Flying High With This Amazing Steiff Marketing Postcard From 1928

Can you hold history in your hand? This blog has recently discussed a number of examples of antique Steiff ephemera, including photos and calling cards. Now let's take a look at an extraordinary postcard that sold recently on eBay. Its image, subject matter, transport logistics, destination, and detailing were simply off the chart interesting. Check out this tiny time capsule from 1928 and see what makes it so fascinating from the design and historical perspectives.

WARNING - A LONG (BUT SUPER INTERESTING) READ AHEAD!

The front of this standard size postcard should be captioned "The Best of 1928!" Pictured is a charming vignette of Steiff toys enjoying a fun outing together. Steiff has a rich history of creating marketing materials that bring their items to life through clever placement, body positions, and facial expressions. This is a perfect example of that. As for the featured items, the wooden cart and pony on wheels is the company's "Sandkar" or horse drawn wagon which was produced in four sizes from 1921-1936. The puppy is Steiff's sitting Molly, who was produced in 12 sizes ranging from 7 to 80 cm from 1925-1943 overall. The blonde Ted was made in 14 sizes ranging from 10 to 115 cm from 1905-1933 overall. And the bird is Steiff's duck; he was produced in 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1925-1932. One of each, please! You can see the front of the card pictured above, the image is from eBay. You can click on it to make it bigger. 

The back of the card is an astonishing collection of historical facts, highlights, and period information. Many of the card's details have to do with the card's delivery source, the Graf Zeppelin. This airship, the pride and joy of the German aviation community, debuted in 1928 - the year of this postcard! The Graf Zeppelin, also known as LZ 127, was in service for nine years. During that period, it made 590 flights, including 144 ocean crossings. You can see the Graf Zeppelin here on the left, the image is from www.upi.com.

Here are a few highlight and hidden "gems" tucked within the back copy of this card. The back is pictured below, the image is from eBay. You can click on it to make it bigger. 

First, starting on the upper left corner, you can see two dates in pencil. They correspond to the date that the card was mailed in Germany and the date that it arrived in the USA. It left Germany on October 10th, 1928 and arrived in the USA on October 16th, 1928 - for a travel time of 6 days. Pretty amazing - even for today, given today international mail often takes weeks to go "across the pond." 

Next, check out the copy on the left hand side of the card. "Place your orders with Fred Wander early to insure Zeppelin deliveries next years. Many novelties will be on display at our old stand. Margarete Steiff & Co. Inc. Borgfeldt Building, 115-119 East 16th Street, New York." Among other things, this tells us the name of Steiff's rep in the USA through the Borgfeldt company nearly a century ago, and the address of that distributor. Even more interesting here is that the card hints that all Steiff deliveries to the USA will be shipped via Zeppelin aircraft!

Now move to the middle of the card. The information that appears there tells us a lot about how the card was transported, and the obvious and international pride the German postal service and aviation authorities had in their Zeppelin program. The orange stamp in the middle of the card translates to: Mit Luftpost (airmail in German) and Par Avion (by plane in French). Right under that, there is a block of copy which translates roughly to: "To the post office in Friedrichshafen (a German town) to be sent via the airship Graf Zeppelin LZ 127 from Friendrichshafen (where there was an airport to handle Zeppelin aircraft.)" And right under that is a blue oval stamp with the translated words "Transported with airship LZ 127". So we can be 99.99% certain that this exact card traveled on the world famous LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin.

The blue and white postage stamp on the upper right hand corner of the card is also revealing. This idealized image pictures the Zeppelin gliding effortlessly and peacefully over the Earth - high enough to see the curve of the planet. The words on the stamp read "America, German Airmail, Europe, and 2 Reichmark". According the Historical Dollar-to-Marks Currency Conversion Page, in 1928, 1 RM was equal to about $4.19, so this stamp cost about $8.38 at the time. This little stamp gives off big vibes that this early airmail program was big, bold, ambitious... and expensive!

 

And lastly, the recipients! This card was sent to the toy buyers at Gimbel Brother department store in Milwaukee, WI. This legacy store brand and chain would go on to become one of largest and most beloved retailers in the United States, eventually operating over 50 storefronts. Gimbel's started the original Thanksgiving Day parade tradition in 1920. Its chief rival was Macy's - who would debut their version of a turkey day celebration parade in 1924. It is no surprise that Steiff would be doing business with Gimbels (or trying to!). This city block long institution with a river front facade certainly had a toy department and attracted high end customers that would be interested in the Steiff brand. You can see Gimbel's in Milwaukee here on the left in the late 1920's. The photo is from www.thedepartmentstoremuseum.org. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this fascinating Steiff postcard has been the trip of a lifetime!

