Steiff's Midcentury Dally-Tally!

It's time to cross your "T's" and dot your "I's" with this next Steiff story. Steiff's first Dalmatian dog appeared in the 1953 catalog - nearly 70 years after the company's launch in the late 1800s. This delay is noteworthy as Dalmatians are known as hunting dogs (and hunting is a popular pastime in Germany), and that they originated somewhat locally to Germany in the Dalmatia region of present day Croatia. Better late than never!

Steiff's legacy - and still appealing and collectible today - standard line Dalmatian was named Dally. They debuted at a time when Steiff was actively rebuilding its business postwar; part of this strategy included introducing a number of adorable, smaller sized mohair pet designs that were easy to collect, distribute, and market. Dally was produced 10, 17, and 28 cm. All sizes were sitting, head jointed, and stuffed with excelsior. They were made from white mohair gloriously spotted with black airbrushing. All sizes had an open, smiling mouth, a black stitched nose, and brown and black pupil eyes. Each left the factory in Giengen wearing a red collar. These charmers appeared in the line through 1969. Baby Dally is pictured her on the left.

Given his popularity, Dally's pattern was the inspiration for several product line extensions, most notably two hand puppets. The first was 17 cm and matched the fabric and detailing of Dally - including his signature open mouth. He was simply a head, arms, and hollow body in form, and was in the catalog from 1955 - 1956. Today, he is one of the company's rarer postwar puppets. You can see him here on the left, alongside a baby Dally. The second Dalmatian puppet, Mimic Dally, was 28 cm. Unlike the 17 cm version, this more elaborate plaything had a head, arms, a hollow body, as well as feet and a tail. You could move his mouth with your fingers to make him talk. He was made from 1958 - 1959 and is also quite rare on the secondary market.

Dalmatians also caught the eye of the toy store F.A.O. Schwarz. As such, Steiff created several special edition Dalmatians for the upscale retailer. The first, a standing version of Dally, was made in 11, 22, and 28 cm. The 11 cm size was made in 1953 only, while the 22 and 28 cm sizes were made in 1955 only. Here on the left you can see an 11 cm version and the 28 cm version. If anyone has the 22 cm version, please let me know! LOL! It is interesting to note that both a sitting and standing version of Dally are featured on the cover of Gunther Pfeiffer's 1947-1999 Steiff Sortiment reference book. 

In addition to standing Dally, Schwarz also worked with Steiff to create several other Dalmatian themed novelties for their stores. One was a 23 cm sitting Dally; he was also based on the standard line Dally design. He was produced in 1953 only. Another was a Dally Family, which consisted of one 23 cm Dally, one 11 cm standing Dally, and two 10 cm sitting Dally pups, all resting on a cushion in a wicker dog bed. This set was only produced in 1953, and is probably the rarest of the pet family baskets, given it includes two exclusive items. This is pictured here on the left. Also of note was a lying Dally. He was curled up on his side in a realistic, resting position. He was made in 28, 43, and 60 cm in 1956 only. And perhaps the most "regal" Dally was Royal Dally, a 14 cm, closed mouth begging Dalmatian wearing a crown and cape. He was available in 1963 only. 

The final midcentury Dalmatian under discussion today is also spotlight worthy. In 1962, Steiff partnered with Disney to produce a version of Rolly from the movie, 101 Dalmatians. This family favorite flick debuted in 1961 and was based on the 1956 book The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. Rolly was of the named Dalmatians in the movie. This sweet, playful, and youthful pattern was made in 12 and 22 cm in 1962 only; they are pictured here on the left. Both sizes were standing, unjointed, and had distinctive cartoon style eyes. The larger version had a dimensional nose made from black velvet. Although Steiffgal can think of several pets of the same era with velvet muzzles, most had black embroidered noses. A velvet nose is an unusual detail for a Steiff animal.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed the overview of Steiff's Dally tally.

