Steiff and Teddy Temptations Galore At Special Auction Services' November 2020 Doll and Teddy Bear Event!

In the mood for something fun? Our friends at Special Auction Services near London are hosting their signature late fall Dolls and Teddy Bears Auction on Tuesday, November 24th and Wednesday, November 25th. Mark your calendars for two days of century spanning toy temptations! As always, Steiffgal dove right into the sale catalog, looking for eye-catching treasures that might have a backstory to them. Here are three that called to her... plus some BONUS insights on each from SAS' own toy man, Daniel Agnew. 

This first auction highlight really takes the pole position. It is lot #83, a Steiff woolen miniature rabbit on skis. It is cataloged as, "A rare Steiff pom-pom woolen skiing rabbit (Skihas 17) 1936-40, with brown and black glass eyes, pom-pom yellow and white rabbit, pom-pom green trousers, whiskers, mohair ears, orange wool scarf, wired body, wooden skis and poles and FF underscored button with crisp yellow cloth tag in ear --8in. (20.5cm.) long." It is estimated at £800 - £1,200.

Steiffgal: Daniel, could you please share with us why Steiff's pre-war woolen miniatures are so appealing to collectors. Could you also tell us anything else about this lot - for example, in the broadest sense its history, or how it was discovered in such fine condition nearly a century after its production?

Daniel: I was delighted to see this ski rabbit. He belongs to a good client who is slowly selling his collection with me. I have known him from antique fair for years since I was around 10 years old. He has a huge collection of toys and hasn't brought in his best items yet. He didn't really know what he had. I let out a little gasp when I saw this toy and its exceptional condition. When you see the flag or tag behind the button in such crisp clean condition, it's such a thrill. These woolens, often called pom-poms in the UK, have their own charm. There are some collectors who specialize in them. Who can remember winding wool around two donut shaped pieces and then tying and cutting them to make a pom-pom ball? We did as children. These are like them, but 100 times more skillful than a childish attempt! Steiff made an amazing range.

This second auction highlight is really elephant-tactic. It is lot #94, an early Steiff fully jointed elephant. It is cataloged as, "A rare and fine Steiff jointed elephant circa 1908, with grey mohair, black boot button eyes, white felt tusks, swivel head, jointed limbs with black stitched toes, tail and squeaker --10 ¼in. (26cm.) height seated (slight tear to one tusk and slight matting)." It is estimated at £800 - £1,200.

Steiffgal: Daniel, can you give the readers a little history on this design, and why elephants are so important in Steiff's legacy?

Daniel: This Steiff elephant is in exceptional condition; this type of fully jointed elephant was one of the first animated or jointed toy animals. Before 1902, all Steiff animals were static models. It was Richard Steiff who experimented with various ways to make Steiff products move. This resulted in a handful of jointed animals, like the now famous rod jointed bear and an elephant. The whole Teddy Bear market is based around this one concept, taking a bear or elephant and making their limbs moveable, so they end up standing on their hind legs, with front legs like arms. As such, a new toy was created, a humanized animal. Anthropomorphism is attributing human characteristics to an animal; this was a hugely popular concept in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and led to the birth of the world's most popular toy. This example, missing the famous button in ear, so making hard to date precisely, probably dates to around 1908 and is a prized example.

And bear with Steiffgal as she chooses a non-Steiff selection as her third pick. She not-so-secretly has eyes for 20th century-era Cramer bears, given their appeal and precious detailing. As such, lot #109, a sweet Cramer cub takes the bronze here. He is cataloged as, "An Eduard Crämer teddy bear 1930s with light brown mohair, brown and black glass eyes, inset short blonde mohair face mask, brown stitched nose, mouth and remains of claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump and growler --15in. (38cm.) high (bald spots, holes in lower head around neck from moth attack, general wear, thinning and fading)." It is estimated at £250 - £350.

Steiffgal: Daniel, can you give the readers a brief history on Cramer bears and what makes them so appealing... as well a reason or two why Cramer items should be of interest to Steiff Teddy bear collectors, too?

Daniel: Cramer is an interesting firm. 20to 30 years ago, we would not have known a great deal about this company. Thanks to research by the Ciesliks, we now know how to identify their bears. Eduard Cramer took over his father-in-law's Schalkau (Germany) toy factory in 1885. It is thought that he made his first Teddy bear in 1905/06, but little is known about his early bears. By the 1920s, Cramer Teds are known as very good quality bears, made from the finest mohair and felt. Their most distinct bear, like lot #109, has a very characteristic inset heart-shaped face mask. I think it's all about the nose stitching; once you get used to the way Cramer made their bears, they become fairly easy to identify. There is a delicate way they are stitched with finer than typical thread. Another non-Steiff bear that would be of interest to Steiff collectors is lot #100, an incredibly rare Strunz jester teddy bear. He's pictured here on the left. He is rod-jointed and dates from c. 1904. Strunz and Steiff had huge rivalry and there were many lawsuits between the two companies. This clown costume is identical to Steiff's jester clown doll from the same era.

