Keeping It Tru With This Mysterious Prewar Steiff Doll

Hat's off to another great Steiff find! Here we have a lovely prewar Steiff doll that recently joined Steiffgal's hug. Her condition and coloring is stunning, and you can't help but admire her perfectly coordinated outfit - and how well she wears it! But behind this little gal are a number of really big mysteries. Take a look at Trude and see what makes here so intriguing from the product design and historical perspectives.

What we have here is a precious pressed felt faced doll named Trude. She is 35 cm, standing, three ways (head and legs) jointed, and excelsior stuffed. Her face is made from flesh colored felt, while her limbs and trunk are made from flesh colored linen. Her arms are floppy and hang loosely by her sides. Her arms are bent slightly at the elbows, and she has very defined fingers. Her face is highly textured, with chubby cheeks, a realistic mouth, pert nose, and lifelike blue glass eyes embedded in eye sockets. Her facial painting is lovely and done with a gentle hand. Even her little ears are sculpted just like a child's. She is finished with a blond mohair wig, which is seamlessly integrated into her head structure. Trude's IDs include her red rubber bracelet, tan colored tag, and teeny tiny prewar button. You can see her IDs close up in the photo below. 

Trude's outfit is adorable and fits her to a "t". She wears a white cotton "one-sie", which is trimmed with lace around the leg openings and bodice. It has thin little straps which fit over her shoulders to help keep it in place. Her short sleeved white cotton blouse is removable and closes in the back. It is cropped and detailed with red pull strings at the neck and arms. She wears a cotton dress that closes with two metal snaps and is detailed with a ruffle around the waist area. The fabric features yellow, blue, black, white, and green wildflowers on a red background. Her footwear also is removable and consists of white cotton socks and red felt Mary-Jane style shoes. And she retains her original red and yellow wide brimmed hat, which is trimmed and ties with a red silk cord.

Trude is super interesting for number of subtle reasons. Steiff's "pressed felt" face doll line was produced from 1937 through 1943, and then again in 1949 and 1950. Steiffgal cannot locate a c. 1930s-1950s era doll of her construction with that name. The fact that her name was written by hand on her tag suggests that only a few of these dolls with this name were made. But more on that in just a moment! Also of note is her construction. Many to most of these wartime era dolls were made entirely from felt, but this example has a felt head and a linen body and limbs. This may suggest that she was manufactured when fine toy making materials were unavailable or expensive due to wartime rationing or shortages - perhaps in the very 1930s to early 1940s. As a result, matching linen in the place of felt was used instead in less "visible" areas of the doll's anatomy. 

Trude is dressed and resembles one of Steiff's standard line production pressed felt faced dolls named Gretel. Gretel was made in 35 and 43 cm from 1938-1942 overall and is also dressed in a similarly styled red dress with snaps, a white blouse, and red felt shoes with white socks. The most obvious difference between Trude and Gretel in terms of outfits is that Gretel wears a red hairband, and Trude has an oversized felt hat. You can see a picture of Gretel here on the left, the image is from Pfeiffer's Sortiment 1892-1943.

So here is where there are more questions than answers about Trude. Was she made to substitute for Gretel in terms of her materials and construction? Was she perhaps a sample of some sort? Why doesn't she appear in any Steiff materials, as far as Steiffgal can locate? And why does she have a large, glorious felt hat... given the rest of her is constructed to minimize the use of this premier toy making fabric? Well, only she knows for sure... and unfortunately, she's not talking!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's terrific Trude doll has been a playful addition to your day. 

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

What a Devilishly Interesting Steiff Mystery!

The devil made me do it! But in this case, it's all in good fun! Check out this note from a new friend who asks about an unusual item she found among her Mother's things. What do we have here? And could this man in red be made by Steiff? Darcie shares:

"I have a red devil doll with a Steiff tag but it is not attached. So I am not sure if it was made by Steiff. I thought Steiff’s have the metal button/tag on them. Can you help?"

Well hell-o handsome! What a great find! Although not specified, it would be Steiffgal's best bet that this devil doll is nearly identical to the blue felt version Steiff made of the Duke University Blue Devil mascot. The Duke Devil was jointed, with a felt body and a rubber head with horns. He was detailed with a blue felt suit, long blue felt tail, and white felt shoes, and carried a three pointed spear. He appeared in the Steiff line from 1954-1958, and then again from 1959-1963 as part of Steiff's early post war series of university and institutional mascots. These charming mascots were featured in F.A.O. Schwarz's catalogs in the early 1950s. 

