You'll Be All Ears Over This Happy Hoppy Hybrid Hare!

Talk about a rare hare... combined with LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT! That's was exactly Steiffgal's reaction when it came to an absolute rarity she spotted on eBay recently. Take a look at this remarkable little Steiff prewar rabbit... and just try not to fall in love with it as well!

This tiny guy is a super cool bunny made as a woolen miniature, but with mohair detailing. He is pictured here on the left and the photo is from ebay. According to the eBay listing, he is a..."Rare Steiff Wool Rabbit is approximately 5 inches high. Has mohair ears with underscored FF button. Glass eyes. 1935-1939." Additionally, he is lined in wires and is poseable, probably head jointed, and detailed with glass pupil eyes and a small painted mouth. Steiffgal suspects he left the factory in Giengen with clear monofilament whiskers. This happy handful was made in 7 and 10 cm (measured without ears) in light brown and white or all white from 1935-1939 overall.

Steiff's woolen miniatures debuted in the very early 1930s. They were introduced as a low cost, entry level priced line for the company at a challenging economic period. The first woolies were birds and bunnies; their natural forms and shapes were easily interpreted in Nomotta wool pom-poms of different sizes and color combinations. As time went on, Steiff produced more and more elaborate woolen miniatures with greater detailing. These included other materials - like lace and ribbons - and accessories - like perches, voice boxes, and aviaries - in their designs in addition to Nomotta pom-poms.

In the mid 1930s, Steiff made a number of woolen miniatures that included relatively expensive woolen mohair fabric. This material was used to create the ears of several different dogs (including a St. Bernhard, Chin-Chin, and King Charles Spaniel), a few rabbits (including one on skis), and even a really unusual Teddy bear made from long white yarns. Given their elaborate construction, like the rabbit under discussion here today, Steiffgal suspects that the introduction of these "hybrid" mohair/woolen miniatures was Steiff's way of "upscaling" the woolen miniature line a bit. The mohair ears were "stitched into" the core of woolen threads to keep them in place... or at least that is how the mohair ears on the woolen miniature Teddy bear are engineered. You can see this terrific Ted pictured here on the left; he was made in 22 cm from 1936-1938.

Today, it is extremely rare to find Steiff's highly sought after woolen miniatures with mohair features on the secondary market. That is one reason Steiffgal was tickled pink to see this one on eBay. Given their appeal and petite scale, it is very possible that many were "loved to death" and simply lost to time over the years. Steiffgal also suspects that in reality, very few were actually made. The mid- to late 1930s were really tough years in Germany and it is quite probable that supply chain and labor issues really limited the number actually manufactured and sold during that time. And, of course, any enthusiast lucky enough to have one of these absolute rarities in their collection already is probably not in any rush to move it along! It's just supply vs. demand at its finest. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on woolen miniatures with mohair features has been a cheerful earful for you. 

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

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.

This Steiff Woolen Miniature Bunny Is A Shoe-In!

There is no question that size defies when it comes to Steiff's wonderful woolen miniature animals, especially those produced before World War II. It is absolutely amazing how much personality and detailing the company was able to include in the design of these tiny treasures - some no more than a few centimeters tall or wide! A few of these charming, larger scaled pets also featured internal wire skeletons, so they were practically as posable as the company's standard line Teddy bears and animals. Steiffgal recently added one very special palm-sized example to her collection, and she's sure you'll be all ears to learn more about him. Check out this handsome hare and see what makes him so special!

This petite treat deserves a standing ovation! He is 9 cm tall, begging, and made from Nomotta wool. His head, upper body, and tail are made from tan colored threads, while his lower body is made from red colored threads. His ears are made from tan felt and his arms, which have been lot to time, would have been made from the same material. He is fully string jointed, meaning that he can move his head and body side to side. His face come to life with brown and black glass pupil eyes and traces of a pink airbrushed nose and mouth. He had clear monofilament whiskers when he left the factory in Giengen, Germany eight decades ago. Rabbit's legs are made from metal and he retains his adorable, all original tan felt slippers, which you can see here on the photo to the left. He retains his tiny, long trailing "f" style button-in-ear. This happy hopper was made in this size only from 1936 through 1941.

This boy bunny was actually produced as a hare pair - really! Steiff launched this little Romeo as half of a "his and her" rabbit couple. The girl, who was the same size and had the same construction as the boy, differed in her coloration. Her upper body was made from red colored thread and her lower body was made from tan colored threads - just the opposite of the boy. And her slippers were red instead of tan, like the boy's footwear. You can see this cute couple on the photo here on the left, it is taken from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment.

