Care To Go On A Date With This Prewar Steiff Scotty?

It's never appropriate to ask someone how old they are - right? But in this case, this vintage Steiff friend proudly advertises his "birthday" in a very special, and very prominent, way. Intrigued? Then check out this little black Scotty and his amazing and informative chest tag to learn more.

Here we have Steiff's 1930s-era Scotty dog. He is standing on all fours, head jointed, and solidly stuffed with excelsior. He has a non-working side squeaker in his torso. He measures 12 cm tall and 18 cm long, not including his tail. He is made from black mohair, with a longer mohair beard. His pert triangular ears are lined in felt. He comes to life with a black hand embroidered nose and lovely white, black, and brown glass pupil eyes in the shape of almonds. He retains his long trailing "f" button, trace of his red ear tag, and his named chest tag as his IDs. This pattern was made in 8, 10, 14, 17, 22, 25, 28, and 35 cm in grey or black or dark grey from 1930-1943 overall.

Now let's take a closer look at his chest tag. It is amazing how much information is squeezed onto this tiny piece of cardboard measuring just a pinch more than 1/2" in diameter. The design features Steiff's prewar and angular yellow and blue Teddy bear face. Its center copy reads in red: SCOTTY, D.R. Patent, U.S. Patented Jan. 9, 1932. This means that the Scotty pattern was registered in D.R. - which is short for "Deutsches Reich," the constitutional name for the German nation state that existed from 1871 to 1945. The tag also gives the EXACT date that the design was also patented in the United States - January 9, 1932!

The vast number of Steiff prewar chest tags simply had the bears, animal, or doll's name noted in the center of the label. However, it is interesting to note that in some cases, like this one, that the tag also specifically mentioned that the item's patent protection status in the United States. For example, check out the tags on a 14 cm Molly and a 10 cm Tabby from the 1920s as pictured here on the left. Both have the  on this words, "Reg. U.S. Pat. Off." on their chest tags as well.

Scotty, Tabby, and Molly were extremely popular 1920s-era patterns. So it would be reasonable to assume that the Steiff management team in Germany was concerned about other companies - especially those in America - "stealing" these beloved designs. Steiff's business in the USA was really booming in the mid-1920s through early 1930s, partially due to the efforts of Richard Steiff. He moved to the States in the early 1920s with his family to grow the family business, alongside the company's US distributor, George Borgfeldt & Company. For Steiff to take the time and expense to register their designs with the US Patent Office says suggested that they really meant business when it came to design intellectual property, that they were in the United States market for the long run, and that they wanted to perhaps "American-ize" their line, making it less foreign or exotic, to add to its marketing appeal and potential.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on chest tag details has had patent appeal with you. 

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

Tune In For More Information About This Superstar Steiff Cat!

Look who just appeared on little cat's feet - really! This pretty kitty was a surprise find on an online auction. And, when she arrived, she was an even FINER feline than advertised! Check out this 1920's Steiff superstar. Steiffgal is certain you'll agree... she's simply the cat's meow!

This marmalade Tabby turns Steiff's legs to jelly! She is 10 cm tall, standing on all fours, head jointed, and made from tan mohair that has been striped with fantastic and realistically detailed orange highlights. Her limbs and tail are elegant, proportional, and shapely. Her face comes to life with oversized teal and black slit pupil style glass eyes, a light pink embroidered nose and mouth, a bunch of clear, monofilament whiskers, and a spot of red right on her lips. She has a particularly pensive look to her. She retains her original blue silk ribbon and bell. This cool cat was made in mohair in 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1928 through 1937. 

Tab - you're it - when it comes to this cat's outstanding and original IDs. She retains her long trailing 'F' Steiff button, crisp and fully legible red ear tag, and perfectly preserved red imprinted chest tag with its "watermelon" shaped bear face. The numbers on her ear tag, 1310,0, correspond to: 1 = standing; 3 = mohair; 10 = 10 cm (standing height); and ,0=without wheels. All of these IDs strongly suggest that this kitten left the factory in Giengen in the late 1920s or early 1930s. And what a well preserved specimen she is - we should all look so good c. nine decades onward! 

