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.

Having A Ball With This Charming and Early Steiff Woolen Miniature Rooster

Top of the 'morning to you! A rooster's call welcomes the new day. And this little rooster under discussion here is certain to MAKE your day! Check out this happy pre-war handful and see what makes him so delightful from the design and product development perspectives.

Bird's the word with this well-rounded woolen miniature rooster. He is head jointed and measures about 3.75 inches (or 9.5 cm) tall, including his comb, and about 4 inches (or about 10 cm) wide, including his tail. His body is made from green, yellow, tan, brown, blue, and yellow Nomotta wool threads. His two front pom pom "legs" are made from yellow Nomotta wool threads. His tail is made from green felt, while his comb is made from red felt. His happy, smiling beak is made from yellow felt. He has playful, black and white google style glass eyes. Rooster retains his short trailing "f" style button and bits of his yellow tag as his Steiff IDs on his tail feathers. This item was produced in this size (9 cm) from 1938-1942.  

Other similarly ball shaped barnyard bird buddies of rooster's era include an 8 cm duck produced from 1936-1941, an 8 cm chick produced from 1936-1941, and a 9 cm hen produced from 1938-1941. These birds are featured in the photo on the left in the top row. This image is from Steiff's 1938/1939 catalog. You can click on the catalog page to make it bigger. Which is your favorite? 

This woolen miniature rooster has article number "3509." This code translates to 3=sitting, 5=lamb's wool or wool plush, and 09= 9 cm. The 5 is somewhat confusing as it does not specifically call out the "yarn" characteristics of rooster's material. However, almost all of Steiff's prewar woolen miniatures have a 5 as their second article number digit, so it appears that the "5" does incorporate the Nomotta wool category. 

Rooster is also noted on the catalog page as weighing 15 grams. Steiffgal decided to fact check that by weighing her example... and indeed he does!

Woolen miniatures were an important part of the Steiff pre-war line from the early 1930's through the early 1940's. Birds and other pets - like rabbits, cats, dogs, and bugs - were well represented in the product mix. They were appealing, inexpensive to produce and purchase, addictively collectible, and marvelous companions for larger dolls, bears, and other animal friends. Despite their petite proportions, each had a distinct personality and a timeless charm. This probably explains why they are so adored, and collected, by enthusiasts today - nearly 90 years after their introduction! 

Steiffgal hopes that this discussion on this fine feathered friend has been a ball for you!

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

Hammering Out A Few Steiff Highlights From Special Auction Services' November, 2018 Sales Event!

Is it possible for most Steiff collectors to catalog their interest in the brand? Probably not... but thankfully there are publications that can at least capture some of our Steiff wishes and dreams! Steiffgal just got her hands on one fine example of this - the catalog from the upcoming Special Auction Services (SAS) sale featuring Teddy bears and soft toys. This event, to be held on Tuesday November 27th in London, features almost 600 lots of delightful modern to antique temptations. There is truly something for every Steiff and soft plush enthusiast at this important auction. Here are three Steiff lots that caught Steiffgal's eye - and why!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. This pretty much sums up this first highlight pick, and NO, it has nothing to do with a wedding. Here we have lot #260, which is cataloged as, "A Steiff limited edition Beatrix Potter Peter Rabbit 100 Years Anniversary Edition, 2922 for the year 2002, in original box with tag certificate." This modern day Peter Rabbit is estimated at 50 - 80 GBP, which equals about $62 - 104.

What's not to love about this happy hopper? Peter Rabbit is a legacy pattern for Steiff, and was one of the company's earliest licensed characters from literature, culture, or the arts. (For more about that, please click here.) This modern edition incorporates the best of the old - blue jacket and slippers - and the new - a felt carrot and a distinctly impish presentation - elements associated with this beloved fictional character. And, for friends outside of London, did you know that Peter is also the "Money Bunny?" He and other Beatrix Potter pals are featured on a series of 50 pence coins created in 2016 and 2017 for the United Kingdom. Steiffgal had the pleasure of discovering one of these coins in a handful of change she received for a transaction made during a recent trip to London.

Tag, you're it with this second selection. Here we have lot #436, an adorable Steiff Jackie bear in the smallest size made. She is cataloged as, "A rare Steiff Jackie Jubilee Teddy Bear 1953, With beige mohair, brown and black glass eyes, brown stitched nose, mouth and claws, cream stitched highlight to nose, swivel head, jointed limbs with felt pads, inoperative squeaker, remains of US Zone tag in arm seam, original pink ribbon and large chest tag with Eulan shop stamp on reverse —6¾in. (17cm.) high (thinning spot to forehead) - Jackie was made in 1953 to celebrate 50 years of the Teddy Bear, stock number 5317 - 22,862 pieces were made in this size." This Steiff Jackie bear is estimated at 300 - 400 GBP, which equals about $383 - 511.

