Dressed For Success: Steiff's Early And Fantastic Golliwog Dolls

Good golly! Everyone needs a best friend, and that's just what the Golliwogs - storybook characters invented by author Florence Kate Upton in the late 19th century - were invented for. Steiff has a long tradition of bringing favorite fictional friends to life. One of the first examples of this was in 1904 when Steiff worked with author Beatrix Potter to produce her beloved Peter Rabbit as a soft toy for children. Take a look at this incredibly rare and early Steiff Golliwog based on Upton's tales and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

You can't help but smile when it comes to this simply charming early felt Golliwog doll. He is 43 cm, standing, and fully jointed. His head and oversized hands are made from black felt. His legs, under his pants, are made from a linen type of material. His clothes are primarily integral to his body. He wears black oilcloth shoes with black felt soles, red felt pants, a white felt shirt detailed with black buttons, and a blue felt top coat - which also is decorated with a few buttons on the back and front. His red neck ribbon is all original to him. His jolly face comes to life with black button eyes backed in red and white felt circles, a sewn-on, dimentional red and white felt smile, a prominent horizontal seam, and a head full of black curly mohair. He retains his tiny long trailing f button as his Steiff ID. This classic design was produced in 28, 35, 43, 50, 60, 80, and 100 cm from 1909-1919 overall.

This period design was so popular at the time it was produced in two little known novelty forms. The first, a roly poly Golliwog, appeared in the line in 29 cm from 1909-1912. This very rotund fellow had the typical Golly head and red, white, and blue outfit, as well as arms and oversized hands, but no legs. He wobbled about but always came to rest upright. And the second was a “snap apart” Golly from around 1909. This doll looked just like the standard line, full bodied Golly but was jointed with metal snaps (not regular cardboard disks and pins) and designed to be taken apart and reassembled as a toy for children. Although there is reference to this unusual toy in reference books and the Steiff archives, it was probably not put into full line production.

It's also fun to take a look at the design elements of Steiff's early 20th century Golliwogs. Besides their really distinctive facial presentation, they do indeed have many of the same details as the company's felt farmers, who were also produced around the same period.

For example, Steiff's Dachau Farmer has nearly the same proportions, horizontal face construction, body shape, oversized hands, and simple footwear pattern as this Golliwog. This farmer doll is pictured here on the left. Even the clothing looks like they may have been borrowed from the same closet! Such streamlining adds production efficiencies to the manufacturing process, as well as gives the product line a somewhat standard "look and feel" which is important for branding, quality control, and marketing purposes. 

And speaking of marketing... you can see a super sweet print ad from around 1912 or so featuring Steiff's goofy Golliwogs here on the left. You can click on the image to make it bigger. The photo is from Dottie Ayers and Donna Harrison's Advertising Art of Steiff, Teddy Bears and Playthings.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on early Steiff Golliwog dolls has gotten you into a playful mood!

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Take A Good Look At This Steiff Celebrity Cook!

Ah... every Steiff enthusiast knows the feeling. The one that got away! Steiffgal recently came across a most unusual vintage Steiff novelty that would have been a fantastic addition to her hug. This collectible chef doll was being offered at auction. Apparently there were too many cooks in the kitchen and as a result, he is off to another very lucky collector! Oh well, you can't win them all for sure. Nonetheless, let's take a look at this marvelous rarity and see what makes him truly worthy of three Michelin stars! 

Here we have Steiff's marvelous Maggi Fridolin. He is 13 cm, standing and made from rubber. He wears a very traditional chef's uniform including a toque blanche, scarf, white jacket, and checkered pants. His shoes are black and white felt. He appears to be in very nice condition and retains all of his IDs, including his Steiff chest tag, button, and fully legible yellow tag. His number "713" corresponds to 7= "in caricature" and 13= "13 cm" tall. Maggi Fridolin was made in this size only in 1958.  

And just what is is the "secret ingredient" behind this doll? This kitchen-keeper is the logo of the well known German food company Maggi. Maggi is best known for its production of seasonings, soups, and noodles, which are distributed and enjoyed globally. Its condiment sauce, referred to as "Maggi" is similar to soy sauce and is extremely popular in Europe, Asia, and South America. The company had its origins in Switzerland but set up shop in Singen, Germany in 1897 - where it is still located today. It was purchased by Nestle in 1947. Maggi's founder, Julius Maggi, was very interested in improving the food quality and health of working-class people. His business partner was a physician named Fridolin Schuler. The two worked together to create nutritionally inhanced foods, and later went on to "invent" healthy ready to eat soups and bouillon cubes, among other products.
 