Although Steiff had been selling its items in the USA since the turn of last century, it appears that the company really started investing heavily in American consumer advertising a few years after the conclusion of WWI. In the late 1920s, Steiff was promoted on the radio by an on-air personality named "Uncle Andy Claus" as part of a program sponsored by Erwin-Wasey and Co. Erwin-Wasey was an international advertising company that specialized in radio advertising; the agency was famous for its product sampling campaigns. Although it would be challenging, and expensive, to "sample" Steiff products nationally, Erwin-Wasey and Co. came up with the idea of sending Steiff letters, pins, and brochures to children who responded to a direct on-air marketing campaign promoted through Uncle Andy Claus. Here on the left you can see the letter that went out to children as part of this very early "Steiff club." You can click on it to make it bigger. Personally, Steiffgal finds it a little weird that Margarete "signed" this note from the late 1920s, given that she passed away in 1909. Details, details... 

The letter also talks about a little brochure that accompanied the mailing. This cheerful, orange and black printed pamphlet gives a brief history of the company and calls out the "superstar" items of the era, including Treff the Bloodhound, a horse on wheels, Fluffy cat, a bear on wheels, Charly the King Charles Spaniel, an elephant on wheels, Molly the puppy, a donkey on wheels, Bully the Bulldog, Teddy Clown, a mosaic ball, stick horse... and this very Tabby cat under discussion today. Her description reads, "A most lifelike cat with a "come hither" expression in standing position. Fine quality plush, most natural coloring, sewn in glass eyes, assorted colored ribbons." You can see this illustration and description here above on the left.

Steiffgal hopes you found this discussion on this marmalade Tabby a sweet treat.

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

Tag, You're It With These Frozen-In-Time Steiff Treasures

For many collectors, Steiff remains timeless in a fast changing world. Some of us have family heirloom treasures that have been passed down from generation to generation. Others collect vintage pieces that may represent a little piece of childhood, happy memories, or a favorite decade. Given the company's extensive ID system and records, it is pretty easy to date a piece of vintage Steiff. But sometimes, a great vintage item in "tissue new" condition also comes along with a big bonus - its retail price tag from the store that originally sold it. These tags help shed more information on the origins of the piece - and often generate a little nostalgia, too. Here are a few items from Steiffgal's collection with these great original sales tags.

All panda-monium broke out when this sweet cub joined Steiffgal's hug. This of course is Steiff's smallest fully jointed, post war panda. He is 15 cm, made from black and white mohair, and has an open, peach colored velvet lined mouth lined in black. His absolutely irresistible face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes and a black hand embroidered nose; the black circles around his eyes are airbrushed. He retains his original pink silk ribbon. This particular model was made in 15, 22, 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm from 1951 through 1961. This panda was produced with grey felt paw pads from 1951 through 1956 and suede-like grey rubber material paw pads from 1956 onward. This panda has felt pads, dating it from the early 1950's. 

Panda retains his original white string tag from the high end, national department store Lord and Taylor. This store is still in business, and still sells Steiff items in their larger stores with toy and baby departments. The tag itself has four rows of numbers and codes. The only ones that Steiffgal can decipher is a code the second row - "5315" which matches his ear tag number, "6" on the third row which probably corresponds to 6 inches tall (his height), and 1.95 on the last row, which is most likely his price in dollars. Assuming that he sold in 1951, $1.95 in 1951 had the same buying power as $18.83 in 2017.

Now let's add this fantastic Tabby cat into this meow mix. Here we have Steiff's largest "Tabby" cat. She is 17 cm from head to toe, standing, unjointed, and made from off white mohair. Her back, arms, legs, tail, and the sides of her head are beautifully airbrushed with grey shading and black stripes, making her truly the cats meow! She has black and green plastic slit pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered nose and mouth, and clear whiskers. She retains her original red ribbon and bell and purple hang tag indicating that her exterior is washable. Tabby was produced from 1949 through 1977 in 7, 10, 14 and 17 cm. This particular example, with her lentil style button and article number 2700/17, was made in the 1969-1977 time frame.

Tabby has her pricetag from Marshall Field and Company, a department store that began in the Chicago, IL area but expanded rapidly to other states in the mid to late 20th century. Steiffgal grew up in the Chicago area, and spent many happy hours in these stores, often nibbling on their legendary "Frango Mint" candies. Sadly, Marshall Field does not exist anymore, having been bought by the Macy's chain in the early 2000's. This tag has three rows of numbers. The only one that Steiffgal can decipher is the last row, being "18.00," most likely her price at the time. Assuming that she sold in 1969, $18.00 in 1969 had the same buying power as $122.42 in 2017.