Collectors are universally tickled pink over this legacy Steiff pattern, with fine examples sometimes realizing big four figures at auction.  A 35 cm version sold for €6,400 at the 2018 Steiff Sommer festival auction presented by Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH. What is particularly appealing about the one on offer at SAS is its impressive and large chest tag. Steiffgal has owned and handled a number of Jackie bears over time, but none retained this key form of identification. There is no Steiff collector on the planet who would say "no" to a Jackie retaining this impressive, and seemingly fleeting, ID. And of course, you can't but help notice this particular Jackie's endearing and pouty facial expression that exudes "take me home!" Steiffgals' current Jackie family is pictured here on the left; for more about Steiff's Jackie bears, please click here. 

And we're really going to the dogs with this third and final auction favorite. Here we have lot #431, a prewar Steiff Sealyham pup made from artificial silk plush. She is cataloged as, "A fine Steiff Sealyham late 1930s-1940s, with light golden artificial silk plush, orange and black glass eyes, black stitched nose and mouth, white mohair muzzle, pink airbrushing to claws, around nose and eyes, swivel head, standing, red leather collar, STEIFF button with yellow cloth tag No.1614,0 and card tag on collar —8in. (20.5cm.) long." This Steiff Sealyham is estimated at 200 - 300 GBP, which equals about $255 - 383.

Artificial silk plush holds a soft spot in Steiffgal's heart. This material, used a few years before and after WWII, was a substitute for higher end, natural fabrics including wool plush, felt, alpaca, and mohair when these materials were not available or limited for toy making due to rationing or wartime priorities. Sometimes artificial silk plush was used for every element of the toy's construction. Other times, this wartime fabric was used on the vast majority of the body, with the small balance constructed out of mohair or felt highlights as is in the case of this dog. For the most part, artificial silk plush looks shiny, silky, and inviting for a very short time.  It thins and looses its gloss and softness quickly even with light playwear. So finding a piece such as this canine - in lovely condition, with all IDs - happens once in a blue moon. And its form, that of a Sealyham, only adds to its appeal. Steiff has done a masterful job on the dog's muzzle, integrating just a touch of longer and slightly contrasting white mohair into the design. This attention to detail really brings the piece to life. A collection of art silk items is shown here above on the left; for more information on this interesting material please click here. 

Steiffgal hopes that three's a charm when it comes to this SAS auction highlight tour! The sale will be held at SAS's Auction Room One, located 81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, RG19 6HW on November 27th, 2018 starting at 10am. For more information, please see the SAS website, located at www.specialauctionservices.com. 

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

Spinning A Yarn Over This Unusual Steiff Woolen Miniature Teddy Bear

Are you ready for yet(i) another Steiff treasure? This one is so unusual that its hard to believe it was really made by Steiff - but it was, and at a really challenging time in history. Take a look at this small white Teddy bear that Steiffgal recently purchased on eBay. Despite its obvious condition issues, its rarity and unusual form make it simply irresistible!  Come take a look at what makes this "blizzard baby" so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This "abominable snowman" looking sweetie is actually Steiff's woolen miniature Teddy bear. He measures 22 cm tall standing and is made from white wool yarn "pom-poms" supported by a small wire skeleton in his torso. His coloring has aged to a mellow vanilla over time - perhaps to match his laid-back personality today! His arms and legs are probably string jointed; they hang loosely at his sides but can be moved about. His two half-circle shaped ears are made from white mohair. His very simple face comes to life with two brown and black glass pupil eyes. When he was new, he had a very small black hand painted nose and mouth. He retains his short trailing "f" Steiff button in ear. According to the 1892-1943 Sortiment, this really unusual design was produced in 22 cm from 1936 through 1938. 

It is clear that Old Yeti today has a face only a mother (or a diehard Steiff collector) could love. But it was not always that way. He started out life looking like the bear pictured here on the right. The photo is from Christies, from their October 2010 Steiff sale. He is cataloged here as "A Steiff Wool Pom-Pom Teddy Bear, (5522), standing, white, brown and black glass eyes and FF button with yellow cloth tag, 1936-1938 - 9in. (23 cm.) high." The catalog also notes, "Only 955 examples of this bear were made between 1936 and 1938." This tissue-new example realized GBP 5,250 at auction.

Despite old Yeti's appearance today, you can still make out some of the traditional Teddy bear features Steiff was trying to capture in this woolen miniature version. These are most prominent in the shape of his limbs. His arms do feature clearly curved wrists and suggest small hand paws. And his legs are also defined with proportional feet. These shapes are not wired and it is hard to figure out how Steiff pulled this off using pom-poms, but they did. Steiffgal suspects that the ears are mohair as they would be able to support and sustain a button-in-ear while a pom-pom version could not. You can see a close up of Old Yeti's button in ear here on the left. 

