Having A Quack-Attack Over Steiff's Fantastic Duck Chain History

Steiff's Duck Chains are charming novelties that were traditionally produced in the form of a mother duck with two, three, or five babies in tow. These birds on the go rode upon eccentric wooden wheels which truly captured their natural strides. This Duck Chain image above with five ducklings is from Ladenburger Toy Auctions. 

Toys with "eccentric wheels" have appeared in the Steiff line for over a century. Steiff even owns a patent on this mechanism! The way it works on rolling items is that the wheels are aligned off center or on a bent axle, causing them to move up and down when rotated. Eccentric wheels were invented accidentally, but Steiff realized the opportunity created by their drilling mistakes. The first animal to appear on eccentric wheels was a duck. Steiff launched this item in 1912 as... "This waddling felt duck with brightly colored fathers is fixed onto solidly built, eccentric wooden wheels, which provide the duck with its characteristic waddle. Also fitted with a deceptively realistic "quack-quack" voice. A droll little toy."

Steiff's first and legacy Duck Chain, also on eccentric wheels, debuted in 1917 and was made from felt. It consisted of a 10 cm mother duck (pictured here on the left) and two or five 6 cm ducklings (pictured just below.) All were unjointed and stuffed with excelsior. They had grey bodies and green wings and heads. Their wings were decorated with embroidery. Their beaks, legs, and feet were made from orange felt, and their eyes were little black buttons. The mother was cataloged as article number "2110,42 ex," and the ducklings were cataloged as article number "2106 ex." These numbers translate to: 2= lying; 1=felt; 10= 10 cm and 06= 6 cm; 42= simple pattern with a voice; and ex= eccentric wheels. These were branded with Steiff buttons and tags on their felt feet. 

 

In terms of their vehicles, the mother sat on a square metal wire carriage with four wooden eccentric wheels. When she was pulled, she waddled and made a peep sound which was generated by a movement activated voice box embedded in her belly. The ducklings were each mounted on a diamond shaped metal wire carriage with two wooden eccentric wheels. They did not have a voice box. Loops and hooks at the end of the carriages kept the family linked together. This felt Duck Chain was featured in the Steiff catalog through 1932.

 

Duck Chains were also produced in other materials over the years. In the prewar era, the felt version was produced from 1919-1921 in a substitute plush because felt was in short supply for toy making purposes during and shortly after World War I. From 1925-1936, Steiff produced its Duck Chain with two or five ducklings in mohair. Duck Chains appeared in colorfully painted wood from 1924-1927 overall and then in an updated model with integral wheels from 1932-1943. After the debut of the woolen miniature line in the early 1930s, a woolen miniature Duck Chain featuring a drake and three ducklings, all on wooden wheeled metal carriages, appeared in the catalog from 1934-1941. You can see this petite treat here above on the left; the image is from Ladenburger Toy Auctions. 

Postwar, Duck Chains were produced from colorfully painted wood in families of four birds riding on integral eccentric wheels from 1949 through 1966. You can see an example of a 1950s era Steiff wooden duck chain here above on the left; the image is from Ladenburger Toy Auctions. Duck Chains made their final appearance in the catalog from 1969-1973, as a family of four birds in sanded beechwood, decorated with burned-in markings and riding upon large red eccentric wheels that were integral to their bodies. 

 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the history of Steiff's Duck Chain production has fully aligned with your expectations!

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

Starting 2026 Off In A Steiff Supersized Way!

Sometimes the most unexpected and super-scaled treasures appear almost out of the blue! Such is the case with this fantastic and extremely large prewar Steiff Ted. And just how big is he? Well, Steiffgal could barely pick him up and move him about for his photo session! Take a look at this titan-Ted and see what makes him so fantastic from the design and historical perspectives. 

Here we have a HUMUNGOUS classic and traditional five ways jointed Steiff Teddy bear. He measures approximately 115 cm tall or 45 inches tall standing, is made from dark blonde mohair, and solidly stuffed with excelsior. He has a pronounced back hump, a partially trimmed muzzle, long narrow feet with felt pads, proportional brown and black glass pupil eyes, and a black embroidered mouth, nose, and claws. He retains his long trailing "f" button and traces of his white ear tag; these IDs date his production most likely to the mid 19-teens or early 1920s. 

