This Prewar Steiff Riding Bulldog Is The Wheel-Deal Indeed!

Look at what just rolled under the Christmas tree of this lucky collector! What a bow-wow beauty for sure! But just who is this captive canine, and what is the story behind him? A new friend shares,

"Hi, my name is Jeanette and have been dabbling with collecting bears, etc. for near on 45 years. My latest find is a Steiff pull along Bully Bulldog. He stands 15" tall not including the wooden wheeled frame. From nose to tail, he is 17" long, his ears have long gone. He has a leather collar with remnants of horse hair still attached to it, it also has Steiff buttons all around it, in total 12 buttons are present. He also has his original bell attached to the collar. He has a pull string still attached, but unfortunately no noise is made when it is pulled. He has large amber and black glass eyes, a black stitched nose, and velvet muzzle. The wooden wheels measure 2.5" in diameter. The pull along frame has a moving front axle, so it can change direction. Any help you can give me, i.e. date, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!"

This dog on the go would take the pole position in any vintage Steiff enthusiast's collection. What Jeanette has here is Steiff's Bully Bulldog riding animal. This fine fellow was made in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm in black and white, orange and white, or tan and white from 1927-1936 overall. This model is measured vertically from the top of their heads to their toes, not including their wheels. As such, Jeanette's treasure is the either a large version of the 35 cm or a small version of the 43 cm version; it is Steiffgal's best guess he started out life closer to 43 cm and sort of shrunk over time (like the best of us.)

The condition of Jeanette's Bully is commensurate and typical to that of a beloved ride-on animal. These realities include things like alot of wear on the back/top areas where a child would sit, a silent squeaker from overuse, and the loss of ears which were probably used as handles for much of its working life! Fortunately, it is not terribly difficult to replace the black velvet ears on this pattern, and Steiffgal would consider doing that restoration if this Bully was in her collection.

One thing that really pops on this example is his great BLING! According to Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment, this item is described in part as, "mohair plush, horse hair or leather collar, standing, riding animal, wheels, connecting frame, swivel head, squeaker (barks.)" Jeanette's Bully has a fantastic collar featuring a combination of horse hair detailing as well as a cascade of long trailing f buttons - truly the best of all worlds.

The Bully Bulldog that we all know and love was introduced in 1927. This design was an instant sensation with both children (as a plaything) and adults (as a collectible and an accessory). He was modeled on the French Bulldog—the “it” companion of those in the know at the time. Bully's pattern featured oversized glass pupil eyes, a black embroidered nose, and a snout and jaw constructed to give him his requisite breed jowls. Full bodied Bully was made in velvet and mohair, as well as sitting and standing, in sizes ranging from 10 to 50 cm through 1939 overall. Here on the left, you can see Bully as he appeared in the company's June, 1927 catalog. This image is from Carsten Esser's Steiff Catalogue 1920-1929.

Given his popularity, beautiful Bully was also produced in numerous novelty forms. These included as a pincushion, pull toy, dangling Charleston doll, jointed dog doll, puppet, purse, and pajama bag, among others. Today, prewar Bullies are one of the most universally desirable and sought-after pre-war Steiff designs among collectors - especially those like this one on wheels! Prewar Bully has been replicated numerous times over the past few decades and even these newer models are coveted by collectors.

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed this discussion on this Riding Bully, even if just in a roundabout sort of way.

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

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!

Hands In The Air Over This Antique Steiff Felix The Cat Handpuppet

Here's another great addition to Steiff's meow-mix of fantastic prewar puppets! Check out this black and white beauty. Do you recognize his distinctive face and impish personality? This guy - who is now over a century old - entertained millions of people through the 20th century.

This Fe-line is none other than Felix the Cat in the form of a hand puppet. He is 20 cm tall and mostly made from black mohair. His face is made from white felt with a stitched mouth, big black button eyes, a dimensional black felt nose, and felt ears. He has a little red and black airbrushing on his mouth. His head is firmly stuffed with excelsior and his finger tube is made from cardboard. This puppet design was made from 1925-1926 in this size only.

So what is the history of this happy handful? In 1919, Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer introduced their Felix the Cat movie series. By 1926, sensing that Felix would be a great fit for Steiff, Steiff's distribution partner in the USA - George Borgfeldt - asked Steiff to create a series of licensed Felix the Cat toys. Steiff was hesitant and didn't think the line would be a success. Nonetheless, Steiff did end up producing a full bodied 22 cm Felix from 1926-27, a 20 cm Felix hand puppet from 1925-26, and a 20 cm Record Felix from 1926-27. The doll didn't sell well, but the puppet and wheeled versions struck a chord with buyers at the time.

