Take A Load Off Of Your Feet With This Amazing Sitting Steiff Studio Elephant

Who likes a jumbo Steiff surprise?  Especially one that is unforgettable?  Well, that would be Steiffgal - and most Steiff superfans - as well!  Check out this email that will have you literally grinning from ear to ear.  A reader from the south shares in part...

"I got this elephant in 1959.  He is in great shape and very heavy.  He is about 4 feet tall and 2-3 feet deep/wide.  I have never seen another this large.  His red collar is felt.  His arms and legs move and his head turns, allowing for changing positions. He has been handled or touched very little. Tag in ear as it was in 1959.

My father's company was opening a new store, and they brought in 3 large Steiff pieces as a promotion. I remember that they were $150 each, and to a 13-year old in 1959 that was an out of range amount.  I loved the elephant so much that they let me work after school and on weekends until I had earned enough to buy it.  The other 2 sold fairly quickly and I believe - though never confirmed - that my family bought the elephant early to insure he'd be mine.

The elephant had a special crate built for him while my parents moved and I was at college.  I built my own home 25 years ago and the high shelf in my great room was designed just for him.  He was liberated from his cage when I moved in.  He sits about 15 feet high watching all. I love people's reaction to seeing him for first time.  Especially kids!"

Pull up a chair and let's take a closer look at this sitting sweetie!  What we have here is a fantastic example of a Steiff studio elephant.  As the reader described, he is made from mohair, fully jointed, and in a great sitting position.  He is so heavy because he is hand-stuffed with excelsior, and most likely has an internal metal support skeleton of some sort. He has great airbrushed highlights and detailing all over his body, but especially on his face and paws. Elephant has an open, smiling, felt lined mouth and a playful, upturned trunk.  He dons a red felt collar bib around his upper torso.  The basic pattern for this happy go lucky fellow was made in 100 and 150 cm in 1960 and then again in 1967.  You can see a photo of him in "like new" condition; this illustration is from Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Steiff Sortiment book.  

The 1960's were huge in terms of Steiff studio elephant production. In addition to this sitting pattern, the company also made three standing life sized elephant designs. One was 150 cm and standing on all fours. The other two were on all fours but with one foot slightly lifted; these were made in 75 and 150 cm. 

However, there is something extra special about the sitting version. It is Steiffgal's best guess that he is the jumbo version of - well, Steiff's beloved Jumbo toy elephant! This great design, is head and arm jointed, sitting up, and made from super soft, short grey mohair. He is exceptionally sweet and childlike - even joyful! His face is detailed with black and white google eyes and an open peach colored felt lined mouth. His paw pads are made from grey felt. He wears a red felt bib.  Overall, Jumbo was produced from 1952 through 1975 and came in two standard line sizes, 22 and 35 cm.  Steiffgal has an unusual 15 cm version of this big beauty - it is probably a sample that never went into full production.  This petite pachyderm and his more standard 35 cm version mom are pictured here on the left.  Can't you see the family resemblance to the studio version?

Steiffgal hopes today's discussion on Steiff's sitting elephants has taken a heavy load off your feet.

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Begging To Learn The Story Behind This Vintage Lifesized Steiff Poodle

It is so exciting to stumble upon a great Steiff treasure.  But only once in a blue moon does that find also comes with a full history and provenance!  Such was most unexpectedly the case with this recent addition to Steiffgal's hug.  Check out this lifesized Steiff poodle and see what makes him so wonderful from the design - and in this case personal - perspectives.  

This guy's got rock star appeal and knows it!  Here we have Steiff's studio Snobby poodle.  He is in the "begging" position, with a great body shape and realistically curved arms and legs. He is 80 cm and made from grey mohair.  He is head and arm jointed.  His limbs, tail tip, ears, forehead, and nose are made from very long, wavy mohair, while his torso, mouth and muzzle area, and tail are made from short mohair.  He is solidly stuffed with excelsior.  His face comes to life with oversized black and brown pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose, an open, peach colored felt mouth with a dimensional felt tongue, and airbrushed highlights.  He wears a great red leather collar.  It is backed in felt, and is adorned with a number of brass colored studs.

One of the things about this item that is both cool and helpful in identifying him is his fully legible yellow ear tag.  This is pictured on the left. On it is hand written:  4380,95.  This translates to: 4=begging, 3=mohair, 80=80 cm tall, 9=display animal, and 5=grey.  This makes perfect sense in describing him.  He is pictured in the Sortiment and also the Steiff catalog in black mohair, but with a different article number, 4439/08.  (You can see the Steiff catalog page below.)  Both of these references date him at 1967.  

So what's up with his numbers? Many studio items from this period have hand written numbers on their yellow ear tags.  And it is possible that his number is different than the one documented in the literature for a number of reasons.  Here are two thoughts.  First, he is indeed a different color than the more documented black version.  And second, Steiff reconfigured their numbering systems several times during the 1960's, his most likely decade of production.  In general, the number "443" on a mid- to late- 1960's item appears to be associated with Steiff's legacy "Snobby the poodle" design.

