Color Me Beautiful With This Fabulous Antique Felt Steiff Rooster

Bird's the word with this next Steiff inquiry. A collector friend with a great eye just added this fine feathered friend to her Steiff hug. His coloration and form are simply outstanding! Julie shares, 

 

"I just got this adorable little felt Steiff rooster! I am excited to know more about him and to learn when he was made. The closest I can find to him in the Sortiment is on page 546, which is a little rooster on a wheeled platform. The colors are exactly the same. Mine is about 10 cm high, and that's accounting for him being bent over a bit. If he had a button would it have been in his tail? He has a rusty old pin stuck in his side which is interesting. His tail is in really great shape, I don’t see any potential holes for a button in it. Was there maybe something with the style of feet and legs or tail to distinguish him from the very early 1892-1905 production? I see some may have had felt covered feet. The seller said that his great grandmother was born in Austria and brought this rooster with her to the US around 1900 or a little later."

 

This fantastic find wins Steiffgal's admiration with flying colors! What we have here is one of Steiff's earliest commercially successful legacy animal patterns. This classic, full bodied standing felt rooster was produced for the standard line in 12, 22, 29, and 35 cm from 1892-1929 overall. Very similar patterns were made on eccentric wooden wheels in 12 and 22 cm from 1917-1929 overall; as a tumbling 17 cm version on a weighted wooden hemisphere from 1894-1918; as an 8 cm pull toy on a wheeled wooden cart from 1916-1919; and as the kingpin in a set of hen skittles from 1894-1914 overall. 

 

What makes this pattern so exceptional, and so timely, is its materials and form. In terms of fabric, Margarete Steiff launched her company in the late 1800s; she initially specialized in producing felt items including garments, functional pockets, and household items. Felt material was readily available and relatively easy to cut and sew. When she started to produce animals a few years later, Margarete discovered that felt also translated perfectly into feathers when precisely cut, layered, and placed in cascading natural hues. In terms of form, Steiff's turn of last century product development was based on "everyday" animals - those farm, field, and forest animals that folks in Giengen would come across on a regular basis. As such, this particular rooster pattern is practically a time capsule example of Steiff's earliest commercial production. 

 

Given its popularity, Steiff's felt rooster pattern appeared in the line in one form or another for nearly 40 years. As such, it can be challenging to exactly date any given example. The felt supplied for this item certainly had some natural variations in color and quality over time; this can account for minor differences in product appearances. Many artisans cut and sewed this rooster over its four decade long appearance in the catalog; because of this, variations in size, presentation, and button placement are also expected. For the most part, older versions of legacy items have a more distinctive, handmade, and organic look to them than their cousins produced a few years or decades onward. Julie's example has metal feet and legs which are wrapped in string to finish them. This detailing is seen on many of Steiff's earlier birds from the turn of last century, as well as on some smaller and/or baby birds through the 1920s. 

 

Given these factors, and that his original family can date him to the very beginning of the 20th century, it is Steiffgal's best thinking that this example might date from the pre-button period (i.e., produced before 1904). Also supporting this age guesstimate is the fact that there is no indication anywhere on the rooster of a small hole where a button may have been placed originally. Steiffgal has seen a Steiff button inserted in the tail feathers, waddle, or comb of the company's early felt rooster and hen production. She also thinks that Julie's bird is most likely a 12 cm version that was either made a little on the small side or which bent or shrunk a little over its nearly century and a quarter existence. 

 

Here's one final point about this barnyard buddy. Interestingly, is possible that this pint-sized rooster was used at one time as a pincushion. This would make sense given his size and materials, and may explain the rusty pin found in his side! And/or, it is possible that this pin could have been used during his production in Giengen and never removed by accident... but only he knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this antique felt rooster has you crowing about Steiff's earliest production. 

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

Begging For More Information About This Prebutton Era Steiff Dachshund

This Dox really rocks! And he's not in bad shape for being 833 years old - in dog years, that is! Check out this petite pooch from the earliest era of Steiff production and see what makes him so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.

This happy handful is 10 cm and unjointed. He is made entirely from brown painted velvet and is in the begging position - meaning that he's eyeing what you are snacking on and asking for a nibble. His design and proportions are simple and a bit chunky - except for his long, thin, elegant tail and perky, triangular ears. It is very exciting to find an example like this one with his tail still attached, given how delicate and fragile this appendage is, and that it is attached to his body with just a few simple stitches. Doxie's face comes to life with a hand embroidered nose and mouth and tiny bead style black eyes. You only see these tiny bead eyes on the company's earliest products. Doxie wears a simple black leather collar; it probably was accessorized with a little medallion when he left the factory over a century ago.