For more information on this great sale, and to see the catalog in its entirety, please click here!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on SAS' upcoming Steiff and toy auction highlights has added a playful touch to your day.

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

This Fantastic Steiff Rarity Takes The Pole Position!

Steiffgal recently got an email question about a Steiff item that literally gave her chills - in the best way possible! Around these parts, the temperature has been averaging about 95 degrees lately, with high humidity, too. So what could be more welcome than a question about a cold weather themed doll! Let's all take a virtual break from this uncomfortable summer heatwave and check out this inquiry from Nils from Norway. Steiffgal thinks you'll agree - his fantastic rarity takes the pole position!

Nils simply asks, "I wonder if you can help me with the value and age on my Steiff skier?  He is 36 cm tall and his button is in his cap."

Pretty cool, eh? From what she can tell from the photos, Nil's doll is standing, fully jointed, and appears to be in the company's earlier "character" doll scale. This means that his limbs, feet, and torso are not in "typical" human proportions, but exceptionally long and narrow in this case. His face is more "cartoonish" than handsome or realistic as seen in Steiff's later doll models. He has blue glass eyes; this feature became standard on Steiff's dolls from the early 19-teens onward. Also typical to his early era is the fact that his felt outfit is integral to his body. Later models often had partially or fully removable clothing. It is interesting to note that his Steiff button is located on his hat. According to Nils, he does not have ears, so this button's location is "closest" to where his button-in-ear would be. (Steiffgal also has a little Steiff Barney Google doll without ears; his button is located the back of his jacket; these "out of place" buttons are seen infrequently but are still original.)

Dolls from the first quarter of last century are also "famous" for their great detailing and accessories, and Nil's skier is a fine example of that. His blue uniform includes perfectly proportional buttons, pockets, and trims. His skis and poles are made from wood and are original to him; the skis are marked "Steiff" on their top face. These are pictured here on the left. Steiff used wood as a material extensively in their product line throughout much of the pre- WWII war era. For example, consider Steiff's fantastic array of early mohair and felt animals on wooden wheels, wooden animal and vehicle pull toys, skittle and roly-poly novelties, and blocks and puzzles. Nil's skier doll is also wearing a backpack. Some of Steiff's soldier and student dolls from the same era also carried satchels, totes, or backpacks, and Steiffgal is all but certain this accessory is original to him. 

There is a blizzard of information about Steiff's winter-themed felt dolls. Children and adult dolls doing sports like skiing and tobogganing, were very popular in the Steiff line from about 1909 through the late 19-teens. Many different skier dolls were made; some came with skis and poles but Steiff also made this perfectly to scale athletic gear available for purchase separately. The company created a number of memorable advertising photographs using this playful outdoor theme; it is suspected that the pictures were posed and shot on or very near the Steiff campus during the winter months. 

The quest to identify this athletic doll left Steiffgal breathless. As for Nil's doll, Steiffgal initially thought he was Steiff's "Norwegian Skier," given his presentation and current residence! According to Pfeiffer, the Norwegian Skier is.... "felt, jointed, Norwegian skier, blue ski suit, cap, and gloves, skis and ski poles, in box." The Norwegian Skier was made in 50 cm and was in the line from 1913-1918. However, a closer look at the Norwegian Skier shows his body is more humanly proportioned (and includes ears!), while Nil's doll is definitely more "character" in form. A little more research suggests that Nil's doll is most likely the company's "Skinny Skier." According to Pfeiffer, the Skinny Skier is... "felt, jointed, very thin shape, complete winter sports outfit." He is also pictured with oversized gloves and a backpack, just like the ones Nil's doll is wearing. The Skinny Skier was made in 40 cm from 1913-1928; Nil's version is a shade shorter but these dolls were all hand made, so slight variations like this are expected. You can see a picture of the Skinny Skier, along with his pal the Fat Skier, here on the left; the photo is from the Cieslik's Button in Ear: The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends. 

It can be a slippery slope when it comes to assessing value on a rarity like this. As always, something is worth what someone will pay for it, and true valuations can only take place after a careful in person review. Many condition factors, like insect damage, odors, jointing, and internal integrity cannot be captured in photos. However, from what is visible, the doll looks to be in good to very good condition, retaining many of its original details. Given it is as presented, with no significant structural or aesthetic issues, this doll MIGHT sell at auction in the $1,250-$2,500 range. 

Steiffgal thanks you for being a good sport by reading this discussion on this Steiff skier doll!

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