This gentle giant is the largest sized standard line bear produced by Steiff prewar; this huge size was made from 1905-1933. This is only the second jumbo mohair prewar Ted Steiffgal has handled - these big boys are super rare. Steiffgal suspects not many were made, and those produced most likely were destined to be showpieces or window displays. It really is not possible that a child could interactively play with a bear of this size given the weight and heft of him.

Big Ted was most recently in the collection of Iris Carter, a passionate Teddy bear and Steiff collector from Virginia. Iris was inspired to start collecting Teddy bears when she read Peter Bull's The Teddy Bear Book, which was first published in 1970. It would be so interesting to learn how and where she adopted this bear, given his rarity and timeline.

Like many old friends, this bear had a few condition issues typical to larger prewar bears. Mostly these had to do with his ankles and feet pads. His ankles had some splits and damages, and his felt pads were dried out and flaking off. Both of these issues can be addressed with gentle and sympathetic restoration. 

However, Steiffgal came up with an idea to help stabilize those vulnerable areas until this work happens. Given his feet and legs were so oversized, standard commercial socks were not an option here. However, there is such a thing as bariatric socks, which are soft socks which are designed to cover the feet and ankles of people with extreme Lymphedema - or very, very swollen feet and calves. You can see what these look like here. This protective footwear stretches to 30" at the calf, up to 21" in the foot, and up to 14 E shoe width. These socks fit this big bear really well and provided a somewhat attractive way to cover and protect his pads, feet, and ankles up to almost his knees!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Iris Carter's terrific Ted has launched your 2026 in the most supersized way possible!

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

Can't Help But Crow Over This Latest Prewar Steiff Find!

Welcome to our next Steiff egg-cellent adventure! Steiffgal spotted this fine feathered friend on an online sales channel and just couldn't resist his impish personality and adorable presentation. Turns out, he's pretty rare, too! Check out this prewar, bitty barnyard buddy and see what makes him so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.

Size defies with this tiny feathered friend! Here we have Steiff's smallest sized prewar rooster. He is about 8 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from blonde mohair. His feet are made from metal which has been painted orange. His tail feathers are made from elegantly cut and shaped brown felt. His face and waddle are made from red felt, and he sports black button eyes. Rooster was produced in 8, 17, 22, and 28 cm in this specific color combination from 1930 through 1937 overall. This smallest size was made for one year only, in 1933. Although this example has lost his IDs to time, these baby birds would have left the factory with their button and tag placed on their felt back feathers or worn like a bracelet around one of their metal legs.  

This little guy has two (well, two and a half) subtle, but interesting features of note. 

First is his coloring. Most people think of Steiff's prewar roosters as being very colorful, often with green feather detailing. And, Steiff did make a very similar rooster design in this more vivid color palate in 8, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1930 through 1943 overall. The little guy under review here today is from a lesser known series of 1930s-era tan and brown roosters. Given that the ones with the green details were produced for a much longer period suggests that they also sold better and were more popular with customers. 

Second is his legs and feet. They are made from orange painted metal. Steiff has a long history of making their early prewar birds with metal feet and legs, but they were either "slipcovered" in felt or wrapped with string. As far as Steiffgal can tell, these 8 cm mohair roosters introduced in 1933 might have been the first full bodied birds with painted metal legs, complete with their requisite poultry "spurs" just above the ankles.

And the half? Well, coincidence or not, Steiff debuted its line of woolen miniature birds in 1931. These first mini guys, and all the company's prewar standing pom-pom style birds moving forward, had painted metal legs and feet almost identical to the ones seen on the smallest prewar mohair rooster. It is possible that by 1933 - when the smallest mohair roosters debuted - that the company had perfected their metal legs and feet production technology to the point that this design element could be implemented on other more sophisticated patterns. For example, here on the left, you can see tiny rooster's metal legs and somewhat twisted toes (guess he might be having a little foot arthritis after a century!) and the metal legs and toes of his woolen miniature owl friend from 1934.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this little bird with interesting leg features has you standing tall. 

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

You Are Certain To Have A Plush Crush On This Amazing Steiff Prewar Rarity!

No need to sugar coat this amazing rarity! Here we have a wonderful example of Steiff's little known sitting "coat plush" cat. Have you ever seen a Steiff animal in this little known fabric? She is just about purr-fect in every way. 