Old Yeti has a great yarn to spin.  He is a part of the company's long history of woolen miniature production. The very first woolies, introduced in 1931, were a series of six birds. Each was a different color and made in 4 or 8 cm. They had metal legs and feet and felt beaks and tails. They wore their buttons and earflags as tiny “ankle bracelets” around their sturdy legs. Soon after, Steiff added rabbits, cats, mice, monkeys, ducks and other animals to their line. Despite their proportions, most had jointed heads and, where appropriate, charming details that included tiny metal legs; felt beaks, wings and ears; colorful slippers; and headwear, including bonnets, top hats and lacy veils. Most of the standard line woolies were made in the 5 to 15 cm size range; this Teddy bear was among the largest if not the largest sized "miniature" produced. You can see a small collection of Steiff's prewar woolen miniature birds here on the left.

Collectors can certainly admire Steiff for trying to create a Teddy bear in the woolie style.  And, given his years of production - when mohair fabrics were in short supply but wool threads less so - could understand why the company would use this type of material in its Teddy bear production strategy.  

Steiffgal hope this discussion on Steiff's prewar woolen miniature bears has added a few Teddy hugs to your day.

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

Calculating The Importance Of This Rare Steiff Walther Poodle

Do you know the saying, "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, if that's true, than the month of May is most certainly going to be "coming up roses," at least around these parts. It's been raining cats and dogs for the last few days, so Steiffgal has spent some time indoors checking out interesting Steiff eBay auction listings. You never know what you'll find listed on this worldwide marketplace! One Steiff rarity caught her eye and inspired her to learn more about it. Check out this prized poodle and see what makes it so outstanding from the design and manufacturing perspectives. 

This eye catching and unusual dog is a special promotional item made for Carl Walther GmbH. The poodle is head jointed and made from grey mohair and wool plush. His face is made from rubber, which was a popular Steiff manufacturing material starting in the early to mid 1950's  When the Walther poodle left the Steiff factory, he wore a blue "Walther" logo tag hanging off of its blue leather collar.  This customer special poodle design was produced in 17 cm and 40 cm in 1955 only.  This is the larger version; the smaller version used grey velvet in the place of grey mohair in its design.  

The Walther brand has deep and broad roots across Germany and the world.  The company, still in business today, is most associated with firearms production. Walther started out making guns at the end of the 19th century. It expanded its production to office machines, like calculators, starting in the 1920's. They continued their calculator line of business through the 1970's.  The poodle was the company's logo for the office division of the company, although its probably no coincidence that poodles are good hunting dogs, too! Walther's poodle came to life with a few black lines, and showed the dog running on his hind legs and effortlessly juggling numbers. The logo tried to demonstrate how easy dealing with numbers could be when you have a Walther machine on your desk. You can see this poodle logo here on the left.

Despite its obvious condition issues, this poodle listed on eBay is still a prince among Steiff's rare promotional items, and is only the second one Steiffgal has ever seen. It aligns to its period of manufacture in three interesting ways.  

First, poodles were a very big deal in Steiff's line in the early 1950's. In addition to the company's standard line selections, including Tosi and several iterations of Snobby, Steiff also created a number of exclusive poodle designs for FAO Schwarz here in the USA. These included fully jointed wool plush poodles and an 80 cm Snobbylac poodle. The Walther poodle has a French trim and most resembles the body shape of Steiff's 1952 wool plush Snobby. You can see the Steiff Walther poodle featured on the cover of one of their business machines catalogs here on the left. 

Second, Steiff started producing items with rubber heads, instead of traditional felt, velvet, or mohair heads, in the early 1950's.  This was done in part to decrease costs and labor, as well as to add flexibility to production and design options. Mostly dolls were produced with rubber heads; favorites from this period are HorZu's Micki and Mecki; the gnomes Pucki, Lucki, and Gucki; the Maggi chef, and LariFari, among others. Steiff's animals with rubber heads include Koko the Cat for the magazine TV Hoeren & Sehen.  

And third, the Walther poodle was manufactured at a critical juncture in the company's history. After many years of hardship and war-induced shortages, Steiff again had the infrastructure to partner with other world-class companies and to produce absolutely custom, top tier items without constraints. This all ushered in a very auspicious period in the company's history.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Walther poodle has inspired a little puppy love with you!

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

Feather Your Nest With This Adorable And Extremely Early Steiff Woolen Miniature Chick

When is a "spring chicken" not really one at all? Steiffgal would be shocked if you could answer this silly riddle! In this case, she is referring to a recent Steiff find she made in April - which is actually a vintage baby barnyard bird! Check out this happy handful and see what makes her so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.

Bird's the word when it comes to this Steiff woolen miniature chick. This bitty baby is 6 cm tall, standing, and made from white and yellow Nomotta wool. She had metal feet and legs which have been painted yellow. Her tiny face comes to life with black button eyes, a tan felt beak, and a light orange comb. Most interestingly, she has a distinctive neck which allows her to be jointed at her "shoulder" area as well as at her head. This pattern was produced in this size only from 1931 through 1935 and was made in six color combinations: white and yellow, white and orange, white and light brown, white and dark brown, white and gray, and yellow and brown.  The white and grey version is pictured below for review and comparison; the photo is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book. 