Today, Steiff's Felix the Cat novelties are few and far on the secondary market. Given their rarity, they often top the wish lists of Steiff collectors worldwide! The most recent Felix hand puppet sold at auction Steiffgal could find hammered for 1700 euro at Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's Special Steiff Auction in 2018. In 2019, Morphy Auctions sold a full bodied Felix doll; he hammered for $4,000. And in 2010, Christie's sold a Record Felix in delightful condition for GBP 2,375. The photos of the full bodied and record Felix novelties are pictured here on the left; the images are from Morphy's and Christie's respectively.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's rare Felix the Cat hand puppet merits a thumbs up from you!

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

Color Me Beautiful With This Fabulous Antique Felt Steiff Rooster

Bird's the word with this next Steiff inquiry. A collector friend with a great eye just added this fine feathered friend to her Steiff hug. His coloration and form are simply outstanding! Julie shares, 

 

"I just got this adorable little felt Steiff rooster! I am excited to know more about him and to learn when he was made. The closest I can find to him in the Sortiment is on page 546, which is a little rooster on a wheeled platform. The colors are exactly the same. Mine is about 10 cm high, and that's accounting for him being bent over a bit. If he had a button would it have been in his tail? He has a rusty old pin stuck in his side which is interesting. His tail is in really great shape, I don’t see any potential holes for a button in it. Was there maybe something with the style of feet and legs or tail to distinguish him from the very early 1892-1905 production? I see some may have had felt covered feet. The seller said that his great grandmother was born in Austria and brought this rooster with her to the US around 1900 or a little later."

 

This fantastic find wins Steiffgal's admiration with flying colors! What we have here is one of Steiff's earliest commercially successful legacy animal patterns. This classic, full bodied standing felt rooster was produced for the standard line in 12, 22, 29, and 35 cm from 1892-1929 overall. Very similar patterns were made on eccentric wooden wheels in 12 and 22 cm from 1917-1929 overall; as a tumbling 17 cm version on a weighted wooden hemisphere from 1894-1918; as an 8 cm pull toy on a wheeled wooden cart from 1916-1919; and as the kingpin in a set of hen skittles from 1894-1914 overall. 

 

What makes this pattern so exceptional, and so timely, is its materials and form. In terms of fabric, Margarete Steiff launched her company in the late 1800s; she initially specialized in producing felt items including garments, functional pockets, and household items. Felt material was readily available and relatively easy to cut and sew. When she started to produce animals a few years later, Margarete discovered that felt also translated perfectly into feathers when precisely cut, layered, and placed in cascading natural hues. In terms of form, Steiff's turn of last century product development was based on "everyday" animals - those farm, field, and forest animals that folks in Giengen would come across on a regular basis. As such, this particular rooster pattern is practically a time capsule example of Steiff's earliest commercial production. 

 

Given its popularity, Steiff's felt rooster pattern appeared in the line in one form or another for nearly 40 years. As such, it can be challenging to exactly date any given example. The felt supplied for this item certainly had some natural variations in color and quality over time; this can account for minor differences in product appearances. Many artisans cut and sewed this rooster over its four decade long appearance in the catalog; because of this, variations in size, presentation, and button placement are also expected. For the most part, older versions of legacy items have a more distinctive, handmade, and organic look to them than their cousins produced a few years or decades onward. Julie's example has metal feet and legs which are wrapped in string to finish them. This detailing is seen on many of Steiff's earlier birds from the turn of last century, as well as on some smaller and/or baby birds through the 1920s. 

 

Given these factors, and that his original family can date him to the very beginning of the 20th century, it is Steiffgal's best thinking that this example might date from the pre-button period (i.e., produced before 1904). Also supporting this age guesstimate is the fact that there is no indication anywhere on the rooster of a small hole where a button may have been placed originally. Steiffgal has seen a Steiff button inserted in the tail feathers, waddle, or comb of the company's early felt rooster and hen production. She also thinks that Julie's bird is most likely a 12 cm version that was either made a little on the small side or which bent or shrunk a little over its nearly century and a quarter existence. 

 

Here's one final point about this barnyard buddy. Interestingly, is possible that this pint-sized rooster was used at one time as a pincushion. This would make sense given his size and materials, and may explain the rusty pin found in his side! And/or, it is possible that this pin could have been used during his production in Giengen and never removed by accident... but only he knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this antique felt rooster has you crowing about Steiff's earliest production. 

