The Tail Of Two Marvelous Steiff Midcentury Weasels

Not every toy design Steiff has made has been as precious and endearing as the company's beloved Teddy bears, family pets, and farm friends. In the late 1950's and early 1960's, Steiff launched a whole series of innovative but unconventional designs that can best be described as "creepy crawlers." Most were from the field and forest product categories, and many were produced from unexpected materials. It's pretty safe to say that these items - in real life - would be the last animals most people would want to keep and cuddle as "friends for life!" 

Two of the more unusual editions from this unofficial series have to be a pair of weasels. The first, Wiggy, was made from all white dralon. She had a white pipe cleaner style tail that was detailed with a black tip. She is shown here on the left, you can click on the image to enlarge it. The second was Waggy, who was made from white dralon that was airbrushed brown, and had a brown pipe cleaner tail. She is shown just below; please click on her picture for a more detailed view. 

These marvelous mammals both were cataloged at 12 cm; they physically measured about 3 inches tall and 6 inches long. Both were standing on all fours and unjointed, with felt ears and feet. They came to life with black button eyes, a pink hand embroidered mouth and nose, and clear monofilament whiskers. Both were produced in this size only and for one year in 1962. Today, it is extremely rare to see a Wiggy or Waggy in very good or better condition on the secondary market; their dralon material tends to get dirty and ratty looking, and often times their pipe cleaner tails simply snap off with age and wear.

It is possible that both Wiggy and Waggy are Ermines, which is a woodland animal that lives across North America and Eurasia. Ermines have different coloration over the course of the year. In the warm weather, their coat is brown, with a whitish throat, chest, and belly. In climates with a very cold winter, the fur turns white, except for the black tail tip. In locations with moderately cold weather, their the fur becomes only partly white. So this pair may represent Steiff's take on a winter Ermine (Wiggy) and a summer Ermine (Waggy.)

It's interesting to note that Wiggy and Waggy may have "royal connections" as well. White Ermine fur was traditionally used to decorate the robes of kings and queens in Europe and was seen as a status symbol for the wealthy. Fast forward to today... these 60 years old oddities often play the aristocratic role as the crown jewels in the collections of vintage Steiff enthusiasts around the world.

Steifgal hopes you've enjoyed this tail of two midcentury Steiff rarities!

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

This Steiff Teddy Bear From 1964 Is One Merry Mash-Up!

Talk about hiding in plain sight! Steiffgal was checking out the latest listings on eBay to see if she could find a hidden treasure. And lo and behold, the shopping gods aligned and this rarity appeared out of nowhere! He doesn't look like much - and could be easy to miss. Check out this merry mash-up of a bear and see what makes him so distinctive from the design and marketing perspectives. 

 

Cosy Teddy is 28 cm, unjointed, and softly stuffed. His body shape and proportions are a bit like the company's childlike Lully baby bear. Cozy Teddy is made from white dralon. His paw pads are made from pinky-peach colored dralon. He has four brown dimensional felt claws on each of his paws. His face comes to life with smaller scaled black and white cartoon eyes and a hand embroidered brown nose and mouth. This pattern of facial stitching is similar to that seen on the company's postwar Original Teddy bears. He also has a little airbrushing around his peepers to give them some depth. When he left the factory, Cosy Teddy was decorated with a blue ribbon. This guy was produced in this size only in 1964. He retains his raised script button and bits of his yellow tag as his IDs. Given his washable construction, size, and simplicity, it is quite possible he was designed a hands on plaything for kids. 

 

This bear has two key design elements that make him quite distinctive. First, he has wool felt claws, which is most unusual in the Steiff line. A few other bears from his mid-1960s era, including Zooby the zoo bear, Cosy Nauty the polar bear, and Zipper Nauty the PJ bag, also have this detailing... but the vast majority of Steiff's cubs from all eras have embroidered or painted claws. And second, he sports round black and white plastic cartoon eyes, which are somewhat too small for his face. This configuration is also an outlier in Steiff's bear production. The only other example with this style and scale of eyes Steiffgal can think of is the company's Cosy Bruni Collar bear; he was made from 1965-1966. 

 

Steiff clearly had big plans for Cosy Teddy, as he was the "cover bear" for its 1964 "New Models" catalog. You can see that cover shot here on the left. Like Cosy Teddy, this four page catalog introduced a significant collection of new editions made from dralon materials. This publication is also very interesting because it debuted a number of items that were only produced for a year or so. Steiffgal refers to these now hard to find treasures as "One-derfuls" to note their single year appearance in the line. Cosy Teddy is one of these 1964 "One-derfuls"; others pictured in this brochure include Reinhold the Rhino, Loopy the Wolf, Zipper Cockie, and Sneba the Snowman puppet. Today, many of these rarities top enthusiasts' wish lists given how few were produced over a very short period of time. 

 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Cosy Teddy and his discovery has added a soft spot to your day. 

