These Three Dog Highlights Take The Blue Ribbon At Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's November, 2024 Steiff Archive Sale

Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion of Ladenburg, Germany is presenting its 415 lot Steiff Archive Auction on November 23rd, 2024. This breathtaking sale features century spanning treasures directly from the Margarete Steiff GmbH archives in Giengen. In an effort to consolidate space within their storage areas, Steiff decided to deaccession some redundant items from their overflowing archives. As such, the Giengen company has partnered with Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion to find new homes for these fine archival items.

Every item on offer in this amazing event is worth a shout out, so it is nearly impossible to select highlights. Given her affinity for all things canine, here are three incredibly rare dogs that are documented in Steiff's literature that Steiffgal has never actually handled or seen in real life (but would love to!)

You can't help but smile when it comes to this first auction doggie selection. This is lot #4, Steiff's Tino. He is cataloged as: TINO, made in 1936, with button, block letters, unused red flag, number on flag: 3322.2, seat height: 22 cm, yellow/brown mohair plush, black snout, lovely expression, orig. silk bow, rotating head, expressive, hand pattern from the Steiff archive with original Steiff archive trailer. Tino has an opening bid of 360 euro.

It is not exactly clear what breed terrific Tino represents. According to Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Steiff Sortiment, he is simply an ingenious dog. This might mean he doesn't have a specific breed - much like the company's legacy and popular Molly design who was simply referred to as a puppy. Molly's gentle, sitting, and fluffy aesthetic opened the floodgates to an influx of prewar dog designs between 1925-1938, when nearly 40 new pup patterns were noted in the Steiff catalog - Tino being one of them. Tino's distinctive black facial mask, ears, and tail, as well as body shape and form, have playful, pug-like qualities - which might be the reason he catches Steiffgal's eye! Tino was produced in 17 and 22 cm from 1936-1939.

The next auction pick has a face only a mother (or any vintage Steiff collector) could love. Here we have lot #8, Bertha The Cartoon Dog, with an opening bid of 650 euro. She is cataloged as: Siberian cheese hunting dog made in 1927, item no.: 5332, hand sample in a special small size, caricatured dog, brown tipped mohair, 5-fold jointed, felt insert on the face, embroidered eyes, colored outlines of the eyes, nose and mouth area , H: 18 cm, L: 29 cm, orig. red silk bow, extremely rare, exceptional, hand sample from the Steiff archive produced without button, shield and flag, with original Steiff archive trailer.

The auction house also shares: Bertha is the Steiff-created replica of the funny dog ​​from the American comic "Boob McNutt" by illustrator Rube Goldberg, popular in the 1920s. The little Siberian cheese dog pulled all sorts of pranks in his comics. The comic short stories were published in the Sunday editions of most Western newspapers in the United States from 1915 to 1934. The unusual dog was produced by Steiff in 1927 with 24 copies in two different sizes and variants (with sewn eyes and with glass eyes). Unfortunately, production was stopped due to low demand.

Steiff often used animals or characters from popular comic strips as inspiration for new product introductions, which helps to explain Bertha's origins. You can see one of Bertha's original 1920s era cartoon strips just above... please click on it to make it bigger. This trend began at the turn of last century, when Steiff produced a series of fully jointed dolls based on the comic strip series Happy Hooligan. Steiff's Bertha has several design features that are very typical to the mid-1920s. These include tipped mohair, a dimensional eye treatment, and a distinctive, youthful appearance. According to Pfeiffer, Berta was made commercially in 22 cm in 1926 only. For more information on Bertha, check out:
http://strippersguide.blogspot.com/2022/09/toppers-bertha-siberian-cheesehound.html

There's not a hair out of place with today's final highlight. Here we have lot #31, Steiff's Puli, with an opening bid of 280 euro. She is cataloged as: Puli, made on September 7th, 1935, dog, with button, shield and flag, block letters, elongated f, unused yellow flag, No. 1328.02, handwritten inscription on the breastplate “Puli”, glass eyes, shaggy long mohair, red original . Leather collar, blue-gray coloring, fixed head, unused condition, H: 26 cm, L: 35 cm, with orig. Steiff archive trailer.

Puli dogs are very smart, loyal dogs - and are best known for their corded, dreadlock style coat. Their waterproof fur can be kept long or trimmed, but either way requires way more attention than most other dogs. It is possible that Steiff made a Puli for its general line in the 1930s because the dog was starting to gain global popularity as well as visibility at the time. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized the Puli as a dog breed in 1936. The company's long, curly mohair was a great material to replicate the breed's distinctive coat. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on these amazing and rare canines has been a fetching experience for you!

For more information on Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's 415 lot Steiff Archive Auction on November 23rd, 2024, please click here.

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

This Prewar Steiff Hobby Horse Takes The Pole Position

And we are off to the races with our next Steiff mystery. Steiffgal is certain Steiff enthusiasts of all things equestrian will love this mane event! A new friend in the U.K. shares in part:

"I buy and sell interesting items as a hobby, around 6 years ago we stumbled across our hobby horse at a vintage show in the U.K. priced up at only a few pounds. Looking closer we were surprised to see the steiff rivet in his ear so we brought him home and he got lost in our detritus in the garage. 

