Getting Cosi With Steiff's Poodle Named Tosi

Poodles are amongst the most popular dog breeds globally and are regularly celebrated for their distinctive good looks, superior intelligence, and fun-loving personalities. These wonderful dogs, often sporting fantastic hair-dos, are so important to Steiff that several were featured in the company's debut catalog in the early 1890's. Since then, Poodles have appeared almost continuously in the Steiff line to this day.

One of the rarer Steiff poodles, Tosi, tops the wish lists of many collectors today. This is most likely due to her unique presentation, unusual detailing, and place in the company's product development timeline. A deeper dive into her history suggests she is a case study in early postwar design, development, and distribution. Here is the story behind this precious pup!

Given the breed's appeal, Steiff started manufacturing Poodles as soon as possible once the factory reopened for toy making business after the conclusion of WWII. The first new postwar Steiff Poodle design was Tosi. Here you can see her on the cover of the company's 1950 product catalog. Tosi's design strategy was based on two of Steiff's key business drivers at the time - to produce quality, appealing toys as quickly and efficiently as possible and to regain their status as a premier, worldwide toy manufacturer. However, Steiff still had alot to manage operationally in the earliest midcentury period, including rebuilding their infrastructure, optimizing new regulations and distribution channels, and dealing with material and talent shortages, among other factors.

Many of Tosi's design elements reflects these postwar realities. She was standing and simple in design and only head jointed in the larger sizes. She had minimal seams and labor intensive details. Because mohair fabrics during this period were limited and expensive, this model was made from wool plush. Her coat was in a "Karakul" trim, meaning that it was fluffy but uniformly the same length all over her body. This gave her a sweet and youthful appearance, but also required no additional hand-trimming or work on her legs and torso. Tosi's face was detailed with a round, black glass button nose and soulful, almond shaped white, brown, and black eyes. These facial features did not require facial hand embroidery, which can be time consuming and require special expertise to execute. Her accessory was a simple red leather collar, which was easy to manufacture and attach to the dog. And, her small size and compact form made her light and easy to pack and ship worldwide. Here on the left you can see Tosi in a variety of color and size combinations as she appeared in Steiff's 1950 new product catalog. 

Overall, Tosi was produced in black or white wool plush in four sizes ranging from 14 to 28 cm from 1950 through 1953. Because of her time of manufacturer, Tosi would have left the factory with either a short trailing f, blank, or raised script button; yellow ear tag; a red or blue imprinted chest tag; and a cloth US Zone tag in her leg seam as her Steiff IDs. You can see these IDs on the white Tosi above; the image is from www.invaluable.com. Examples in excellent to as new condition with all IDs today can trade hands in the high three digits - low four digit range.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Tosi poodles has you feeling quite rosy!

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

Hold Everything And Check Out This Unusual Steiff Poodle PJ Bag!

Care to noodle a most mysterious poodle? Then check out this delightful Steiff Snobby - in the form of a pajama bag! This mohair marvel appeared out of nowhere on an online auction, and Steiffgal had no idea this pattern even existed. She studied her listing closely, first suspecting she was "mommy made" or even a "Frankenstein" item - made of bits and pieces of other items sewn together to make a "new" item. But a careful check of the photos detailing her construction and materials - including her zipper pull, belly lining, and seaming - confirmed she truly was all original. Cue the happy dance!

This nifty napper measures about 23 inches long, is lying flat on her belly, and unjointed. She is in the form of Steiff's legacy, mid-1950s Snobby poodle. Her arms, legs, beard and forehead are made from very long, soft grey mohair while her body, feet, tail, ears, and face are made from shorter matching grey mohair. Her face is detailed with lovely tricolored glass pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and a round, red felt tongue. On her belly, she has a long, silver colored zipper; when you pull it open, her hollow belly is lined in a lovely grey colored silken material. This pajama bag retains its raised script button in ear as its Steiff ID. She is in great, clean condition with little or no playwear to her at all. 

Pajama bag Snobby is clearly part of the Steiff Snobby poodle family tree. This classic Snobby pattern made its debut in 1953 as a full bodied, standing pup and appeared in the line through 1974 in 10, 14, 22, 35, and 43 cm. The design proved so popular that it was soon being produced in a number of novelties, including a riding toy, a puppet, and as a soft, curled up resting animal, among others However, Steiffgal cannot find reference anywhere to a standard line Steiff Snobby pajama bag.

However, there is precedence for sleepers like this. Steiff produced a fantastic, beautifully rendered mohair pajama bag as an exclusive for F.A.O. Schwarz from 1962 - 1972 in the form of a walrus. Like this Snobby, the walrus also has an identical zipper down its belly and a silk lined interior. And Steiffgal has a similarly constructed and also undocumented large black and white mohair Cockie Cocker Spaniel pajama bag, as well as a mohair lying tiger pajama bag. She does know through the original owner of the Cockie bag that he was purchased at F.A.O Schwarz as well in the late 1960s or early 1970s. This hints that Pajama bag Snobby might have been produced in a very small edition size for F.A.O. Schwarz, or another upscale toy retailer, during this time frame as well.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this Steiff Snobby pajama bag has added a little zip to your day.