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

Rounding Out A Ball Animal Collection With This Unusual Steiff Rabbit

Things are really "hoppening" around here with the addition of this delightful rabbit novelty to Steiffgal's collection. Although not terribly vintage, this was the very first of his type Steiffgal had ever seen in person. She saw him in a booth at the 2023 Steiff Sommer Festival, and knew right away he would be one of her souvenirs from a delightful trip. Take a look at this funny bunny and see if he calls to you as well, even if in just a round-about sort of way.

This cheerful-earful is Steiff's Ball Rabbit. He is 16 cm tall (not including his ears), sitting, and head jointed. His ears add another 7 cm to his height. He is softly stuffed with foam. Rabbit is made from longer tan dralon. His ears, muzzle, and foot pads are made from shorter dralon, and his fuzzy chest is made from longer mohair. His face is detailed with round black and white plastic cartoon style eyes, a black hand embroidered nose, monofilament whiskers, and a funny little dimensional mouth made from fabric. He has stenciled footprints on his foot pads and light airbrush highlighting here and there to give him a little more dimension. He retains his original blue silken ribbon. He has a non-working squeaker in his belly. This guy appeared in the line from 1960-1961 in this size only.

Steiff made three ball style animals in the 1960-1961 time frame, and this rabbit is one of them. All were 16 cm, made from dralon, stuffed with foam, and featured a fuzzy mohair chest. The others were Ball Mopsy, a pug, and Ball Sulla, a cat. Overall, these ball animals are really hard to find, especially in good condition — because they were designed to be used as playthings and stuffed with foam, which deteriorates over time, and were made for only a handful of years. Steiffgal is happy to finally have all three versions in her collection. 

Finally, let's take a look at Rabbit's chest tag. It looks original to the item, with wear and loss commensurate to the toy, and the thread appears consistent to Steiff. It notes that his name is Hoppy, which would make sense given he is a rabbit. However, there is no indication in any reference materials that this model was given a name beyond simply "Ball Rabbit." However, the pug and the cat of the same design and era were given playful names, so it is possible that he was named Hoppy for consistency, but this never made it into the records. This sometimes happens when something appears in the line for a very short time. Hoppy was also the name of a running style mohair Steiff rabbit made in 8, 14 and 17 cm from 1950 through 1976. So there is a little overlap there with the name as well. But only Ball Rabbit knows for sure....

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this unusual rounded Steiff rabbit has been a ball for you!

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

This 1960s-Era Steiff Polar Bear Is Footloose And Fancy Free!

Is it possible to be naughty and nice at the same time? And no... this isn't a trick question or have anything to do with Santa Claus! It is in reference to a little known, but very interesting, 1960s era Steiff polar bear. Take a look at this cold weather cutie and see what makes him so cool from the design perspective.

This polar pal's name is Cosy Nauty. He is standing, unjointed, and measures about 15 cm tall and 27 cm wide. He is made from longer white dralon plush, while his inset muzzle is made from shorter white dralon. His paw pads are made from peach colored felt. His face comes to life with black button eyes, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and a touch of airbrushed highlights. His feet are detailed with tiny white felt claws in the shapes of triangles. Nifty Nauty appeared in the line in this size only from 1963-1966.

This polar bear pattern has two really interesting details associated with it. The first is its unusual claw detailing. Steiff most often indicates claws by stitching or paint. In this case, Nauty's claws are three dimensional and made from white felt. You can see a close up of that detailing here on the left. Steiff may have been experimenting with this treatment in the mid-1960s. It is curious that their beloved Zooby Circus bear - produced in 1964 and 1966 - also had white felt triangular claws, while its 28 cm white Cosy Bear from 1964 only featured brown felt triangular claws. These three bears with this similar design element were all the line for only a handful of years. This suggests that this feature was not terribly attractive to buyers, and/or was too costly from the manufacturing perspective.

The second noteworthy thing about Nauty is that he was also produced as an even lesser known novelty item. In 1964, Steiff produced a series of smaller scaled pajama bags. These included a Zipper Cockie (a cocker spaniel) Zipper Zotty (a Zotty bear) and Zipper Nauty (a polar bear). All were 30 cm. Cockie and Zotty were made from mohair while Nauty was produced in white dralon - similar to the full bodied version. And like his namesake, this polar bear PJ bag also featured felt claws. You can see Zipper Nauty and Zipper Zotty pictured here on the left. These Zipper animals appeared in the line through 1966 overall.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's little known Nauty polar bear has helped you to chill out just a bit today!

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

No Need To Lock Horns Over This Mysterious Steiff Ram!

Listen up... and check out this interesting question about this big horned sheep! A reader from Germany asks about a mysterious button-in-ear ram from his personal collection. Patrick shares,

"In my Steiff collection I have a ram (bought at an auction 3 or 4 years ago), which looks like the ram Wotan. But it is made of 80% Dralon & 20% cotton and NOT like Wotan of Wool plush. Also the size is 19 cm, (Wotan 12 or 22 cm) and length 24 cm. The number on the eartag is 3452/19 and the name on the chesttag: Original. So it is definitely not Wotan. But I cannot find details in the Pfeiffer-Book, nor in other literature about Steiff. Therefore I would be glad, if you could help me, with further details: When was the animal produced, is it a unique piece, a prototype a promotional animal or what's with this mysterious ram?"