This pretty kitty is 17 cm tall, sitting, unjointed, and made from grey and white coat plush. Her back is covered in now faded black stripes. Her tail wraps around her rear, as often noted in Steiff's sitting cat patterns over the years. She has green and black pupil eyes and a pink painted nose and mouth. Her face is detailed with black stripes. Any whiskers have been loved off or lost to time. Her bow is not original to her, but her bell might be. She retains her button as her Steiff ID. This fantastic feline was made in 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1931-1939 overall. 

Let's now take a look at how she is cataloged in Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment. It says, "Rauhstoff, Grau/weiss, sitzend, billige Series." This translates to English as "Rough cloth, grey/white, sitting, cheap series." These descriptors are very telling about her construction and era of production in two key ways.

First, let's consider her material. It is called rough cloth or coat plush. This is the first time that Steiffgal had handled an item made from this wartime era fabric, it is that unusual. More commonly noted substitute fabrics found on items produced just before and just after WWII include wool plush, artificial silk plush, cotton plush, and linen. From an aesthetic perspective, this material looks and feels a bit like flannel cloth - the fabric usually seen on nightclothes and plaid shirts! It has a very slightly fuzzy surface. Steiffgal suspects that the absence of this fabric appearing over a wide range Steiff prewar designs suggests that it was unpopular, hard to work with, and/or unavailable on a commercial level.

However, it is interesting to note that coat plush was used on two other cat models around the same time as this one. One, a standing version, was made in 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1931-1933. This same model was also produced on blue eccentric wooden wheels as a pull toy in 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1931-1932.

And second, let's noodle what Pfeiffer might mean by the words "cheap series." It is unclear if this specifically means "cheap to manufacture" or "cheap (or cheaper) to purchase", or both. The early 1930s at Steiff were a time when the company was implementing numerous strategies to slash costs and create efficiencies throughout the entire organization. So the chronology of these words does make sense. This sitting cat was made at the same time as a number of the company's now legacy sitting cats, including Susi, the sweet tabby; Siamy, the Siamese cat; and Fluffy, the adorable blue tipped kitten. Clearly, these head jointed mohair cats were far more elegant in their materials, construction, and detailing than this basic, unjointed one. This "cheap series" cat also has simple painted facial features - not embroidered ones - which are far more economical to apply than hand embroidered ones.

All of these small tweaks in the aggregate certainly brought her costs down... but not her appeal or importance in the company's product development timeline in any way.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this prewar era coat plush rarity has warmed your heart and soul!

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

Having A Ball With This Prewar Steiff Kitten Novelty

Without trying to be catty, Steiffgal suspects you've never seen a Steiff kitten just like this one! Check out this fancy feline who is simply having a ball - literally. This prewar novelty is totally the cat's meow!

This lovely lady is simply cataloged as "Wool Plush Cat." But her details are far more interesting! She measures 9 cm tall and 17 cm long, not including her tail. She is head jointed and in a lying position. She is made from tan wool plush with now faded black airbrushed striping. She has a pinch style squeaker in her torso. Kitty comes to life with felt backed ears, green and black glass pupil eyes set low on her face, and a pink hand embroidered nose and mouth. Her accessories include a satin bow, jingle bell, and a red, yellow, and blue woolen miniature pom pom ball which is held between her two front paws. This delightful rarity was made in 17, 22, and 28 cm (measured horizontally, not including the tail) from 1933-1942.

Kitty's design and presentation closely mirror Steiff's late prewar design aesthetic as well as business drivers and strategy. In the early 1930s, the realities of Germany's challenging geopolitical, social, and economic situation really began impacting every level of operations at Steiff. As such, the company started using less expensive and more readily available non-mohair fabrics as well as launching simplified designs to minimize materials and labor costs. Here to the left you can see this pretty kitty as she appeared in Steiff's 1938/1939 print catalog; you can click on the photo to make it bigger. 

Here's how this kitty's pattern checks many of those boxes. 

1.  She is made from wool plush, which is lovely and durable, but is less elegant than the company's signature mohair. Wool plush is considered a wartime era, substitute fabric and was often used in Steiff's production on items bookending WWII. 

2. Her face is nicely done, and very appealing and expressive, while her body is  very basic in form. Starting around 1931, Steiff began consolidating their design and manufacturing efforts on an item's head, while leaving the rest of the body as simple as possible. A great example of this is the company's line of dressed animal dolls of that era. They consisted of a lovely, detailed mohair head on a plain, generic linen or fabric body. 