So what might be the story behind this uncatalogued red version? Steiffgal suspects it might be a sample or very low edition as she has never seen or heard of a red version previous to this one. The handwritten number "7128" on the early postwar ear tag provided by Darcie refers to 7= in caricature, 1= felt, and 28= 28 cm tall. This makes sense in terms of this guy for sure. 7128 is also the number of the earliest blue Duke Blue Devil mascot edition. Perhaps this red felt version with the US Zone tag and raised script button was made in the c. 1951-1953 time frame (before the launch of the Duke version) when you see items with the US Zone tag, for the most part. It is entirely possible that Steiff saw greater market potential and interest in making this rubber devil doll in blue as the Duke mascot than simply in generic red.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this rare devil doll has fired up your interest in the company's unusual mid-century production.

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

This Marvelous Prewar Steiff Girl is Made of Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice!

A "rosa" by any other name... would ALMOST be as beautiful as this sweet Steiff doll! Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of handling a very vintage button-in-ear doll that came from a fine and well curated collection down south. Take a look at this lovely lady in red... and be tickled pink, for sure!

Here we have Steiff's charming Rosa girl. She is 28 cm tall, fully jointed, and made from felt. She has a short blonde inset wig, proportional blue and black glass pupil eyes, and a prominent vertical facial seam. Her perfectly to scale nose is dimensional and she has painted eyebrows. Rosa wears a red felt dirndl style dress with black trim, a white cotton blouse, white apron, a white underskirt and underwear, knit socks, red shoes, and a red felt hat that perfectly matches her dress. Steiffgal believes the tan lace on her dress is probably replaced. Rosa retains her tiny long trailing "f" Steiff button in-ear. This beautifully attired doll appeared in the line in 28, 35, 43, 50, 60, and 75 cm from 1908-1926 overall. So this example is the smallest standard sized produced.

Rosa has a few features that make her particularly interesting from the timeline and product development perspectives.

First is her facial stitching. In addition to her vertical center seam, she has small horizontal seams near her eyes. Steiff specifically added in this design feature to their line of proportional and endearing "children" line, starting around 1908. These extra seams gave the face a pleasing roundness and further emphasized its youthful symmetry.  

Second are her hands. Rosa has simple, rounded embroidered style hands, suggesting that she was made at the earliest point in her production timeline. Steiff's first dolls had hands that looked more like fists; "fingers" were indicated by embroidery stitches. You can see this in the photo here on the left. By 1910 or so, most Steiff dolls had "conventional" style hands, with prominent and individual fingers.

And finally is her blouse. Her white cotton shirt fits perfectly, and is correct to her period and design, but is slightly different than the one pictured in the standard Steiff reference books. Rosa's shirt has lace and lots of tucks and details; the one pictured in Pfeiffer's Sortiment is much plainer. Rosa's shirt may be a replacement, or not. This doll model appeared in the line for nearly two decades. Over the years, clothing styles on dolls tended to be updated a bit, and generally were simplified over time. This was usually for cost savings, labor savings, and/or supply chain management issues. Because Rosa was probably "born" around 1908-1909, it is possible that she is wearing a fancy, original blouse that was streamlined to a more simple version over time. Only she knows for sure!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Rosa has brought a bouquet of happiness to your day.

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

Check Out All The Doggy Details On This Rare Prewar Steiff Wolfspitz!

What a prize winning beauty! Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of handling a beautiful prewar pup with the most appealing facial expression and presentation. And she really did come with a blue ribbon - but more about that in a moment! Take a look at this simply lovely sitting sweetie and see what makes her such a top dog in so many ways.

Here we have Steiff's simply wonderful Wolfspitz. She is 22 cm tall, sitting, unjointed, and made from tawny colored mohair. She is solidly stuffed with excelsior. Her face, ears, and legs are made from shorter mohair while her back, tail, back legs, and torso are made from very long matching mohair. She has lifelike brown and black shading on her back and tail. Wolfspitz has three hand embroidered black claws on each paw. Her face comes to life with felt lined ears, brown and black glass pupil eyes, a black embroidered nose and mouth, and brown airbrushed highlights. You can feel her nonworking squeaker in her belly.

