Can't Help But Crow Over This Latest Prewar Steiff Find!

Welcome to our next Steiff egg-cellent adventure! Steiffgal spotted this fine feathered friend on an online sales channel and just couldn't resist his impish personality and adorable presentation. Turns out, he's pretty rare, too! Check out this prewar, bitty barnyard buddy and see what makes him so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.

Size defies with this tiny feathered friend! Here we have Steiff's smallest sized prewar rooster. He is about 8 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from blonde mohair. His feet are made from metal which has been painted orange. His tail feathers are made from elegantly cut and shaped brown felt. His face and waddle are made from red felt, and he sports black button eyes. Rooster was produced in 8, 17, 22, and 28 cm in this specific color combination from 1930 through 1937 overall. This smallest size was made for one year only, in 1933. Although this example has lost his IDs to time, these baby birds would have left the factory with their button and tag placed on their felt back feathers or worn like a bracelet around one of their metal legs.  

This little guy has two (well, two and a half) subtle, but interesting features of note. 

First is his coloring. Most people think of Steiff's prewar roosters as being very colorful, often with green feather detailing. And, Steiff did make a very similar rooster design in this more vivid color palate in 8, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1930 through 1943 overall. The little guy under review here today is from a lesser known series of 1930s-era tan and brown roosters. Given that the ones with the green details were produced for a much longer period suggests that they also sold better and were more popular with customers. 

Second is his legs and feet. They are made from orange painted metal. Steiff has a long history of making their early prewar birds with metal feet and legs, but they were either "slipcovered" in felt or wrapped with string. As far as Steiffgal can tell, these 8 cm mohair roosters introduced in 1933 might have been the first full bodied birds with painted metal legs, complete with their requisite poultry "spurs" just above the ankles.

And the half? Well, coincidence or not, Steiff debuted its line of woolen miniature birds in 1931. These first mini guys, and all the company's prewar standing pom-pom style birds moving forward, had painted metal legs and feet almost identical to the ones seen on the smallest prewar mohair rooster. It is possible that by 1933 - when the smallest mohair roosters debuted - that the company had perfected their metal legs and feet production technology to the point that this design element could be implemented on other more sophisticated patterns. For example, here on the left, you can see tiny rooster's metal legs and somewhat twisted toes (guess he might be having a little foot arthritis after a century!) and the metal legs and toes of his woolen miniature owl friend from 1934.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this little bird with interesting leg features has you standing tall. 

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

Care To Feather Your Nest With This Steiff Prewar Woolen Miniature Owl?

Whoooo loves ya babe? Well, perhaps this remarkable and very rare miniature marvel is best suited to answer that question! Steiff launched its very successful series of tiny Nomotta yarn animals in the early 1930s. This particular bird is amongst the most eye-catching, and desirable, of the company's prewar collection. Check out his story to see what makes him so fantastic from the design and historical perspectives.

This fine feathered friend is Steiff's owl.He is 8 cm tall, head jointed, and made of dense, high quality woolen yarns. His coloring includes white, yellow and purple/grey threads. His tiny, wise, and inquisitive face comes to life with black and brown glass pupil eyes and a perfectly to scale single-thick tan felt beak. He stands upon two metal legs and feet that have been painted dark brown. His original IDs, which have been lost to time in this case, consisted of a red or white tag held in place with a Steiff button around one of his ankles. Woolen miniature owl was produced in this size and this color set only from 1934-1939.

It is simply astonishing how real this tiny treasure looks compared to his real life inspiration. Woolen threads interpret well into feathers, and in this case, a light touch of airbrushed dots and specks on his back and chest truly help him take flight. His jointed head, when slightly cocked at an angle, suggests he's thinking about ways to solve for world peace or another major global issue! And his playful and prominent feet and legs are a marvelous take on those oversized features seen on owls in the wild.

Steiff's prewar woolen miniature birds debuted in 1931, and were an immediate sensation with children and collectors alike - given their low price point and incredibly appealing presentations. It seemed like everyone wanted to feather their nests with these happy handfuls! Steiff's first woolen miniature songbird-style birds were quite simple and generic. They had felt beaks and tails, metal legs and feet, and were produced in six basic color combinations in 4 and 8 cm. Starting in 1933, specific songbird breeds in the form of robins, woodpeckers, finches, blue tits, sparrows, and gold buntings were introduced. 

More detailed,"exotic" bird woolen miniature rarities - including a canary, parakeet, and this owl - were Steiff catalog highlights from 1934 through 1940. These three beaked beauties featured proportional, elongated bodies and extraordinary, true-to-life shaded coloration. The canary and parakeet sported lifelike, long felt tail feathers and were also available as a novelties perched on wooden and metal stands. Today, these prewar pretties are as rare as crow's teeth!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this handsome prewar Steiff woolen miniature owl has been a great learning experience for you.