Let's take a look at Steiff's postwar ram design in order to better understand where this example may fit from the product development perspective. Patrick mentions Wotan, Steiff's beloved midcentury ram. Wotan is pictured here on the left. Wotan is standing, unjointed, and made from brown tipped, cream colored wool plush. His face, arms, and legs are made from cream colored wool plush. His face is detailed with black and green slit pupil eyes, light brown airbrushing highlights, and a simple hand embroidered nose. Clearly his most impressive features are his huge, oversized antlers, which are curled and made from double thick felt. They are brought to life with brown paint to give them texture. Wotan appeared in the line from 1966 through 1973 in 12 and 22 cm. It is possible that he was produced as part of Steiff's little known Zodiac series of the mid-1960s, as the ram represents the sign "Aries." 

Dating is key here, and Patrick's ram has distinctive IDs that help make this possible. His lentil button was used on items from c. 1969-1977. His split style chest tag was introduced in c. 1972. And his yellow tag appeared from c. 1969/70 through 1980. Given all these dates, the EARLIEST this item could have been produced was 1972.  

Now let's check out this ram's other details. Patrick's ram is made from dralon and cotton. These materials were very popular in the mid-1970s at Steiff for a few reasons. Dralon was a tough, durable fabric that cleaned up nicely and was great for soft toy production. It was also MUCH less expensive than mohair and felt, Steiff's traditional woolen fabrics. In the 1970s, Steiff was under a lot of pressure to reduce costs and become more competitive as toymakers from all over the world were creating innovative, inexpensive, and appealing products that competed with Steiff's core lines.

So what does all of this mean? Given its timing, materials, and manufacturing details, Steiffgal suspects that Patrick's dralon ram was designed and produced to take the place of the wool plush Wootan ram. This design is somewhat simplified, is made from cheaper fabric, and is more of a toy than a collectible. As Wootan ceased production in 1973, it would make sense that this model replaced him in the mid-1970s. Maybe a few were made, or maybe only samples were produced. In the big picture, rams are not all that popular as playthings, which may explain why this particular design was not produced on a commercial scale for the general line.  Click here for an analogous product development situation with the company's beloved Xorry fox.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Patrick's mysterious ram has unlocked many horns with you!

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

The Boys Are Back In Town!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, at least around these parts. Lights are going up, store windows tempt with seasonal displays and goodies, and traditional treats like candy canes, gingerbread men, and fruitcake line the shelves of most grocery stores. The only thing missing, so far, is a little snow to make the experience complete. But that can be remedied right here! To help nature along, here's a quick look at Steiff's history of snowman production.

Despite producing many snow-related dolls, animals, and accessories in the prewar period, it was not until 1955 that Steiff produced its first actual snowman. This fellow was 25 cm, very plump, and made from white wool plush. His flat feet, designed for standing, had felt pads. He wore a red felt hat and an orange felt scarf, had white woolie buttons down his front, and carried a tiny Christmas tree in his hands. His face came to life with black glass eyes and a dimensional nose and mouth. His article number 7525, corresponded to 7 = in caricature, 5 = wool plush, and 25 = 25 cm tall. He was made as an exclusive for the US market, is insanely rare, and tops the wish lists of many collectors today. The most recent publicly documented sale Steiffgal could find was in January, 2020 when a nice example sold for $1,143 on eBay. The picture on the left is from Worthpoint.

Steiff's next snowman was also a hands down rarity. In 1964, Steiff introduced its Sneba Snowman puppet. He was 17 cm, unjointed, and made from white dralon. His fingertips and head were stuffed with excelsior. His face was detailed with black eyes, an orange felt nose, a red stitched mouth, and a touch of pink blush on his cheeks. He had two black "coal" woolen pompoms on his chest, and his proper topper was a black felt hat. Sneba was made for only one year and is one of the most sought after postwar puppets as well as items. Like his wool plush cousin from the 1950s, he is as rare as hen's teeth. The picture on the left is from Steiffgal's collection.  

It would not be until the 1990s that snowmen would appear again in the Steiff line, but this time with more regularity. The largest standard line one to date was the company's 32 cm Teddy Bear Snowman from 1996. He was made from white mohair, head and arm jointed, and wore a black felt top hat. His face was detailed with an orange mohair nose and black button eyes. His accessories included matching black buttons down the front of his body and a broom made from wood and mohair. A few years later, In 2001, the company produced a series of 21 cm snowmen, including one wearing a blue and white cap and scarf for the German market, and one wearing a green and red cap and scarf for the American market. And perhaps the most appealing example from that era was the company's 18 cm Snowman and Raven duo, which was produced in an edition size of 3,000 pieces in 2002-2003. These happy friends from Steiffgal's collection are pictured here on the left. 