3.  Kitty she has only one joint - a head joint. Jointing is very expensive and time consuming, and the fewer joints an item has, the more efficiently it can be made. 

4. And finally, her accessories are also quite telling. Her bow, bell, and simple woolen miniature pom pom are inexpensive to source and quick to attach to her, but really elevate her presentation and draw your eye forward to her finest feature, her head. Steiff debuted its general woolen miniature line, which was invented in part to address the realities of manufacturing in Germany in the 1930s, so it is interesting to see it being used here to compliment and upscale this design. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this wool plush kitty has tickled your whiskers!

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

It's Hip To Be Square With This Steiff Prewar Charly The King Charles Pajama Bag

You snooze, you lose! But everyone who is interested in this next fantastic find is a clear winner. Check out this short inquiry from Steiff superfan Michael, who writes about an unusual novelty. He simply writes...

"Hi, could you give some detail and history on this pajama case, I think?"

It's hip to be square with this marvelous 1930s era Steiff Charly the King Charles pajama bag. The bag itself is 30 x 30 cm, square shaped, and made from long, soft tan mohair. It closes with a metal zipper with a pull ring and is fully lined in textured light green fabric. All of these details appear to be original to the bag. The bag itself is decorated with the head of Steiff's signature Charley the King Charles Spaniel. Charly's head is made from mohair and measures about 15 cm long. It is head jointed to the bag and was designed to rotate. His face is detailed with oversized brown and black glass pupil eyes (one appears to be missing), a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and oversized, floppy ears, just like the real dog. And cue the happy dance - this great novelty retains its long trailing "f" button as its Steiff ID. 

 

This functional favorite was made as part of a series of children's pajama bags in the late prewar period. They were formally called "night dress bags" and were the first style of pajama bags that Steiff launched to the world. For the most part, they are really rare and seldom seen on the secondary market as they were designed to be used and loved as toys as well as functional items. As such, most wore out or were lost to time. Their basic "template" was a simple, square shaped and lined bag with the head of a well-known Steiff pet of the era. They were produced from 1930-1937 overall and came with Teddy baby, Bully, Charly, a Scotty, a Sealyham, Molly, or a Siamese cat as the animal detailing. This is the first one Steiffgal has seen with a Charly as its featured animal.

 

This rare pajama bag appears to be in really nice condition overall. It is missing an eye, which sometimes happens. Replacing the lost eye would add to its appeal and presentation, and is not that difficult to do with the right needle and thread. However, it is sometimes challenging to find an exact ocular match in terms of size and era. And for some reason, eyes that don't match often look a little strange. As such, if Michael is not able to find an exact match, he may consider replacing BOTH eyes on this item to give the face a pleasing and authentic balance. Of course, it is important to note and disclose any and all known restoration on a vintage item if you are considering selling it at some point in the future.  

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Charly the King Spaniel pajama bag has been the crown jewel in your day today. 

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

This Fully Jointed Prewar Cat Has Quite The Tail To Tell!

Paws and check out this next Steiff surprise! Steiffgal was recently asked about a wah-hoo good Steiff prewar rarity that probably every collector in the world would love to add to their meow mix. Check out this fabulous feline and see what makes her so interesting from the design and product development perspectives. 

Here we have Steiff's early and delightful mohair cat. She is fully disk jointed - i.e., all limbs, head AND TAIL!! - and made from black mohair. She measures about 21 cm wide (nose to tush, not including her tail) and about 17 cm tall. She has tan claws, round and early green and black glass slit pupil style eyes, and a simple pink hand embroidered nose and mouth. She also retains her tiny long trailing "f" style button. You can see her ID close up in the image below. 

According to Pfeiffer's Sortiment, this rarely seen design was made in 17, 22, and 28 cm (measured vertically, top of head to toes) in grey or black mohair from 1913-1916 overall. You can see this catalog listing here on the left, the image is from Pfeiffer's prewar reference book. Although this one under discussion today does not have a squeaker, Pfeiffer notes that the item was produced with a squeaker, and those may have appeared in the larger sizes where the body cavity was large enough to hold this apparatus in place. 

There are two key things that make this cat purr-fect in every way. 

First, the color is lovely and rare, and its timing is intriguing. The black versions were actually made only in 1913, which is one year after the company produced a series of black mohair bears in tribute to the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. So it is possible that the mohair used on some of these black cats was identical to, or from the same rolls of mohair used to create the company's now legacy Titanic Mourning Bears.