Although this white and yellow chick's IDs have been lost to time, she would have left the factory with two IDs. These would have been a red tag with the numbers "1506,1" on it, held in place like a bracelet around her ankle with a small "trailing F" style button. The 1506,1 corresponds to: 1=standing, 5=wool plush, 06=6 cm tall, and 1=the first in a series of different versions of a particular item; in this case, a chick that came in six color versions.  The 1 specifically identifies it as white and yellow. The grey and white example pictured to the left is considered version number 5.  As such, her tag would read "1506,5."

This charming chick holds two really interesting distinctions.  The first is that she was produced in the 1931 through 1935 timeline.  Woolen miniatures debuted in the Steiff product line in 1931. As such, it is very possible that she is amongst the earliest examples of any woolen miniatures the company ever produced.  Her second "first" is that her design is the very earliest "chick" woolen miniature design manufactured by Steiff.  Woolen miniature chicks would appear continuously in the line through 1984; however, from 1936 onward they were all yellow or maize and singularly head jointed or not jointed at all.  A close up of the double jointed neck area on the earliest versions is pictured here on the left. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this early and rare woolen miniature Steiff chick has made you as happy as a rooster in a hen house.

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

Hopping Towards Easter With These Great Vintage Steiff Rabbits

Who's got a spring in their step? The Easter bunny, of course! And he's about to be called into action in a very big way on Sunday! Steiff and Easter go hand in hand as the company has made so many beautiful bunnies over the years. One particular model occupies a rare and interesting place in the company's history. She debuted in the late 1930's and stayed in the line through 1976. As such, she was produced in many different materials over time. Check out these three examples of Steiff's "hopping" style rabbits from the late 1930's to the early 1950's and see what a difference the choice of fabric can make!

It's easy to have a plush-crush on this first example. This wool plush hopping rabbit is 17 cm tall, unjointed, and made from tan colored wool plush. This material has a short, bumpy texture to it and is more "continuous" than mohair, which tends to have a more "bristle" feel to it. Rabbit has darker tan airbrushing on her back and black highlights around her tail and on the tips of her ears - which are lined in tan airbrushed felt and highlighted with pink. Rabbit has a simple pink hand embroidered mouth and nose and brown and black pupil eyes. She retains her original bow and bell and her short "trailing f" Steiff button as her ID. 

This exact rabbit is not noted in the Steiff Sortiment, although an identical looking one made from "woolen mohair" and produced in 12, 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1938 through 1943 is. It was not unusual for Steiff to produce popular, standard line items in wool plush in the 1930's and early 1940's. For example, Steiffgal has a charming wool plush Jocko who is also not noted in the standard reference books.  It is most likely that this Jocko is from the late 1930's or early 1940's.  It is Steiffgal's best guess, given her materials and ID, that this wool plush hopping rabbit is from that same time period and is based on the model made from "woolen mohair." 

This second example of Steiff's hopping rabbit is smooth as silk. This example is 14 cm, unjointed, and made from tan colored artificial silk plush. This material has a very smooth, soft feeling to it and catches light well with its nice sheen. Her coat is brought to life with tan, grey and black airbrushing. Typical to the pattern, her ears are lined in felt and outlined in black and her face is detailed with black and brown pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered nose and mouth that is highlighted with a touch of pink paint. This example glides along on four red wooden off-center wheels. She retains her original blue ribbon and her short "trailing f" Steiff button and traces of her yellow ear tag as her Steiff IDs. This hoppy-go-lucky charmer was manufactured in this size in 1949 only.  

Artificial silk plush was a popular fabric used by Steiff around and just after World War II. During this period, when woolen fabrics and felt were not generally available for toymaking, Steiff "improvised" with artificial silk plush materials to manufacture some of its most beloved designs traditionally made from mohair - like this rabbit on wheels. Artificial silk plush was a cheaper, lower cost, and poorer quality option, but it was available on commercial scale. And "silk" most likely refers to the shine and softness of the plush. However, this synthetic material tended to lose its sheen and good looks quite quickly; as a result, it unusual to find Steiff artificial silk plush items in great condition today.  

Today's third Steiff hopping rabbit is a charm.  And a charmer!  This sweet girl is 14 cm and made from Steiff's traditional mohair.  She shares her relative's coloring and construction, including the model's distinctive felt lined ears trimmed in black airbrushing.  She appeared in the line from 1949 through 1976 in 8, 14, and 17 cm; she was simply called Hase or Rabbit to 1973 and Hoppy from 1974 onward.  This mohair hopping rabbit was made in the very earliest part of that time frame.

Unlike her earlier relatives, this early post war mohair rabbit is relatively common as many were made over a long period of time.  However, this particular example has a capital differentiator.  Her ear button is the very unusual "block letter" version, meaning every letter in the word "Steiff" on the button appears as a capital letter.  These buttons are extremely rare and appear very infrequently on items from the late 1940's through the very early 1950's.  Steiffgal only has 5 items in her entire collection with this very seldom seen form of ID. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on these hopping rabbits has you jumping for joy in anticipation of Easter!