Given their universal charm, it was no surprise that Steiff produced smaller scaled mohair snowmen as holiday ornaments. An early, if not the earliest one, was a 12 cm, arm and head jointed version wearing a red top hat and carrying a straw and wooden broom made as an exclusive for Disney in 1998. A somewhat similarly designed version in 13 cm but wearing a black top hat was made as a limited edition for the USA in 5,000 pieces that same year. In 1999, a 12 cm version wearing a blue enameled hat and carrying a tiny Christmas tree topped many Steiff collector's holiday wish lists. And more recently, the company's "Mr. Winter" white mohair snowman ornament from 2016 held two ski poles; this frosty friend on the go is pictured here on the left. The image is from Amazon.com.

Snowmen were also produced by Steiff as novelties and licensed articles, including Olaf from Disney's Frozen. It's kind of interesting to note that Steiff never made a woolen miniature snowman, even though the pom-pom format would have worked well with their traditionally ball-like forms. A fun novelty example - based on a legacy toy pattern from the turn of last century - was the company's limited edition Roly Poly snowman from 2005. He was 18 cm tall, made from white mohair, and was head and arm jointed. He wore a black felt hat and carried a broom. His face came to life with black button eyes, a red button nose, a red embroidered mouth, and a pipe. Within the last few years, Steiff created a series of mohair and plush snowmen based on the Snowman made famous by English illustrator and author Raymond Briggs. A particularly charming one from this collection was a 13 cm tall, white mohair ornament. Like his namesake, he wore a matching woolen scarf and hat. He was detailed with black button eyes, an orange embroidered mouth, and a black embroidered mouth. He had three black embroidered buttons on his chest, and a white ribbon sewn into his back for hanging. This ornament was made in an edition size of in 2015 as a special for the UK and Ireland. The picture on the left is from Steiffgal's collection.  

Steiffgal hopes this snowman seminar has melted your heart, just a bit, in the most delightful way possible. 

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

These Steiff Auction Apes Are More Fun Than A Barrel Full of Monkeys!

It's no secret that Steiffgal is just bananas over Steiff's monkeys from any era. So she was thrilled to see a number of important ones coming up for sale at Potter & Potter's Eclectible Collectible Auction to be held on June 20, 2020. This event features over 120 lots of super sweet Steiff finds, including a ton of prototypes, one-of-a-kinds, hand samples, and unproduced items. So without further ado, let's monkey around a bit and check out some of these premier primates.

It's all fun and games when it comes to this first marvelous monkey. It is lot #90 and cataloged as: "Steiff Jocko Football Player [FAO Schwarz Exclusive]. 1970s. Mohair Jocko in a football uniform, issued exclusively through FAO Schwarz in the early 1970s. 11”. No tags. Uncommon." This athletic ape is estimated at $80-150.  Jocko looks to be in fine shape but is missing his original felt football helmet. This often happens over time when an accessory is not sewn onto an item. The rest of his outfit appears to be in fine condition. And how can you resist his "wild and crazy" blue dralon jersey? Jocko as a football player would be a great fit for a monkey, football, F.A.O. Schwarz, or "wacky 70's" collection.  

Given his time in the line (over a century!) and his global appeal, Jocko has been created in many different materials, forms, and novelties over time. Steiff and F.A.O. Schwarz began their partnership in 1906. Early post World War II, Steiff began creating a series of exclusive products for F.A.O. Schwarz. Some were entirely novel, while others - like this Jocko -  were tweaks and modifications of existing standard line items. Football playing Jocko appeared in the line from 1972-1973 and is considered relatively rare on the secondary market. He is pictured here on the left how he looked when he left the factory in Giengen almost 50 years ago; the image is from Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Sortiment. 

Steiffgal's willing to go out on a limb for her next primate pick. Here we have Steiff's replica 1903 monkey with extraordinarily long arms and legs. It is lot #85 and cataloged as: "Steiff Monkey 1903 Replica Limited Edition. 2004. From an edition of 1,000. White tag. Brown distressed mohair, felt paws and face. Height 24”. Joints a little tender." This tall drink of water is estimated at $125-250. He has a marvelous, old fashioned look to him, including charming, oversized felt hands and feet. Given his scale and personality, he would be a great focal point for any room needing a little monkeyshines.

This design is a key one in Steiff's product development timeline. In his cataloging, this early ape is described as having "tender joints." Given he is string jointed, it is Steiffgal's suspicion that his joints are a bit wobbly, as they would be in a string jointed item. Steiff's first jointed animals were jointed with string. As you can imagine, these sorts of joints were not durable and broke easily, rendering the toys practically useless. Lot #17, a replica PB55, is another example an early Steiff string jointed animal.  Steiff next experimented with rod jointing. However, this metal infrastructure added a lot of weight - and alot of "uncuddliness" to items. Rod jointed items appeared in the line from c. 1904-1905. Lot #26, a replica 1904 bear, is a nice example of a rod jointed Steiff bear.  Then from c. 1905 onward, Steiff used a cardboard disk and metal pin jointing system, which is still part of production today. You can see the original 1903 string jointed monkey "dancing" with Steiff's original string jointed Teddy bear from company's turn of last century catalog page pictured above; the image is from the Cieslik's Button In Ear The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends. 