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

A Penny For Your Thoughts About This Antique Steiff And Kufeke Promotional Postcard

It's always fun to spot vintage Steiff featured in antique advertising, photographs, or other ephemera. While recently browsing eBay listings, Steiffgal found a most adorable prewar mailer featuring one of our all-time favorite Steiff prewar superstars - Bully the Bulldog! Take a look at this period piece - does it motivate you to buy the product on offer?

There's no need to mail it in when it comes to this precious postcard. What we have here is a direct mailer piece for Kufeke, a German company that produced special dietary drinks and supplements for babies and adults with delicate digestive issues. Steiffgal suspects it is from the late 1920s or early 1930s, given the image, its subject matter, and the history of the Kufeke company. There is no date or postage cancellation anywhere on the piece that Steiffgal can positively identify. 

The front of the card features a black and white image of a sitting, glowing, chubby toddler and a Steiff Bully dog. The way the child is leaning towards the dog, along with his body language, makes you feel that he is actually chatting with Bully. The pup is sitting, head tilted, and listening intently. You can make out his dark horsehair collar and bell detailing. The Bully pictured is probably the black and white version, and most likely measures 35 or 43 cm, given the scale of everything in the photo. The postcard's caption translates to, "Do you drink Kufeke, too?"... suggesting that this baby beverage gives both the Bully and the Baby their robust and healthy appearances and charming good looks! Other prewar advertising pieces from Kufeke also feature beaming, healthy children but this is the only one that Steiffgal was able to find that also included a button-in-ear friend. 

Bully the Bulldog is a legacy design for Steiff. He was introduced in 1927 and was an instant sensation with both children (as a plaything) and adults (as a collectible and an accessory). He was modeled on the French Bulldog—the “it” companion of those in the know all across Europe at the time. Bullies were head jointed, had large brown and black glass pupil eyes, a hand-embroidered black nose, and a simple snout and jaw constructed to give him his requisite jowls. Most were black and white or orange and white, but a rare blue-and-white version was also produced. Bully was made in velvet and mohair, as well as sitting and standing, in sizes ranging from 10 to 50 cm. Most Bullies came detailed with a horsehair ruff or leather collar. The original Bully appeared in the Steiff catalog through 1939; today, this precious pooch is one of the most universally desirable and sought-after pre-war Steiff designs among collectors. The picture on the left is a Bully from Steiffgal's personal collection. 

On the flip side, the back of this postcard mailer also is interesting for what it highlights. Boldly noted on the reverse are the words, "das Beste fur ihr kind." This translates to “the best for your child,” meaning that the Kufeke company believed that its product was the premier dietary supplement for children. This, of course, is remarkably similar to the Steiff tagline of “only the best for children.” Steiffgal wonders if Kufeke was trying to piggyback on Steiff's outstanding, world class reputation in words (with this marketing claim) and in images (by featuring Bully in this photo) in this business development effort. It would be interesting to know if folks at Steiff were aware of this postcard and promotional outreach at the time, and if the company received any compensation for this "association." If we could only turn back time to answer such questions!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff prewar product placement has been picture perfect for you.

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

A Steiff Lesson In Love!

Talk about a class act! In addition to collecting interesting Steiff dolls, Teddy bears, and animals, Steiffgal also has a warm place in her heart for vintage Steiff ephemera - old catalogs, photographs, advertising materials, and other paper items produced by Steiff or featuring Steiff products. There is so much to learn from these snapshots of history capturing one brief moment of time. Check out this antique postcard featuring Steiff dolls in a one room schoolhouse.  It has a alot to teach us! 

It's easy to mail in the basics about this tiny treasure. It measures 5.5" wide and 3.5" tall overall. In terms of its image, its front features about 16 Steiff dolls - one tall teacher and probably 15 students, both boys and girls. It is hard to exactly count the students as some are fuzzy towards the back. The card has the company's circular logo and the words "Steiff Original" printed in red in the top left corner. 