Steiff put the rubber to the road in the 1950's with these sorts of rubber dolls based on popular brands, logos, or storybook characters of the time. This manufacturing technique was efficient and relatively low cost; however, over time, the rubber usually dried out and crumbled to pieces. This may help to explain why so few of these interesting examples are in existence today. Other rare examples from the Maggi doll's era include Larifari (a 32 cm doll based on a well known children's character, produced in 1955-1957); Gummibert (a 12 cm doll made for the Englebert tire company, produced in 1954); and Captain (a 17 or 28 cm doll made for the Northwest shoe company, produced from 1952-1957.)
 
Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this great Maggi Fridolin doll has been a tasty treat for you.
 
Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures, family or otherwise? Let's talk! Click here to learn more.

Strike Up The Band With These Great Steiff Dolls Up For Auction at Bonham's

It's music to Steiffgal's ears when she hears about wonderful vintage Steiff treasures!  And this set of five antique Steiff dolls is certainly worthy of a Grammy award - really!  Take a look at this note from a new friend in the United Kingdom who writes about a collection of marvelous musicians she recently sent to Bonham's for sale.   Helene shares...

"My dad bought the whole stock of a haberdashery shop back in 1970 from a woman, she was 80 years old at the time and she didn't want to get retired, anyway the Steiff dolls were in the shop and she used to sell those brand new, she had the shop for about 60 years...  her shop was in a little village near the border between France and Germany, my parents always knew the dolls where valuable, they both passed away now and when we cleared the house we found those dolls."

How about a special fanfare for this breathtaking quintet?  Here we have what is known as Steiff's "village band" or Dorf Musikkapelle. According to the Steiff Sortiment 1892-1942, this item was in the line from 1911 through 1913 and is simply documented as "village band, 5 dolls with instruments, item [number] states size in cm."  The Sortiment also details that the players include a 35 cm bass fiddler, a 35 cm clarinet player, a 50 cm piston wind player, a 35 cm trombone player, and a 50 cm violin player.  The photo that accompanies this description from the Sortiment is pictured here on the left.

These headliners are being sold at Bonham's Oxford Fine Doll Auction on May 20, 2014 and are lot number 21.  Their catalog entry is as follows:  

A rare set of five felt Steiff Musicians, 1912-1915

"All having black boot button eyes, printed features and jointed at shoulders and hips each standing on a circular wooden base, the rotund trombone player with a pronounced nose and smiling mouth, black and grey cotton thread hair, black rimmed hat, and with a Steiff button to each ear, wearing a felt red shirt with a further sixteen Steiff buttons in two rows to front, blue jacket, black trousers and leather boots, holding a painted gold trombone, 33cm (13in) tall, the similar contra-bass player having a Steiff button to each ear, round hat with tassel and wearing a cream shirt with black boot buttons in a row to centre, a brown jacket, black trousers and black leather boots, holding a painted wooden stringed bass with bow, 33cm (13in) tall, the slimmer clarinet player with up-turned nose, painted ginger hair and Steiff button to left ear, tall grey hat and wearing a long black jacket with three gold buttons, blue trousers and painted shoes, holding a carved wooden clarinet, 36cm (14in) tall, the older slim violin player with pointed nose and chin, painted grey eyebrows and real shoulder-length grey hair, skull-cap and wearing a white shirt with black bow-tie, jacket and trousers, leather shoes, holding a carved wooden stringed violin and bow, Steiff button to left ear, 40cm (15 3/4in) tall, the tall and slim trumpeter with pointed features, painted ginger hair and flat hat, wearing a black jacket with five buttons and trousers, with white collar and bow-tie, leather shoes and Steiff button in left ear, holding a painted gold wooden trumpet, 43cm (17in) tall."

So let's strike up the band and take a look at these five fantastic fellows - from left to right.   

