A Vintage Steiff Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words!

What's old is new again when you recreate it using older Steiff friends! One thing Steiffgal has noticed, especially on really image-centric platforms like Instagram and Facebook, is that folks are "recreating" scenes from their childhood as adults - and often incorporating original props, backgrounds, or outfits. These are usually really fun, and cheerful, and show the effect of time on people, beloved artifacts, and settings. Here on the left you can see Steiffgal attempting to "recreate" a fantastic Steiff image she found online. This little girl is NOT Steiffgal, but they clearly share the love for fantastic vintage button-in-ear playthings. 

As Steiffgal was preparing for another Steiff project, she came across a charming company catalog from the late 1930s. This prewar brochure from her collection was printed in sepia tones and featured a number of utterly adorable product vignettes that really called to her - including this one of two farm friends and a cat-doll on a little stroll. So she thought... let's bring this to life again! You can see this vintage image here on the left. 

A picture is worth a thousand words - especially those featuring some of our most beloved vintage button in ear friends. Steiffgal has "recreated" this image using analogous items from her own collection; you can see this attempt here on the left. The calf is standing, unjointed, and made from white and light brown wool plush. He was produced in 14, 17, and 22 cm; Steiffgal's version is the 17 cm size. The lamb is standing, unjointed, and made from white wool plush with a "lumpy-bumpy" texture. He was made in 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm; Steiffgal's version is the 14 cm version. And the cat doll is standing, head jointed, and is available dressed in a number of different outfits. She was made in 22 and 28 cm; Steiffgal's version is the 22 cm version. 

It's always fun to use the information documented in vintage ephemera to learn a little bit more about the items being promoted. In this case, we can use the prices listed to figure out how much they would "cost" today. So, here's how each item noted was priced in 1938, and the approximate cost of each today in US dollars using an inflation calculator:

• The 14 cm calf was 1.90 DM, which is about $14.01 in 2020.
• The 17 cm calf was 2.50 DM, which is about $18.43 in 2020.
• The 22 cm calf was 3.50 DM, which is about $28.81 in 2020.
• The 14 cm lamb was 1.90 DM, which is about $14.01 in 2020.
• The 17 cm lamb was 2.50 DM, which is about $18.43 in 2020.
• The 22 cm lamb was 3.50 DM, which is about $28.81 in 2020.
• The 28 cm lamb was 5.00 DM, which is about $36.87 in 2020.
• The 22 cm cat doll was 2.50 DM, which is about $18.43 in 2020.
• The 28 cm cat doll was 3.50 DM, which is about $28.81 in 2020.

Steiffgal hopes that this discussion on recreating vintage images has been a picture perfect experience for you!

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