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

Size Defies When It Comes To Steiff's Adorable Woolen Miniature Mice!

With  just a handful of summer left, Steiffgal thought it might be fun to take little look at one of Steiff's legacy products that truly would fit in the palm of your hand!  It seems that everyone just loves Steiff's woolen miniatures, and for good reason!  They are completely adorable, gorgeously designed, and of course, don't take up too much room (which tends to be an issue the larger one's collection becomes!)  Perhaps the cutest - in Steiffgal's humble opinion - woolies are Steiff's tiny mice.  Check out this tiny two-some and perhaps you'll agree as well!

Size defies when it comes to these lifelike, miniature master pieces!  Here we have an albino white mouse and a grey mouse.  Both are cataloged as 4 cm, made from wool yarn, are standing on all fours, have long tails, and are head jointed.  Their petite feet, which each have four toes, are made of peach colored felt.  Their tiny faces come to life with airbrushed-highlighted felt ears, playful whiskers, bead eyes, and pink painted noses and mouths.  The grey mouse on the left was produced from 1931 through 1943 overall; he also came in white and brown.  The white mouse on the right was made from 1949 though 1984 overall and also came in grey.

Both mice sport IDs which are appropriate for their era of production.  The white mouse has a tiny raised script button and article number 7354/04 (suggesting a specific 1968 through 1984 manufacture date) while the grey mouse has a tiny trailing F button and article number 2504,1 (suggesting a specific 1937 through 1943 manufacturing date.)  These items never had chest tags, and as far as Steiffgal can see, no woolen miniatures ever did.  However, a handful of woolen miniatures are perhaps the only items in the entire Steiff history of production that did not leave the factory with a “button in ear.” Even birds, which clearly lack ears, had a button securing their label around their leg. Woolie ladybugs and hedgehogs do not, and never had, Steiff buttons. There was simply no place to attach them. But their look, feel, and manufacturing make them undoubtedly Steiff.

It is always fun with Steiff to track how designs change - or don't - over time.  This is especially true with beloved and popular items that are produced over a long period, even decades... as is in the case of these mice!  In general, with these two babies, it is clear that their core, basic pattern did not change over time.  And, given that both mice weigh 5 g, that the critical mass of the pattern remained constant over time.  However, there are a few very subtle differences between them.  These include:

• Their length from nose to fanny.  The white mouse measures 5 cm while the grey mouse measures 4 cm. 

• Their tails.  The white mouse has an 8 cm tail made from solid peach colored rubber.  The grey mouse has an 8.5 cm tail made from grayish-black stretchy elastic, like an elastic band.  You can see a close up of their tails in the photo above on the left.

•  Their whiskers.  The white mouse has numerous long, flexible, clear whiskers, while the grey mouse has just a handful of very short, stiff, brownish whiskers.

Let's talk about the size difference first.  Because each Steiff item is made by hand, it is entirely possible that size differences are a result of the touch of individual craftspeople.  It is also conceivable - because each mouse weighs the same (and clearly their bodies make up most of their mass) - that the composition of the woolen fibers used on these items changed over time, and/or aged differently.  

Now their tails and whiskers.  These differences are most likely attributable to materials available on hand at the time of their production, as well as manufacturing improvements to those materials over the decades. It is most interesting that the older grey mouse's tail, which is made from a stretchy material, has not dried out, cracked, or fallen off - which happens alot with older rubber items.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's tiny woolen mice has made a huge and happy difference in your day!

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

Counting Sheep Over This Large And Unusual Green Eyed Lamb

It's not always exactly black and white when it comes to the identification of some vintage Steiff treasures.  And such is the case with this somewhat rare, early postwar lamb, who just indeed happens to be black and white!  Check out this note from a friend in New England, who asks about the eartag on an extra-large version of a sweet barnyard buddy.  Sandy writes in part:

 

"Steiffgal,

 What can you tell me about a black and white Lamby - the one with green eyes - that is about 14 inches tall with a stock tag number 6535,02?  I don't see that number listed for the black Lamby in the Sortiment - but I know there are things that are not listed.  None of the stock numbers for the black Lamby end in 02 but there is such a number listed for a white Lamby.  

 

Thanks, 

Sandy"

 

Let's not start counting sheep and take a look right away at this great Steiff design.  Sandy is describing a very nice black and white lamb pattern that only officially appeared in the Steiff line for a handful of years, from 1954 through 1956, in 10, 14, and 22 cm.  She is pictured here on the left; these Lambys are from Steiffgal's personal collection.  Called Lamby, she is standing on all fours, unjointed, and made from black wool plush.  Her tail is made from white wool plush; smaller versions have a white forehead while larger versions have a white forehead, face, and muzzle area.  Lamby's ears are made from black felt.  Her face is detailed with green and black pupil eyes and a simple red hand embroidered nose and mouth.  Lamby left the factory in Giengen with a silk bow and brass bell. 