The musician on the far left with the trombone is probably Steiff's Dachau (an area in Upper Bavaria) Farmer pattern.  This doll is 35 cm and was in the line from 1908 through 1928.  This particular doll has three very interesting details that make him extraordinary from the design perspective:  he has a Steiff button in each ear - not just his left one; a horizontal facial seam instead of the more typical vertical seam; and 16 tiny Steiff buttons decorating his red shirt-vest. The original Dachau Farmer doll is pictured above. 

The musician in the brown felt coat with the bass fiddle is most likely Steiff's Alb (a district in Baden-Württemberg) Farmer.  This doll is 35 cm and was in the line from 1908 through 1919.   It is interesting to note that at the turn of last century, Steiff created a series of dolls representing farmers from different areas of Germany, including Brenz, as well as surrounding countries including France and Switzerland.  The original Alb Farmer doll is pictured above, the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book. 

The skinny musician in the middle wearing a dark coat and blue pants and playing the clarinet appears to be Steiff's Alphonse, the character from the comic book series "Happy Hooligans."  This doll is 35 cm and was in the line from 1904 through 1928.   Steiff records show that Alphonse was produced as a pantom or marionette style puppet on roller skates.  The original Steiff Alponse doll had a press voice box hidden under his red felt hat.  Steiff's Alphonse doll is pictured above, the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book.

The violin player very closely resembles the teacher from a small series of Steiff display pieces featuring the theme "school" - which were inspired by a quote from Busch's "Max and Moritz" book. In 1910 Steiff sold 45 complete school displays. A portion of this display can be seen above. The photo is from Theriault's; this set sold for $50,000 in 2012.

Steiffgal is not able to find a close doll match to the horn player on the far right, but his design and proportions are very typical to Steiff's “charakterpuppe” or “caricature” style dolls.  These debuted at the Leipzig spring fair in 1908 and appeared in the line through 1914 - also making a brief appearance again in 1925. These dolls are noted for comical, exaggerated features – such as extremely lean or rotund bodies, huge feet, or cartoon-like faces. Models representing sportsmen, postmen, firemen, policemen, and members of the military were all produced in the “caricature” style.  A typical Steiff long and lean "charakterpuppe" of a policeman is pictured above, the photo is from Christie's.

It's clear that each band mate is a rock star all on his own.  But some collectors might wonder why the the members don't exactly match the photo of the band pictured in the Steiff Sortiment book.  In this picture, which is shown above, it appears that all three musicians shown are in the Dachau farmer pattern.  First of all, it is important to note that the Sortiment cannot possibly capture every version of every Steiff item and multi-part edition produced. But even more importantly, it has been Steiffgal's observation that the Steiff company very frequently "repurposed" existing inventory into other items.  For example, it is not unusual to find an early rabbit, dog, or cat available on its own, on a pincushion, on a tumbler, or on a skittle.  And for very early products that involved collections of things -  like skittle sets or ranges - the actual product mix would vary somewhat, depending on what was on hand and what was in production.  Given that all of these great dolls were produced in the same general time frame, it is Steiffgals' strongest suspicion that this is what is happening here as well.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Steiff's early "Village Band" going up for auction at Bonham's in May, 2014 has been a great intermission for you.

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

UPDATE, May 28, 2014:  Looks like this set hit the top of the charts - under the hammer, that is!  Click on the photo below to check out their selling price...

A Petite Steiff Treat In Honor Of Valentine's Day

In honor of Valentine's Day, the universal holiday of love, Steiffgal thought she'd introduce you to one of her Steiff cupids! Well, this little guy wasn't designed as the sprite with wings and a bow and arrow - but he certainly plays the role of a super sweetheart really well! Come check out this darling Steiff gnome and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.
 

This little lovey certainly gets Steiffgal's heart beating in a big way! Here we have Steiff's gnome named Snik. Snik is 35 cm tall, made of felt, and is leg and head jointed. His oversized hands and feet are remarkably detailed with realistic fingers and toes. His ever-happy face comes to life with a long orange mohair beard and eyebrows, bright green and black glass pupil eyes in felt eye pockets, an impish upturned nose, and a open, red smiling mouth. He wears brown felt shorts, a white cotton shirt, a now faded red pointed cap, and a bright purple belted felt vest that has faded to tan over time. You can't help but notice Snik's enormous wooden and leather clogs - just perfect for yard work (but more on that later!) Snik was produced in 25, 35, and 43 cm from 1927 though 1943.
 