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

Care To Get Cosy With Steiff's Marvelous Tosi?

Care to noodle a delightful and unusual Poodle? Then look no further than Steiff's midcentury "curly girl" production! During a handful of years in the 1950s, Steiff introduced a number of interesting and specialty Poodles, including Maidy, a few named Snobby, and even a long legged lovely named SnobbyLac. However, one particular model has always caught Steiffgal's eye for her simplicity, authenticity, and relative rarity. Check out this mid-century marvel and see what makes her so noteworthy from the design and product development perspectives.

So let's get cosy with Steiff's lovely Tosi! Tosi is standing, head jointed, and made from thick, lush, white wool plush. She measures 17 cm tall and 21 cm wide. Her simple, earnest face is detailed with a black glass button nose, brown and black glass pupil eyes, and a black hand embroidered nose. Other Tosi dogs Steiffgal knows of have soulful, almond shaped white, brown, and black eyes. It is her guess that Steiff probably used what eyes they had on hand at the time when producing her. Tosi's coat is in what is referred to as a "Karakul" trim, meaning that it is fluffy but uniformly the same length all over her body. She has a small, pert tail. Sadly, her red leather collar has been lost to time. 

Overall, Tosi was produced in 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm in white or black from 1950 through 1953. Because of her time of manufacturer, her factory original IDs would have included a red-imprinted chest tag and a US Zone tag in her leg seam. Her ear button options could have included a short trailing "f" button, a blank button, a STEIFF all caps button, or even a raised script button. All of these different buttons have been noted on items from the very early 1950s. 

Tosi was Steiff's debut postwar Poodle and her materials and form really reflect her time in the line. In terms of her fabric - she is made from wool plush. This material, which also appeared in the line on many standard line Steiff animals prewar, is often considered a wartime, transitional, or mohair substitute fabric. It is quite durable, with an old fashioned look and feel to it, and is good for toy making. In this case, given its fluffy, curly, thick consistency, it is a perfect fit for Tosi's Poodle particulars. 

Although she debuted in 1950, Tosi's general presentation is more reflective of the late 1930s and early 1940s Steiff aesthetic. Products designed and produced during those tough years were often simplified, basic patterns with minimal jointing and as little decoration as possible. Some even had a seemingly "glum" or pensive presentation. All of this was a result of trying to be as efficient with materials, labor, and logistics as possible. Most likely, some of these same constraints were still in place early post war. Nonetheless, Steiff touted Tosi's introduction in its catalogs, even making her a cover girl in 1950. You can see this "glamour" shot here on the left.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed dipping your "Toe-si" into the story behind this pretty period Poodle!

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

It's Time To Welcome The Big Man In Red!

Just in Claus you haven't noticed, its just a few hours until Christmas Day is upon us! And nothing says season’s greetings quite like the main man in red - Santa Claus - at least here in the United States.

Check out this page from a 1967 Steiff catalog featuring an almost life-sized Santa Claus doll. You can click on the image to make it bigger. Many collectors are familiar with the company's popular and beloved smaller Santa Claus dolls, which were produced in 13, 18, and 31 cm from 1953 through 1963 overall. This pattern was also made as a puppet. In the 1960s, Steiff produced this big fellow as a display piece in 150 cm, or about 5 feet. These supersized Steiff Santas were dressed to the nines in fine felt tailored suits trimmed in mohair - just like their rockstar namesake!

Today, these life-sized Santas are extremely rare, as for the most part, time has not been kind to them. Because their faces were made from rubber, they tend to dry out, sink, and crack as the years go by. As such, there are not too many of these still around. Steiffgal only knows of one, and he's having a rough go of it. And speaking of faces, it is interesting to note that the same facial mold used to create this display Santa was also used on the company's display sized shepherd and gnomes which were all produced at the same time as this Santa; you can see two of these "lifesized" gnomes here on the left. You can click on the image to make it bigger.

Steiff's Santa catalog page, like many of Steiff's vintage advertising images, is utterly charming, visually engaging, and tells a happy story. It is also fun to check out the other secondary items in the shot - those toys and articles placed around the featured article to help bring it to life. The selections often represent a "time capsule" of popular line items of the time, which is absolutely true in this case as well.

Santa's delightful deliveries from 1967 include:

*A caramel mohair “mask style" original Teddy bear (made from 1966-93 in sizes ranging from 11-100 cm overall.) 

*A grey mohair Snobby poodle (made from 1954-74 in sizes ranging from 10-43 cm overall.) 

*A white plush Diva cat (made from 1967-78 in 35 cm.) 

*A mohair giraffe (made from 1953-74 in sizes ranging from 14-75 cm overall.) 

*A brown mohair jointed Jocko monkey (made from 1949-81 in sizes ranging from 10-80 cm overall.) 

*A grey mohair Jumbo elephant (made from 1952-75 in 22 and 35 cm overall.) 