This lovely lady was made in 17, 21, 22, and 25 cm from 1934 - 1943 overall. She was also made standing on all fours in 22 and 35 cm from 1934 - 1943 overall, and standing on eccentric wheels in 22 cm from 1934 - 1943. You can see a picture of the Wolfspitz on wheels as pictured in a 1938 company brochure here on the left; she is in the middle row and on the very right hand side of the page. Just click on the image to make it larger. The caption under her reads Wolfspitz, Mohair, 1322 ex, 6.-. The ex refers to her eccentric wheels and the 6.- refers to the price in German marks. Today, 6 marks in 1938 is ROUGHLY the equivalent of $50 in 2022, according to the US Inflation Calculator.   

Besides her striking good looks, this Wolfspitz also is in wonderful condition and retains her long trailing "f" button as well as her all original red ear tag as her IDs. Her article number is 3322,2. This stands for 3=sitting, 3=mohair, 22=22 cm tall, and ,2=squeaker. According to Pfeiffer's Steiff Sortiment 1892-1943 book, this particular Wolfspitz with this exact numbering only appeared in the line from 1934 - 1936.

Now - what's with her blue ribbon? Wolfspitz retains her all original red leather collar. She also has a light blue ribbon tied to a metal ring which is part of her collar. When Steiffgal first saw this, she thought maybe a previous owner had put that onto her as a decoration. It turns out that all the Wolfspitz dogs pictured in Pfeiffer's Sortiment also are decorated with a blue ribbon. You can spot the blue ribbon on the photo from that book her on the left. As all collectors can attest, it’s very exciting to find an "almost" antique item which retains this sort of factory original accessory!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this stunning Steiff Wolfspitz has added a beautiful spot to your day.

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 Novelty!

Now for something completely different! Steiff is well known for producing functional novelties for home, school, and work use in addition to the company's plush animal, doll, and bear production. This tradition goes back to the late 1800s, when Margarete Steiff produced and marketed a series of oversized, embroidered felt "pockets" designed as newspaper holders, bed wall bags, duster holder bags, and brush holders, among others. You can see some of these fantastic items here on the left. Today's blog feature, despite its unconventional form and psychedelic hues, has its roots in these early and legacy products.

Hold everything and check out this unusual Steiff "thing-a-ma-bob." This is the first and only example of this oddity Steiffgal knows of or has handled. It measures 25 cm long and is made of yellow and red knitted fur. These colors reflect Steiff's corporate branding hues of the period. It is unjointed and unstuffed. It comes to life with oversized brown and black pupil eyes, a red fabric nose, red felt ears, and a red mouth. It has a 15 cm red zipper on his back which has a silver pull ring. According to Pfeiffer, this item is identified simply as an "accessory case" and appeared in the line from 1979-1981 in this size only. The case retains its button, eartag, chest tag, and hang tag as its Steiff IDs.

So of course there are two mysteries associated with this item. The first is, what animal is it supposed to be.... and the second is... what exactly is it designed to hold?  Neither has a clear cut answer. 

Let's take a closer look at both questions here. As for its identity, it has the physical qualities of several species. It is long and narrow like a snake or eel. Its round ears and muzzle shape sort of have mouse qualities. And its rear end fin is fish-like. So it would be safe to say that it is a "happy hybrid." And for its functionality, it is Steiffgal's best guess that it might have been proportioned to hold pencils and pens for a school child as a pencil case. However, he could just as easily hold a nail file, makeup, and a comb for an adult as a cosmetics bag. Unfortunately, only he knows for sure - and he's not talking!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this unusual Steiff novelty case has held your attention from start to finish. 

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

Connecting Then And Now With This Adorable Steiff Play Doll

What's old is new again, especially when it comes to this relatively modern Steiff doll under discussion here. Our friends in Giengen started producing fine cloth dolls on a commercial scale at the beginning of the 20th century. These gorgeously rendered playthings appeared through the early 1950s. After that, dolls with rubber faces (and sometimes rubber bodies) represented a significant portion of the Steiff doll line through the 1970s. Moving forward, the company's doll offerings included mostly well-dressed children and characters in synthetic materials as well as artist collaborations.