The second is its jointing. Steiff produced a number of uber-jointed items starting around 1910 or so. These included rabbits with long jointed ears, begging squirrels with jointed bushy tails, and standing dogs and cats with jointed tails, among others. Less than a decade prior, Richard Steiff was just beginning to work on ways to create basic jointing on the company's doll and animal production, and Steiff's offerings were very basic animals in simple, stationary forms. 

So it is really amazing how quickly the concept of jointing impacted the company's product design and development trajectory - basically zero to sixty in just a handful of years. However, in the big picture, these extensively jointed items did not last long in the line. This is probably because they were very labor intensive and expensive to produce - and the extra jointing might not have paid out in either ROI or additional sales. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this rare and early black cat has tickled your whiskers!

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

This Charly Purse Is A Crown Jewel In Steiff's Prewar Novelty Production

Hold everything and check out this absolutely amazing rarity! Steiffgal has a thing for Steiff novelties, especially those made in the prewar era. And it is certainly the best of all worlds when it comes to this breathtaking example. This Charly the King Charles Spaniel handbag will undoubtably have your vote for “Best of Show” in terms of her beauty, design, and willingness to lend a paw in service!

What we have here is Steiff’s Charly Handtasche or Charly Purse. This novelty is based on Steiff's beloved and legacy Charly The King Charles Spaniel pattern which debuted in the late 1920s. This precious pooch purse is 25 cm long, in a standing (albeit slouchy) position, and head jointed. She is made from long and short mohair plush. Her ears and tail are brown-tipped mohair, while her body and face are off-white mohair which has mellowed to a vanilla color. Her face is detailed with oversized brown and black glass pupil eyes and a simple black hand embroidered nose and mouth. She also has black embroidered claws on her hands and feet. And here’s what makes her a purse: her torso is hollow like a pouch, and is lined in bright orange velvet. You can see that detail in the photo on the left.  Her back opening closes with a study brass zipper. The pouch volume is quite small; it probably is the volume of about a small sized apple. This fantastic and very rare prewar novelty was produced in 22 and 25 cm from 1927 through 1940.

Steiff debuted a series of zippered, mohair purses in 1927 based on some of their most beloved characters of the era. These measured 17 to 29 cm in size, measured horizontally. Each featured a velvet or silk lined, hollow back pocket which closed with a zipper. The zipper had a mohair ring pull to it, which probably also was designed as a small handle. These rings tend to get lost to time or wear given their function. The first button-in-ear handbag designs to appear included this Charly, as well as Jocko the Chimp, Petsy the Baby Bear, Bully the Bulldog, and Molly the puppy. Other patterns rolled out over time, with the final design being a Pip in 1941. 

Now let's do a bit of time travel. Check out this image on the left from Steiff's 1929 catalog. You can click on the image to make it bigger. The page is dedicated to their line of mohair handbags. Three young ladies are happily modeling the purses, including one with the Charly bag under discussion here today. Steiffgal thinks she looks the happiest of the gals, and for good reason! You can also see the circular mohair zipper pulls on the purses. The words on the advertisement translate roughly to, "Elegant in the arm of the lady, funny with the little ones.” The catalog page also notes that the purses were decorated with a collar or silken ribbon. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's animal handbags has got you carried away - in the best possible way!

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

This Prewar Steiff Riding Bulldog Is The Wheel-Deal Indeed!

Look at what just rolled under the Christmas tree of this lucky collector! What a bow-wow beauty for sure! But just who is this captive canine, and what is the story behind him? A new friend shares,

"Hi, my name is Jeanette and have been dabbling with collecting bears, etc. for near on 45 years. My latest find is a Steiff pull along Bully Bulldog. He stands 15" tall not including the wooden wheeled frame. From nose to tail, he is 17" long, his ears have long gone. He has a leather collar with remnants of horse hair still attached to it, it also has Steiff buttons all around it, in total 12 buttons are present. He also has his original bell attached to the collar. He has a pull string still attached, but unfortunately no noise is made when it is pulled. He has large amber and black glass eyes, a black stitched nose, and velvet muzzle. The wooden wheels measure 2.5" in diameter. The pull along frame has a moving front axle, so it can change direction. Any help you can give me, i.e. date, etc. would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!"