*A Mungo multicolored monkey (made from 1957-71 in 17, 25, and 35 cm overall.) 

*A tan wool plush camel (made from 1950-69 in 14, 17, 28, and 35 cm overall.)

Steiffgal ho-ho-hopes this life-sized discussion on Steiff's display Santa Claus has put you in a holly-jolly mood!

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

On the Up and Up With This Tiny Steiff Pup!

Friends for life! Collectors will recognize this slogan as one of Steiff's tag lines in terms of its toy production. But this "promise" also extends to the company's business relationships with other beloved brands and characters over time. Check out his note from a new friend on the west coast who asks about a tiny Poodle that appeared mid-century with dolls from the Nancy Ann Storybook Company.  She writes, in part...

"Several of my doll collecting friends have been helping me research the question of Steiff's Poodle being the dog that Nancy Ann Storybook Company used. 

...I have acquired all the reference books available for Nancy Ann and the company catalog photos that they contain, and even though the salesman's sheet doesn't say that the Poodle in the container is Steiff, my fellow collectors all agree that it is a Steiff Poodle that we see in the containers. You can see the Steiff tag around the belly of the dog.  

...Who knows why Nancy Ann didn't say in their catalog that it was a Steiff Poodle? Vogue Doll company didn't say in their Ginny catalog that Ginny's dog was a Steiff either. The Poodle was available in Muffie catalogs from 1956-1960. it was available in 3 colors from (what I understand): white, gray, and black."

What a best-of-show inquiry! So let's first paws and take a look at the Poodle in question, which is INDEED made by Steiff. This model was made as part of the company's very popular post-war woolen miniature collection, and could be one of the smallest dogs Steiff ever made! These are 6 cm tall, standing, leg and arm jointed, and made from wool and felt. Their faces, arms, and legs are like pom-poms, while their ears and body are felt. They come to life with a little black cord tail and black bead eyes. All models left the factory in Germany wearing a tiny red cord collar. This Poodle was produced from 1955-1978 in grey, black, and white. You can see all three here on the left. They are so tiny that they wear their yellow "eartag" like a bracelet around their middles; this is secured with a tiny Steiff button. These IDs were often lost to time, as noted on the dogs in this picture. Because of their size, they never had a chest tag. 

This precious design remains a collector's favorite today, given how nice they look posed with small to medium scaled mid century dolls.

As far as Steiffgal's understanding and research reveals, Steiff did not specifically make a dog for dolls in this line. However, it is entirely possible that the Nancy Ann Storybook Company "adopted" this dog pattern into its line and made it part of its merchandising and product line - given how delightful the two go together! The Nancy Ann Storybook Company most likely purchased a bunch of these woolen miniature Poodles then boxed them and distributed them through their regular sales channels from their own business headquarters. Steiff usually includes some Steiff branding on their packaging that is factory original. Steiffgal can't tell if there is Steiff branding on the Nancy Ann Storybook Company packing on the photos above, but it is not obvious. It also appears that some of the Nancy Ann packaging for the accessories is quite similar. That also suggests that the packaging was done by Nancy Ann in house and not Steiff. Finally, it is not clear why the Nancy Ann Storybook Company did not promote these as made by Steiff... perhaps for some sort of licensing or business reason? 

  

The Poodle design "adopted" by the Nancy Ann Storybook Company was not a "company exclusive" and was available through worldwide sales channels. You can see the 1961 Steiff catalog page showing these in white, black, and grey, here on the left. (You can click on the photo to make it bigger.) So what would make a product an "exclusive?" It has been Steiffgal's experience that company exclusives often are standard line items with a little something different to them. For example, in the case of these Poodles - if the collars were a different color or style (say blue or green, etc.), or they came in a different color, like brown - that could suggest an exclusive.  But Steiffgal has not personally seen any examples like that, at least not yet! Have you?

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the company's woolen miniature Poodles has been enormously interesting for you!

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

Getting A Leg Up On This Midcentury Steiff Mystery!

This inquiry from a new friend is simply ele-phantastic! Kati has something very special in her collection, but one that so far has defied identification.  Let's take a look at her note and use our grey matter to figure out what this mystery item just might be! 

Kati shares,

"I have a very unusual Steiff that I am having a hard time identifying. Not sure if you can point me in the right direction. I am not in anyway wanting an appraisal but just a little bit more information on the piece. I have searched EVERYWHERE and have not been able to come up with anything. 

It is an elephant with a Steiff tag and he has extremely long legs. The number on his tag is 7330. He measures 12.5” inches tall and 12” from trunk to tail. His legs alone are 7.5” tall. He has wood tusks and a red felt bib/collar. 

I am hoping you either know a little about him or can point me in the direction to a site or someone who might. Thanks for your time!"