I came across him again this week and I’ve had a look online and the only info I can is from your blog from 2015 where you look at a similar horse for someone else, although ours does have similarities to this it is different in it only having a single wheel and the rains being completely different (as I know these could have been added later.)

I just wanted to ask if he is rare or if you know anything about him, he’s been well played with so I know he isn’t mint but we do love him anyway. Thank you in advance for your help."

 

This fine antique Steiff hobby horse holds the pole position here. He was produced in 80 and 100 cm from 1924-1941 overall. Pfeiffer's 1892-1942 Sortiment describes this prewar rarity as, "hardwood, transparently lacquered, stick with two wheels, leather reins, head painted in colors." Given this example has the long trailing '"f" ear button as its ID, that likely means it was produced in the c. 1924-1935 time frame. It is also interesting to note that this example under discussion today appears to have only one wheel, not two, as described in the literature.  

 

This design could be considered a legacy one for Steiff - given the number of years it appeared in the line overall. Postwar, a very similar example was made in 100 cm only from 1949-1973. Minor design differences between the pre- and postwar models include the color of the blaze (white on the postwar ones, natural on the prewar one); facial painting (simpler and less colorful on the prewar version and more dramatic and vivid on the postwar version) and possibly the number of wheels (two on the postwar version, one on the prewar version.) A picture of the postwar version from Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Sortiment is pictured here on the left for reference. 

 

The collector also asks about his horse's reins. It is Steiffgal's best guess that the ones currently on the hobby horse are not factory original to it. She suspects that the original ones were most likely red leather, to match the painted accessories on the horse. Steiff tends to coordinate an item's detailing, and it seems likely (although ANYTHING is possible!) that these reins are replaced. When you think about it, the reins would be one of the areas of most wear on this sort of toy. It is not out of the question they simply wore out over time. And, this item cannot be used without reins, so it is probable that a clever Mom or Dad simply replaced them with something sturdy. 

Now for the question that will set the barnyard a-buzz... how much is he "worth?" As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has not seen the item firsthand to check for condition issues and other factors that are hard to capture in pictures. That all being said, given the item is as presented and described, it is Steiffgal's best guess that something like this may trade hands today in the $125-250 range. 

Steiffgal knocks on wood that this discussion on this prewar hobby horse has been a lot of fun for you!

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

Strike Up The Brass Band Over This Mysterious Steiff Fawn

Oh deer! What do we have here? This charming field and forest friend is not only just lovely and elegant in design, but she also has a less obvious but totally WAH-HOO good surprise element to her as well. Get ready to fawn over this precious prewar rarity!

Here we have Steiff's 22 cm mohair fawn. She is standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair. The lining of her ears and her tail are made from white mohair. Her face is detailed with black button eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. Her legs are particularly thin, shapely, and elegant and are made from velvet. She has a gentle, distinctly old fashioned look to her. This pattern was produced in 17 and 22 cm from 1934-1943.

Now for her little secret. Given her era of production, she would have left the factory with either a long or short trailing "f" style knopf, depending on her specific year of manufacture - with earlier versions having the long trailing "f" version and the later versions having the short trailing "f" version. However, this gal proudly wears an unusual BRASS colored short trailing "f" Steiff button and has traces of her yellow ear tag. The button measures 6 mm in diameter. This seldom seen branding appeared on a few Steiff items from 1933/34 through 1943. You can see that brass button in the photo below.  

So just how rare is this brass prewar button? It is really hard to quantify, as Steiffgal has only handled - literally - a handful of items with this distinctive ID in memory. In her personal collection, she has one prewar treasure with this distinction. This is a small standing Waldi dog. He 10 cm, unjointed, and made from copper colored mohair. He has long, floppy ears. His face is detailed with shiny black glass eyes and a black hand embroidered nose. His mouth is indicated by a little black airbrushing. Waldi wears his original green leather collar and has his "watermelon" shaped bare faced tag, with his name imprinted in crimson. This guy was made in 10, 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1933 - 1943... the identical time frame as the fawn under discussion today. This prewar Waldi is pictured below on the left. 

It remains a mystery why Steiff used a brass button for branding some of their items during this turbulent geopolitical period. It might have to do with availability of materials, or shortages, or other rationing reasons. It is also not clear why some items would have a brass button, and others would not - as Steiffgal has seen examples of both the prewar Waldi and this fawn with Steiff's standard silver colored prewar IDs. Only these precious treasures know for sure... and they aren't talking!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's lovely prewar fawn with her unusual button has put the pedal to the metal for you.

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

Japan Celebrates All Things Othello At The Upcoming Teddy Bear With Friends Convention in Tokyo

It's the perfect time for a little get-away... even if it's just virtual! The Japan Teddy Bear Association is holding its 34th Japan Teddy Bear With Friends Convention on October 19th-20th, 2024 in Tokyo. This year, the weekend-long gathering celebrates Othello, the AMAZING and all original 1912 Steiff Titanic Mourning Bear that set a new world's record for the most expensive antique Steiff bear sold at auction in July, 2023. Steiffgal spoke with Shuya Tanaka, the Director of the convention, to learn more about this can't miss event.