This Andrea doll is a sweet nod - with a modern twist - to Steiff's legacy doll production. She is 32 cm tall, unjointed, and made from soft woven fur. She is stuffed with a mix of polyfill as well as weighted beans. She comes to life with a shock of longer brown hair decorated with red ribbons, oversized brown and black pupil eyes, a button nose, a pink painted mouth, and airbrushed facial highlights. She wears a white cotton "onesie" that is both underwear and a white t-shirt, a red calico dress decorated with yellow ladybugs, and red shoes which are integral to her body. This sassy lassie appeared in this size only in 1999. At the same time, Steiff produced two other similarly constructed dolls; a girl dressed in blue named Babinchen and a red-headed boy in overalls named Andreas. Both were also 32 cm.

Andrea has three features that connect her with the past.

The first is that she is clearly designed as an appealing child. Starting around 1908, Steiff began producing their most adorable and humanly proportioned child dolls. Before then, Steiff's dolls were more caricatured (for example, had exaggeratedly long legs, arms, or torsos) and often represented adults or professions. Steiff's kids were usually dressed as students or in traditional outfits, and sometimes even in regional attire. They were playful, distinctly youthful, and looked precious in school room vignettes and in the company's print and postcard advertising. Today, these child-inspired antique felt dolls are coveted by Steiff and doll collectors worldwide.

The second is that she is (relatively) finely attired. Steiff has always paid special attention to their doll's clothing and their detailing. For example, Steiff's early 20th century dolls were "dolled" up head to toe, with well-made and finely accessorized outfits. Most girls had shoes and hats, while adults could have layers and layers of clothing to match their real life counterparts and inspirations. Police, soldiers, and firemen had perfectly to scale boots, tools, and helmets. Of course, Andrea - as a play doll - is not on that level. But she does have shoes, underwear, hair accessories, and a dress that is perfectly appropriate to her. Her outfit is well planned and coordinated for what she is. It is also sweet (and probably not a coincidence) that her dress perfectly aligns color-wise with her prominent chest tag. 

And last but not least, she features Steiff's signature center seam facial construction. This is hard to miss if you don't look closely. This means she has a vertical seam going right down the middle of her face. This helps to add to her symmetry, as well as youthful appearance. Steiff introduced this legacy design feature with their debut doll line in 1903. By the late 1930s, this construction was replaced with a seamless, pressed felt faced design. Given today's manufacturing options, Andrea could have been designed and produced without this seam. But in Steiffgal's heart of hearts, she believes she was made with it to remind collectors of her turn of last century relatives - and the beauty and joy they generated... both then and now. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this modern play doll has added a touch of childhood wonder to your day.

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

Playing The Dating Game With Steiff's Precious Pre- And Post War Chimp Puppets

How do you tell how old a vintage Steiff collectible is, if it doesn't have tell-tale IDs? For Steiff items produced over a very limited time, this is easy, and can be solved through reference book or online research. However, for some legacy items that appeared in the line for decades, this can be tricky. Dating is an art, and not a science, especially when it comes to timeless items like the company's Jocko chimpanzee puppets. 

Steiff's chimp puppets have been produced almost continuously in mohair from 1911 through 1978 (with a pause in the 1940s for World War II) and are beloved universally. Steiff's monkey puppet design was produced prewar from 1911-1943. He was called Punch Chimpanzee through 1928 and Jocko from 1929 onward. Greater variants of this puppet were produced prewar than postwar. Prewar, they were made in 17 cm in brown, blonde, and white mohair. Brown was the most popular and prolific color and appeared from 1911-1943. A larger, 28 cm brown mohair version was produced from 1912-1916. The blonde version is super rare and was produced only from 1913-1916. And the white version appeared in the line from 1925-1928 - probably coinciding with the popularity of John Galsworthy’s 1925 best-selling book, “The White Monkey." A sweet 17 cm prewar brown mohair chimp puppet is pictured here on the left. 

 

Steiffgal has also seen prewar Jocko puppets with the traditional mohair head and felt hands, but with a red felt or purple felt body. These were probably made to match the "colorful" aesthetic of their production time - 1921 through 1942. These are relatively rare and seldom seen on the secondary market. You check out these fun novelties here on the left, the photo is LiveAuctioneers. Steiffgal also knows of a few other examples of these felt and mohair puppets, including one that has a blue felt body.