There's no junk in the trunk when it comes to this absolute rarity. What we have here is Steiff's wonderful and seldom seen Lulac elephant. He is as Kati describes above; his delightful details include a jointed head; a smiling, open, felt lined mouth; and playful black and white google eyes. His upturned trunk is a sign of good luck, too. "Lulac" refers to his goofy, exaggerated form consisting of really long arms and legs. Other Lulac style animals produced at or around the same period include a Zotty bear, rabbit, Cocker Spaniel, donkey, zebra, tiger, lion, and poodle. This particular Lulac elephant was made as an exclusive for the United States market in this size only in 1958.

If you look hard enough, you can find jumbo clues about a Steiff treasure by examining its small details. In this case, check out what Kati says about his ear tag. The code on it reads 7730. According to Steiff reference materials, this corresponds to... 7 = in caricature, 3 = mohair, and 30 = 30 cm tall. But these numbers don't shed any light on how unusual this pattern truly is. To put things in context, the only other example Steiffgal has even come across was one at auction in 2010 at Christies. You can see that auction listing by clicking here.

Now for that "elephant in the room" question that everyone undoubtedly has on their minds about now. How does this great item value in today's marketplace? As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has not seen the item firsthand to inspect for condition. Many critical condition items, like dry rot, odors, insect damage, etc., do not show up on photos, and that's why it is essential to see an item firsthand to give it a fair review. Given the Lulac elephant is as described and as presented, with no essential structural or aesthetic issues, it is Steiffgal's best guess sight unseen that this item may sell on an online channel or auction in the c. $1,000-2,000 range.

Steiffgal hopes that you found this discussion on Kati's elephant absolutely unforgettable.

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

Reminiscing About Christmas, Steiff Style!

There's no place like home for the holidays - no matter where home may be at the moment! Steiff has always helped to make our annual wintertime celebrations even more special, by finding its way in to stockings, under trees or around the menorah or kinara. Check out this photo and brief story from the December/January 2018 edition of the magazine Reminisce. According to its website, this publication is "The nation’s premier nostalgia magazine, Reminisce celebrates what we loved then and how it shapes our lives now." Do you recognize a few special friends here?

Look what can happen when you get onto Santa's "nice" list! Here we have a vintage photo of two charming young girls and their father posing next to a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. You can click on it to make it larger. The copy reads, "Joyous Noel. In 1960, the year I turned 5, my family celebrated Christmas in Karlsruhe, Germany, where my father, Gabby, an engineer, worked for the Singer sewing machine company. My other sister, Phyrene, 13, loved stuffed animals as much as I did. My mom, Fernanda, took the photo. Phyllis Gebhard, Milwaukee, WI." And dog-gonnit, you can't help but notice the pretty pooches the girls are holding - they are "button in ear" dogs made by our pals in Giengen.  It doesn't get much better than this!

These Steiff dogs would have any collector's tail a-wagging. Phyrene's gift is Steiff's happy Hexie the Dachshund. Hexie is standing and made from light and darker tan mohair which has been detailed with copper colored airbrushed highlights to give her more dimension. She has really jolly black and white google eyes and a black hand embroidered black nose and mouth. All Hexies left the factory wearing a thin red collar. This delightful doggie was originally manufactured in 9, 13, 20, and 25 cm between 1954 and 1974. It is interesting to note that the German word for "witch" is "hexe." Perhaps she was given this name because she was designed to cast a magic spell over collectors with her irresistible looks and impish personality?

Phyllis has it made in the shade with her new friend. Her pup is Steiff's Maidy the Poodle. Maidy is standing, unjointed, and made from Steiff's lovely and unusual black "Persian Lamb" textured mohair. She has a slightly longer mohair "beard" around her chin. Her eyes are lovely and distinctive; they are large hand blown almond shaped and feature a black pupil, brown iris, and white corners. Her ears are lined in black mohair. Maidy is one of those Steiff "One-derful" items, made for just a year or so. Specifically, she appeared in the Steiff catalog in 1959 only in 25 and 30 cm. Collectors may recognize Maidy's distinctive fabric as almost identical to the covering of Steiff's larger "Swapl" Persian lambs. These baa-ing black beauties appeared in the line in 10, 14, 22, 28, and 35 cm from 1957 to 1964 overall.

Stitching thing up here, a little research shows that the Singer factory in Karlsruhe did indeed manufacture sewing machines from 1954 until 1982. This timing perfectly aligns with Phyllis' story. According to singersewinginfo.co.uk, "The Singer factory in Karlsruhe, Germany was in production from 1954 until 1982. In 1954 Singer purchased the factory and sewing machine business of the Haid-und-Neu company in Karlsruhe, Germany. Haid-und-Neu had been manufacturing sewing machines in Karlsruhe since the 1860’s and had purpose built the existing factory in 1893... Machines produced at the Karlsruhe factory were identified by a suffix G added to their model numbers. i.e. 215G. Serial numbers took the form of PA, PB, PC etc. followed by 6 digits starting at 000001 up to 999999." 

Steiffgal hopes that this special season celebrating peace, love, and joy helps bring more of those essential things to the fabric of our lives in 2018.  