This dog on the go would take the pole position in any vintage Steiff enthusiast's collection. What Jeanette has here is Steiff's Bully Bulldog riding animal. This fine fellow was made in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm in black and white, orange and white, or tan and white from 1927-1936 overall. This model is measured vertically from the top of their heads to their toes, not including their wheels. As such, Jeanette's treasure is the either a large version of the 35 cm or a small version of the 43 cm version; it is Steiffgal's best guess he started out life closer to 43 cm and sort of shrunk over time (like the best of us.)

The condition of Jeanette's Bully is commensurate and typical to that of a beloved ride-on animal. These realities include things like alot of wear on the back/top areas where a child would sit, a silent squeaker from overuse, and the loss of ears which were probably used as handles for much of its working life! Fortunately, it is not terribly difficult to replace the black velvet ears on this pattern, and Steiffgal would consider doing that restoration if this Bully was in her collection.

One thing that really pops on this example is his great BLING! According to Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment, this item is described in part as, "mohair plush, horse hair or leather collar, standing, riding animal, wheels, connecting frame, swivel head, squeaker (barks.)" Jeanette's Bully has a fantastic collar featuring a combination of horse hair detailing as well as a cascade of long trailing f buttons - truly the best of all worlds.

The Bully Bulldog that we all know and love was introduced in 1927. This design was an instant sensation with both children (as a plaything) and adults (as a collectible and an accessory). He was modeled on the French Bulldog—the “it” companion of those in the know at the time. Bully's pattern featured oversized glass pupil eyes, a black embroidered nose, and a snout and jaw constructed to give him his requisite breed jowls. Full bodied Bully was made in velvet and mohair, as well as sitting and standing, in sizes ranging from 10 to 50 cm through 1939 overall. Here on the left, you can see Bully as he appeared in the company's June, 1927 catalog. This image is from Carsten Esser's Steiff Catalogue 1920-1929.

Given his popularity, beautiful Bully was also produced in numerous novelty forms. These included as a pincushion, pull toy, dangling Charleston doll, jointed dog doll, puppet, purse, and pajama bag, among others. Today, prewar Bullies are one of the most universally desirable and sought-after pre-war Steiff designs among collectors - especially those like this one on wheels! Prewar Bully has been replicated numerous times over the past few decades and even these newer models are coveted by collectors.

Steiffgal hopes you've enjoyed this discussion on this Riding Bully, even if just in a roundabout sort of way.

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

This Prewar Steiff Hobby Horse Takes The Pole Position

And we are off to the races with our next Steiff mystery. Steiffgal is certain Steiff enthusiasts of all things equestrian will love this mane event! A new friend in the U.K. shares in part:

"I buy and sell interesting items as a hobby, around 6 years ago we stumbled across our hobby horse at a vintage show in the U.K. priced up at only a few pounds. Looking closer we were surprised to see the steiff rivet in his ear so we brought him home and he got lost in our detritus in the garage. 

I came across him again this week and I’ve had a look online and the only info I can is from your blog from 2015 where you look at a similar horse for someone else, although ours does have similarities to this it is different in it only having a single wheel and the rains being completely different (as I know these could have been added later.)

I just wanted to ask if he is rare or if you know anything about him, he’s been well played with so I know he isn’t mint but we do love him anyway. Thank you in advance for your help."

 

This fine antique Steiff hobby horse holds the pole position here. He was produced in 80 and 100 cm from 1924-1941 overall. Pfeiffer's 1892-1942 Sortiment describes this prewar rarity as, "hardwood, transparently lacquered, stick with two wheels, leather reins, head painted in colors." Given this example has the long trailing '"f" ear button as its ID, that likely means it was produced in the c. 1924-1935 time frame. It is also interesting to note that this example under discussion today appears to have only one wheel, not two, as described in the literature.  

 

This design could be considered a legacy one for Steiff - given the number of years it appeared in the line overall. Postwar, a very similar example was made in 100 cm only from 1949-1973. Minor design differences between the pre- and postwar models include the color of the blaze (white on the postwar ones, natural on the prewar one); facial painting (simpler and less colorful on the prewar version and more dramatic and vivid on the postwar version) and possibly the number of wheels (two on the postwar version, one on the prewar version.) A picture of the postwar version from Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Sortiment is pictured here on the left for reference. 