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

Here's A Delightful Steiff Auction "Tip" For You!

In the mood for a little trip across the pond? Steiffgal has just learned of a very exciting Teddy bear sale to be held on December 3, 2024 through Special Auction Services in Newbury in the U.K. The items under the hammer are all from the collection of Ian Pout, the founder of the legendary store Teddy Bears of Witney. This mecca, which unquestionably tops the short list of must visit places for cub collectors worldwide, opened in 1985 and was the first retailer in the U.K. to specialize in antique, vintage, and new Teddy bears. Ian is pictured here on the left, the image is from Special Auction Services.

Steiffgal has visited the Teddy Bears of Whitney at least twice. The first time, in the very early 2000s, she made the voyage to Witney from London solo, traveling on a series of trains and buses to get to the store. She remembers spending hours in the cozy space, viewing old and new Teds, and how magical it was to see the original red mohair Alphonso in person. Ian Pout was there, and was incredibly gracious and kind, touring her around the museum parts of the store. The next time Steiffgal went, it was with friends, so the fun was multiplied many times over. She and her fellow collectors also spent hours oohing and ahhing over the temptations on display. Of course, all left with at least one shopping bag of souvenirs! You can see a photo of this beloved destination here on the left, the image is from www.cotswolds.com. 

Now back to the sale. There is a preview of highlights from the event already listed at https://www.specialauctionservices.com/Auction-Calendar/2024/A-Special-Teddy-Bear-Collection, and Steiffgal suspects that the auction company will continue to post more as the collection is cataloged, photographed, and prepared for sale. It is a lot of work and very time consuming to prepare precious objects for sale - especially of this caliber - so patience is everything here. But, from what has been made public already, it is clear that Steiff factors heavily in the collection, with rare button-in-ear examples that also have amazing and universally recognized histories taking many of the top lot slots at this event. 

One thrilling highlight from this sale is Happy, a roaring 20s-era bear with so many tales to tell. According to Special Auction Services, this marvelous example is noted as, "Happy, a rare large eyed brown tipped Steiff teddy bear from circa 1926, which sold at Sotheby’s in 1989 for a world record auction price of £55,000 ($86,000) and bought by Paul Volpp for his wife Rosemary as an anniversary present. An enchanting girl bear with real presence, has since travelled the world raising over $100,000 for charity." She carries a presale estimate of £20,000-30,000. It is Steiffgal's understanding that the underbidder for Happy in 1989 was none other than a member of the British Royal Family! You can see this Happy here on the left, the image is from Special Auction Services. 

Happy dates from a joyful time in the company's product development history - the mid to late 1920s. It was during this era that several of Steiff's beloved named, novelty bears were introduced. These included Teddy Rose, Teddy Clown, Petsy, Teddy Baby, and of course, Happy! Happy was produced for a short time - from 1926-1927 only - in relatively low numbers. As such, examples are very few and far between on the secondary market. That is one of the reasons that this fine Ted - who is truly the package in so many ways - should catch the eyes and pocketbooks of collectors and historians worldwide. For context and comparison, the most recent Happy public auctions sale Steiffgal could find dates from a few years ago. A 51 cm example in fine condition hammered for 20500€ at Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's Fall, 2022 sale. You can see that Ted pictured here on the left. 

For more information on this upcoming Teddy Bears of Whitney Sale, follow SAS' Facebook page at www.facebook.com/Specialauctionservices or check out their website at www.specialauctionservices.com.

Steiffgal hopes this auction announcement has put you in a very Happy mood indeed. 

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

Begging For More Information On This Nearly Century Old Steiff Rabbit

Everyone loves a Steiff bouncing bundle of joy. And the bigger, the better - especially in this case! Check out this note from a new friend from London who asks about a begging bunny purchased at a fundraising event over four decades ago. His owner shares,

"Thank you for the facility to ask about Steiff toys. I'm 73 now and 40 years ago bought an old, straw stuffed toy rabbit at charity sale. He is 50 cm tall, not including his ears. As I'm a bit of a hoarder I only just came across it after some decades. It's large, in good condition, German mohair, has sewn eyes not glass ones and I gave it a new bow and bell. I was working in a youth club which had been established by ex-POW veterans who'd been incarcerated in Brunswick, Germany in WW2. So I wondered if perhaps one of them had brought it back to the UK. Is there anything more you could possibly tell me about it including its value?"