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

Calculating The Importance Of This Rare Steiff Walther Poodle

Do you know the saying, "April showers bring May flowers?" Well, if that's true, than the month of May is most certainly going to be "coming up roses," at least around these parts. It's been raining cats and dogs for the last few days, so Steiffgal has spent some time indoors checking out interesting Steiff eBay auction listings. You never know what you'll find listed on this worldwide marketplace! One Steiff rarity caught her eye and inspired her to learn more about it. Check out this prized poodle and see what makes it so outstanding from the design and manufacturing perspectives. 

This eye catching and unusual dog is a special promotional item made for Carl Walther GmbH. The poodle is head jointed and made from grey mohair and wool plush. His face is made from rubber, which was a popular Steiff manufacturing material starting in the early to mid 1950's  When the Walther poodle left the Steiff factory, he wore a blue "Walther" logo tag hanging off of its blue leather collar.  This customer special poodle design was produced in 17 cm and 40 cm in 1955 only.  This is the larger version; the smaller version used grey velvet in the place of grey mohair in its design.  

The Walther brand has deep and broad roots across Germany and the world.  The company, still in business today, is most associated with firearms production. Walther started out making guns at the end of the 19th century. It expanded its production to office machines, like calculators, starting in the 1920's. They continued their calculator line of business through the 1970's.  The poodle was the company's logo for the office division of the company, although its probably no coincidence that poodles are good hunting dogs, too! Walther's poodle came to life with a few black lines, and showed the dog running on his hind legs and effortlessly juggling numbers. The logo tried to demonstrate how easy dealing with numbers could be when you have a Walther machine on your desk. You can see this poodle logo here on the left.

Despite its obvious condition issues, this poodle listed on eBay is still a prince among Steiff's rare promotional items, and is only the second one Steiffgal has ever seen. It aligns to its period of manufacture in three interesting ways.  

First, poodles were a very big deal in Steiff's line in the early 1950's. In addition to the company's standard line selections, including Tosi and several iterations of Snobby, Steiff also created a number of exclusive poodle designs for FAO Schwarz here in the USA. These included fully jointed wool plush poodles and an 80 cm Snobbylac poodle. The Walther poodle has a French trim and most resembles the body shape of Steiff's 1952 wool plush Snobby. You can see the Steiff Walther poodle featured on the cover of one of their business machines catalogs here on the left. 

Second, Steiff started producing items with rubber heads, instead of traditional felt, velvet, or mohair heads, in the early 1950's.  This was done in part to decrease costs and labor, as well as to add flexibility to production and design options. Mostly dolls were produced with rubber heads; favorites from this period are HorZu's Micki and Mecki; the gnomes Pucki, Lucki, and Gucki; the Maggi chef, and LariFari, among others. Steiff's animals with rubber heads include Koko the Cat for the magazine TV Hoeren & Sehen.  

And third, the Walther poodle was manufactured at a critical juncture in the company's history. After many years of hardship and war-induced shortages, Steiff again had the infrastructure to partner with other world-class companies and to produce absolutely custom, top tier items without constraints. This all ushered in a very auspicious period in the company's history.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Walther poodle has inspired a little puppy love with you!

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

Welcome To Our World Of Toys!

It's no surprise that a lot of Steiff collectors associate all things button-in-ear with F.A.O. Schwarz. After all, it was at this magical place that many youngsters first encountered Giengen's finest Teddy bears, animals, and dolls. The Schwarz brothers "discovered" Steiff bears around 1906, and immediately started to feature them in their stores in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore. Over time, many Schwarz locations had collections of life-sized, or "Studio" animals displayed throughout their stores, Steiff animals playfully decorating their store windows, and a "Noah's ark" range of mohair and plush friends available for sale. Just thinking about those things puts Steiffgal in a very happy place! Here on the left, you can see a 1967 advertisement for the store, featuring a Steiff Teddy bear in the upper left hand corner.

Steiff and F.A.O. Schwarz also have a very special relationship in terms of exclusive items. Although the stores had been featuring Steiff items since the turn of last century, it wasn't until the 1950's that Steiff began designing and creating store-exclusive products in very small edition sizes for F.A.O. Schwarz. As such, these rare and extremely special items are particularly desirable to collectors today - especially because the future of F.A.O. Schwarz is unclear. If you are interested in F.A.O. Schwarz Steiff exclusives (and other outstanding vintage playthings), then be sure to check out the upcoming Premier Toy Sale at Morphy Auctions on June 24th-26th, 2016. The sale features a fantastic collection of delightful Steiff F.A.O. Schwarz exclusives and other North American rarities. Here are a few that really caught Steiffgal's eye!

There's no need to be stand-offish with this first F.A.O. Schwarz highlight. Here we have lot #805, Steiff's Snobby the Poodle. She is cataloged as...

"Made exclusively for F.A.O. Schwarz. Snobby is 35 cm, five ways jointed, and made from grey wool plush. She is styled in a very fluffy "French" cut. She has brown and black pupil eyes and a distinctive black leather nose. She has her original red head bow but her neck bow has been lost to time. This distinctive Snobby was produced from 1962-1968 in 28 and 35 cm as an exclusive item for the high-end toy retailer FAO Schwarz in the US. Condition: As noted. Snobby retains her Steiff button and fully legible yellow ear tag. In very good to excellent condition overall with just a touch of dust and light playwear. Size 13" L. Estimate: $400-600."