 

The collector also asks about his horse's reins. It is Steiffgal's best guess that the ones currently on the hobby horse are not factory original to it. She suspects that the original ones were most likely red leather, to match the painted accessories on the horse. Steiff tends to coordinate an item's detailing, and it seems likely (although ANYTHING is possible!) that these reins are replaced. When you think about it, the reins would be one of the areas of most wear on this sort of toy. It is not out of the question they simply wore out over time. And, this item cannot be used without reins, so it is probable that a clever Mom or Dad simply replaced them with something sturdy. 

Now for the question that will set the barnyard a-buzz... how much is he "worth?" As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and Steiffgal has not seen the item firsthand to check for condition issues and other factors that are hard to capture in pictures. That all being said, given the item is as presented and described, it is Steiffgal's best guess that something like this may trade hands today in the $125-250 range. 

Steiffgal knocks on wood that this discussion on this prewar hobby horse has been a lot of fun for you!

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

Strike Up The Brass Band Over This Mysterious Steiff Fawn

Oh deer! What do we have here? This charming field and forest friend is not only just lovely and elegant in design, but she also has a less obvious but totally WAH-HOO good surprise element to her as well. Get ready to fawn over this precious prewar rarity!

Here we have Steiff's 22 cm mohair fawn. She is standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair. The lining of her ears and her tail are made from white mohair. Her face is detailed with black button eyes and a black hand embroidered nose and mouth. Her legs are particularly thin, shapely, and elegant and are made from velvet. She has a gentle, distinctly old fashioned look to her. This pattern was produced in 17 and 22 cm from 1934-1943.

Now for her little secret. Given her era of production, she would have left the factory with either a long or short trailing "f" style knopf, depending on her specific year of manufacture - with earlier versions having the long trailing "f" version and the later versions having the short trailing "f" version. However, this gal proudly wears an unusual BRASS colored short trailing "f" Steiff button and has traces of her yellow ear tag. The button measures 6 mm in diameter. This seldom seen branding appeared on a few Steiff items from 1933/34 through 1943. You can see that brass button in the photo below.  

So just how rare is this brass prewar button? It is really hard to quantify, as Steiffgal has only handled - literally - a handful of items with this distinctive ID in memory. In her personal collection, she has one prewar treasure with this distinction. This is a small standing Waldi dog. He 10 cm, unjointed, and made from copper colored mohair. He has long, floppy ears. His face is detailed with shiny black glass eyes and a black hand embroidered nose. His mouth is indicated by a little black airbrushing. Waldi wears his original green leather collar and has his "watermelon" shaped bare faced tag, with his name imprinted in crimson. This guy was made in 10, 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1933 - 1943... the identical time frame as the fawn under discussion today. This prewar Waldi is pictured below on the left. 

It remains a mystery why Steiff used a brass button for branding some of their items during this turbulent geopolitical period. It might have to do with availability of materials, or shortages, or other rationing reasons. It is also not clear why some items would have a brass button, and others would not - as Steiffgal has seen examples of both the prewar Waldi and this fawn with Steiff's standard silver colored prewar IDs. Only these precious treasures know for sure... and they aren't talking!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's lovely prewar fawn with her unusual button has put the pedal to the metal for you.

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

Hands In The Air Over This Antique Steiff Felix The Cat Handpuppet

Here's another great addition to Steiff's meow-mix of fantastic prewar puppets! Check out this black and white beauty. Do you recognize his distinctive face and impish personality? This guy - who is now over a century old - entertained millions of people through the 20th century.

This Fe-line is none other than Felix the Cat in the form of a hand puppet. He is 20 cm tall and mostly made from black mohair. His face is made from white felt with a stitched mouth, big black button eyes, a dimensional black felt nose, and felt ears. He has a little red and black airbrushing on his mouth. His head is firmly stuffed with excelsior and his finger tube is made from cardboard. This puppet design was made from 1925-1926 in this size only.

So what is the history of this happy handful? In 1919, Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer introduced their Felix the Cat movie series. By 1926, sensing that Felix would be a great fit for Steiff, Steiff's distribution partner in the USA - George Borgfeldt - asked Steiff to create a series of licensed Felix the Cat toys. Steiff was hesitant and didn't think the line would be a success. Nonetheless, Steiff did end up producing a full bodied 22 cm Felix from 1926-27, a 20 cm Felix hand puppet from 1925-26, and a 20 cm Record Felix from 1926-27. The doll didn't sell well, but the puppet and wheeled versions struck a chord with buyers at the time.