The Jocko puppet was also a mainstay in the postwar Steiff product line through 1978. He was produced in brown artificial silk plush in early 1949, and then again in brown mohair starting later in 1949 onward. Like the popular, standard line prewar version, he measured 17 cm and basically shared the same general detailing as his earlier ancestors. A sweet 17 cm postwar brown mohair chimp puppet is pictured here on the left. 

So how do you date a Steiff chimp puppet sans IDs? There is no one simple answer here, and every expert probably has their own set of criteria and ways of thinking about this. Steiffgal personally can think of four subtle differences that are distinctive between older versions and more recent ones. They are:

1. Finger tube. As far as Steiffgal can tell, prewar chimp puppets have a cardboard finger tube, while postwar ones have a plastic one.

2. Eyes. For the most part, Steiff used glass pupil eyes on these puppets through the early 1960s; by the end of the 1960s these were almost entirely replaced by plastic ones for health and safety reasons.

3. Fabrics. Steiff produced these monkey puppets in a number of mohair and felt colors prewar, but only in brown postwar. Steiffgal has noticed that occasionally the brown mohair on the prewar versions feels or looks a little different than "traditional" mohair. By that she means it is a bit lighter or darker in color, or has a slightly different touch or feel to it. This may be because of wartime-related production limitations or supply chain issues.

4. Appearance. Steiffgal has noticed that the prewar versions in her collection have a more "delicate" presence to them than do the post war versions. The prewar ones tend to have longer, leaner heads with more angular felt masks; the postwar ones are a bit more rounded and childlike, with curvy felt masks. The prewar ones have gentle, nuanced painting and shading on the face and ears, while the postwar ones have darker, more prominent shading. The prewar ones have larger, almond shaped eye pockets while the postwar ones have smaller, more circular ones. And for the most part, the prewar versions have their button on the outside of their ears, and the postwar ones have their button on the inside of their ears. Here on the left you can see a closeup on the faces of a prewar Jocko puppet (on the left) and a postwar Jocko puppet (on the right) for comparison. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on pre- vs. postwar Jocko hand puppets has been more fun than a barrel full of monkeys. 

Many thanks to Marcus Sampaio of Once Upon A Puppet for his contributions to this article!

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

Tuning Into This Rare And Unusual Musical Steiff Santa Claus Doll

Does this great Steiff Santa doll strike a chord with you? Check out this unusual holiday hero with a very special feature - he's musical! Have you ever seen another one like it? A friend from Pennsylvania shares... 

We bought this 15" Steiff with a music box key wind in the sack. The music box is in the sack attached to his back with a large key protruding from it. I would love to know anything you can tell me about it. Thank you!

Well, let's warm things up with what we know about this friend from the North Pole. The doll itself is based on the company's legacy midcentury Santa doll pattern introduced in 1953. This earliest Santa doll was 31 cm and five-ways jointed. He had a rubber head, felt body, bright red felt suit and cap trimmed in white mohair, and a white, fluffy mohair beard. By 1955, this design was also produced in 13 and 18 cm. These Santa dolls appeared in the line through 1963 and were, and remain, year-round favorites with collectors worldwide. The Santa under discussion today measures 15" tall, or 38 cm, so he was probably not part of Steiff's standard line Santa production. His larger size suggests he was a special order, perhaps intended as a seasonal window or mantel display. 

Now let's tune into his musical feature. With full disclosure that Steiffgal has not handled this item in person and inspected for originality, she can suggest two possible origins for his music box.  

First: Given that the music box is located in his sack, and not in his torso, it is possible that it is not Steiff original to him and was placed there by a previous owner. The music box is described as having "a large key." Every wind up music box Steiffgal has handled has a very small, simple turning knob. It's size hints that the music box may not be Steiff original to him. Just about every musical Steiff item Steiffgal can think of from any era has its musical feature embedded in its body - probably to secure it in place, as well as to protect it against bangs and bumps. For example, the musical Basi pictured to the left has her music feature in her bottle shaped body; it is activated by pressing her up and down. As Steiff's midcentury Santa dolls were not distributed with a Santa sack, it wouldn't be that challenging to make one, put a wind up music box in it, and sew it to the doll's body. That would be MUCH easier than opening up the doll, removing stuffing, inserting a music box, and sewing everything up seamlessly. 