Steiffgal's Snik is based on another very similar felt dwarf (also named Snik) that Steiff produced from 1911 through 1921. Early Snik was made in 22, 30, 43, and 50 cm; he had a purple felt hat and a slightly different facial expression than later Snik. You can see this first Snik pictured here on the left; the photo is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment Book. Early Snik was designed during a most interesting period in the evolution of Steiff dolls. Steiff began commercially producing its first dolls with center-seamed faces around 1904. Most of these were felt; some were velvet. These early dolls were called “caricature” dolls or “charakterpuppe” because they had comical, exaggerated features – such as extremely lean or rotund bodies, huge feet, or cartoon-like faces... much like early and later Snik. In about 1914, Steiff started giving their new doll patterns much more accurate, human proportions, and started moving away from the “charakterpuppe” look. These updated designs became universally embraced for their authenticity, appeal, and charming appearances. So this later Snik, despite his likely production in the late 1920's or early 1930's, is really a nod to Steiff's very early turn of last century “charakterpuppe” doll production and design priorities. 

It was a shoe-in that this clog wearing sweetie would be a hit with collectors for over three decades! Gnomes hold a very special place in the hearts of many Germans and have been a part of European popular culture for centuries. These small, humanoid creatures apparently live underground and are considered auspicious (and a bit mischievous) as well as essential for gardening success! Today, it is not uncommon to see small gnome statues in even the most formally planted and tended gardens across Europe! It is said that gnomes have a lifespan of 400 years and "kiss" by rubbings noses and also use nose rubbing as a greeting equivalent to people shaking hands.  Like our friend Snik under discussion today, "typical" gnomes have red pointy hats, fluffy beards, dark pants, sturdy working shoes, and a sweet expression that reflects the pleasure that comes from a good day at work.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Snik has been a petite treat for you. 
  
Have a question about one of your Steiff treasures? Let's talk! Click here to learn more. 

It's No Trouble At All When It Comes To Steiff's Vintage Max And Moritz Characters

A little mischief is usually a good thing - and that is certainly the case with this most rare Steiff find!  Take a look at this note from Christine, who writes from Canada about a little mobile "mystery man" she picked up on an overseas journey.  She writes in part:

 

"Hi there,

Here is my precious Steiff elf or gnome as a pull toy.  I bought him in France in 1993 and have treasured him ever since.

 

He has the sweetest punk face and great orange hair.

I have not been able to find out a single thing about him or find a similar one on the net. I've seen a monkey pull toy with the same wheels and squeaker… but not my gnome.

 

My sister and I have a vintage home decor shop and I would like to feature him in our Christmas display.

I would love to know if you have ever come across such a fellow or if you know anything about him.

Thanks so very much!

Christine"

 

So just who is this terrific trouble maker?  What Christine has here is none other than Steiff's own "Record Moritz."  The doll itself is the company's version of the very popular fictional character Moritz, who was half of the famous Max and Moritz duo.  Moritz is 25 cm and made entirely from felt.  His hair is made from orange mohair.  He wears a green felt suit and brown felt boots, all which are original to him and integral to his body.  The suit coat has a little collar and flowing tails.  Moritz's face has the typical center seam and is detailed with black button eyes and hand-painted features.  He wears a long trailing "f" style Steiff button in his ear.  Moritz rides upon a pull toy style metal carriage supported by four on-center wooden wheels.  When this toy was new, it would make a little noise when it was gently pulled along.  Steiff produced Record Moritz in this size only from 1916 through 1926.  

 

Although lesser known outside of Europe, Max and Moritz are famous fictional book characters created by the artist and writer Wilhelm Busch around 1865.  These bad boys shared one important mission - to come up with tricks and pranks to play on their friends and neighbors.  The story is written entirely in verse, in rhymed couplets.  Their tale is as popular today as when it was written more than 150 years ago, and remains an important cultural reference and touch point in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.  Busch's contributions have been credited with being the inspiration behind several popular 20th century comic strips, including The Katzenjammer Kids.