This pattern was made in 10, 14, and 22 cm from 1901-1927. Given this little guy does not have a button or any indication that he ever did, he is probably from is from the earliest portion of that timeframe... the "prebutton" era. Steiff collectors love examples like this for their age and presentation, while doll collectors often pose these "VIP" pets with their 19th and 20th century prized dolls.

This design is a beloved, legacy pattern that appeared as several product line extension items through the first quarter of the 20th century. These included a 10 or 14 cm basket-bearing pincushion from 1902-1918, a 12 or 17 cm tumbler on a semispherical wooden base from 1901-1917 overall, and a set of 9 or 10 velvet Doxie skittles from 1901-1912. These novelties are extremely rare overall, and generally do extremely well on the secondary market or at auction.

Steiff also produced a number of other similarly styled dog breeds in velvet in the early 1900s. These were usually begging or sitting, and differentiated by their detailing and painting. These included a 10, 14, and 22 cm sitting Bulldog from 1901-1927; a 10, 14, or 22 cm sitting Pointer; and a 10, 12, 14, 7, and 22 cm sitting Fox Terrier from 1899-1927. Like the velvet Doxie under discussion today, many of these also appeared as pincushions, tumblers, and skittles given their appeal and popularity.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the company's very early velvet Doxie has been puppy-perfection for you.

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

Isn't She Pretty In Pink?

It's OK to squeal in delight over this week's fantastic Steiff find! And this one certainly qualifies as both an oldie and a goodie! Check out this absolutely charming barnyard friend and see what makes her so interesting from the historical and product development perspectives.

This perfect little porker is truly a sight for sore eyes. She is standing, unjointed, and measures 6 cm tall by 11 cm long. She is made from pink velvet which has darkened and browned a bit over time. You can see her original vivid coloring in the folds of her ears. Her velvet has a few traces of very light brown detailing here and there. Her tail is long, thin, and authentically curled, just like her live counterpart. Her ears are triangular. Piggy's face comes to life with tiny black seed button eyes, a red tipped snout, and a simple, hand embroidered mouth. This happy handful was made in 8, 12, 14, and 22 cm from 1899-1935 overall.

Piggy's design has a few very cool, and very legacy, details that date this example to the very early part of her production time frame. First of all, she does not have a button, and there is no indication that she ever did. Given Steiff's button branding debuted in 1904, and piggy has been in the line since 1899, it is very possible that she is from the pre-button era. Second, she has tiny, black seed bead style eyes. These are the identical eyes that are featured on the company's earliest, smallest (i.e., 10 cm standing) Teddy bears which debuted in 1909. She is made from velvet - which along with felt - was Steiff's primary toy making material through c. 1903, when mohair became available on a commercial scale. And her nose, which is made from red felt and "appliquéd" on with tiny stitches, is also noted on the felt version of this design... which debuted in 1892!

It is also interesting to note that this particular pig has tiny pinprick sized marks/indentations on her back and sides, hinting that she just might have been used as a pincushion at some point in her life.

Steiff made a number of pigs through the first half of the 20th century. Historically, pigs are associated with good luck, being able to feed one's family, and prosperity. So they are always popular and in demand! And from the manufacturing perspective, they are relatively simple in design and don't require jointing or elaborate seaming or finishes. As such, Steiff built upon these factors and produced pigs in felt, mohair, velvet (like this one under discussion today), and lamb's wool plush. They also appeared fully jointed, on regular and eccentric wheels, as a brush, as a pincushion, and on skittles, just to name a few novelties. The photo here on the left, from Dottie Ayers and Donna Harrison's Adverting Art of Steiff is probably from the very early 19-teens and shows a litter of these perfectly porcine pals. You can click on the photo to make it bigger.

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed pigging out on the details surrounding this happy hog.

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

"Lots" of Great Steiff Selections On Offer At Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's September Sales Event!

There's nothing like a fine Steiff auction to get the Steiff collecting community talking!  

And many of the excellent selections from Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's sale in Germany on September 3rd indeed are causing tongues to wag. It is very exciting when extraordinary Steiff rarities, like the Dicky couple (lot #180, opening bid of 1,500 euro) or the stork holding a basket of babies (lot #188, opening bid of 280 euro), come to light after many years.  In addition to these headliners, this sale also offers many other truly noteworthy items.  Here are three possible "sleepers" that caught Steiffgal's eye. 

This first auction selection sticks out of the crowd like a black sheep. Here we have lot #9, an all black Rocky wild goat. He is cataloged as... "Rocky, ibex, with button, chest label and cloth tag label, No. is halfway torn off, height: 29 cm, length: 25 cm." Bidding for him starts at 30 euro.