Second: It is also possible that the musical feature is all original to the doll. Most Steiff collectors are familiar with the company's standard line musical Cockie Cocker Spaniel, Teddy Bear, and cat patterns. These were all produced in the mid to late 1950s. However, Steiff also produced a number of other uncatalogued musical rarities based on beloved 1950s era designs, including their Lulac rabbit and lying tiger. "Music Tiger" is pictured here on the left. Given the timeline and popularity of the 38 cm doll design under discussion here, it is not out of the question that the company tried to make a musical Santa Claus doll, too; maybe even in a distinctly larger size. Perhaps the musical machinery was too large or strangely shaped to bury it in the doll's torso so the designers made a sack for him, and hid the music box within it. If the Santa sack is elegantly constructed from period fabric, matches the look and feel of the doll, and has aged in tandem with the rest of the overall doll and clothing, this would suggest that is factory original to the doll. But, in the end, only Santa knows for sure... and he's keeping tight lipped over this!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of this musical Santa Claus has wound up your interest in this unusual doll. 

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

Steiff Bucket List Beauty.... Or Not?

What's on your Steiff bucket list? An item or two that has gained nearly mythical status in your mind due to its elusiveness? In Steiffgal's case, that would be a mid-1920s Schlopsnies doll. A new friend writes about what she's looking for... but does it really exist? Joyce shares,

"I'm wondering and would be interested in the Steiff Clown Replica in blue or red. I've never seen it in those colors. Did they make them in the blue and red? They are not even listed in the Steiff Sortiment book, but are pictured on the original tag of the light yellow Circus Dolly bear, article number 0164/30. I have the green, yellow and purple. I don't want to keep looking if they don't exist. thanks much!"

So let's take a deep dive here and see if we can solve this Steiff mystery. What Joyce is describing is a series of colorful, 32 cm Teddy bears Steiff produced in the 1987-1989 timeframe as exclusive products for the US market. They are pictured here on the left; the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Sortiment book. They were based on Steiff's "Dolly" Teddy bear pattern that was introduced in 1913 in honor of the inauguration of Thomas Woodrow Wilson, the 28th President of the USA. Unlike Roosevelt and Taft, Wilson did not have an animal mascot associated with him. Roosevelt of course had the Teddy bear, and Taft had an opossum. To welcome the new President into office, Steiff designed its Dolly bear, and launched this novelty at the 1913 Leipzig Spring Trade Fair.

Legacy Dolly bears were known for their distinct coloration and novel neckwear. All had a white head but their bodies and limbs were made in jewel tones including red, blue, yellow, and green. Apparently there was a violet version that was produced as a prototype, but it never went into full production. Dolly bears were detailed with a festive neck ruff, black shoebutton eyes, and brown facial stitching. Brown facial stitching was traditionally used on early white bears, so that color choice here makes sense. Each had a "hug me" voice in its belly. The original Dolly bears appeared in the line from 1913 through 1918 in 25, 30, and 32 cm. Here you can see a blue and white version from the early 19-teens; the photo is from Christies. 

Today, original Dolly bears are extremely rare and seldom seen on the secondary market. Steiffgal is aware of maybe one or two that have come up for sale at auction in memory. Steiff has produced them a few times in replica form, most notably in the late 1980s as part of the company's circus theme of that era. These are the bears Joyce is referring to in her note. In 1987, the company mistakenly produced a Dolly bear as part of this series in very pale yellow and white mohair. Very few were made and this particular color combination is considered really collectible. This pale yellow was replaced with a brighter yellow, and the company would go on to make these Teds in white and bright yellow, green, and violet mohair from 1987-1989. You can see this pale yellow Dolly bear here on the left.

As Joyce notes, the hang tag on the pale yellow version of the 1987 Dolly bear features this design in red, blue, yellow, green, and violet. But the in the company catalog for this series, shown here, only the bright yellow, green, and purple versions are featured. So were red and blue examples ultimately made as part of this 32 cm series? Steiffgal thinks not. But here are three loose speculations why these bears were pictured on the tag.

First, it is entirely possible that Steiff had the intention to produce the replica Dolly bears in five hues as part of this late 1980s series. The company's photo of these five bears on the tag suggest that all five colors were produced, at least in prototype form. However, in terms of commercial production, perhaps reality got in the way after this marketing photo was taken. Maybe the blue and the red mohair were not available or too expensive or somehow diluted the line a bit. Archival paperwork from Reeve's International, Steiff's distributor partner here in the USA at the time, note only the yellow, green, and violet versions were actually ordered for the North American market in 1988. 