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience with Steiff and this Teddy bear festival. 

Shuya Tanaka: My name is Shuya Tanaka. I am the youngest director of the Japan Teddy Bear Association and an antique Teddy bear dealer. I was born in Hiroshima in 1991. I studied Western Art at the University of the Arts in Kyoto, and then trained at Ladenburger Toy Auction in Germany. I studied under Mr. Götz Seidel and learned about antique Teddy bears though this internship. After that, I returned to Japan at the age of 26 and started my own business. My company sells antique Teddy bears to regular customers at high-end Japanese department stores. I also work for the Japan Teddy Bear Association to develop the Japanese Teddy bear market. Ladenburger Toy Auction is a business partner and I take my clients to their auctions in Germany several times a year.

 

Tell us about the 34th Annual Japan Teddy Bear With Friends Convention to be held on October 19th and 20th in Tokyo at the Haneda Airport Garden convention center. How many people will attend?

 

Shuya Tanaka: The Japan Teddy Bear Convention is the largest Teddy bear show in Asia. We have a partnership with Teddy Total in Germany and Hugglets in the United Kingdom. Our event features over 200 exhibitors. We expect to welcome about 5,000 attendees over the two day celebration. In addition to selling Teddy bears and animals, we also hold charity raffles and auctions, and offer seminars and programs given by Steiff and antique experts from the international Teddy bear community. The event is being held at the new Haneda Airport Garden complex, which is conveniently located to Tokyo International Airport, Terminal 3. You can see a photo of this huge facility here on the left. This all-inclusive space, which could be a travel destination on its own, includes two premier hotels, a rooftop hot-spring bath with views of Mt. Fuji, more than 60 retail stores, and 20 restaurants.

 

The star of the convention is Othello. Can you tell us about Othello and why he lives in Japan now?

Shuya Tanaka: Othello was sold at auction last summer in Giengen, Germany - also the location of Steiff's world headquarters. The buyer is a client of mine here in Japan, and they entrusted me with Othello's management. When Othello finally arrived in Japan, we decided to have a grand welcoming party for him at our annual Japan Teddy Bear Convention. As such, we will have many delightful black Teddy bear souvenirs available for purchase at this event to celebrate all things Othello. These include a Steiff's 1912 limited edition replica bear, key chains, bags, cookie boxes, and Teddy bears, among many others. 

 

The festival has a competition for Teddy bear artists. Please tell us about this contest.

Shuya Tanaka: Every year, the Japan Teddy Bear Association holds a contest to determine Japan's number one Teddy bear artist. This year, in addition to the regular contest, there will also be an Othello contest. The theme for this special contest is "Black and Red." We have invited artists to design and sew their best interpretation of Othello for this competition. We expect about 100 entries to the Black and Red contest. Our panel of expert judges comes from all over the world and even includes the President of a Teddy bear company. The judging criteria is confidential, but individual judges will score different elements of each contest bear. The grand prize will be awarded to the bear with the highest overall total score as determined by the judges. 

 

This event also includes an auction of sorts. Can you please describe this part of the convention. 

 

Shuya Tanaka: The auctions we hold at the convention are not formal auctions, but simple ones designed to raise money for local and regional charities. The items on offer include Steiff items and other Teddy bears that have been gifted to the Japan Teddy Bear Association. All have very low opening bids. The proceeds from this auction, minus expenses, will be donated to support reconstruction efforts following the major earthquake that occurred in Ishikawa Prefecture in January of this year. And speaking of traditional auctions, you can see a picture of Othello being sold in Giengen in July, 2023 here on the left. He set a new world's record price for the sale of an antique Steiff bear... realizing nearly $250,000!

 

For our readers outside of Japan and Asia, can you tell us what it is like to collect or be interested in Steiff in Japan?

 

Shuya Tanaka: There are many individuals in Japan who collect Teddy bears. Of course, there are classic Teddy bear enthusiasts, but Japan has many famous fictional and media characters and a well-developed stuffed animal culture, too. Emotional education that enriches the soul is important here in Japan. So collecting these soft, playful, and appealing items is meaningful to many people for lots of reasons. There are Steiff distributors in Japan, and you can buy new Steiff Teddy bears at many department stores. Although there are few antique shops, our Teddy Bear Convention brings together everything from 100-year-old Teddy bears to the latest Steiff Teddy bears that have yet to be released.

 

I hear you saying is that this upcoming Teddy bear convention is the ideal destination for anyone - anywhere - that loves Steiff, Teddy bears, artist bears, and other collectible soft toys and playthings! I could not agree more! And thank you for chatting with us!

For more information on the 34th Annual Japan Teddy Bear With Friends Convention to be held on October 19th and 20th in Tokyo, please click here... you will need to use your English (or other preferred language) website translator as the site is in Japanese. 

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