And the eyes have it with Steiffgal's third monkey auction highlight. Here we have Steiff's Mimocculo orangutan replica. It is lot #86 and cataloged as: "Steiff Mimocculo 1930 Replica Limited Edition. 1998. Number 111 of an edition of 3,000. Features a squeaker, moving eyes, rust mohair, jointed arms and legs. Height 13”. He is estimated at $125-250. This irresistible and quirky monkey is quite the looker - from his fantastically colored mohair to his incredibly detailed felt facial mask.

Marvelous Mimocculo has both looks and brains... and is also a feat of precise engineering. What makes both the original and replica Mimocculos so unique are their moving eye features. When you pull on his ear, his glass eyeballs move left and right, as well as up and down! The Mimocculo pattern was originally 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. In 2016, Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion sold a working version of eye rolling Mimocculo for close to $7,400! He is pictured here on the left; the photo is from www.liveauctioneers.com. In the early 1930s, one of Steiff's business development strategies was to produce very high end mechanical novelties, and this is a perfect example of that. So as they say, here's looking at you kid... literally!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on some of Potter's June 20, 2020 Steiff primate sale highlights has been more fun than a barrel full of monkeys!  You can learn more about this sale and check out the entire catalog by clicking here.

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

Just Who Is This Cunning Little Vixen?

It's easier to solve a mystery when you have material evidence at hand. And such is the case with today's Steiff conundrum. Check out this sweet, albeit sly, little gal. She's clearly a fox made by Steiff. But she does not appear in any reference books Steiffgal can find, and something about her is quite unusual. Read on to learn more.

This foxy friend is 12 cm, sitting, and unjointed. She is made from dralon and mohair; tan dralon on most of her body and tail, white dralon on her chest, and mohair on her muzzle. Her ears are lined in peach colored trivera velvet. She has lost her button, but has a small hole in her ear where it once resided. The backs of her ears, her feet, and her back are highlighted with black airbrushing. Her pensive face comes to life with brown and black pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and a bit of black airbrushing to highlight her eyes.

So just what makes this fox a cunning little vixen? She certainly has a strong resemblance to Steiff's beloved Xorry Desert fox pattern. This sitting, unjointed fox was made in 12 and 17 cm from 1957 through 1970. Xorry Desert fox is different than the company's standing, unjointed Xorry fox, which was produced in 11, 18, and 28 cm from 1960 through 1969. Both Xorry patterns were made from mohair. However, the Xorry under discussion here is made from mostly dralon, and other 1970-era fabrics.

Let's try and outfox her material-mashup. In the 1960s and 1970s, Steiff produced a great number of toy items in dralon materials. At the time, it was a good solution for toy making as it was relatively easy to work with, very durable, washable, and less expensive than fine woolen fabrics. Starting in the early to mid 1970s, Steiff included a touch of mohair fabrics on items that were predominately made from synthetic fabrics - perhaps to give them a more "upscale" presentation. For example the company's 12 and 18 cm Snuffy rabbit from 1974-1982 has mohair on the back of his ears, top of his tail, and on his two front legs. And their mostly dralon 18 and 25 cm Tapsy Bear Cub from 1972-1978 features a mohair muzzle.

Given all of this, it is Steiffgal's best thinking that this little dralon fox with mohair detailing was made as a sample, or in a very low production run, in the mid-1970s. Its mix of materials and familiar pattern strongly suggest that it was designed as possible lower-cost, next version alternative to the company's 1957-1970 timeframe mohair Xorry Desert Fox - but never released on a commercial scale.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this unusual Desert Fox has given you the warm and fuzzies. 

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

Satisfying Your Rabbit-Habit With These Two Great Easter Finds

What would you like to find in your Easter basket? A chocolate bunny, some neon-colored marshmallow Peeps, and jelly beans would be a good start for sure. But how about a Steiff rabbit surprise as well? No Steiff collector would say no to that! Steiffgal recently welcomed two Steiff rabbit rarities into her hug. Given the Easter rabbit is about to make his grand annual appearance, she though it would be a perfect time to share these honey-bunnies with the Steiff loving community.

It's a clothes call with this first cheerful-earful. Here we have Steiff's "Zappy" rabbit. He is 25 cm, head jointed, and made mostly from tan and white dralon. His footpads and the lining of his ears are the same dralon color - a very light peach. He is wearing green felt shorts and rust-brown felt suspenders. Little silver buttons join the suspenders to the shorts. His face is detailed with large brown and black pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered nose and mouth, pink airbrushing, and lots of clear monofilament whiskers. His IDs include a raised script button, a fully legible yellow ear tag which is numbered 8625,00, and a colorful, named, bear faced chest tag. His article number corresponds to 8=dolls and figures, 6=dralon plush, 25=25 cm, 00=without wheels and "normal color." Zappy was produced in this size only from 1966 through 1974.