This postcard's cream colored back is set up like a standard postcard. The stamp is red and cream and cost 10c; it is interesting to note that in France at that time it did indeed cost 10c to send a postcard within the country and 15c to send one abroad. All the words on the card are in French. On its left size, the words roughly translate to... "Fine toys of all kinds, specializing in animals and fabric dolls. Max Dieckmann, 24 Paradis Road, Paris. My representative Mr. Buat will be by with samples in late July." On the right side, the words translate to "French Republic, Post Card" and then the recipient’s address in Toulouse. Although it’s hard to make out exactly, the stamp appears to be cancelled out on 10-7-09, meaning July 10th, 1909.

It is Steiffgal's best guess that Max Dieckmann was either a toy company or distributor, and that they made this card from a Steiff company image for their own marketing needs, given its imprint.  Steiff also produced their own advertising postcards, but they would usually have Steiff company information imprints. The postage date and message on the card also perfectly aligns to the era of the featured Steiff schoolroom vignette, which was available via special order in the c. 1909-1910 timeframe. 
 

This delightful display has its design origins in the still beloved "Max and Moritz" book by Wilhelm Busch. One of the famous lines from this tale reads, "Good children in pursuit of knowledge apply themselves at school or college." According to the Cieslik's Button in Ear, The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends, this village school scene came in two designs, "40" x 29" x 29" with nine 11" dolls as pupils and their teacher; the second display was 65" x 50" x 40" with 13 pupils and teacher. All school furniture and accessories could be ordered from Steiff. In 1910 Steiff sold 45 complete school displays.”  The photo of the village school display above - which appears to be a smaller version of the one shown on the advertising postcard - is also from the Cieslik's book. 

So let's take attendance here. The teacher is Teacher Lempel, a key character from Max and Moritz, who was made in 35 and 43 cm from 1909-19. The students are a mix are the company's delightful youngsters, who appeared in the line in standard sizes ranging from 22 to 75 cm from around 1909 through 1926. The boys are in the front desk grouping; you can recognize "Hans" right in front in his red vest, black paints, white socks, and tie shoes. The boys for the most part seem to be paying attention to the teacher. The girls - except one in the front left clearly on a "time out for misbehaving" - are in the back rows of the classroom. They seem more interested in napping or chatting with each other. The student doll pictured here on the left wears her original Steiff backpack and would be of the style used in this display. Like many of Steiff's first quarter of the 20th century advertising, this photograph is a visual treat - absolutely charming, full of warmth and humor, and shows the characters interacting in lifelike and playful ways. 

The display's details bring it even further to life. It is decorated with a back coat and hat rack; various perfectly to scale framed paintings; a map and globe; a chalkboard on a wooden stand; a light; furnace; and clock. Today, complete, or almost complete Steiff village schoolroom displays seldom appear on the secondary market and generate a pretty penny at auction when they do; Steiffgal knows of one that sold for $50,000 at a Theriault's auction in 2012. 

Steiffgal hopes postcard review has been a lesson in (Steiff) love for you.

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

Picturing A Perfect Steiff Arrival

It goes without saying that Steiff is first class in every way.  That includes the company's remarkable and very lifelike displays from the first quarter of the 20th century.  Check out this beautifully preserved black and white postcard from 1912. (You can click on it to make it larger.) It pictures a wonderful vignette of society travelers on the go.  Do you recognize a few familiar faces in it?

This pretty as a picture postcard above shows travelers emerging from a coach. The bottom text translates roughly to: "Artistic Toy Hall 1", "Arrival of the post coach" and "designed by Albert Scholpsnies." The back of the card is imprinted with a few words which translate roughly to "Bavarian Business 1912 in Munich Official Postcard." This piece of ephemera is probably from a trade fair held in 1912 in Munich; it is not clear whether Steiff participated as an attendee at the show or just provided this breathtaking and impressive display which graced the entrance to the toy section of this event. The presentation was credited to Albert Scholpsnies, a very creative and innovative designer who worked at Steiff as a freelancer on and off through the late 1920's. He specialized in product development and design; large fair, window, and event displays; and novel graphic design.

Size defies with this impressive display. In order to try and identify the items in the shot, it is important to figure out the actual scale of the display.  Starting in 1912, Steiff created a series of "upscale" adult dolls that were particularly well dressed and accessorized.  These were only produced in 50 cm.  It is Steiffgal's best guess that the both the man and woman emerging from the coach are these dolls, and are indeed 50 cm tall.  So this overall display is quite large!  Given that assumption is true, here are the items featured in this presentation.