What a cheerful earful! What we have is Steiff's Hase or Rabbit. He is simply and generically named after his species and does not have a more personal or endearing name. This particular design was made from 1927 through 1941 in 11, 15, 18, 23, 29, 36, 44, 50, and 70 cm. Steiff's rabbits are usually measured vertically from head to toe and do not include the length of the ears. So this example under discussion here is the 50 cm size. Steiff produced this head jointed, excelsior stuffed rabbit in light brown tipped, white, gold, purple pink, and light blue mohair. All examples left the factory in Giengen decorated with a silk ribbon and a bell. 

This pattern was a home run for Steiff at the time, and continues to be a collector's favorite nearly a century onward. Given how adorable and popular this design was, Steiff also made it in velvet from 1927 through 1932 in 11, 15, and 18 cm in white, purple, orange, light brown, light blue, pink, and yellow. Steiffgal often refers to Steiff's 1920s-era playfully hued rabbits as "the jellybean bunch," given their joyful (and super sweet) colors. You can see examples of the velvet version of this pattern above on the left; the image is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment. Below to the left is another late 1920's advertising photo for Steiff's rabbit line featuring the jellybean bunch; that image is from Esser's 1920-1929 Steiff Kataloge. 

Now for the question that always sends Steiffgal down a rabbit hole. How much is he worth? As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has NOT seen or handled this rabbit in person. Condition is key when establishing a valuation, and he might have some issues (like smoke or insect damage) that just don't show up on photos. What we do know about him is that he has a little playwear to him, he is missing his oversized brown and black glass pupil eyes, and he does not appear to have any IDs. He looks like he might have been brown tipped originally, but that has faded a bit over time. It is also possible that his facial stitching has been augmented at some point. Given all that, it is Steiffgal's best estimate (sans a crystal ball) that this guy could trade hands in the c. $250-500 range on an online auction platform like eBay. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this large, prewar rabbit has put a spring in your step today.

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

This Amazing Steiff Prewar Treasure Is No Optical Illusion!

Eye, eye, eye... look what we have here! Steiffgal just got an inquiry about an eye-popping rarity and she could not wait to share this exciting find with you. Let's not monkey around and jump right into the details of this precious prewar primate right away!

What we have here is Steiff's Mimocculo Orang Utan. This example is about 35 cm tall, fully jointed, and made from long, fuzzy red-orange mohair. His hands, feet, ears, and face are made from felt. He features an open, dimentional mouth as well as really unusual and abundant facial seaming. This is because he has a remarkable moving eye feature imbedded in his head. These seams hold his facial fabric, and in turn his eye-movement hardware, securely in place. With Mimocculo, when you pull gently on his ear, his white, brown, and black round glass eyeballs move left and right, as well as up and down. This great example retains his long trailing "f" button and traces of his red ear tag as his Steiff IDs. 

This nifty novelty was produced from 1930 through 1936 in 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 22, 25, 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm. Sizes from 17 cm had the distinctive rolling eye mechanism and deep eye pockets; the smaller ones had standard, stationary glass pupil eyes and closed mouths. Given Mimocculo's charm and collector's appeal, Steiff created a 35 cm tall rolling eye replica of this treasure in 1998. It was produced in an edition size of 3,000 pieces overall and very closely resembled the prewar version.

In the early 1930s, when Mimocculo debuted, one of Steiff's business development strategies was to produce high end items with distinctive mechanical features. Other products with amazing jointing or advances from this era included the company's snap jointed tail moves head Circus Elephants (made in 24 and 30 cm from 1931-1940 overall) a snap jointed tail turns head Circus Bear (made in 32 cm from 1935-1939), and a series of press and release music box animals based on Steiff's most popular prewar pet designs. Mimocculo, with his fabulous flirty eyeballs, fit perfectly into this exclusive club of mechanical marvels.

And just how rare are these outrageously outstanding Orang Utans?Steiffgal has only seen a handful come up for public auction over the past decade or two. Most recently, Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion offered a 10 cm version at their Special Steiff Auction held on June 29th, 2024 in Giengen, Germany. You can see this happy handful here on the left, the image is from Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion. This "mini Mimo" had a starting bid of 180 €, hammered at 3100 €, and was cataloged simply as:

"Monkey, orangutan, MIMOCCULO, made 1930-1933, 10 cm, rust-colored mohair, small glass eyes, felt feet, hands and face as well as ears in very nice condition, unusual."  

Orange you glad you checked out this discussion on Steiff's Mimocculo Orang Utan?