So what about the Lamby Sandy is describing - a really big one at 14 inches tall?  Well, that does translate to 35 cm - which is much larger than the examples noted in the standard Steiff reference books.  So what may be this item's story - and what's with his article number that does not appear like any of the other standard size black Lamby models?  Well, only the lamb knows for sure, and many things in the Steiff world are not as consistent as many collectors would like.  So here's Steiffgal's possible take on this marvelous Steiff mystery.

Steiff began producing its lovely and extremely popular white lambs post war in 1948; they were named Lamb from 1948 to 1953, and Lamby from 1954 until the end of production in 1976.  Steiff introduced a black lamb pattern, also called Lamby, in 1954.  The article numbers for the first series of both white and black Lambys in 10, 14, and 22 cm were the same, except that the black ones had an s right after the number.  When Steiff did this, it usually was meant to indicate a color, and in this case, it is Steiffgal's strongest suspicious that the s was to designate schwarz, or black.  The 35 cm version of white Lamby, with article number 6535,02 was made from 1953 through 1958.  "6535,02" in Steiff language means young, wool plush, 35 cm, without wheels, and with a voice.  

 

It is Steiffgal's guess here that black Lamby was made in this 35 cm size as a sample, in a very limited production, or was not documented in the 1954-1956 time period.  It is not known if the 35 cm black Lamby Sandy is describing has a voice in its belly or not, and this is pretty important.   

• If he does, then the article number 6535,02 would actually make sense for the black Lamby.  It is interesting to note that Steiff's numbering system in the 1947-1958 time frame did not explicitly represent colors via digits.  

• If he does not have a squeaker in his belly, it is Steiffgal's best guess, that because the company realized that they would not be making black Lamby in the 35 cm size, but wanted to sell these larger pieces, they put on the 6535,02 ear tags they had on hand because in essence they do closely describe the product, and the time frame in which it was produced, and this would be the most cost effective and efficient rather than ordering a bunch of tags when only a few were required.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the numbering system on Steiff's black and white Lamby lambs all adds up to you.
 

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

Take Note Of These Two Tiny But Hugely Interesting Steiff Treasures

Sometimes the tiniest discoveries can have big and wonderful stories behind them.  Check out the tale behind this pair of petite and precious Steiff prizes!  Robin from the northeast shares...

"After a bit of online conversation and negotiation, I purchased a palm-sized, turn of last century, five ways jointed white mohair Steiff bear from a contact in Germany.  She was selling the cub on behalf of an older lady friend.  

I was delighted with the purchase and assured the seller that the bear would feel right at home in my Steiff collection here in the US.  

Much to my surprise, when the bear did arrive from overseas, I noticed he was packed with a travel companion - the absolutely smallest Steiff woolen miniature I could ever imagine!  Even though the tiny woolie did not have a button, it was clearly made by Steiff. 

Please take a look at the bear and the tiny woolie and let me know what you think.  I have included the letter that accompanied both the bear and the woolie from Germany."   

It is really important to note - no pun intended - the wonderful information included on Robin's note in order to truly appreciate these precious items.  The document itself is an oversized postcard, with writing on the backside and a kitchen scene from an old fashioned German miniature dollhouse - complete with tiny beer steins - on the front. 

The illustration is pictured above; the actual letter exactly reads:

"Hello and gradulations for the ddy.  The old lady says thank you and has a gift for you - a little bird, which has a green head and a yellow body, it's a own creation, because this woman has worked at Steiff in the 1970e years.  These work was at home.  Steiff has brought a lot of wool heads and wool bodies in five different colors and beaks and wings, the women made all together to a little bird.  But sometimes one head was too much in one color and a body in another color, so there are new creations for their own children, not authorized by Steiff.  The little white bear was her companion since over 80 years, but she didn't play with him, her mother has said to her:  "She play with the eyes." There were other time.... have good years with the bear,  Heiner"

There is so much to talk about here, so let's get started first with the Teddy bear.  This popular, classic, and beloved example is about 8 cm standing, although his "official" Steiff measurement is 10 cm. (Because of the handmade nature of Steiff products, and given the effects of time, it has been Steiffgal's observation that the actual measurements and the listed measurements of early Steiff products may vary as much as 20% +/-.) Robin's Ted is five ways jointed and made from white mohair. He has tiny black eyes and a simple brown hand embroidered nose and mouth.  He has a particularly adorable and pouty expression, as well as a slightly upturned nose. He holds a tiny baby rattle; this is darling and appropriate but not original to him. This Steiff bear pattern was produced in light blond, light brown, and white over time from 1905 through 1933 in 10, 15, 18, 22, 25, 30, 32, 35, 40, 46, 50, 60, 70, and 115 cm. Given the bear's long trailing "f" button and the fact he was owned for more than 80 years by the same person, dates him roughly to the late 1920's or so.  