Second, it is also possible that the tag is trying to show the original 1913 range of production, when these colors were (mostly) in the line. So the tag was intended to be a reflection of historical, not current, production. 

And third, the pale yellow version in itself was a mistake. It appears there were several issues and problems over time with this product introduction and marketing, including its IDs and collateral, and this inconsistent tag was just part of that mix. 

Steiffgal hopes this round-about sleuthing has added a bright spot to your day.

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

Are You All Ears To Learn About This Unusual Prewar Steiff Rabbit?

Steiffgal's simply jumping for joy over this latest collection addition! This remarkable rabbit, produced during a most challenging era at Steiff, has so many interesting details - including his "colorful" history. Come see what makes this begging bun so much fun!

There's not a hare out of place when it comes to this prewar charmer. He is begging, head jointed, and made from long, shaggy tan artificial silk plush which has been highlighted with black (that has faded to a deep forest green.) He measures 23 cm head to toe, and his tan felt lined ears add another 12 cm to his height. His face is detailed with pink and red glass pupil eyes and a simple red hand embroidered nose and mouth. He has three matching red claws on each of his feet. Rabbit retains his short trailing "f" button in ear. When he left the factory, he wore a large silk ribbon and bell around his neck. This pattern was produced in 18, 23, and 29 cm from 1938-1943 overall. As rabbits are measured WITHOUT ears, today's bun under discussion is the 23 cm version.

According to his original owner, who now lives in Canada, "My Steiff silk stuffed bunny dates from late 1930s and was purchased in Brussels, Belgium."

This rabbit's appearance and construction align well to his provenance, as well as to the manufacturing realities of the late 1930s and early 1940s at Steiff. It goes without saying that these were challenging times all around in Germany. So creating efficiencies in every area of design and manufacturing was imperative for survival. Steiff has always had a remarkable way of producing the most appealing items during down times, and this bunny pattern brings truly illuminates that. Here are four reasons why.

His fabric: 

This hare's hair is made from artificial silk plush, a material that was more readily available and affordable than mohair and felt just before and after WWII. Steiff made many of its "mainstream" items in this material during this period. It translated well, at least in the short run, to Steiff's animal patterns but lost its appeal and luster quickly. 

His embroidery: 

To save costs and labor, Steiff designed his facial embroidery to be as simple as possible - basically a large red "X" on his muzzle. Just a few years prior, typical rabbit facial embroidery was two colored, and involved "filling in" the nose space with stitches. He also only has claws on his feet, even though it would not be challenging to embroider them on his paws as well. 

His shape: 

Rabbit's shape, although unquestionably "rabbit like," has been simplified and made less graceful and curvy than the company's begging bunnies from the c. 1925-mid-1930s overall.

His coloring:

Although he appears green and tan, he did start out life black and tan. His painting details have simply changed hue over time. It is interesting to note, that from the 1920s through the early 1930s, many animals that were multi-colored were constructed in a "patched" way, meaning that each color was its own color of mohair, and the colored fabric swatches were sewn together. Of course, this was beautiful and lifelike, but also very expensive and time consuming. To create significant efficiencies in production, the company started painting instead of patching animals, and this rabbit is a perfect example of that.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this charming prewar rabbit has been pure hoppy-ness to you!

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

Check Out This Fez-tive Steiff Rarity!

Have you ever felt really good about a Steiff purchase? Well, Steiffgal recently has - in  more ways than one! Check out this marvelous, and marvelously dressed, Steiff monkey on wheels. There's no question you'll enjoy the ride!

This early 20th century Steiff "Record Peter" is the wheel-deal. First let's talk about the chimp. He is fully jointed, made entirely from felt, and is stuffed with excelsior. He measures 20 cm tall sitting, not including his cart. His face, hands, and feet are made from brown and dark tan felt. His body is made from red felt and is designed as if he's wearing a one-piece outfit that is integral to his design. It is decorated with a large, scalloped edged collar. The edges of his collar and outfit are trimmed in yellow floss. His face comes to life with black shoe button eyes, seams to indicate his nose and mouth, and a little pink and black paint highlighting. His proper-topper is a removable red felt fez with a black tassel. It is absolutely amazing that he still retains this accessory probably a century or more after he left the factory in Giengen, Germany! Felt Record Peter retains his tiny, long trailing "F" button-in-ear as his Steiff ID.