Given Easter is on the horizon, let's take a look at a fine bunny as our last example of "tag, you're it!" Here we have the smallest example of Steiff's sitting rabbit. She is 8 cm, not jointed, and made from tan mohair that is airbrushed with tan, brown, pink, and black details all over her back, sides, and ears. She has beautiful black and brown pupil eyes, a red hand embroidered nose and mouth, and clear, playful whiskers. She retains her original blue silk ribbon and bell. This particular pattern was produced 8, 9, 15, and 18 cm from 1950 through 1974; she was called Rabbit from 1950 to 1966 and Sonny from 1967 onward. This particular example is numbered 3308,03, dating her in the 1965 to 1967 time frame.

This petite treat has her pricetag from Hahne and Company. Hahne's was a chain of department stores that was based in Newark, NJ and had branches throughout the central and northern parts of the state. The company was purchased by Lord and Taylor in the late 1980's. Rabbit's tag has three lines of numbers and codes. The last one, "3.00," is most likely her price at the time. Assuming she sold in 1965, $3.00 in 1965 had the same buying power as $23.21 in 2017.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on retail tags on vintage Steiff treasures didn't leave you hanging!

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

It's Twice As Nice With These Two Steiff Tabby Cats From The Late 1920's

Although by nature more of a "dog" person, Steiffgal has started to put a few more Steiff kittens into her meow mix lately. Her most recent additions have something in common - they are both sweet "Tabby" style cats from the late 1920's. Check out these two fantastic felines and see if they have you "feline groovy" too.

Standing Tabby in all of her glory.

This first Tabby has a purr-fectly angelic look to her. She is 10 cm tall, standing on all fours, is head jointed, and made from tan mohair that has been striped with orange highlights. Her limbs and tail are elegant and shapely Her face comes to life with oversized teal and black slit pupil style glass eyes, a light pink embroidered nose and mouth, and a spot of red right on her lips. She has a particularly inquiring look on her face. This Tabby even retains a few of her original monofilament whiskers remaining on her muzzle and forehead. This cool cat was made in mohair in 7, 10, 12, 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1928 through 1937.

Lying Tabby closely observing something.

The second Tabby appears to be lying down on the job, but that's ok in this case. She is unjointed and measures 5 cm tall and 10 cm long (not including her tail.) She is lying in a very relaxed way, as if she's observing something very interesting in the room - perhaps a dust bunny, or a window shade moving in the breeze? Tabby is made from tan mohair that is striped in more tan or light brown colored highlights. Her sweet face comes to life with oversized light teal and black slit pupil style glass eyes, a light pink hand embroidered nose and mouth, and a spot of red right on her lips. She retains most of her original monofilament whiskers. Lying Tabby, in all honesty, was made in 8 sizes ranging fro 5 to 20 cm from 1928 through 1935.

Close up of standing Tabby's face.

Both of these Tabby patterns reflected Steiff's approach to cat design and production in the 1920's. It was at this time that the company started diversifying their cat offerings, as well as matching their cats’ appearances to the cultural preferences of the time. Steiff’s cats from the mid-1920’s onward were distinctly feminine, fluffy, and playful in appearance - much like all things popular from the “roaring ‘20s.” Felines from this period often had oversized, childlike eyes; were made from brightly colored materials; and had youthful detailing or textures. They were in great demand both as playthings for children as well as companions for adults. It is also interesting to note that it was at this time that the company began giving “real” names to its cat designs, with the first one being “Fluffy,” a blue-tipped mohair sweetie who was introduced in 1926. Prior to that, any cat in the line was simply named “Cat." Fluffy was a smashing success, and remains a collector's favorite today.

Close up of lying Tabby's face.