Given their popularity, the number of woolen miniature bunnies in Steiff's pre-war line multiplied like, well, jackrabbits. They were produced in all sorts of sizes and configurations, including lying and hopping versions. A great rarity is the company's "ski rabbit," a 17 cm woolen miniature bunny wearing a scarf and accessorized with wooden skis and ski poles. Others were made into "congratulators" which were designed as gifts to be personalized with messages from the giver to the recipient. A tumbler featuring a 10 cm white or brown woolen miniature begging rabbit was also produced from 1936 through 1941. You can see a few of these variations, along with the rabbit under discussion today, in this page from Steiff's 1938 catalog. You can click on the image to make it bigger and easier to read. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this woolen miniature rabbit in slippers has made you smile from head to toe. 

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

The Perfect Stocking Stuffers... Early Steiff Woolen Miniatures!

One of Steiffgal's favorite things about this time of year is what her nephews call the "big socks," or Christmas stockings. After all, what's more fun that an oversized piece of faux hosiery filled to the brim with sweets and gifts?  So this got Steiffgal thinking - what would be perfect Steiff stocking stuffers?  Maybe the company's early woolen miniatures or "woolies?"  After all, they don't take up too much room, wrap easily, have a fantastic legacy, and truly capture the precious nature of the season! So let's check out these three very vintage "tiny treasures" to really get into the spirit of the holidays!

Bird's the word with this first pre-war Steiff woolie stocking stuffer.  This mellow yellow fellow is Steiff's Golden Bunting bird.  He is 8 cm, head jointed, and made from yellow, tan, brown, and olive green woolen yarns.  He stands upon metal legs that have been painted brown.  His tail feathers are made from brown felt, and his beak is made from orange felt.  He has tiny black button eyes.  Yellow Bunting wears his Steiff button and tag like a bracelet around his leg.  He never had a chest tag.

This golden oldie was produced in 4 and 8 cm from 1934 through 1943.  Around the same time period, Steiff also made woolie Robins, Green Woodpeckers, Finches, Blue Tits, and Sparrows.  Like the Golden Bunting, all were made in 4 and 8 cm and had very similar construction.  Only their yarn colors differentiated from species to species.  You can see several of the 4 cm versions of these other birds - and also the 8 cm Golden Bunting - in the picture on the left.  It is interesting to note that Steiff reintroduced all their 4 and 8 cm Robin, Green Woodpecker, Finch, Blue Tit, and Sparrow models right after the factory reopened for toy-making business in the late 1940's.  However, the Golden Bunting version, for some mystery reason, never appeared in the line after 1943.

Steiffgal's just quackers over this second woolie Steiff stocking stuffer.  Here we have a little 4 cm Steiff duck.  His body, head, and backside pom-pom are made from yellow woolen yarn.  His decorative head pom-pom is made from white woolen yarn.  His large, friendly beak and oversized feet and legs are made from orange felt.  His face is detailed with black bead eyes and a touch of orange airbrushing.  His button and tag, which have been lost to time, would have been on one of his feet.

This darling woolie duck was made in only this size and color combination from 1931 through 1941.  For the most part, pre-war Steiff woolie birds were designed to stand on metal legs, so this lying duck is somewhat unusual in terms of form and presentation.  

Not a creature was stirring - except for this mouse!  This final Steiff woolie stocking stuffer is not only insanely adorable, but also extremely seasonally appropriate!  This is Steiff's woolie mouse in felt slippers.  He is 9 cm, standing, head jointed, and made from white and orange woolen yarn.  His head and lower body are white, while his midsection is orange.  His hands and ears are made from single thick felt.  His legs are made from grey metal which has been painted light pink.  His little slippers are made from single thick orange felt and literally "slip on" his feet.  His tiny face comes to life with red bead eyes, a touch of pink to indicate his nose and mouth, and a few clear monofilament whiskers.  When he was a younger man - eh, mouse - he had a long matching tail.  He retains his tiny short trailing f Steiff button in his ear.
  
This petite treat was made in from 1936 through 1942 in this size only.  He also came in several other color combinations, including grey and red and brown and yellow.   Steiff also made several other standing woolie models with tiny felt slippers around this same time period; these included birds, rabbits, ladybugs, beetles, and bumblebees. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's tiny pre-war woolies has gotten you excited for the holidays in a mighty big way.

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.  

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!