So what secrets does Zappy hide deep within his rabbit den? It is interesting that at least from his numbering, we can tell that Steiff categorized this design more of a doll than a rabbit. And, a close look through the Sortiment reveals that he does indeed "live" in the dolls and figures chapter, not in the rabbits chapter. Awhile back, Steiffgal handled another example but that Zappy had lentil style Steiff buttons on his shorts, not plain ones like the example under discussion today. Zappy is one of the very last dressed animal dolls Steiff produced as part of its standard line. Steiff's animal dolls debuted in the late 1920's and were noted for their hybrid animal/human proportions and great outfits. Over time, their designs and clothing were simplified; the debut animals were made of mohair, fully jointed, and dressed to the nines. This dralon version with basic felt shorts truly represents the end of the line for Steiff's legacy animal doll production.

It's easy to warm up to this second Steiff rabbit rarity. This bunny is begging, unjointed, and measures 22 cm without ears and 28 cm with them. Her face, arms, legs, and ears are made from long tan dralon. The lining of her ears is made from apricot colored dralon. Her muzzle area is made from velour-like material. Her face comes to life with oversized black and brown pupil eyes, a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth augmented with brown paint, and clear monofilament whiskers. Bunny's body, which is shaped like an egg, is hollow and made from short green dralon. It is decorated with a red and yellow felt flower on a green felt stem. Her Steiff IDs include a lentil style button, a fully legible yellow ear tag, and a red and yellow split style generic chest tag. Steiffgal cannot find any mention of this item in any of the standard Steiff reference books. Given her arrangement of IDs, it is her best guess that this mystery rabbit was made in the c. 1972-1977 time frame. 

So just why is this rabbit hot stuff? It is Steiffgal's best guess that she was originally designed as a hot water bottle animal for a small child, given her size, appearance, and form. Her belly is hollow, and you can open and close it up on the back via strips of velcro. Her belly is also lined in an unusual, rigid material that probably has some heat-regulating properties to it. This fabric was probably put inside the rabbit to insulate it, as well as protect a child from getting scalded if the hot water bottle inside the rabbit's belly was extremely hot. However, this example did not come with the interior bottle, so it is impossible to guess what it looked liked or how it actually navigated within the the body cavity.

Steiff has a long history of creating fun and functional items, including purses, pajama bags, egg cozies, and other rarities - including hot water bottle animals. Most collectors are familiar with the company's adorable and fabulous hot water bottle bears, which were originally produced at the turn of last century in response to record cold winters in Berlin. Only a handful of these lace-up, mohair cubs were manufactured, and they always garner enormous collector's interest when they appear at auction. As far as Steiffgal is aware, this relatively modern hot water bottle rabbit is one of the few (if not the only) postwar hot water bottle animals made by Steiff.  

Steiffgal hopes that this discussion on these two rare Easter bunnies has satisfied your rabbit-habit!

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.

This Unusual Steiff Rabbit Is a 14 Carrot Find!

It's always fun to come across a Steiff time capsule - a button-in-ear treasure that was made decades ago but looks as though it was born yesterday!  Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of homing a charming rabbit that meets that criteria exactly.  And despite his relatively simple presentation, he's got some some not so obvious detailing that makes him quite interesting from the product development perspectives. Check out this honey-bunny and see what makes him a 14 carrot find!

This black and white beauty is named Snuffy. He is 18 cm, sitting and not jointed. Snuffy is constructed from a variety of materials. His head and body are made from black imitation fur that has a distinctive sparkle to it. His chest and underside are made from soft white imitation fur. His ears are lined in white dralon. And the back of his ears, top of his tail, and his two front legs are made from black mohair. His face comes to life with oversized blue and black pupil eyes, a simple pink hand embroidered nose and mouth, and lots of clear monofilament whiskers. He retains his original red ribbon, as well as his lentil style button, crisp and fully legible yellow ear tag, named "split style" chest tag, and red wooden F.A.O. Schwarz tag. This model was produced overall in 12 and 18 cm from 1974 through 1982 in beige and white, gray and white, and black and white.  

Given his manufacturing timeline and ID configuration, it is safe to deduce that Snuffy was "born" in the 1974 though 1977 timeframe and purchased at the high end toy retailer F.A.O. Schwarz somewhere in the United States. Snuffy also came with his red, yellow, and orange Steiff box which retained its original F.A.O. Schwarz price tag. His price at the time was $8.95.  $8.95 in 1974 dollars is the equivalent of about $44.09 today.  

Now let's see if we can stitch together a reason for his unusual and diverse material selection. Given his small size and intended use as toy, it is interesting that so many fabrics were used in his construction. He is made from mohair, dralon, and imitation fur. These three selections reflect distinctive eras in Steiff's manufacturing timeline - but Snuffy's birth years overlap all three.  