It is safe to say that Fluffy let the cat out of the bag in terms of creating a huge demand for Steiff's cat offerings. As such, Steiff quickly followed up on Fluffy’s popularity with a number of additional cat introductions. Like Fluffy, these were all designed and named to evoke softness, gentleness, and cuddling. These included the adult “Kitty,” who was standing on all fours, fully jointed, and featured a “tail moves head” mechanism; baby “Tabby,” who was standing on all fours or lying; the exotic, blue eyed, sitting “Siamy” Siamese Temple cat; and “Susi,” a very pretty sitting, head jointed tabby cat. Kitty, Tabby, Siamy, and Susi were all manufactured through the early 1940’s. And due to their popularity, they all reappeared in the line in the late 1940’s after the factory reopened for toy making business at the conclusion of WWII.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the company's early Tabby cats has made for a pleasant paws in your day.  

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

"Lots" of Great Steiff Selections On Offer At Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's September Sales Event!

There's nothing like a fine Steiff auction to get the Steiff collecting community talking!  

And many of the excellent selections from Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's sale in Germany on September 3rd indeed are causing tongues to wag. It is very exciting when extraordinary Steiff rarities, like the Dicky couple (lot #180, opening bid of 1,500 euro) or the stork holding a basket of babies (lot #188, opening bid of 280 euro), come to light after many years.  In addition to these headliners, this sale also offers many other truly noteworthy items.  Here are three possible "sleepers" that caught Steiffgal's eye. 

This first auction selection sticks out of the crowd like a black sheep. Here we have lot #9, an all black Rocky wild goat. He is cataloged as... "Rocky, ibex, with button, chest label and cloth tag label, No. is halfway torn off, height: 29 cm, length: 25 cm." Bidding for him starts at 30 euro.

Let's shed some light on this black beauty. He is clearly a version of Steiff's beloved "Rocky Capricorn." This impressively horned goat was made as part of Steiff's "Zodiac" series of animals. Standard line Rocky goats are standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair plush. Their faces are detailed with black and green slit pupil eyes, light brown airbrushing highlights, and a simple black and brown hand embroidered nose. The smallest version has felt ears, while the larger versions have mohair ears lined in felt.  Clearly, this pattern's headlining feature is its most impressive oversized horns.  The smallest Rocky goats have double thick felt horns, while the larger versions have fully dimensional, seamed felt horns.  Standard line Rocky appeared in the line from 1963 through 1976 in 14, 22, and 28 cm.  

It is Steiffgal's best guess that this unusually colored example up for sale is a sample or prototype of the standard line 28 cm Rocky in black mohair; or perhaps it was produced in very limited quantities as a special order or as part of a display.  Ibex goats indeed can be all black in real life, so this pattern does have some basis in nature.

It's so easy to grin and bear it when it comes to this second auction highlight. Here we have lot #53, a Steiff bear in the form of the well known (at least in Germany) Bärenmarke brand logo. He is cataloged as... "Bärenmarke" bear, with button, chest label and cloth tag label, cloth tag label is halfway torn, 1960, advertising figure, 38 cm, otherwise good condition."  Bidding for him starts at 180 euro.

So who is this smiling sweetie? "Bear Brand" is a well known German company that produces a large line of milk and cream products. Bärenmarke specializes in shelf-stable dairy items, especially those that are sterilized, condensed, concentrated, dried, or prepared in a way that does not require refrigeration.  Bärenmarke started in 1921 selling evaporated milk; today the company and its logo have a 96% brand recognition rate in Germany. Given the company's name, trademark, and location, it is no surprise at all that Steiff would bring its delightful logo to life!  

And what makes this Bärenmarke bear rise to the top? His delightful presentation - with many parallels to Steiff's beloved "Teddy Baby" pattern - is certainly a draw. He was manufactured for one year only, in 1960, which adds to his rarity and appeal. Given his era of production, he should generate some nostalgia, especially for collectors who are in their 40's, 50's, and 60's and grew up consuming Bärenmarke products. And he is made from wool plush, at a time in the company's history when few items were produced from this durable material. Far more items in the 1930's through early 1950's were made from this distinctly "old fashioned" looking cloth.

This final auction selection is truly the cat's meow. Here we have lot #276, an utterly charming crouching cat on a velvet pincushion. It is cataloged as... "cat Tabby, '20s, lying on a pin-cushion, 12 cm x 12 cm, with button, velvet good, mohair except of minimally places in good condition." Bidding for this item starts at 240 euro.