Max and Moritz were popular Steiff "regulars" at the turn of last century, as well as a source of many ideas for product development.  The boys themselves were produced as fully jointed dolls in 30 and 35 cm from 1910 through 1926.  You can see these dolls pictured here on the left, the photo is from the Cieslik's wonderful reference book Button in Ear The History of The Teddy Bear and His Friends. Max has black hair usually appeared in a blue suit coat and red shirt; sometimes he wore blue pants, sometimes he was in shorts or pants of another color.  Moritz has orange hair and usually appeared in a green closed suit coat; sometimes he was in plaid pants while other times he was in tan pants.  Like Moritz, Max also appeared as a 25 cm "record" character on a wooden wheeled pulled cart from 1916 through 1927. Steiff also went on to produce several other Busch characters as standard line dolls.

It is interesting to note that a quote from Busch's "Max and Moritz" book was the inspiration behind a small series of Steiff display pieces featuring the theme "school." The quote read... "Good children in pursuit of knowledge apply themselves at school or college..."  According to the Cieslik's book in part... "the most famous is the village school, in two designs: a smaller one with nine dolls as pupils and their teacher, and a larger one with 13 pupils and a teacher.  All school furniture and accessories could be ordered from Steiff.  In 1910 Steiff sold 45 complete school displays." A portion of this display can be seen on the left, the photo is from Theriault's; this set sold for $50,000 at auction in 2012.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Steiff's Max and Moritz has been no trouble at all for you.

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

It's Time For A Little Shut-Eye Over This Sleepy Steiff Character Doll

Wake up! It's time to learn a little something about a dreamy - literally - Steiff treasure!  Take a look at this very short note from a reader who is curious about a toy they purchased for their son several decades ago.  Shawn simply writes,

"Steiffgal,

Hi there, do you know anything about this doll? How old it it?  What is its value?

Best,

Shawn" 

Usually it's lights out on questions with so little information... but in this particular case, this item is so distinct that it truly could only be one thing.  What we have here is Steiff's Sandmännchen or Sandman doll.  He is 25 cm and standing.  His head is made from PVC; his long yellow hair is made from thick yarn.  He has a strand of this yellow yarn under his chin to resemble a beard.  He is dressed in black shoes, denim pants, a red and white striped tee-shirt, a blue felt hat, and a brown velvet corduroy jacket.  His jacket is detailed with a row of decorative Steiff buttons up the front. His Steiff button and yellow tag are inserted in his jacket as his ears are solid and integral to his head. Sandman was made from 1979 through 1981 only.  He was also made as a 30 cm hand puppet during the same time frame.

So who exactly is this sleepy sprite?  Sandman, of European origins, is a mythical character who is best known for bringing good dreams by sprinkling magical sand onto the eyes of children while they sleep at night.  The well known author Hans Christian Andersen wrote several tales about him.  However, there are also tales of sinister Sandman-like characters, that bring bad dreams and even steal children's eyeballs.  Many Americans got to see a version of "Sandman" in action as part of a very popular TV commercial launched during the 2012 NFL Superbowl; the clip of this advertisement can be seen above. 

E. German (L) and W. German (R) versions of "The Sandman"

Steiffgal is certain that this particular Steiff Sandman is the GOOD Sandman, and is based on a German television program called Das Sandmännchen (The Sandman), which ran in West Germany from 1959 through 1991.  The main character of this program is pictured here in the striped shirt and blue cap; you can see his similarities to the Steiff version.  Das Sandmännchen debuted on December 1, 1959. It is interesting to note that East German television had their own program featuring this same character; it was titled Unser Sandmännchen (Our Sandman).  This program debuted on December 22, 1959. The East's version of Sandman looked a bit more like Santa Claus in green with his long beard and white hair.  He is pictured above on the left.  The production of the Western version of Sandmännchen stopped in 1991, following the unification of Germany. However, episodes from the former East German show are still amazingly popular and run on German television today; the character and show even have their own website, which can be found here:  http://www.sandmaennchen.de/.

Now the question that makes Steiffgal want to hit the hay - his value.  As always, Steiffgal is not a formal appraiser and feels that something is worth what someone will pay.  This particular doll is not well known outside of Germany and is still relatively new in terms of age.  It is also made from plastics and synthetic materials, which are not terribly interesting to Steiff "purists."  However, this collectible is seldom seen, in excellent condition with all of its IDs, is absolutely adorable, and has ties to popular culture.  As a result, he probably values in the $125 to $200 range.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Sandmännchen gives you pleasant dreams tonight.

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