The temperature is dropping - but the fall auction season is really starting to heat up! And that means many opportunities to add a new - or a few - new vintage Steiff treasures to your collection!
To kick off the sales calendar, Steiffgal is very excited to announce that the next James D. Julia, Inc. toy auction features several collections of simply marvelous button-in-ear rarities and collectibles. These include groupings of exciting Steiff treasures, single items that will take your breath away, and also a bunch of very early "button-in-ear" pull toys. These items are all currently being photographed and cataloged for this event, which will occur in Fairfield, Maine on November 7th, 2014. The online catalog should be available in a few weeks. But with Steiffgal on your side, there's no need to wait for a special preview! Here is a sneak peek at a few exceptional items from a fine collection from New Hampshire that will be featured at this can't miss sale!
Size defies when it comes to this amazing duo of teeny-tiny felt farm animals on wheels! And Steiffgal really did do a happy dance when she first learned of these petite treats! Here we have the smallest sized donkey and horse ever produced by Steiff; both are made as pull toys on wheels. Oh baby - each is only 8 cm tall!! The donkey is c. 1917, standing, unjointed, and made from grey felt. He has a tiny grey felt tail and traces of his grey mohair mane. His face is detailed with black button eyes and felt ears. He rides upon a metal carriage mounted on four natural colored wooden eccentric wheels. He retains the blue leather belt that was part of his saddle cloth detailing, and his tiny Steiff button as his ID. This tiny donkey was manufactured in this size only from 1917-1933.
Donkey's neighhh-bor, the horse is also c. 1917, standing, and unjointed. He is made from rust brown felt. He has a black woolen tail and traces of his black mohair mane. His face is detailed with black button eyes and felt ears. He rides upon a metal carriage mounted on four natural colored wooden eccentric wheels. He retains his blue felt saddle cloth and brown belt. His IDs have been lost to time. This handful-sized horse was manufactured in this size only from 1917-1927.
The next featured Steiff pull toy in this auction is truly the wheel-deal as well. This blue-ribbon buddy is a charming example of the earliest model German Shepherd dog produced by Steiff. And it is doubly interesting to note that according to the Steiff Sortiment reference book, this pattern was first produced on wheels and then without... it is usually the other way around. Although many collectors assume that Steiff has called their wonderful and popular German Shepherds "Arco" since their introduction, the breed did not actually official receive its official "Arco" moniker until 1937.
So here are the Shepherd's doggy-details. He is standing, unjointed, and made from brown and tan mohair. His appealing and realistic face is detailed with a prominent brown muzzle, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and black and brown glass pupil eyes. He has a curvy tail and black embroidered claws. He rides upon four regular green wooden wheels. He retains his original leather collar, but his IDs have been lost to time. This model, an absolute favorite with vintage Steiff collectors worldwide, was manufactured in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm from 1923-1928 and due to his limited production and time frame, rarely comes up for sale on the secondary market.
Today's final Julia's auction highlight, a very vintage Steiff zebra on wheels - may just have you seeing stripes. That's just what happened to Steiffgal when she first laid eyes on this jungle gem! These striped sweethearts have been gracing the Steiff catalog since 1899, and collectors have been "lining up" since then to add these beautiful beasts to their hugs.
Here are zebra's facts, in black and white. Here we have an utterly
fantastic and seldom seen early woolen plush zebra on wheels. He is
standing, unjointed, and made from textured grey material that has been lovingly and painstakingly hand painted with black stripes. He has a grey and black yarn mane and a black mohair tipped tail. His charming and distinctly old fashioned looking face is detailed with black button eyes. He rides upon four early metal wheels. He retains his Steiff button as his ID. This absolute rarity was manufactured in 28, 35, 43, 50, and 60 cm from 1910-1919 and is seldom, if ever, seen up for public auction.
Steiffgal hopes this preview of some of the wheeled wonders to be sold at James D. Julia's November 2014 toy auction is worthy of a round of applause! The full catalog is now online and can be accessed by clicking here.
Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.