Sew, what's the story with this great pincushion? As far as Steiffgal can tell, this particular example does not appear in any of the standard Steiff reference books. However, Steiff has a great and long tradition of putting some of its most appealing, smaller editions - especially cats and dogs - on mohair or velvet cushions since the turn of last century and then calling the item a "pincushion." This particular example appears to be made from the company's adorable "Tabby" kitten, who was produced in 8 sizes ranging from 5 to 20 cm from 1928 through 1935. She is on a green, trimmed cushion which is typical in design to other Steiff cushions of the period; these appeared in velvet and mohair over time.   

Following that thread, it is safe to assume that this rarity will have many collectors feline groovy. Cats have always held a special place in the heart of Steiff lovers everywhere. Her size and appearance are irresistible. And pincushions like this so seldom come onto the secondary market - collectors may recall the Fluffy cat on a pincushion that sold for over $7,000 at a James D. Julia toy sale in 2014. This Fluffy is pictured here on the left. Although this Tabby's condition is not as good as Fluffy's, she's still a mighty fine addition to any Steiff collector's meow mix.

Steiffgal hopes this review of upcoming Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion auction highlights has generated a-lot-a interest in this upcoming sale. To see the entire online catalog, please click here.   

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

These Two Steiff Mystery Kittens Are Truly The Cat's Meow!

Sometimes Steiff treasures tip-toe in on little cat's feet. Check out this brief note from Steiff Superfan Holly, who had the great pleasure of finding and adopting these two tiny - albeit mysterious - sweethearts. She shares through a series of correspondences...

"Hi Steiffgal,

I just wanted to share a couple of oddities. It's been soooo long since I've added to my kitty collection and couldn't pass these up. Both are complete with all IDs. Their flag numbers are 2308,90. It's interesting that their 'chest' tags made it on their backs. Not a whole lot of room under their necks I suppose!

The cats themselves are not jointed, about 10cm across, 6cm tall, hard stuffed, the tail is not sewn to the body, velvet backed ears like an 11cm Tapsy. It's probably why I love them so much, they remind me of a curled up Tapsy! The body is a very simplistic design.

Cheers, Holly"

Well, it goes without saying that these two are truly the cat's meow.  They embody all that enthusiasts love - and are purr-fect in every way! They have a remarkable presentation; they appear to be in complete condition with all IDs; they are CATS (which are universal favorites); and most likely do not appear in any commercial scale catalog or reference book - at least as far as Steiffgal can recall.

Let's take things in order here and first check out the cat's article number - 2308,90 - and see if that helps to tell us anything about these darlings.  In this case, 2=lying; 3=mohair; 08=8 cm; 9=display animals or special editions; and 0=normal coloring.  Taken as a whole, that does for the most part describe these cats in the broadest sense.  

Now let's take a closer look at their presentation and see if that can help date or place their manufacturing and design within a relatively tight date range. 

• Clearly, their general look and coloring is much like the company's beloved "Tapsy" kitten. Tapsy was produced from 1959 through 1966 in 8, 11, 15 and 18 cm.  

• The facial expression on the sleeping version also may be a nod to Steiff's "Snurry" the dozing-off cat, who was produced from 1964 through 1966 in 15, 20, and 25 cm.  

• Another thing to look at is the cat's body construction and simplicity.  The one analogous item Steiffgal can come up with here is the company's Dormy the edible dormouse.  This little guy was also tucked up and styled with a long tail as an important part of his presentation.  These were made from 1966 through 1974 in 12 and 20 cm.  

• And finally, given that Holly's items are a special edition, it's important to check out another somewhat analogous special edition produced for FAO Schwarz here in the USA - the beloved "Cat Family Basket."  This item, which included three or four Steiff cats each, appeared from 1962 through 1972.  It is important to note that occasionally, other undocumented Steiff cats with velvet ear detailing - including a stretched out model and a crouching model - sometimes appeared in these baskets as well.

Like many Steiff rarities, Holly's kitties are probably a hybrid of a number of Steiff cat and design themes happening in the early to mid- 1960's time frame.  Steiff is well known for blending and matching themes, sizes, colorations, and detailing on their items to generate new product ideas. As such, these two kittens truly are a meow-mix! Steiffgal does think that these kittens are from the c. 1960-65 time frame, given article numbering conventions and their appearance.