Horses:  
These are most likely a 50 cm version of the company's Horse or Circus Horse design. These lifelike and elegant patterns appeared in the line from around 1911 through 1934 in sizes ranging from 50 to 100 cm. They were made in felt or mohair and produced with or without wheels. Their colors included white, brown and white, all brown, and other combinations. All were detailed with an open mouth, perfectly to scale saddles and headwear, and mohair manes and tails. (The photo on the left shows one version of Steiff's original Circus Horse, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.)

The horse's attendant: 
Given his scale, distinctive footwear, and cutaway style coat,  it is possible that this attendant is based on the company's 43 cm "Green" doll pattern. This finely tailored doll was produced as part of the company's amazingly detailed and comprehensive "Circus" series which launched around 1911. Green appeared in the line from 1911 through 1919. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's original Green, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.)

The lady:  
Given her long and flowing dress and big bonnet, the lady is most likely a custom-dressed version of one of the the company's 50 cm "society women." These included Beatrice, Betty, Sidonie, and Fanny. These dolls all were gorgeously dressed, with long, implanted hair, and eye-catching hats. Unlike the lady featured in the display, Beatrice, Betty, Sidonie, and Fanny all wore more "form fitting," not flowy, outfits. Steiff's society ladies appeared in the line from 1912 through 1919 overall. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's original Fanny, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.)

The gentleman helping the lady out of the coach: 
Given his dramatic coat and large hat, the gentleman is most likely a custom-dressed version of one of the the company's 50 cm "society men." These included Eduard, Ferdinand, Manfred, and Gustav. Like the society ladies, these men dolls donned tailor-made outfits sewn from the finest fabrics and wore felt hats.  Some even carried walking sticks! However, unlike the gentleman featured in the display, Eduard, Ferdinand, Manfred, and Gustav wore more traditional outerwear. These marvelous men appeared in the line from 1912 through 1917 overall. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's original Manfred, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.) 

The coach driver:  
Given his scale, big black boots, and top hat decorated with a large plume, it is possible that the coach driver is a based on the company's 43 cm "Circus Director" doll. Like "Green," this formally dressed doll was produced as part of the company's legendary "Circus" series. The Circus Director appeared in the line form 1911 through 1912. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's original Circus Director, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.) 

Attendant on the ladder:  
Given his scale, cap design, and big beard, it is possible that this attendant is based in part on the company's 35 cm "Matrose" sailor doll. This wonderful pattern is one of the company's earliest, launching in 1904 and appearing through 1918. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's Matrose, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.) 

Attendant to the left of the gentleman: 
Given his scale, great footwear, formal coat, and color (Steiffgal believes he may be African American), it is possible that this attendant is a based on the company's 35 cm "Negro Footman." This incredibly rare design, amongst the company's early efforts to capture different nationalities, appeared in 1913 only. (The photo on the left shows Steiff's Negro Footman, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.) 

Attendant to the right of the gentleman: Given his scale, white apron, hat, scale, and "workers" outfit, it is possible that this attendant is a based on the company's 35 cm "Host" doll. This was one of the company's "craftsman" dolls, produced in 35 and 50 cm from 1912-1920 overall. The series also included a stone cutter, tailor, butcher, and shoe maker; all had facial hair and were dressed in lose fitting, "everyday" clothes.  (The photo on the left shows Steiff's Host, it is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.) 

Rolling along, it is also interesting to note that Steiff also used the general theme of this coach display in other advertising. Here above you can see a simplified version of this grand coach arrival which was used for print promotion. (You can click on it to make it larger.) This advertisement appeared on May 23, 1912 in a weekly German illustrated news magazine called Illustrirte Zeitung. The photo is from D. Ayers & D. Harrison's Advertising Art of Steiff, Teddy Bears & Playthings. 

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed this time-traveling adventure based on Steiff's early and original transportation-themed displays. 

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

Time Travelling Steiff Auction Highlights - Part 1!

Nothing is better than studying precious Steiff items in person, but that is not always possible for many reasons. A great - and budget friendly - way to learn about exceptional button-in-ear rarities is through auction catalogs. In addition to collecting vintage Steiff, you probably won't be surprising to learn that Steiffgal also collects auction catalogs, both for entertainment and research purposes. Most recently, she spent just a few dollars on a relatively vintage catalog from 1998. A picture of the catalog's cover is featured here on the left. The auction was held on Saturday, April 25, 1998 in Germany; the auctioneer was Horst Poestgens. Little did she know how many treasures the catalog featured! Here are three highlights from this long-ago sale; in next week's blog she will describe three more. Steiffgal is certain that they will make you want to turn the clock back to 1998 as well!
 