This bear is looking pretty good for a plaything getting pretty close to the century mark.  And why might that be?  According to his note, his original owner was not allowed to play with him, only admire him from afar as a precious collectible.   

Now let's take flight and talk about the woolen miniature.  What we have here, Steiffgal believes, is a Steiff hummingbird.  This bug-sized bird 3 cm and made from dark green, light green, yellow, and white wool fibers.  He is detailed with felt eyes and a plastic beak; his wings and back tail feathers are made from a very thin textured plastic.  He is suspended from a hair-thick clear monofilament fiber.  This design appeared overall in the Steiff catalog from 1969 through 1978; either as a single bird (complete with a pin feature so he could be worn as a fashion accessory) or as four bird mobile suspended from a clear monofilament string.  These birds did not have a Steiff button for size and logistical reasons; as a mobile, the button was attached to the top of the hanging/display apparatus.  Steiff's hummingbirds appeared in red, blue, yellow, orange, and green. 

It's easy to hum a happy tune when it comes to the legacy behind Robin's hummingbird.  It is clear that this design was in production during the same time that the hummingbird's owner worked for the company - in the 1970's.  It is also interesting that the note calls out that the owner was a home-worker for Steiff, a tradition the company has held since before the turn of LAST century!  But what really confirms the authenticity - and the charm - surrounding the hummingbird is this from the note... "But sometimes one head was too much in one color and a body in another color, so there are new creations for their own children, not authorized by Steiff."  Steiffgal thinks that this is the case here - with the bird being somewhat "mismatched" with a green head and a yellow and white body - and not falling into the Steiff standard for a green bird or a yellow bird.  Perhaps this piece was "rejected" by Steiff and the home worker was able to keep it for herself and her family.  Now that's one cool "work perk!"

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Robin's two tiny treasures has been hugely entertaining and interesting for you!

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

Hungry For Information On Steiff's Rare Chow Chow Dogs

Now here's a really unusual Steiff item collectors can really sink their teeth into!  Steiffgal just got back from the 2013 Steiff Sommer Festival, which is held right on the Steiff factory grounds in Giengen, Germany.  Part of the fun of this universal gathering of Steiff enthusiasts is finding all sorts of rare treasures in the event's various show and salesrooms.  And, dog-gonit, Steiffgal did discover a rare pooch she had only read about... a large standing early post-war Chow Chow!  So pull up a chair and feast your eyes on what makes this dog so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

Hungry to learn more about this curious Chow Chow?  Well, he is 25 cm, standing, and unjointed.  His entire body is made from very long, golden colored wool plush, while his inset muzzle and both sides of his ears are made from the same plush, just much shorter. (Wool plush feels coarser and rougher than mohair - which generally has a rich silkiness to it.)  Chow's chunky tail curls up and back.  His simple face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth.  Chow's Steiff IDs include a raised script button, yellow ear tag, and a US Zone tag sewn into the seam of his front left leg.  Standing Chow Chow was produced in 12, 17, and 25 cm from 1951 through 1959.  A sitting, white wool plush version was also produced in 10 cm from 1951 through 1957. 

More recently, Chow Chow dogs have appeared relatively infrequently in the Steiff catalog.  A new soft plush model has been introduced roughly every decade since the 1970's.  The company also produced a 65 cm standing Studio Chow Chow made from woven fur in 1978 through 1984. 

Chow Chows have an interesting history on the Steiff menu of product offerings.  And, like many other somewhat unconventional items, Chow Chows were introduced into the Steiff line because of international headline news stories.  For example, remember that it was the American presidency that influenced Steiff's production of Teddy bears, opossums, and Dolly bears!  

Chow Chows made their debut in the Steiff catalog in 1928... the same year that that the German airship "Graf Zeppelin" made its Transatlantic journey.  Accompanying Captain Ernst Lehmann back to Europe was a little Chow Chow dog named Veedol, who was a gift from American friends.  The dog was quite a character on board the airship, and quickly became the mascot of the voyage, despite his puppy antics.  Upon arriving home in Germany, the Chow Chow was given to the airship's helmsman.  The story behind this precocious pooch's adventure quickly spread to both sides of the ocean.  Seeing the potential behind the breed's popularity, Steiff quickly introduced its own Chow Chow, and named him "Brownie."  Both light and dark brown mohair versions of Brownie were subsequently produced sitting, standing, on wheels, as a handbag, and as a pincushion through the early 1930's.  The photo on the left, from Christie's, shows a small sitting version of Chow Chow Brownie.  Steiff also manufactured a very similar Chow Chow design in all white and called her Chow Chow Blanco.  Blanco was produced standing, sitting, and, on wheels during the same time frame. 

According to Steiff company records, the advertising copy for its early Chow Chows read as follows...

"He has been showered with affection from all sides, ever since he was adopted as the Zeppelin mascot on the West East flight of the LZ 127.  His virtue was certainly the reason he was chosen, and is envied by all the world.  As a toy or decorative item, we have portrayed his characteristics as carefully as possible:  large, wise eyes; white, pale, or chocolate brown plush coat, and a good 'barking' voice box."