So what is the back story with these pretty kitties?  They may have been produced on a very small scale as an exclusive product for a store such as FAO Schwarz but never documented as such. Steiffgal has seen that happen with a mohair squirrel edition.  They may have been made to be part of the "Cat Family Basket" and either got separated from the basket or never made it into one, and were sold on their own.  They might even be one-offs, meaning they were made as samples or prototypes and never produced on a commercial scale.  Steiff often sold these sorts of "orphans" to stores as they did not hold onto "rejects" if they could get them into the retail market.  But, at the end of the day, unfortunately only the kittens themselves know their real background and history. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Holly's mystery kittens has clued you in on their most interesting origins.

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

Good Things Come In Threes With Steiff's Tiny Tabby Kittens

Less is more when it comes to Steiff's amazing palm-sized pets!  And who wouldn't want to add a few petite treats to their Steiff hug? Although by nature more of a "dog person," Steiffgal recently had the the opportunity to adopt three utterly marvelous palm sized Steiff kittens into her collection.  Check out this terrific trio and see what makes them the cat's meow in so many ways!

Steiffgal is totally smitten with these tiny kittens! Here we have three of Steiff's Tabby cats.  They are standing, unjointed, and made from white mohair which has been highlighted with grey and detailed with black stripes. Their faces are brought to life with green and black slit pupil eyes, pink hand embroidered noses and mouths, and clear monofilament whiskers.  Each wears a pink or red bow and a tiny brass colored jingle bell.  Overall, postwar Tabby was made in 7, 10, 14, and 17 cm from 1949 through 1977.

Size also defies with these charming baby cats! Although they are "technically" labeled and cataloged as the 7 cm version (measured vertically from top of head to toe,) these Tabby cats actually vary from a little over 7 cm down to 6 cm.  A centimeter plus or minus doesn't sound like a big difference here, but when things are actually this small, it has a huge effect on an item's scale and appearance. 

It's never polite to ask someone's age, but in this case, it's makes for an interesting mystery!  These "triplet" cats all have their raised script buttons, yellow ear tags, and red imprinted chest tags.  This combination of IDs dates them all around 1952.  However, when it comes to Steiff, things are never quite that simple... especially when it comes to identification and detailing on items from the late 1940's and early 1950's.  There are a few very subtle differences between them that suggest that they may not all share the identical birth date!

• One Tabby has a tiny white linen "US Zone" tag sewn into his front leg seam; the others do not.  This tag measures less than 1 square cm overall and is pictured above on the left. The US Zone tag was technically used on all items produced by Steiff in the 1947 through 1953 time frame.
• One Tabby has early style, "teal green" and black slit pupil eyes, while the others have more "soda bottle green" and black slit pupil eyes; this is pictured below.
• One Tabby's ear tag reads, "Steiff (in bold script) Original 1307,0 Made in Germany" while the others both read, "Steiff (in regular print) Orig. gesch. 1307,0 Made in Germany."  Both of these styles of ear tags were used in the approximately 1952 time frame, and are pictured below.
• Each kitten has a silk ribbon; however they are not matching in color.  One ribbon is not original, but in the correct "color palate" to the others.  

So what does all this mean?  Here are two things to keep in mind...

First and foremost, it is important to remember that these sorts of vintage Steiff items were all made by hand, so slight differences in size and general appearance are to be expected.  And this truly does magnify with smaller items, where there is less "wiggle room" for differences.  Most collectors would agree that these variations only add to the appeal and charm of Steiff treasures.

Secondly, these items were made during a less than optimal production period at Steiff (circa WWII) where the company was dealing with limited supplies and resources.  During this time, it would not be unusual to use pre-war materials on post war produced items, as the company has traditionally used "what's on hand" for manufacturing and ID purposes.  For example, in this case, the blue-green eyes on one of the Tabby cats could have easily come from pre-war stock, while the Tabby herself may have been made post war.  And, to complicate things even more - given Steiff did indeed make a 7 cm grey and white striped Tabby cat from 1936 through 1943 - this Tabby could have even been made pre-war, tucked away during the war, and then buttoned, labeled, and sold postwar!   Only she knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on these baby kittens reminds you that good things indeed come in threes!

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