Rolling along, let's take a look at his fine ride. The carriage itself is made out of metal and is painted black. It glides along on four natural colored wooden wheels. The monkey does not actually "sit" directly on anything; he is mounted to the carriage via his backside and legs. This configuration allows his torso to move back and forth when the cart is pulled along. He holds the cart handle with both of his hands; his fingers have been sewn into place to hold this grip position. His "seat" is a red painted wooden rectangle that also doubled as a "squeaker" when he was new. The up and down motion of the wheels would have caused the bellows on the bottom of the wooden seat to let out a little noise with each rotation. Overall, this fantastic felt monkey on the go appeared in the line in 20 and 25 cm from 1913 through 1938. 

Let's dig a little deeper into the record of this legacy Steiff design. “Record” refers to a Steiff item on an "Irish Mail Cart" style vehicle, while “Peter” is the name of the monkey design. Steiff introduced its "Record" range of products in 1912, starting with an all brown mohair chimp on wheels. This "newfangled" design proved extremely popular. Record-style Teddy bears, rabbits, and dolls, including Max and Moritz, appeared in the catalog soon after. Over time, even Mickey Mouse and Felix the Cat were made in "Record" form! Like Record Peter under discussion here today, each of these wonderful Steiff novelties rode upon a black metal, four-wheeled cart with a handle. When any Steiff "Record" item was rolled about, his arms and torso would pump back and forth vigorously, giving the appearance that he was working hard to keep his cart moving.

And finally, picture this. You can see red felt Record Peter's debut image here above. You can click on it to make it bigger. The photo is taken from an original Steiff catalog for the American market dated 1913. At the time, the 20 cm version cost $1.50 and the 25 cm version cost $2.00. In 2019 dollars, that's the equivalent of $38.52 and $51.35. 

Steiffgal hopes you found this discussion on this rare felt Record Peter quite moving.

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

Horsing Around With This 1930's-Era Steiff Pony On Wheels

Whoa Nelly! Can one simple digit make all the difference when identifying and dating vintage Steiff?  In this case - yes!  Check out this lovely vintage horse on wheels. Everything about her goes by the numbers!

This pretty pony belongs to one of Steiffgal's Steiff pals. The horse measures about 28 cm by 28 cm. She is standing, made from soft, very lightly textured brown and white fabric, and comes to life with a black plush mane and tail. She is authentically dressed in red leather reins and a saddle, along with a green felt blanket. She rides upon four red wooden wheels. This is one of Steiff's most beloved and legacy pre-war patterns, and was produced in a number of materials and sizes - ranging from 12 to 80 cm - in the c. 1892 through 1943 time frame. Early on, she was also available paired with a number of complementary items, including a doll, jockey, cart, or sled. Pony retains her long trailing F button and her fully legible red ear tag, dating her initially in the broad c. 1926 to 1934 time frame.

Given her materials, presentation, and age, this is one excellent equine indeed!

But there's something really interesting about this horse that sent Steiffgal into a full gallop. At very first glance, both Steiffgal and her pal thought she was made from felt. If that were the case, her condition truly would be outstanding, given how prewar items made from felt or with felt detailing (like paw pads) almost always have at least a few holes or nibbles in them. But this fabric was flawless! So what's going on here? Check out her red ear tag, which reads "1228." This corresponds to: 1=standing, 2=short pile plush/coat plush, and 28=28 cm. 

Hold your horses! It turns out that Steiff was making their horse on wheels pattern in another fabric called "coat plush" in 22, 28, and 35 cm from 1932 through 1934.  It is interesting to note that in the 1930's, the company started using alot of "substitute" fabrics like wool plush, curled wood plush, and artificial silk plush on some of their most beloved patterns. That was most likely due to supply chain and socio-political issues of the era. These alternative fabrics were still available and affordable. And except for artificial silk plush, all were really quite durable - which helps to explain in part why this horse is in such nice shape. If you look closely at the horse's fabric, you will see that indeed it has a light "fuzzy" texture and feel to it.  And, because the surface is not flat and almost completely even like felt, the seams are not as smooth and "fluid" between the different fabrics. 

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this great 1930's Steiff horse has set you a'blaze!

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