greatly influence its bottom line.  However, IF (and that's a big IF) the dog were in very good to excellent condition, with only little play wear, at least one form of Steiff ID, and no major structural damages, he MAY value in the $900 to $1,500 range. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion about Kathy's Collie has been a best of show experience for you.

  

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