Catalog from 1967.  Provided by friends at Teddy Dorado!

Steiffgal came upon this poodle online via a heads up from a friend.  With her blessing - and much gratitude - Steiffgal purchased the poodle. It arrived at her home a few days later without incident.  A dozen white washcloths, two bottles of cleaning solution, and two hours of elbow grease later, the poodle was a good as new.  And that should have been the end of the story.  But then something amazing happened.  A few days after receiving Snobby, Steiffgal received an completely unexpected letter lovingly detailing Snobby's entire life story.  It made this incredible find even more meaningful.  

The letter read, in part:

".... he's been a fixture in our house for 40 years. He was originally bought in the late 50's early 60's. He was a gift bought by a very wealthy man.  My parents were caretakers for his estate on the edge of a lake. He was a lawyer and bought the poodle on a working trip to Germany and gave him to his daughter.  

His daughter always had plenty of toys, however, she was never around due to divorce and never played with them. As such he decided to give him to me instead of keeping him.  

I was perhaps 7 years old and made him a fixture in our home by setting him in a central area, decorating him according to holidays during the year. Christmas was garland, tinsel, and other ornaments. Memorial Day was flags, 4th of July was fireworks, unlit of course. Birthday presents on birthdays, Thanksgiving was a turkey hat and a cornucopia. This all changed as I got older, but I held onto him. 

Last year I found him in one of our storage closets looking like he needed a bit of sewing under his collar and a gentle cleaning. 

In short, it is hard to do this, but its time to pass him on to someone who can appreciate him and add their own memories in a happy home. Take good care of him..."

And Steiffgal PROMISES to do just that!

Steiffgal hopes this heated discussion on this Steiff studio poodle welcomes in the dog days of summer for you!

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

Color Your World With This Mysterious Vintage Steiff Donkey

It's a rather gray day around these parts, and the almost four feet (that's over 120 cm for friends abroad!) of snow on the ground already is not helping things.  But this little grayish friend is just the opposite of gloomy - so Steiffgal thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you to this happy-go-lucky fellow.  Take a look at this fantastic vintage farm friend who just arrived on the east coast from Germany.  Although not technically "young" anymore - he is certainly young at heart... and will warm yours, too!

Here we have a most adorable and vintage looking donkey.  This farm friend measures 22 cm tall (top of head to foot) and 30 cm long (tip of nose to backside.)  He is standing, unjointed, and made of tan mohair which has been lovingly airbrushed with grayish-purple highlights.  His tail and mane are made from long, soft, black mohair.   His face comes to life with longer tan mohair on his "sideburns" and forehead, a shorter mohair muzzle, pert black eyes, and a black airbrushed nose and mouth.  The coloring on his face truly gives him him a youthful, playful appearance.  He retains his long trailing "F" button and illegible yellow ear tag (pictured below) as his Steiff IDs.  

Like many things Steiff, this donkey has details that make him hard to date and identify with 110% accuracy.  His long trailing "F" button initially suggests that he may have been manufactured in the c. 1933 - 1935 time period.  If that were the case, he most resembles the company's Jung Esel or Young Donkey, which was made in 22 and 28 cm from 1933 through 1943 overall.  Young Donkey is pictured here on the left; the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book.  Like the example under discussion today, Steiff's Young Donkey pattern is famous for his grey-purple highlights and innocent looks.  However, it is clear that there are some key differences between the Young Donkey pattern and the donkey under discussion here.  Young Donkey is made from long grey wool plush; this example is made from highlighted mohair.  Young Donkey has grey felt (or perhaps leather) hooves; this example does not.  Young Donkey has a grey tail and mane; this example has black detailing.  And Young Donkey has his ears positioned forward; this example has the ears positioned to the rear.   

So how do his design elements and early IDs all align?  Well, only this donkey knows for sure, but here are two ideas.  

1.  The mid 1930's through the early 1950's were a really rough time for manufacturing at Steiff, and supplies and fabrics were available on an inconsistent basis.  It is possible that this donkey was indeed made to the Jung Esel pattern as best as possible, but with the materials and technology available on hand, in the late 1930's to early 1940's.  It is not unusual to see wool plush and mohair plush interchanged on items from this time frame.  

2.  Steiffgal thinks it's more probable - given his distinctive overall coloring - that this donkey under discussion today is a transitional model between the company's pre- and post- war donkey models.  As such, he may have been produced in the very late 1940's and given a long trailing "F" button... as that's what was on hand at the time.   Steiff launched its post-war donkey in 1950 in 12, 14, 22, and 28 cm; this updated pattern has several design elements of the pre-war Jung Esel, especially in the muzzle area, but no purple-grey highlights at all.   For comparison, a nice example of Steiff's postwar 22 cm mohair donkey is pictured here on the left.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of this mystery donkey has added a touch of color to your day!

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