And what makes this poodle such a blue ribbon selection? Her presentation, proportions, and impish personality, to start with! Her leather nose and distinctive grey wool plush material are also quite appealing, and add just a touch of "upscale" charm to her. Steiff is well known for their poodle patterns, but this one truly is in a class of her own. 

And now we are off to the races with lot #888, a fully accessorized Steiff Pony. This pretty filly is cataloged as...

"Made exclusively for F.A.O. Schwarz. Pony is 17 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair that is airbrushed with lovely chestnut highlights. Her mane and tail are made from very long, greyish-white mohair. Her face is detailed with black button eyes and a little hand stitched and airbrushed mouth. She is fully and originally attired with her saddle, blanket, reins, and headwear. Pony was produced from 1963-1972. According to the original F.A.O. Schwarz catalog, she is 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 FAO 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.” Condition: As noted. In excellent condition overall with all IDs. Size 8'' L. Estimate: $250-500."

This pony is a triple crown winner all around. Her accessories are delightful, accurate, and in perfect scale to her body. Her coloration and impressive long mohair mane truly bring her to life. And her condition appears almost like new. Steiff did a remarkable job on this edition, and it is obvious why it remains a collector's favorite half a century onward. 

It's time to connect the dots towards our final F.A.O. Schwarz Steiff auction highlight. Here we have lot #870, Steiff's Royal Dally Dalmatian. Spotty Dotty is cataloged as...

"Made exclusively for F.A.O. Schwarz. Dally is 14 cm and made from white mohair which is marked with black airbrushed spots. His ears are black mohair. He is in the "begging" position and is head jointed. His face is detailed with black button eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. His lips are highlighted with a touch of red airbrushing. Royal Dally wears his original red leather collar and retains his chipped red wooden F.A.O. Schwarz tag; his crown, cape, and other IDs have been lost to time. Dally was made in 1963 only as an exclusive item for the upscale US toy retailer F.A.O. Schwarz. Condition: As noted. In very good condition overall with just a touch of dust and light playwear. Size 5-1/4'' T. Estimate: $200-400."

This princely pet is truly Steiff royalty. Steiff created several exclusive Dalmatians for F.A.O Schwarz in the early 1960's, most likely due to the popularity of the 1961 Disney film 101 Dalmatians. Many of these patterns were based on standard line Steiff items of the period with just a few tweaks or modifications. However, Royal Dally is really unique. His body position is quite unusual; he is one of the few, if not the only, postwar dog produced in this unusual sitting up begging position, with his arms prominently hanging in front of his body. There are many dogs cataloged as "begging," but they are usually sitting with all paws on the ground. Royal Dally also has solid black mohair ears and is the only Steiff Dalmatian that Steiffgal knows of with this design treatment.

Steiffgal hopes this review of some of the fine F.A.O Schwarz Steiff exclusive items up for sale at Morphy's sale next week has generated "lots" of interest with you! You can check out the entire auction catalog by clicking here; the Steiff items start at lot #800. All Steiff will be sold on Saturday, June 25th starting at 9am east coast USA time. Best of luck to all bidders!

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

Begging To Learn The Story Behind This Vintage Lifesized Steiff Poodle

It is so exciting to stumble upon a great Steiff treasure.  But only once in a blue moon does that find also comes with a full history and provenance!  Such was most unexpectedly the case with this recent addition to Steiffgal's hug.  Check out this lifesized Steiff poodle and see what makes him so wonderful from the design - and in this case personal - perspectives.  

This guy's got rock star appeal and knows it!  Here we have Steiff's studio Snobby poodle.  He is in the "begging" position, with a great body shape and realistically curved arms and legs. He is 80 cm and made from grey mohair.  He is head and arm jointed.  His limbs, tail tip, ears, forehead, and nose are made from very long, wavy mohair, while his torso, mouth and muzzle area, and tail are made from short mohair.  He is solidly stuffed with excelsior.  His face comes to life with oversized black and brown pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose, an open, peach colored felt mouth with a dimensional felt tongue, and airbrushed highlights.  He wears a great red leather collar.  It is backed in felt, and is adorned with a number of brass colored studs.

One of the things about this item that is both cool and helpful in identifying him is his fully legible yellow ear tag.  This is pictured on the left. On it is hand written:  4380,95.  This translates to: 4=begging, 3=mohair, 80=80 cm tall, 9=display animal, and 5=grey.  This makes perfect sense in describing him.  He is pictured in the Sortiment and also the Steiff catalog in black mohair, but with a different article number, 4439/08.  (You can see the Steiff catalog page below.)  Both of these references date him at 1967.  