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

Walking the Runway With Steiff's Early And All Original Minnie Mouse Disney Doll

Girl power! No mouse rocks a short skirt and great shoes better than Disney's Minnie Mouse! This great prewar design, seen far less often than her better half Mickey, continues set the hearts of Steiff and Disney collectors aflutter. Check out this great example and see why she truly owns the runway.

Here's one mouse you definitely want in your house. Pretty Minnie is 17 cm tall, standing, and unjointed. She is primarily made from black and white velvet. Her black pie-style eyes are glued on, and she retains her original black string style whiskers. Her face comes to life with delicate hand painting and an open, velvet lined, smiling mouth. She wears white cotton bloomers, an orange felt hat, and her original red, white, and blue calico skirt. Her oversized yellow gloves are made from velvet. Her fabulous orange felt heels are detailed with black bows. Minnie retains her long trailing "f" button in ear and co-branded Steiff and Disney chest tag as her IDs.

Like most all original Minnie Mouse examples, this sweet gal is missing her tail and the flower that decorated her hat. These details were both quite ephemeral in their materials, as well as how they were attached to her body. As such, finding a Minnie with these parts and pieces is like hitting the Disney lottery.

Marvelous Minnie was produced from 1932 - 1936 in 12, 17, 24, 31, 37, and 49 cm from 1932 through 1936. Before launching Minnie, Steiff was producing Mickey Mouse under the Disney license; he appeared from 1931 - 1936 in 11, 16, 23, 30, 36, and 48 cm. A tail moves head Mickey, a Record Mickey, and a 24 cm Mickey puppet were also produced in the early 1930s. Over the five year time frame from 1931 through 1936, Steiff made about 53,000 Mickey Mouse dolls but only 13,000 Minnie Mouse dolls, which explains why Minnie is so much rarer than Mickey. After 1936, the worldwide geopolitical situation made it too difficult to conduct business between the US and Germany, and the collaboration ceased. 

One thing that is very interesting about Minnie is the length of her skirt. It could best be described as "Mini!" Given the length of this garment, it is clear that her white bloomers were meant to be seen. Although Minnie is clearly wearing a mini skirt, it was not until nearly 30 years later that short skirts came into mainstream fashion. London designer Mary Quant is primarily credited for championing knee-skimming skirts and dresses in the 1960s. It is suspected that Quant named the skirt after her favorite make of car, the Cooper Mini.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed skirting all the issues that makes this Minnie so charming!

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

This Ele-Fantastic Baby Has Movie Star Appeal!

Care to make a big deal out of a little fellow? Then consider this fantastic and all original Steiff Baby Hathi! This ele-fantastic example was produced as part the original Jungle Book set of characters made in conjunction with the Disney company in the late 1960's. Despite a half-century onward, he - and his cartoon colleagues - are still considered on and off screen favorites among Steiff collectors from every generation.

Trunk's up for this petite pachyderm! Baby Hathi is 20 cm tall, unjointed, and made from grey dralon. He has a very sweet open, smiling mouth, grey felt foot pads, grey felt ears, and black and white cartoon style eyes. He has an adorable matching swatch of grey mohair on the top of his head and on the tip of his tail. This particular model was made in this size only from 1968-1976. Baby Hathi has all of his IDs, including his lentil style button, yellow tag, and special co-branded Steiff/Disney chest tag that reads, "Baby Hathi/Cop. Walt Disney/Prod."

Let's get a little wild and check out the backstory behind this jungle gem. The Jungle Book, the 19th animated feature produced by Walt Disney Productions, debuted in the fall of 1967. It was the last film actually produced by Mr. Disney, who passed away during its production. Based on the book by author Rudyard Kipling, it was an immediate success upon its launch. The story featured a Bengal tiger named Shere Khan, a sloth bear named Baloo, an orangutan named King Louie, and a baby elephant named Baby Hathi, among other lovable characters. An early movie poster, promoting the film, is pictured here on the left. This film inspired a significant Steiff collaboration. To build on the film's popularity, Steiff initially produced these four animals from 1968 through the 1976 time frame. 