Here's how his pattern emerges. Mohair is Snuffy's most expensive and exclusive fabric; this legacy material was used extensively through the 1970's and gave the company's items a traditional, high quality look and feel. Steiff featured dralon fabrics in their plaything lines in the c. 1965-1975 period when the company was focused on producing washable and durable toys for children. And, imitation fur made a brief appearance in the line in the mid to late 1970's before being mostly replaced by woven fur in the early 1980's. Imitation fur's modern appearance, soft touch, and relatively low cost made it an appealing fabric choice at the time as the company faced sharp competition for market share and new manufacturing challenges.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's interesting Snuffy rabbit has made a material improvement in your day!

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

Just When You Think You Have Seen Everything...

Have you ever said to yourself... there's no question about it, I have definitely seen it all? That's what Steiffgal thought in terms of Steiff, and now she has egg on her face. Apparently with Steiff, that's clearly impossible! Recently, Steiffgal was invited on a "housecall" to see a most unusual treasure.  And guess who was there to greet her? Check out this fantastic, fine feathered friend and see what makes him so interesting from the design and collector's perspectives.

Bird's the word when it comes to this enormous Steiff display ostrich. He is standing, unjointed, excelsior stuffed, and extremely lifelike! He stands at 220 cm, or about 7-1/2 feet tall. (He's so large that Steiffgal had to stand on a sofa to take a full body photo of him!) He has an internal metal "skeleton" for structure and stability. His head comes off for ease of packing and shipping. Starting from the top, his head and neck are made of white and tan dralon. His beak is made from yellow felt, and he has oversized brown and black pupil eyes and long eyelashes. (Steiffgal's studio zebra, from the same era, has these identical eyes and eyelash detailing.) Ostrich's face comes to life with black airbrushed highlights. His body and wings are made from very long, black, wavy mohair, while his tail feathers are made from the same style mohair in white. His muscular looking legs are totally fabulous, and made from short yellow mohair that has been highlighted and sculpted with black airbrushing. His feet have two "toes" on each, and have a metal support rod in them to help with standing and stability. At one time, he may have had a metal base to help with this as well.

This marvelous bird - clearly outstanding in so many ways - was produced by Steiff in 1960 and 1967 only, according to Steiff publications. 

Ostrich also has a great owner history. He was purchased in the very early 1970's as a "gag" birthday gift for his owner, who is indeed a Steiff collector. She had originally wanted a Steiff studio deer, but when her college sorority sisters went to try and purchase one at Kaufman's Department Store in Pennsylvania, the retailer did not have one in stock. However, they did have this ostrich available. It originally was priced at $350 - a lot of money at the time, and even more so when you are a college student - but was marked down to $50. The friends did not have enough money in their pockets at the time, so they went to other friends so they could contribute towards the ostrich. They quickly collected $5 from 10 friends, and purchased the ostrich for the owner. Of course, the gift was enormously successful, and today, almost 50 years later, the ostrich remains the star of the family's Steiff collection. 

Today, the ostrich "feathers the nest" of her daughter and son-in-law's family living room and makes for quite the focal point indeed.

Interest in these "big birds" has really taken flight recently. At the June, 2016 toy sale at Morphy Auctions in Denver, PA, five vintage Steiff display birds came under the hammer. There was enormous, global interest in this event's Steiff studio peacock, vulture, turkey, flamingo, and parrot. The turkey was the star of the day - which is pretty unusual for the species, except at Thanksgiving - realizing $5,185! It is Steiffgal's guess, given this recent sales history and having seen this ostrich firsthand, that this piece would probably sell at auction at this level as well. Now that's what Steiffgal would call a pretty good nest egg.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this rare Steiff ostrich has been a larger than life experience for you.  

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

Steiff Studio Birds of a Feather Flock Together At Morphy Auctions' June Sales Event!

Care to feather your nest with Steiff's fantastic birds? Then Steiffgal's got a hot tip for you! There is a totally amazing selection of Steiff birds - including incredibly rare Studio examples - coming up for sale at the upcoming Morphy Auctions' premier toy sale at the end of June. Here are three larger-than-life rarities that really took flight with her!

Isn't she pretty in pink? There's no denying that this first pick, a Steiff Studio flamingo, is truly in a class by itself. This item, lot #819 in the sale, is cataloged as...

"This fantastic Steiff flamingo would light up any room with a tropical ray of sunshine! This big bird measures 65 inches tall. He is standing, unjointed, and made from a variety of materials, including short mohair, longer decorative hair, dralon, and synthetic leather. His very long legs are made from metal and detailed with realistic knees and feet. His wings are made from mohair that has been airbrushed in shades of pink and black. His tail and tail feathers are made from black and white felt. His head and neck are detachable and fit via two prongs into his chest area. Flamingo's face comes alive with gold, green and black eyes and a rubber beak and facial mask. This rubber is drying and has minor losses around the eye areas but is otherwise fine. Flamingo has his button and hand written yellow tag as his Steiff IDs. This is the first Studio flamingo this cataloger has handled. Flamingo was produced in the 1960's and came in this size only. Condition: As noted. With light surface dust and light fading; overall in very good condition. Provenance: From a fine New England collection. Estimate: $1,000-2,000."

