It's safe to say that the dress code for many of us has changed recently. For office folks now working from home, pajamas have become the new standard in "business casual," while those conducting business over Skype or Zoom have been "caught" adorned in a coat, tie, shirt... and sweatpants. A bright spot in today's sea of bad news for Steiffgal was a recent Steiff acquisition that's been "dressed for success" for nearly 70 years. Take a look at this delightfully detailed donkey and see why he's so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.
This farm favorite can't help but be your beast of burden. Here we have Steiff's classic Esel or Donkey. He is 12 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from velvet. He has a very short black mane. His dimensional, velvet tail is tipped with long black mohair. He has black airbrush highlights down his back, on the tips of his ears, and marking his hooves. Esel's face is sweet and babylike; it is detailed with shiny black button eyes and delicate airbrushing to define his nose and mouth area. Esel retains his original accessories, including a red leather brindle with tiny green tassels and a red and black checkered felt blanket secured to him by a ribbon. His IDs include a raised script button, very early postwar ear tag, and a US Zone tag. Esel was manufactured in 12, 14, 22, and 28 cm; the smallest size was made in velvet from 1950 through 1969 while the larger sizes were made in mohair from 1950 though 1961.
When it comes to precisely dating this fine fellow, the devil is in the details. This example has two elements that are different from other 12 cm models of his design Steiffgal has handled in the past. First, of course, are his handsome additional accessories: the green wool tassels on his bridle and his styling' blanket. Steiffgal has only seen this model with an un-tasseled red brindle and no blanket. The second is his excelsior stuffed velvet tail tipped in mohair. Steiffgal has only seen this model with a plain cord tail. In Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Sortiment, this design has unusual cataloging noting "12 cm velvet, 1950/51 with blanket." There is no mention of the tassels, but it is Steiffgal's strongest suspicion that her example - based on this nugget of information and his IDs - is one of these 1950/51 examples.
Given that this donkey design was introduced in 1950, it is possible that the earliest 12 cm versions were made with the more expensive, labor intensive details noted above. Perhaps as early as 1952, the pattern was simplified to a cord tail and minimal accessories - saving time, money, and labor. Many of the smallest, early postwar animal editions, including the company's zebras and camels, were made from velvet and had cord tails, so this direction is somewhat consistent with trends of the era.
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this sharp dressed donkey has been a clothes call for you.
Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more!
Are you ready for another Steiff mane event? Well, this one's twice as nice, as it features a pair of ponies! Check out this note from Steiff superfan Tom about his wife's childhood friends. He shares...
"Hi! I am hoping to find out about these two 7" horses. They were my wife's when she was a child, and if they are worth insuring, we would like to know. Also, when they were made, if they have an "item #" and description. Thank you!"Well, its off to the races with these fine fillies. These both are Steiff ponies made exclusively for the high end North American toy retailer F.A.O. Schwarz. They are standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair that is airbrushed with lovely chestnut highlights. Their manes and tails are made from very long greyish white mohair. Their faces are detailed with black button eyes and a little hand stitched and airbrushed mouth. Overall, this design is extremely realistic, appealing, and playful - all at the same time!
In terms of history, this pony pattern was produced from 1963 through 1972 in this size only. Its article number is 3759/02. According to the original F.A.O. Schwarz catalog, this horse was described as “… a handsome 8.5 inch steed covered in tan and white mohair plush with flowing white mane and tail. Complete with brindle, saddle, and saddle blanket. An F.A.O. Schwarz exclusive. A toy to excite your child’s imagination, to give fun-filled hours, and provide fond memories that happily can last a lifetime.” As noted in the cataloging, these horses all left the factory in Giengen with lovely, to-scale fittings; from the photo Tom provided it appears that several of these items have been lost to time. The picture on the left, from Steiffgal's collection, shows this pony with all of her original accessories, including tiny stirrups.
Tom is also chomping at the bit to learn the value of these horses. As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has not seen these horses firsthand to check for condition. They are lovely, but have some key issues - including missing accessories and IDs and light playwear. In the past two years, complete F.A.O Schwarz horses in very good to excellent condition with all IDs have sold in the c. $118-$495 range on eBay. It would be Steiffgal's best guessimate that "Tom's twins" might trade hands on a similar online channel in the c. $75-$120 range each. This assumes that they are as presented without any significant structural or aesthetic issues not captured on camera.
Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed today's equine stable fable!Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.
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This farm favorite can't help but be your beast of burden. Here we have Steiff's classic Esel or Donkey. He is 12 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from velvet. He has a very short black mane. His dimensional, velvet tail is tipped with long black mohair. He has black airbrush highlights down his back, on the tips of his ears, and marking his hooves. Esel's face is sweet and babylike; it is detailed with shiny black button eyes and delicate airbrushing to define his nose and mouth area. Esel retains his original accessories, including a red leather brindle with tiny green tassels and a red and black checkered felt blanket secured to him by a ribbon. His IDs include a raised script button, very early postwar ear tag, and a US Zone tag. Esel was manufactured in 12, 14, 22, and 28 cm; the smallest size was made in velvet from 1950 through 1969 while the larger sizes were made in mohair from 1950 though 1961.
Given that this donkey design was introduced in 1950, it is possible that the earliest 12 cm versions were made with the more expensive, labor intensive details noted above. Perhaps as early as 1952, the pattern was simplified to a cord tail and minimal accessories - saving time, money, and labor. Many of the smallest, early postwar animal editions, including the company's zebras and camels, were made from velvet and had cord tails, so this direction is somewhat consistent with trends of the era.