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's rare Chow Chow dogs has whetted your appetite to learn more about this interesting breed!

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

Fawning All Over This Tiny And Unusual Steiff Treasure

It's pretty easy to fawn over Steiff treasures - especially the tiny ones - and that is certainly the case here!  Check out this note from a reader who asks about an unusual Steiff item she found in a box of family treasures.  Through a series of communications, Betsey writes in part:  

"Steiffgal,

I was looking online to try to identify an antique Steiff fawn and found your site - so here I am. 

I found this item in a box of my deceased parents personal belongings - my father and mother were born in 1910 and 1915, respectively.  The fawn in question stands 4.75" tall and is 4.5" long if standing fairly straight up.  He is a kind of deep cinnamon/pumpkin color with 'age-darkened' white spots on his body and around the front of his chest.  He also has white detailing on the top part of his rather rounded, permanently-tucked-in tail.  His hooves and snout are black.  He has dyed-to-match pumpkin colored triangular felt ears; his left ears is still adorned with a tiny silver colored Steiff button. He has round black button eyes.  His coat is very woolen like, similar to the pom pom bunnies.  He is only wired, not at all jointed, and the wire can be seen when you part the wool of his belly.

I have hesitated calling him a fawn because his ears are not big and tall like real deer ears and his nose and hooves are not fine, but nearly the same width as his head and legs.  Of course, this may merely be simplicity of his design. He looks a bit more like pictures I've seen of alpacas, shorn all one length, like a poodle with a puppy-cut.

He is quite darling, and just now as I smell him...  he smells like mittens, woolen mittens like my mother made.

I hope you can help me learn more about him.  Thanks so much for taking the time to read this message.

Betsey"

What a dear - whoops, Steiffgal meant deer - inquiry!  What we have here is Steiff's very rare and seldom seen woolen miniature Reh or deer.  Deer is is 10 cm tall and made from pumpkin colored Nomotta wool.  Nomotta is a type of high quality, alpaca-like wool which has been treated with a moth repellent product; "Nomotta" is actually a play-on-words for the German phrase, "No Moths."  This Nomotta deer has white highlights on his chest and tail, as well as spots on his back.  His face is detailed with a black nose, a simple black mouth, and black bead eyes.  His ears are made from felt.  He is flexible as he has an internal wire framework.  This tiny handful was made in 10 cm only from 1935 through 1938.   

Steiffgal's just guessing here... but given the ages of Betsey's parents, and the production timeline of their Steiff treasure -  it is possible that this deer originally served as a courtship or early marriage gift for the young couple.   

This fawn is an outstanding example of an early Steiff woolen miniature, or "woolie."  Woolies debuted in the 1931 Steiff catalog in the form of six simple birds; each item was a different color and was produced in 4 and 8 centimeters. This introduction proved extremely successful.  Almost immediately, Steiff introduced rabbits, cats, mice, mice, monkeys, ducks and other popular species - including Betsey's little deer - as woolen miniatures. The vast majority of these tiny treasures were in the 5- to 15-cm size range. Despite their small proportions, most were head jointed and/or made with internal wire frameworks for flexibility.  They also often had charming details that included tiny metal legs; felt beaks, wings and ears; colorful slippers; and head wear, including bonnets, top hats and lacy veils. Steiff produced these woolen miniatures pre-war through 1943.  (Pictured above is a photo of what Betsey's deer looked like when new; this illustration is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Steiff Sortiment reference book.) 

Post war, Steiff began producing woolies again in 1949; resuming the manufacture of some of the more popular earlier models—like the robin, green woodpecker, finch, blue tit, sparrow and rabbit—and introducing some brand new breeds as well. Steiff also got a little creative with the woolies, manufacturing hanging mobiles made from woolies in the late 1960s through the mid ’70s.  Around the same time as the mobiles, Steiff also experimented with woolies by combining them with mohair features. Two examples of these included a 6-cm. woolie skunk with a black and white wire reinforced posable mohair tail and a 5-cm. squirrel with a brown posable tail.  Steiff woolen miniatures appeared in the catalog though the early 1980s; after that, demand decreased and it became too labor intensive and expensive to produce them. Steiff subsequently dropped them from the line.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion about this unusual woolen miniature as brought you a huge amount of happiness today.  

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

***UPDATE:  February 17, 2013***

Steiffgal received the following note and photo from Betsey:

"Dear Steiffgal,

Look at what I found in a box of pictures my sister just sent me!  Does it make you feel clairvoyant?

See what looks like 'linked pins' over my mother's left breast (frat' pin?) and then her gazing at the little center of attention beneath the Christmas tree. Seeing this picture made me feel like Indiana Jones finding the holy grail - and you were the expert/historian who created the treasure map!  I just had to share it with you." 

So it does appear that the little deer was a courtship present from Betsey's father to her mother.  A beautiful and delightful Steiff mystery solved!