So what's up with his numbers? Many studio items from this period have hand written numbers on their yellow ear tags.  And it is possible that his number is different than the one documented in the literature for a number of reasons.  Here are two thoughts.  First, he is indeed a different color than the more documented black version.  And second, Steiff reconfigured their numbering systems several times during the 1960's, his most likely decade of production.  In general, the number "443" on a mid- to late- 1960's item appears to be associated with Steiff's legacy "Snobby the poodle" design.

Catalog from 1967.  Provided by friends at Teddy Dorado!

Steiffgal came upon this poodle online via a heads up from a friend.  With her blessing - and much gratitude - Steiffgal purchased the poodle. It arrived at her home a few days later without incident.  A dozen white washcloths, two bottles of cleaning solution, and two hours of elbow grease later, the poodle was a good as new.  And that should have been the end of the story.  But then something amazing happened.  A few days after receiving Snobby, Steiffgal received an completely unexpected letter lovingly detailing Snobby's entire life story.  It made this incredible find even more meaningful.  

The letter read, in part:

".... he's been a fixture in our house for 40 years. He was originally bought in the late 50's early 60's. He was a gift bought by a very wealthy man.  My parents were caretakers for his estate on the edge of a lake. He was a lawyer and bought the poodle on a working trip to Germany and gave him to his daughter.  

His daughter always had plenty of toys, however, she was never around due to divorce and never played with them. As such he decided to give him to me instead of keeping him.  

I was perhaps 7 years old and made him a fixture in our home by setting him in a central area, decorating him according to holidays during the year. Christmas was garland, tinsel, and other ornaments. Memorial Day was flags, 4th of July was fireworks, unlit of course. Birthday presents on birthdays, Thanksgiving was a turkey hat and a cornucopia. This all changed as I got older, but I held onto him. 

Last year I found him in one of our storage closets looking like he needed a bit of sewing under his collar and a gentle cleaning. 

In short, it is hard to do this, but its time to pass him on to someone who can appreciate him and add their own memories in a happy home. Take good care of him..."

And Steiffgal PROMISES to do just that!

Steiffgal hopes this heated discussion on this Steiff studio poodle welcomes in the dog days of summer for you!

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

Well, Hello Dally!

Well, hello Dally!  Steiff recently had the pleasure of attending the annual April Sturbridge Doll, Toy, Bear & Holiday Show in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.  And besides a few wonderful old friends, look what else she just happened to run into... a giant Dally Dalmatian Steiff treasure!  Check out this spotty dotty and see what makes him so interesting from the design and rarity perspectives.

Steiffgal's not lying when she says this almost life sized reclining Dalmatian is really a top dog.  He is made of white mohair, in a lying position, and unjointed.  He has great black airbrushed spots and paw pads, and embroidered claws.  He also has black highlighting on his ears and face.  His great doggy face comes to life with an open, large, smiling, peach colored lined mouth; happy black and brown pupil eyes; and an embroidered nose.  He wears his original red leather color and has all of his IDs.  These include his colorful, bear faced named chest tag, his yellow ear tag which reads "2360,1", and his raised scrip button.  His product code translates to... 2=lying; 3=mohair, 60=60 cm, and ,1=with a squeaker. According to Steiff reference books, this model was produced in 28 cm (number "2328,1") and 43 cm (number "2343,1") in 1956 only as an exclusive for the upscale toy retailer FAO Schwarz.

You don't have to be a numbers sort of person to figure out there's something very special about this example.  This dog is actually one size larger than those mentioned in readily available resources.  And he is clearly "right as rain" in terms of IDs, quality, appearance, and era. So how can this be? Steiffgal can come up with two possible explanations, which in some ways have overlap.

First, it is impossible to expect that every reference book is always 110% accurate, so it is entirely possible that three, not two, sizes of this model were actually produced for the store on a commercial scale.

Second, it is possible that only a few of these large versions were produced overall, or perhaps a handful were produced as samples and never put into full production.  As such, they were not captured in the full accounting of these items in the line.  This is magnified by the fact that this dog was produced for such a very short time overall. 

However, there is precedence for the appearance of unusual sized versions of Steiff items made only for FAO Schwarz.  For example, Steiff produced an exclusive and charming grey wool plush Poodle for FAO Schwarz named Snobby. She is five ways jointed, has brown and black pupil eyes, and an unusual black leather nose. Her coat is in the "French" style cut.  According to available references, this Snobby was produced from 1962 through 1968 in two sizes: 28 and 35 cm.  However, Steiffgal has one in 43 cm.  You can see these three happy FAO Schwarz Snobby Poodles here on the left. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this awesome, huge FAO Schwarz Steiff Dalmatian was "best of show" for you!

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

I Get By With A Little Help From My Steiff Friends!

Steiffgal once had the great pleasure of interviewing author Maureen Stanton about her wonderful book about collectors and collections, called Killer Stuff and Tons of Money.  Maureen noted during the conversation that there is nothing collectors enjoy more than sharing their collections with other enthusiasts.  And Steiffgal could not agree more!  So earlier this week, she and two other Massachusetts collectors hit the road to visit two other Steiff collectors in Connecticut.  And it is very safe to say "A grand and Steiff-y time was had by all!"  Here are some of the amazing things Steiffgal and gang shared during their button-in-ear play date!