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

Timecapsule Treasures On Offer At Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's 2024 Steiff Special Auction

What's old is new again at this year's Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's Steiff Special Auction on June 29th, 2024. This sale tempts collectors with almost 230 amazing and well curated lots of century-spanning button-in-ear treasures. One especially noteworthy category in this sale is items from the company's earliest production period - just before and just after the turn of the 20th century. Here are three "golden oldies" definitely worth checking out!

 

Let's start this trip back in time with lot #10. This is an extremely early dressed Steiff monkey, with an opening bid of 850 €. It is cataloged as:

"Steiff monkey, crouching, around 1900, pre-button era, felt, shoe button eyes, for shirr (missing), height: 17 cm, original felt clothes, smaller faults in the felt, nice original condition."

This sitting sweetie would love to hang out with you! It is Steiffgal's best guess that this is an example of the company's turn of last century felt monkey designed as a catch and release toy. If you notice his well formed hands, they look like they were designed to be holding something. Steiffgal thinks this would have been a piece of elastic string. So, someone could bounce him around as a toy on this cord. According to Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment, this novelty was produced in 17 cm from 1897-1911 and was described as, "felt, brown, begging, elastic cord, tailcoat and slippers of felt." You can see the photo from this reference book here on the left for study and comparison. 

This next very vintage selection will have you moving and grooving. This is lot #6, a Steiff dancing bear, which carries an opening bid of 1800 €. It is cataloged as:

"Steiff dancing bear, around 1900, pre-button era, short plush, in very good condition, attending, dancing on a metal disc, casting wheels with spokes rubber coated, rubber is very worn, therefore the turn function isn't possible, squeaker, length: 68 cm (catalog proof 70 cm), shoe button eyes, one eye is a bit scratched, nose chain and stick, original pull rod, black and white picture in the Pfeiffer catalog page 37, and picture in the Steiff catalog from 1900, book Jürgen & Marianne Cieslik "Knopf im Ohr" page 27, an unusual piece from the beginnings of the Steiff-production, is a museum piece."

This amazing and little known mechanical bear, which was produced in 70 cm from 1898-1907, has a key role in the history of the development of the jointed Teddy bear as we know him today. In the late 1890's, Steiff produced a number of circus bear novelties. These were considered "action toys" as they designed to give movement to the toys. These included this dancing bear on a circular wheeled cart; bears on platforms with bristles supporting them; a bear on a cart with metal wheels; and tumblers in different configurations and sizes. The bears on the platforms with bristles would move when someone tapped the table on which they were standing - so they would sort of "shimmy" about. You can see a few of these early examples here on the left, the photo is from Cieslik's Button in Ear: The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends.

Richard Steiff wanted to create more playful, dynamic, and child-friendly versions of these static/moving bears, and he took this challenge seriously. He studied the way real bears move at the zoo. Mohair became available on a commercial level around 1902. He married those two facts, inserted his creativity, and came up with the patterns for a series of fully jointed bears, starting with string jointing, then rod jointing, then disk jointing. Steiff's disk jointing system has not changed much since its introduction over a century ago. 

At the tail end of this discussion is lot #9, a very large and early monkey. He has an opening bid of 1800 € and is cataloged as:

"Steiff monkey, 1904, length: 80 cm, mohair plush, velvet ears, face and hands, PPB, shoe button eyes, elephant head, nice full mohair, velvet is a bit worn, small open place at the head mounting in the back, the wire mounting is visible, very expressive, an early unusual piece from the beginnings of the Steiff production."

This big boy is a fine example of Steiff's early - but not earliest - monkey patterns. This basic design debuted in 1904 and appeared in the line through the 1920s in a variety of slightly modified versions over time. He was produced with and without a tail, in a number of fabrics including brown and white mohair, and with felt or velvet hands and facial features. Given his elephant button, the one under discussion here was produced in the c. 1904-1905 time frame. 

One super interesting thing about this marvelous monkey is the company he keeps. This monkey appears in a 1903/04 catalog photo used to debut the company's new editions at the annual Leipzig Spring Fair. But what's so special about that? It's the same picture that debuted PB55... the world's first jointed Teddy bear. Talk about being at the right place at the right time, eh? A snapshot of this catalog page is shown here on the left. You can spot this monkey in the very far back right of the picture - just click on the image to make it bigger. The photo is from Cieslik's Button in Ear: The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on these time capsule treasures has brought history to life for you. 

 

For more information on this June 29, 2024 sale, please check out the company's website at https://www.spielzeugauktion.de/.

 

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