Today, Steiff's Felix the Cat novelties are few and far on the secondary market. Given their rarity, they often top the wish lists of Steiff collectors worldwide! The most recent Felix hand puppet sold at auction Steiffgal could find hammered for 1700 euro at Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion's Special Steiff Auction in 2018. In 2019, Morphy Auctions sold a full bodied Felix doll; he hammered for $4,000. And in 2010, Christie's sold a Record Felix in delightful condition for GBP 2,375. The photos of the full bodied and record Felix novelties are pictured here on the left; the images are from Morphy's and Christie's respectively.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's rare Felix the Cat hand puppet merits a thumbs up from you!

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

Color Me Beautiful With This Fabulous Antique Felt Steiff Rooster

Bird's the word with this next Steiff inquiry. A collector friend with a great eye just added this fine feathered friend to her Steiff hug. His coloration and form are simply outstanding! Julie shares, 

 

"I just got this adorable little felt Steiff rooster! I am excited to know more about him and to learn when he was made. The closest I can find to him in the Sortiment is on page 546, which is a little rooster on a wheeled platform. The colors are exactly the same. Mine is about 10 cm high, and that's accounting for him being bent over a bit. If he had a button would it have been in his tail? He has a rusty old pin stuck in his side which is interesting. His tail is in really great shape, I don’t see any potential holes for a button in it. Was there maybe something with the style of feet and legs or tail to distinguish him from the very early 1892-1905 production? I see some may have had felt covered feet. The seller said that his great grandmother was born in Austria and brought this rooster with her to the US around 1900 or a little later."

 

This fantastic find wins Steiffgal's admiration with flying colors! What we have here is one of Steiff's earliest commercially successful legacy animal patterns. This classic, full bodied standing felt rooster was produced for the standard line in 12, 22, 29, and 35 cm from 1892-1929 overall. Very similar patterns were made on eccentric wooden wheels in 12 and 22 cm from 1917-1929 overall; as a tumbling 17 cm version on a weighted wooden hemisphere from 1894-1918; as an 8 cm pull toy on a wheeled wooden cart from 1916-1919; and as the kingpin in a set of hen skittles from 1894-1914 overall. 

 

What makes this pattern so exceptional, and so timely, is its materials and form. In terms of fabric, Margarete Steiff launched her company in the late 1800s; she initially specialized in producing felt items including garments, functional pockets, and household items. Felt material was readily available and relatively easy to cut and sew. When she started to produce animals a few years later, Margarete discovered that felt also translated perfectly into feathers when precisely cut, layered, and placed in cascading natural hues. In terms of form, Steiff's turn of last century product development was based on "everyday" animals - those farm, field, and forest animals that folks in Giengen would come across on a regular basis. As such, this particular rooster pattern is practically a time capsule example of Steiff's earliest commercial production. 

 

Given its popularity, Steiff's felt rooster pattern appeared in the line in one form or another for nearly 40 years. As such, it can be challenging to exactly date any given example. The felt supplied for this item certainly had some natural variations in color and quality over time; this can account for minor differences in product appearances. Many artisans cut and sewed this rooster over its four decade long appearance in the catalog; because of this, variations in size, presentation, and button placement are also expected. For the most part, older versions of legacy items have a more distinctive, handmade, and organic look to them than their cousins produced a few years or decades onward. Julie's example has metal feet and legs which are wrapped in string to finish them. This detailing is seen on many of Steiff's earlier birds from the turn of last century, as well as on some smaller and/or baby birds through the 1920s. 

 

Given these factors, and that his original family can date him to the very beginning of the 20th century, it is Steiffgal's best thinking that this example might date from the pre-button period (i.e., produced before 1904). Also supporting this age guesstimate is the fact that there is no indication anywhere on the rooster of a small hole where a button may have been placed originally. Steiffgal has seen a Steiff button inserted in the tail feathers, waddle, or comb of the company's early felt rooster and hen production. She also thinks that Julie's bird is most likely a 12 cm version that was either made a little on the small side or which bent or shrunk a little over its nearly century and a quarter existence. 

 

Here's one final point about this barnyard buddy. Interestingly, is possible that this pint-sized rooster was used at one time as a pincushion. This would make sense given his size and materials, and may explain the rusty pin found in his side! And/or, it is possible that this pin could have been used during his production in Giengen and never removed by accident... but only he knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this antique felt rooster has you crowing about Steiff's earliest production. 

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