The first stop on the Steiff tour was to view the collection of Sandy Booth, where we were treated to a magnificent and well curated exhibit of Steiff rarities, most in excellent condition with all IDs!  Here is one of her display units - and it's ok to stare!  Which are your favorites?

There were so many great things to see at Sandy's, that Steiffgal felt like a kid in a candy store.  It's hard to pick out highlights when everything is so lovely, but here's a few things that really caught every one's eye. The first was this precious duo of a very large vintage Treff the Bloodhound and her little duckling friend. Treff is 35 cm, made from mohair, and sitting. Sitting Treffs were produced in 7, 10, 14, 17, 22, 28, 35, 43 and 50 centimeters. Treff proved to be a very successful design and was produced in a number of sizes, materials, and models through 1938. The darling duck is Steiff's Spiel Ente or Play duck.  He is standing, made from yellow wool plush, and 22 cm. His big feet and open beak are made from yellow felt.   He has red felt disks behind his black button eyes.  Pre-war, Play duck was produced in this size only from 1933 through 1943.  

Another cool item with wheel - ahem, real - appeal was Sandy's marvelous donkey on wheels. Donkey is 14 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from mohair. He has a very short black mane. His tail is made from felt with a black mohair tip. He has black airbrush highlights down his back, on the tips of his ears, and indicating his hooves. Donkey's face is sweet and baby-like; it is detailed with shiny black button eyes and delicate airbrushing to define his nose and mouth area. He sports his original red leather reins.  Donkey is mounted on a simple metal chassis and glides along on four red wooden eccentric wheels.  This donkey on wheels was produced in this size only from 1954 through 1961.

In addition to Sandy's great taste in Steiff, she also has a wonderful sense of how to display her collection.   Take for example, this glass domed vignette of four early Steiff birds perched on just the perfect branch.  Two of the birds are Finches, while the other two are Blue Tits.  The birds are all 10 cm, made from mohair, with stiffened braided hair wing tips, plastic beaks, and early metal feet.  Both the Finches and the Blue Tits were produced in this size from 1959 through 1961.  

After a delicious lunch, the Steiff Superteam was off to their second and final destination of the tour.  After a brief car ride, we arrived at the lovely home museum of Shelley Smith.  In addition to Steiff, Shelley also collects and sells antiques, dolls, miniatures, and Christmas related collectibles.  So viewing this remarkable setting was truly like being in Santa's magical workshop!  Choosing highlights from Shelley's collection was as challenging as it was to do with Sandy's.  Here is just the tip of the iceberg of the things that really called to Steiffgal.

It's hard not to oodle these two marvelous poodles! Here we have spectacular examples of two rare, 1950's era Steiff poodles. The white one on the left is the early version of Snobby. This top dog is standing and made from wool plush. She came in black or white. Her face is detailed with a black glass button nose and round brown and black glass pupil eyes. Her mouth and claws are defined by embroidery. Her coat is in what Steiff refers to as the "French" trim, meaning that it is fluffy basically from the waist area up; her lower torso and backside are more closely cropped. She also has longer tufts of fur around her knees, elbows, and the tip of her tail. This original Snobby was produced in 17 or 22 cm in 1952 only.  The black poodle on the right is Maidy.  She is standing and unjointed, and made from delightful and really unusual "Persian Lamb" style mohair. She has a slightly longer mohair "beard" around her chin. Her mouth and claw stitching is done in mauve colored embroidery floss. She was produced in 25 and 30 cm in 1959 only.

Eye bet you cannot resist this next highlight from Shelley's outstanding collection.  This sitting sweetheart is the early Susi cat.  She is 17 cm, made from grey mohair and is head jointed.  Her little tail wraps gently around her backside.  She his lovingly hand airbrushed with black stripes.  Her face is detailed with bluish-green and black slit pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered mouth and nose, and large, pert ears.  Susi, who is named for a member of the Steiff family, was produced pre-war in 14, 14, 22, and 28 cm from 1936 through 1943.

You don't have to be from the Boston area to fall in love with this fourth highlight from Shelley's hug.  Here we have Steiff's extremely rare Boston Terrier on metal wheels.  The dog itself is 28 cm, unjointed, standing, and made from brown and tan felt.  His face is detailed with black button eyes and a simple black hand embroidered nose and mouth.  When he was new, he had a few black dots around his muzzle to indicate his whiskers.  Boston Terrier is mounted to metal axles with regular, not eccentric, round wheels.  Although his neckwear is not original, he did leave the factory in Giengen a century ago with a handsome leather collar.  Boston Terrier on wheels was produced in 22, 28, and 35 cm from 1913 through 1919.

Many thanks to Sandy and Shelley for opening up their homes to the Steiff community, as well as providing such gracious hospitality.

Steiffgal hopes this virtual tour has inspired you to share your collection with new friends, too!

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