This first auction highlight is truly an original! This lot, #33, is cataloged as... "Original Teddy, Steiff, circa 1905/06, button in ear, grey mohair (type Richard Steiff-Teddy), black shoe button eyes, black embroidered nose and claws (missing on left paw), expertly restored hole in felt on left paw, growler defect, long bent arms, expressive humped back, pointed muzzle, Teddy has no mohair loss, good condition, an interesting collector' item, standing size: 35 cm/14"."
 
 And - given that he is as described -  just what makes this such an incredibly rare bear? His color, construction, and proportions suggest he is one of the absolute earliest disk jointed bears created by the company. And it is quite possible that Richard Steiff himself directly had a hand in bringing him to life! Steiffgal once read that Richard Steiff made his early prototype bears in grey mohair as that was the color of material at hand - and that the grey mohair was originally purchased for the manufacture of elephants. She has not been able to confirm that through other sources, but the theory would make sense from the logistics and R&D perspectives. According to the Cieslik's Button in Ear book, in reference to these early grey bears, "Only two examples of the bear are known to have been made in gray plush. It is possible that this color was used for a few hand made samples and not for an actual series."
 

Steiffgal thinks this second auction highlight deserves a "best of show" nod as well! This lot, #38, is cataloged as... "Wolf Pomeranian, Steiff, 1930's, button in ear and remains of red woven tag, long mohair white, white short mohair lower legs, inner ears and mouth, standing, turnable head, painted back glass eyes, black embroidered nose and claws, punch growler, dog in mint condition, standing size: 30 cm/12"."

Steiff has a very long history of manufacturing Spitz or Pomeranian dogs, but this example is truly in a class by itself! And that is because Steiffgal can't find any reference to it at all in the standard Steiff reference materials. His larger size, oversized eyes, and his facial/muzzle construction are quite distinct from the company's other Spitz models from 1902 through the mid-1940's time frame. His long mohair forehead and sweet expression give him a youthful, innocent look; one that was quite prevalent in Steiff designs of the late 1920's. Because he does indeed have traces of his red ear tag, it is entirely possible that he was designed and produced at the same time as the beloved - and childlike - Teddy Clown, Teddy Baby, Bully, and Molly models.
 

Today's last auction highlight is pretty as a postcard. Literally! This lot, #66, is simply cataloged as... "Original Steiff postcard with Steiff felt dolls, motive, Dutch village, 1912, very good condition, very rare."

Steiff's wonderful dolls, bears, and animals have always been as attractive in print as they are in real life. Steiff has used this to their advantage in terms of advertising, marketing, and promotions from about the early 19-teens onward. The company's charming center-seamed felt "children" and "student" dolls were used in many classic photo shoots including circuses, skiing vignettes, cultural and "small town" local settings, toy rooms, Christmas celebrations, and other playful and imaginative displays. These shots were intended as illustrations for catalogs and postcards, among other printed items. (If this is of interest to you, check out the book Advertising Art of Steiff Teddy Bears & Playthings by Dottie Ayers and Donna Harrison. It features many of these beloved images and is one of Steiffgal's favorites.)

The postcard itself is delightful in so many ways - the theme, layout, composition, and attention to lifelike detail are simply charming and universally appealing. However, on a more personal note, Steiffgal noticed that the card also features two Dutch children dolls that she has in her own personal collection - Alida and Harry, who are pictured here on the left. Alida, who is featured in the front and relative center with a boy and a rabbit on the postcard, was made from 1909 through 1919 in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm. She is described as "felt, jointed, Dutchwoman, original costume, Sunday best." Harry, pictured in the left of the postcard talking to another boy, was made from 1908 through 1925 in 28, 35, 43, 50, and 60 cm. He is described as "felt, jointed, Dutch fisherman, original costume." By "original costume" Steiff means that the dolls are dressed in apparel that is traditional to a country - in this case, the Netherlands. And by "Sunday best", that would imply "fancier" clothing for going to Church on Sunday, which makes sense in the case of Alida given her elaborately embroidered dress bodice and red cuffs.

Steiffgal hopes this review of some long-ago auction highlights has been as fun as a time travel adventure!  And be on the lookout for more additional highlights from this great catalog in next week's blog edition!

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