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

Getting "Sassy" Over A New Children's Book Featuring Vintage Steiff Animals!

Extra, extra, read all about it!  Steiff animals have a long tradition of appearing as characters in beloved children's books.  And why might that be?  Well, besides being totally adorable and photographing well, these dear plush creatures were designed as friends for life...  and a big part of being a kid is enjoying a good bedtime story!  It goes without saying Steiffgal was more than delighted to learn about a just-published tale that features some of our most favorite button-in-ear buddies!  The book is titled Sassafrass Jones And The Search For A Forever Home, and is the story of a sweet Pekingese dog and how just the right environment, and friends, can make all the difference.  Without giving away the story, let's take a look at the book and see what makes it so interesting from the Steiff lover's perspectives.

Good things come in threes, and there is a trifecta of distinctive Steiff highlights associated with the story.  The first, of course, is that it stars some of Steiff's most beloved characters from primarily the 1950's thorough the 1970's.  The authors have dressed these friends to the nines in fine couture, hats, and jewelry, and photographed them in remarkably detailed, doll house scaled settings to tell their story. In order of appearance, the story's Steiff cast of characters includes:

• Wittie Owl, whoooo (yes, pun intended) was produced in 10, 14, 22, and 35 cm from 1954 through 1977.
• Dressed Pieps mice, who were produced from 1962 through 1970 in a variety of outfits, including a bride, ballerina, princess, clown, Red Riding Hood, and Miss America, in 8 cm.
• Diggy badger, who was produced in 10 and 15 cm from 1959 through 1966.
• Bib the dressed rabbit boy, who was produced in 12 cm from 1954 through 1964.
• Possy squirrel, who was produced in 10, 14, and 22 cm from 1957 through 1976.
• Nagy beavers, who were produced in 10, 17, and 25 cm from 1958 through 1978; two from the book are pictured above on the left.
• Perri squirrel, who was produced in 12, 17, and 22 cm from 1959 through 1983.
• Goldie hamster, who was produced in 10 and 14 cm from 1955 through 1974.
• Nelly snail, who was produced in 10 cm from 1961 through 1963.
• Maxi mole, who was produced in 12 and 15 cm from 1964 through 2001.
• Nightcap Rabbits, who were produced in 15 cm between 1968 and 1973. 

The second interesting Steiff consideration with Sassafrass Jones And The Search For A Forever Home is how it fits into the continuum of publications featuring the brand.   Perhaps the first book that specifically used Steiff bears as part of its tale was Mr. Cinnamon Bear by Sara Tawney Lefferts, who published her work in 1907.  

Since then, Steiff animals have taken center stage in many classic children's stories.  An early example is The Perfect Zoo, which was written by Elanor Farjeon, illustrated by Katy Kruse, and published in 1929.  This story is like a late 1920's Steiff catalog time capsule, as it features many delightful Steiff animals from that period including Molly, Bully, Rabinette, and Petsy, among others.  The late 1950's brought readers - and collectors - Lost Bear, written by Ann Durell with photographs by Desmond Russell, and Magic Night for Lillibet, written and photographed by Gerry Turner with drawings by Ralph Owen.  Lost Bear tells the story of a Steiff bear finding his way home thanks to the help of group of Steiff friends, while Magic Night for Lillibet tells the story of a little girl and her quest to find her missing Steiff giraffe.  More recently, Daisy C.S. Spedden's 2001 book Polar the Titanic Bear tells the story of the Titanic disaster through the eyes of a Steiff polar bear.

Perhaps the most beloved "literary" Steiff character of all is the company's Jackie, who was the “Little Bear” character from Dare Wright’s legendary series of children’s books from the late 1950s. A photo from this series is pictured here on the left; Jackie is on the far left.  Wright's first book, The Lonely Doll, made the New York Times children’s books bestseller list in 1957. In November 2010, The British Newspaper The Guardian named The Lonely Doll one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children’s Books of all time.  

Last but hardly least, the third important thing Steiff enthusiasts need to know about this book is that it was co-authored by a passionate and lifelong Steiff collector and animal lover!  Cathleen Smith Bresciani, from the Atlanta, Georgia area wrote the book with her long time colleague Richard Eldredge.  Steiffgal contacted Cathleen to hear more about this project and her interest in Steiff.  It turns out that the authors are donating the proceeds from the sale of this book a number of nonprofit organizations including Canine Companions for Independence and The Humane Society of New York.  Steiffgal gives that initiative two thumbs, or in this case paws, up. Here's more of what she learned...

Steiffgal:  Tell us about the history of your interest in Steiff animals and a little bit about your personal Steiff collection.

