This wonderful bear-affair will feature collection highlights from none other than Hilary Pauley - the remarkable woman who helped to bring London's annual 200 Years of Childhood weekend celebration to life! It will be held on Wednesday, June 10th, 2020 in London, and managed by our friend and colleague Daniel Agnew at SAS Auctions. Hilary and Daniel are pictured here on the left. As of now, the auction is scheduled to present over 300 antique bears, plus a few artist bears, but more are being added all the time. It is possible that up to 350 beautiful bruins may be on offer. Currently, there are about 17 antique Steiff bears on the roster.
Steiffgal has seen Hilary's collection in person, and is still dreaming about it. The bears themselves are WAH-HOO good and are displayed in charming vignettes. And just when you think it couldn't get better, it does. This finely curated hug is housed in a private museum near her home, surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Steiffgal recently spoke with Daniel about the auction, and how he is preparing for what is undoubtedly going to be the "talk of the town" across the international Teddy bear collecting community this spring. He's what he had to say!
Steiffgal: Can you tell us how you go about researching and cataloging this collection, especially given its very broad scope of manufactures and designs. Do you do it on your own, or do you have a support team?
Daniel: I know Hilary's collection very well and often visit her home and the museum as we work together on the November annual 200 Years of Childhood fair. So Hilary and I are working on the sale together. Hilary has great lists of her bears and we are pulling them out section by section. I am doing a basic listing, then we take a batch of the bears into her beautiful garden and take their photos. At the end of each visit I take them away and they go to my office in Newbury, England. There I will complete the description and include a condition report with each one.
Steiffgal: Have the bears arrived in your facility yet? It must be delightful to be working in a sea of bears!
Daniel: Some of them have. I will be doing the final batch of cataloguing on the 19th to 21st of February, so by then I will have everything back at the auction house.
Steiffgal: From the highlights you've shared so far, a delightful chocolate brown cub has already caught my eye. (This sweet treat is pictured here on the left.) So I have to ask, which is your favorite Steiff bear in the sale, and why?
Daniel: My favourite Steiff in the auction is a wonderful Record Teddy. He is pictured here on the left. You don't see them that often and condition is very good.
Steiffgal: That's for sure! I recall you sold a 10 cm version of one of these in 2010 at Christies and it realized over 6,000 GBP. They really are rare and marvelous. And finally, how can we learn more about the sale and its highlights?
Daniel: I am constantly posting highlights on my Facebook page, so you can get a preview there. I will post more information about the sale's logistics there as well as they are finalize. I am also able to send your more photographs of anything you are interested in. So if something catches your eye, and you want to learn more about it, just ask! In terms of the catalog, it will be available three weeks before the auction, but if I get it done, it might be earlier. It will go on-line at the same time as the printed copy is available. You can order one by emailing mail@specialauctionservices.com - the auction will be also listed on-line both on our own website www.specialauctionservices.com and www.the-saleroom.com - you can bid live on both platforms.
Steiffgal: Thank you so much for taking the time to share this exciting update with us!
Steiffgal hopes that this "Ted-talk" has been an intriguing paws in your day.
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