Bird's certainly the word with this absolute rarity. Her height, presentation, personality, and coloring are incredibly distinctive. And although she has a huge presence, she takes up very little footprint in any room so she's really easy to display. Flamingos, despite their beauty and cultural appeal, have only been produced a handful of times by Steiff in the past. Steiffgal's favorite by far was a 2004 limited edition made in mohair in an edition size of 1,500 pieces for North America. This beautiful pink bird was named "Gloria" as a nod to musician Gloria Estefan of the group "Miami Sound Machine." Steiffgal's Gloria is pictured here on the left. 

The next big bird highlight is certain to whet your appetite. Here we have, of all things, a Steiff Studio turkey. This Thanksgiving favorite, lot #831 in the sale, is cataloged as...

"Any Steiff collector would be more than thankful to have this big bird in their collection. Turkey measures approximately 30' tall and 30' wide. He is standing, unjointed, and made from tan and black mohair, longer decorative hair, and felt. His legs and feet are made from metal and covered in grey felt. His elaborate wings, tail feathers, and body are made from mohair that has been vibrantly and realistically airbrushed in shades of brown, green, and pink - giving the appearance of feathers and feathering. His head and tail feathers are detachable for storage and shipping. His head and neck are made from a solid piece of molded rubber with large shiny black eyes. This whole area is quite authentic looking, and is finished in shades of pink, grey, and tan. The underside of his head is signed by Hans Otto and Steiff and his wife, most likely during the 1980's when this couple visited the United States on Steiff goodwill tours. Turkey has his button and traces of his yellow tag as his Steiff IDs. This is the first Studio turkey this cataloger has handled. Turkey was produced in 1967 and came in this size only. Condition: As noted. Very small holes in felt feet. With light surface dust and light fading; overall in very good condition. Provenance: From a fine New England collection. Estimate: $1,000-2,000."

It's time to talk turkey about this amazing piece!  Steiffgal has seen this example in the flesh (or in the feathers, in this case) so she can say with all honesty that he is extraordinarily impressive.  His coloring, materials, and construction are simply marvelous.  But, if you are considering adding him to your flock, please take into consideration his size - he requires a very large space to display, given his dimensions and attitude!  Like his cousin the flamingo mentioned above, Steiff also hasn't produced very many turkeys over the years.  The best known ones include silly mohair Tucky and dralon Putty.  Steiffgal happens to love turkeys, and not just because they are one of the state birds of Massachusetts (where she lives) or that a flock of wild ones live in the park across the street from her home. Her favorite Steiff turkey is Tommy, who was produced in a limited edition size of 1,500 for the US market in 2005, and is named after one of Steiff's longest serving mid-west sales reps. Tommy is pictured here on the left. 

Three's a charm when it comes to this last fantastic Steiff Studio bird up for sale at Morphy's.  Here we have a life sized vulture - yup, a vulture.  This super scavenger, lot #836, is cataloged as...

"This seldom if ever seen Steiff Studio vulture does not appear in Pfeiffer's Steiff Sortiment, collector's go-to Steiff reference book. He measures 22 inches tall with a wingspan of at least 24 inches. He is standing, unjointed, and made from a variety of materials, including mohair, woven plush, and dralon. A few of his breathtaking details include huge mohair feet with rubber claws; impressive, dimensional outstretched wings and tail feathers that are die cut, airbrushed, and trimmed in white fur; and a "collar" of white fur around his neck. His face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes, copious airbrushing, and a rubber beak. This beak is loose and has dried out. The bottom section has crumbled and fallen off, but is included in the lot. Vulture retains his button and oversized, hand written yellow tag as his Steiff IDs. This is the first Studio vulture this cataloger has handled. Vulture was most likely produced in the mid-1960's, based on his materials and design details. Condition: As noted. With light surface dust and light fading; overall in very good condition. Provenance: From a fine New England collection. Estimate: $1,000-2,000."

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, "What an odd bird?" And Steiffgal would have to agree.  But, one thing that makes Steiff so incredibly fun to study, and collect over time, are kooky, undocumented rarities such as this one from the 1960's.  And, believe it or not, that was not the only Studio vulture the company produced over the years.  From 1995-2003, Steiff manufactured a 45 cm Studio vulture on a commercial scale. An example of this more modern version is pictured here on the left.  He was made from woven fur and like a real vulture, has a bald head - which plays a key role in helping the bird cool off in the summer and warm up in the winter.   

Steiffgal hopes you have enjoyed this bird's eye view of some of the fine feathered friends coming up for sale at Morphy Auctions three day Premier Toy Sale Event on June 24th-26th, 2016.  All Steiff lots will go under the hammer on June 25th starting at 9am. For more information on the sale, and the entire online catalog, please click here!

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