CSB:
Today, I have over 400 vintage Steiff items in my collection.  I first was introduced to Steiff at the age of six, by my best friend who had a magnificent collection of Steiff animals. She also gave me my first Steiff! It was love at first sight! I purchased my first Steiff item on my own when I was 11, it was a hedgehog, and I got it at FAO Schwarz.  That's a day I will never forget!

Steiffgal:
What is your favorite item in your Steiff collection, and why? 

CSB:
My favorite Steiffs have always been the Pieps mice, especially the ones who were sold wearing dresses and costumes for FAO Schwarz in the 1960's. My sister and I received the Steiff City and Country mouse houses for Christmas in 1967.  These were "dollhouse" sized little homes that were fully furnished and designed for play and imaginative fun.  I've been smitten ever since with their magic.

Steiffgal:
How did you come up with the idea of transforming your lifelong hobby into a children's book?

CSB:
A friend of mine who is a top art dealer in Atlanta suggested that I create a book with my collection, she thought it to be too special not to share with the public!  I am really thankful for her mentorship, and that I followed through on her advice!

Steiffgal:
How did you choose the specific Steiff animals in the book for the characters?

CSB:
I placed a few Pieps mice next to a gingerbread house in my kitchen and shot some rough photos with my iPad and thought... this is really adorable! As the story developed, I chose animals that I felt best suited the characters.  For example, I used Steiff's Wittie as Mr. Spotswood the adoption center director.  A kindly and wise owl would know that Sassafrass Jones would succeed!

Steiffgal:
What's next for Sassafrass Jones? Will we be seeing more of her and her Steiff friends in the future?

CSB:  
Yes, we are working on the next story! The next book is all about Sassafrass' adventures in Manhattan.  There she befriends all sorts of wonderful and exotic creatures! Many of my fashionably dressed Steiff treasures will be featured prominently in this book along with the city and ballerina Pieps, maybe even a few bride mice! One of the mice characters will discover she has a bat cousin who is a top decorator named Boysenbery - Boysee for Short!

Steiffgal:
Cathleen, thank you so much for your time and bringing many of the vintage Steiff community's favorite characters to life! 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion about the new book Sassafrass Jones and Steiff's history of storybook illustrations has been a very good read for you.

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

Good Steiff Things Come To Those Who Wait

Steiffgal does not like to miss a beat when it comes to Steiff, but unfortunately last week she missed posting a new blog post for her beloved readers.  But, as always, good things come to those who wait, and this week's entry hopefully will make up for lost time.  So here's the reason for the Steiff radio silence - Steiffgal was traveling across the country and meeting with collectors on the West Coast.  And boy did she see some amazing Steiff treasures.  Here are a few highlights from a mind blowing Steiff collection in Northern California.  Prepare to be amazed!

Life's just a pajama party when it comes to these first vintage Steiff rarities.  Here we have a set of two Steiff PJ bags.  The one on the left is a brown and white Molly the Puppy, and the one on the right a white Sealyham. These were the first style of pajama bags that Steiff launched to the world; pajama bags appeared in the line on and off through the mid-1970's.  Overall, these square sweeties were produced from 1930 through 1937 and were formally called "night dress bags." These bags measured 30 cm x 30 cm, were made of mohair, had a zipper, and were lined in velvet. In addition to the Molly and Sealyham versions pictured here, other bags featured the head of a famous (at the time) Steiff character sewn onto the corner of the piece. These included Teddy Baby, Bully the Bulldog, Charly the King Charles Spaniel, a Scotty, and Siamy the Siamese cat. 

How about a peck on the cheek for this next amazing Steiff item?  Here we have a great example of Peck, made for the pharmaceutical company Merck.  Any idea who or what this little guy may be?  Well, believe it or not, he is actually supposed to be a germ - yes, those pesky little microorganisms that cause sickness and disease!  Peck is 12 cm tall and made mostly from green mohair.  He has a green felt body and red felt feet and hands.  He has prominent black felt eyebrows (or is it a funny hair cowlick?) on his forehead.  His black button eyes are backed in white felt.  He wears little black rubber shorts and holds what appears to be a large wooden matchstick tipped in rubber.  He has a little loop on his back so he can be hung from the rear view mirror of a car.  This wonderful and strange collectible was produced in 1959 only.  Peck was most likely made as a Steiff "customer special," i.e. an item that was manufactured exclusively to the specifications of another company that would have been used by that company as a internal business gift or promotional item.  

This next seldom seen treasure is rarer than water in the desert!  Here we have Steiff's bath time elephant.  This jungle gem was specifically designed as a tub toy, and is completely waterproof.  He is 14 cm and made from colorfully painted oil cloth. He has a simple design and construction and black button eyes.  He is stuffed with kapok and floats in water.  This excellent elephant was produced in 10 and 14 cm from 1938 through 1941.  Other Steiff oil cloth bath time creations produced during this same time frame include a 12 cm bear on all fours; a 10 and 12 cm Fox terrier on all fours; a 10 and 12 cm cat on all fours; and a 12 cm rabbit on all fours.   