Let's shed some light on this black beauty. He is clearly a version of Steiff's beloved "Rocky Capricorn." This impressively horned goat was made as part of Steiff's "Zodiac" series of animals. Standard line Rocky goats are standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair plush. Their faces are detailed with black and green slit pupil eyes, light brown airbrushing highlights, and a simple black and brown hand embroidered nose. The smallest version has felt ears, while the larger versions have mohair ears lined in felt.  Clearly, this pattern's headlining feature is its most impressive oversized horns.  The smallest Rocky goats have double thick felt horns, while the larger versions have fully dimensional, seamed felt horns.  Standard line Rocky appeared in the line from 1963 through 1976 in 14, 22, and 28 cm.  

It is Steiffgal's best guess that this unusually colored example up for sale is a sample or prototype of the standard line 28 cm Rocky in black mohair; or perhaps it was produced in very limited quantities as a special order or as part of a display.  Ibex goats indeed can be all black in real life, so this pattern does have some basis in nature.

It's so easy to grin and bear it when it comes to this second auction highlight. Here we have lot #53, a Steiff bear in the form of the well known (at least in Germany) Bärenmarke brand logo. He is cataloged as... "Bärenmarke" bear, with button, chest label and cloth tag label, cloth tag label is halfway torn, 1960, advertising figure, 38 cm, otherwise good condition."  Bidding for him starts at 180 euro.

So who is this smiling sweetie? "Bear Brand" is a well known German company that produces a large line of milk and cream products. Bärenmarke specializes in shelf-stable dairy items, especially those that are sterilized, condensed, concentrated, dried, or prepared in a way that does not require refrigeration.  Bärenmarke started in 1921 selling evaporated milk; today the company and its logo have a 96% brand recognition rate in Germany. Given the company's name, trademark, and location, it is no surprise at all that Steiff would bring its delightful logo to life!  

And what makes this Bärenmarke bear rise to the top? His delightful presentation - with many parallels to Steiff's beloved "Teddy Baby" pattern - is certainly a draw. He was manufactured for one year only, in 1960, which adds to his rarity and appeal. Given his era of production, he should generate some nostalgia, especially for collectors who are in their 40's, 50's, and 60's and grew up consuming Bärenmarke products. And he is made from wool plush, at a time in the company's history when few items were produced from this durable material. Far more items in the 1930's through early 1950's were made from this distinctly "old fashioned" looking cloth.

This final auction selection is truly the cat's meow. Here we have lot #276, an utterly charming crouching cat on a velvet pincushion. It is cataloged as... "cat Tabby, '20s, lying on a pin-cushion, 12 cm x 12 cm, with button, velvet good, mohair except of minimally places in good condition." Bidding for this item starts at 240 euro.

Sew, what's the story with this great pincushion? As far as Steiffgal can tell, this particular example does not appear in any of the standard Steiff reference books. However, Steiff has a great and long tradition of putting some of its most appealing, smaller editions - especially cats and dogs - on mohair or velvet cushions since the turn of last century and then calling the item a "pincushion." This particular example appears to be made from the company's adorable "Tabby" kitten, who was produced in 8 sizes ranging from 5 to 20 cm from 1928 through 1935. She is on a green, trimmed cushion which is typical in design to other Steiff cushions of the period; these appeared in velvet and mohair over time.   

Following that thread, it is safe to assume that this rarity will have many collectors feline groovy. Cats have always held a special place in the heart of Steiff lovers everywhere. Her size and appearance are irresistible. And pincushions like this so seldom come onto the secondary market - collectors may recall the Fluffy cat on a pincushion that sold for over $7,000 at a James D. Julia toy sale in 2014. This Fluffy is pictured here on the left. Although this Tabby's condition is not as good as Fluffy's, she's still a mighty fine addition to any Steiff collector's meow mix.

Steiffgal hopes this review of upcoming Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion auction highlights has generated a-lot-a interest in this upcoming sale. To see the entire online catalog, please click here.   

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

A Sneak Peak At Some Amazing Steiff Treasures To Be Sold This June At James D. Julia Auctioneers!

Start spreading the news... the STEIFF news, that is! Steiffgal is over the moon grateful to be helping out with a sales event every Steiff collector must know about! On Friday, June 13th, auctioneer James D. Julia will be selling about 120 absolutely remarkable vintage Steiff treasures from the amazing and world-class collection of well known and beloved Steiff enthusiasts Chuck and the late Cathy Steffes of Virginia. The collection consists mostly of bears, cats, and rabbits, so Steiffgal thought she would give you a behind the scenes look at a rare and breathtaking example of each today. But stay tuned, there will be more previews such as this to come over the next few months!
 

No need to give more than a few "blues clues" about the identity of this first masterpiece. Here we have a gorgeous example of Steiff's highly sought after Petsy the Baby Bear. Petsy is 16" or 40 cm tall, fully jointed, and made from wonderful brown tipped mohair. He retains his red ear tag and long trailing F Steiff button. Petsy had a very short, but very sweet, appearance in the Steiff catalog, only appearing from 1928 through the very early 1930's. This particular Petsy has a delightful body shape and weight, and has the regal appearance that he was a prized possession - but not everyday plaything - of a very lucky youngster many years ago. Steiffgal was drawn to him like metal to a magnet; Petsy literally called to her as she walked into the room where the all the Steiff bears and treasures awaited evaluation at Julia's.  