Now onto other material matters. The construction and materials selected for these early Jungle Book characters were both very typical to their time of manufacture. During the late 1960’s and 1970’s, Steiff was focused on saving costs and streamlining production at every juncture.  This was due in part to the increased worldwide marketplace competition for plush toys. All four of the Jungle Book animals were made from synthetic materials. These were very popular toy making materials for Steiff at that time. These fabrics were inexpensive, very durable, surface washable, and good for manufacturing items truly designed as playthings - not collectibles. The Jungle Book characters were also made with as few joints as possible, another cost savings measure.  Shere Khan was 35 cm tall, unjointed, sitting, and made from white and orange dralon. Baloo was 40 cm tall, head and arm jointed, and made from white and tan dralon. King Louis was 25 cm, head jointed, and made from brown and orange Crylor.  As noted on the Baby Hathi under discussion here, each left the factory in Giengen with a special chest tag noting their Steiff and Disney licensing partnership.  Above on the left you can see the four original Disney Jungle Book characters.  The photo is from Christie's and this lot sold in 2010 for 525 pounds.  That is equivalent of about $830 in today's dollars.  

Face it, once a rock star, always a rock star!  It is interesting to note, that because of this film's ongoing popularity and legacy, Steiff continued to occasionally produce characters based on it over several decades. Highlights of this ongoing collaboration include a set of four slightly smaller Jungle Book animals made from woven fur from 1979 through 1982 as well as mohair versions of King Louie and Baloo. These were both produced in 2003 as a 3,000-piece limited editions.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Baby Hathi and Steiff's Jungle Book collaboration has been like a match made in heaven for you.

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

Putting a "Spot" Light On These Rare Steiff Disney Dalmatians

It's easy to keep Steiff in the spotlight, and nobody can do that better than these two fantastic - and famous dogs!   After many years of searching, Steiffgal finally welcomed this pair of "spotty dotties" into her Steiff hug.  Take a look at these "movie star" calibre Steiff canines and see what makes them so interesting from the collector's perspective.

These paparazzi-worthy pups are none other than Rolly Dalmatiner or Rolly Dalmatian. Both are  standing, unjointed, and made from white mohair that has been carefully hand-painted with black spots. Each has sweet, playful and baby-like appearance, and wears a red leather collar.  Rolly was made in 12 and 22 cm in 1962 only. 

These delightful Rolly dogs have several very interesting design features that may not be apparent from just their photographs.  

1. First, their eyeballs, which are made from two distinct parts.   The pupils are made from a black plastic disk which has been inserted into the white plastic backing - not merely just painted or printed on.  You can feel the ridge where the two parts meet with your finger.  Both the small and large versions have these dual part eyeballs. 
2. Second, the backing of the eyes on the larger Rolly.  Big Rolly's eyeballs are placed over a circle of off-white, shiny plastic material.  The only other Steiff item Steiffgal can think of that uses a similar material are the funny little teeth lining the bill of Piccy Pelican, who was produced from 1959 through 1961.  
3. Finally, the nose on the larger Rolly, which is lovely, circular, dimensional, and made from black velvet.  Although Steiffgal can think of several dogs of the same period with velvet muzzles, most had black hand embroidered noses.  A velvet nose is a most unusual detail for a Steiff animal. 

Rolly is top dog in Disney’s classic animated movie, “101 Dalmatians.” This family favorite flick debuted in 1961 and was based on the 1956 book “The Hundred and One Dalmatians” by Dodie Smith. Rolly was of the named baby Dalmatians in the movie, which introduced the world to puppy parents Pongo and Perdita and perhaps the meanest Disney villain ever, Cruella de Vil. Actress Barbara Baird was the voice behind Rolly. As a point of trivia, Disney animators gave each Dalmatian puppy exactly 32 spots—truly confirming their status as "Disney calibre Dalmatians."

Steiffgal hopes this Dalmatian discussion has connected the dots surrounding Rolly's history, design, and Steiff legacy.  

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