Whooo's a smarty pants and can identify this next precious Steiff treasure?  Head of the class to you if you said Steiff's woolen miniature Eule or owl.  Owl is 8 cm, standing on metal legs, and made from grey, tan, white, and brown Nomotta wool.  He has brown and black glass pupil eyes eyes and a tiny tan felt beak.  Despite his diminutive size, owl has a swivel head and a very endearing expression.  This brainy bird was made by Steiff in this size only, and in 1934 through 1939.  Other birds with this somewhat elongated body shape produced by Steiff around the same time frame include a green and yellow budgie (who was also available on a swinging perch); and a red and yellow parrot with great long red tail feathers.

It's no joke that Steiffgal saved her most favorite discovery for last here!  Let's monkey around and take a look at this most outstanding Steiff Affe or monkey.  This wonderful and playful primate stands about 35 cm tall.  His head, torso and lanky arms and legs are made from brown short-pile plush while his simple face, hands and feet are made from brown felt. He has black shoe button eyes and a folksy, pleasant expression. Unlike other Steiff primates - Jocko the Chimp in particular - this pattern does indeed have a tail. This basic model was produced in 28, 35, 43, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90 and 120 cm over the 1903-through-1928 time frame in a few colors and materials. Although his darling felt harliquin outfit is not original to him, he was produced in an identical costume from 1904 through 1918.  It is Steiffgal's best guess, given this monkey's 8mm long trailing "f" button, that he was made in the mid-1920's. These early long-limbed Steiff primates remain the “Holy Grail” for many vintage Steiff enthusiasts.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of exceptional Steiff rarieties has been worth your waiting time!

Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures, found on an adventure or otherwise? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.

Just Whoooo Is This Mysterious Steiff Owl?

Steiffgal doesn't want to sound like a bird-brain here, but just whoooo are you?  Check out this mysterious little Steiff owl.  He's got the "blues" for sure - but just in appearance and not in mood! As far as Steiffgal can tell, he does not appear in any Steiff catalog or literature.  So here's what we know about him, and what we don't.

This fine feathered friend is 10 cm tall. His face, body, and wings are made from light grey mohair and his feathers are designed from carefully cut and detailed blue-grey felt. He is unjointed, has marvelous blue airbrushed detailing on his body, huge green pupil eyes, and charming tufts of black hair on his forehead. His rear-end tail feathers are made from felt; this area is it lined in wire and is poseable. One of the remarkable things about this piece is his chubby blue-grey felt feet.

It is clear that this brainy bird is based on Steiff's beloved and standard line Uhu Wittie, or Wittie Owl. Wittie as a plaything or collectible was produced from 1954 through 1977 in four sizes: 10, 14, 22, and 35 cm.  Wittie was produced as a popular hand puppet from 1955 through 1978.  Unlike the mystery owl, Wittie was primarily tan, brown, and white, with a few green highlights.  A collection of Wittie owls is pictured above.  

Bird's the word when it comes to Steiff's owls.  The first Steiff owl made its appearance in the catalog from 1934 through 1939.  He was an 8 cm woolen miniature made from colorful Nomotta wool.  He had tiny black eyes, a felt beak and a swivel head.  His feet were made from metal.  Wittie, who debuted in 1954, was the next - and best known and loved - Steiff owl pattern.  

In the 1960's, Steiff created several "customer specials" based on its hugely popular Wittie pattern.   By "customer special", Steiffgal means an unusual custom ribbon, a felt accessory, a unique tag, or other small differentiators added to an otherwise standard item in the line. Steiff created a 10 and 13 cm blue and white version of Wittie and a 10 cm custom imprinted standard colored Wittie for the German cigar company Weisse Eule ("White Owl").  Both of these designs are documented in the Steiff records and were most likely used by Weisse Eule as gifts or incentives for the company's customers, friends, and workers. Examples of all three Weisse Eule customer special owls sold at the 2010 Steiff auction at Christie's with hammer prices ranging from 180 to 800 euros each.  These are pictured above; the photos are from the Christie's auction catalog. 

There's no need to sing the blues over this, well, blue bird.  He's clearly not Wittie, and he's not blue enough to be made for Weisse Eule, who's owl is pictured here on the left.  It is Steiffgal's best guess that he was most likely a sample of a design option for the blue Weisse Eule owl, but was never actually put into production.  So how did he make it out of Giengen?  It would not be out of character for Steiff (and Steiffgal means this in the most loving way...) to sell extras and samples to make a few dollars, and some extra room, in their inventory stockrooms.   

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of this unusual blue Steiff owl has added a little color to your day.   

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