The Petsy pattern is very distinctive for Steiff in terms of the company's product design and development timeline. What makes him different than earlier designs, among other factors, are his intentional and prominent middle facial seam which runs vertically from his forehead across his snout, and his oversized, posable wire lined ears.  Together these features give him a pointedly "youthful" appearance.  During his years in the line, Petsy was produced in two commercialized versions. The first was a brown tipped mohair version with blue eyes (like the example available at Julia's) with pink/red facial and claw stitching. The second was a brass mohair version with brown and black pupil eyes and black facial and claw stitching. The tipped version appeared in ten sizes ranging from 15 to 50 cm sitting (or 22 to 75 cm standing) while the brass version was only produced in one size: 22 cm sitting or 32 cm standing. Tipped Petsy was also produced as a musical Ted in 17 and 20 cm (or 25 and 30 cm standing), on a four wheeled rolling cart in 20 and 25 cm, as a 17 cm puppet, and as a 17 cm purse over time.  

UPDATE 5/30/14:  Don't just take Steiffgal's word on how good this Petsy bear is! Click here to see him featured in THE NEW YORK TIMES... his story starts about halfway down the column!

Now it's quick like a bunny onto today's second auction highlight. Here we have a very seldom seen example of Steiff's larger Jack Rabbit with his button and red ear tag! Jack is standing and head and arm jointed. His head and hands are made from mohair, while his body and limbs are made from fine velvet. His face is detailed with velvet lined ears which are highlighted with a touch of pink airbrushing, oversized black and brown pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered nose, a black hand embroidered mouth, and a little red felt circle to highlight his smile. His clothing is integral to his body. He is elegantly attired in brown tie shoes, blue and white striped socks, light orange pants, a tan shirt, burgundy jacket, and an oversized light blue bow. Special outfit details include a brown leather belt and big brassy buttons on his suit coat. Jack Rabbit was made in 22 and 28 cm from 1927 through 1932. This was the first time that Steiffgal handled an original Jack Rabbit, and she was absolutely amazed by his condition, rarity, and the fact that he still had the tiny accessories that make his outfit so special. Things like buttons, shoes, belts, and ties are frequently lost to time, love, and playwear.  

It is important not to confuse this Jack Rabbit design with Steiff's darling interpretation of Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit. Jack Rabbit was a relatively early licenced Steiff item. The character was the star of a popular 1920's era series of American children's books by David Cory. The books were published in New York by Grosset & Dunlap. Steiff produced and sold almost 2,800 examples of Jack Rabbit between 1927 and 1931. 

This final auction highlight is worthy of a cat call - no pun intended! This gorgeous Fluffy on a Pincushion is quite the looker! Fluffy is 10 cm tall and head jointed. She is sitting, unjointed, and made from white and tipped mohair which has mellowed to a fabulous lilac color over time. Her little tail wraps sweetly around her body. Fluffy's face is detailed with tiny deep green and black pupil eyes, a simple hand embroidered pink nose and mouth, and clear monofilament whiskers. She sits - like a purrr-fect princess - upon a square pincushion made from scrumptious long pink mohair. And, just when you thought it couldn't get any better here, it actually does. Fluffy retains ALL of her Steiff IDs, including her long trailing F button, red ear tag, and amazing metal rimmed, named chest tag. This size Fluffy on a Pincushion was made from 1926 through 1932. A smaller version of this item, using a 7 cm version of Fluffy, was in the line from 1928 through 1934.

Steiffgal's literally grinning like a Cheshire cat over this fantastic feline. Everything about this kitten - from her perfect proportions, harmonious and gentle color configuration, and heart tugging appeal - truly makes her the cat's meow.

This hugely popular Fluffy design was introduced in 1926. Her details are quite typical of other products Steiff created during "the roaring 20's" - items tended to have large, childlike eyes, bright colors, playful textures, and a distinctly feminine touch to them. Fluffy was such a favorite that she was produced in nine standard sizes, as well as in the form of other novelties including a musical version, dangling "Charleston" style item, and as a tail turns head model. She appeared in the line overall through 1950. Her design was slowly replaced by Susi, another favorite sitting style cat, who was a line standard through 1978.

Steiffgal hopes this initial review of Steiff highlights from James D. Julia's June 2014 auction featuring the Steffes collection has been a top-tier experience for you.  The full catalog should be online at www.JamesDJulia.com in early to mid-April.  Happy Steiff dreaming to you!

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