MY STEIFF LIFE

What's the "best of all worlds" Steiff find for you? Everyone certainly has their own take on what that might be. For Steiffgal, that would include a small, prewar dog on wheels with ID with an interesting history. So it was a real treat when she was recently asked to help rehome just that from a fine estate in Ohio. Apparently his previous owner had a real life Pom, so its clear why this treasure was a crown jewel in her collection. So without further "pom" and circumstance, check out this petite treat and see what makes her so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This little gal is the wheel-deal indeed. She's an early standing and unjointed 17 cm Steiff Pomeranian on wheels. Her legs, face, and ears are made from felt and her body and tail are made from lovely long mohair. Both started out more white but have mellowed to a vanilla color over time. Pom's adorable face is detailed with prominent seams, early black shoebutton eyes, a thin hand embroidered brown nose and mouth, and a touch of tan paint on her nose. Her legs are quite firm and appear to lined in metal rods to support her. These rods end at the tips of her paws in loops. These loops in turn secure her to the axles that connect to her metal wheels. Each wheel measures about three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and has four spokes.

In terms of age and marks, this pretty Pom retains her tiny long trailing "F" Steiff button in ear as her ID. She was produced in 17, 22, 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm (measured top of head to toe, sans wheels) from 1902 through 1929 overall. This design appeared exclusively on metal wheels through 1916/17; as such, she was certainly made at the beginning of her manufacturing time frame.

Pomeranian dogs are a legacy design for Steiff.The company's earliest felt and mohair Poms were manufactured in many configurations, including sitting, jointed, on a pincushion, and on wheels - like the example under discussion today. An interesting, unusual, and rare five ways jointed version was produced with its legs jointed and attached to the back end interior of the body torso - not along the outside of the hip area as typically seen. A great example of Steiff's Pom pincushion is shown here on the left; this item realized $700 in January, 2018 at a Theriaults doll auction. The photo is from Theriaults.

It goes without saying these antique Poms are charming - and charmed! Every turn of last century Pom that left the Steiff factory in Germany was decorated with a red cord with two pom-poms or tassels. This gave the dogs an undeniably “regal” appearance. The breed does have some connections to German royalty, which may explain why Steiff decorated them like “little kings.” Steiff's earliest Poms also have enormous appeal to vintage doll collectors, who love to pose them alongside antique dolls from the same era.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's early Pomeranian dogs has unleashed your desire to add one to your collection someday!

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

It's always fun to add a little something unexpected to your Steiff meow mix! And such is the case with this wonderful feline treasure that snuck in on little cat's feet. Steiff's Siamy Siamese cats have been favorites with collectors since their introduction in 1930. Check out this very vintage version and see what makes her purr-fect in every way.

Despite being a bit mohair challenged, this pretty kitty has quite the tail to tell. She is 22 cm, sitting, head jointed, and made from mohair - tan on her body and head, and brown on her ears, muzzle, front legs, back foot pads, and tail. You can see traces of brown airbrushed highlights on her face. Her face comes to life with blue and black slit pupil style glass eyes and a simple pink hand embroidered nose and mouth. Her red claws are also hand embroidered. She proudly retains only one of her original clear monofilament whiskers. She has a non-working squeaker in her belly and sports a teeny tiny long trailing "F" button as her Steiff ID. Sitting, mohair Siamy was made in 14, 17, 22, 25, and 30 cm from 1930 through 1932 and then again from 1934 through 1942 overall.

Given how many cat-calls she received from collectors, Siamy was produced in a number of forms. She appeared as a tail turns head model in 15, 18, 23, 26, and 31 cm from 1931 through 1933, and in wool plush in 14, 17, 22, 25, and 30 from 1930 through 1932. Siamy-inspired novelties included a 17 cm hand puppet called Punch Siamy that appeared in the line from 1930 though 1934 and a 30 x 30 cm Siamy pajama bag that appeared in the line from 1930 through 1937. The puppet and pajama bag are both incredibly rare on the secondary market. Steiffgal has only dreamed about the Siamy pajama bag, and has only handled one Siamy puppet in over four decades of collecting all things button-in-ear.

Siamy used one of her nine lives to reintroduce herself into the Steiff catalog after the company reopened for toymaking business at the conclusion of World War II. However, she was only made in 11, 15, and 23 cm from 1953 through 1954. The post-war pattern had several key design updates over the pre-war pattern. To see these obvious differences, compare the photos above! The cat on the left is a prewar 22 cm Siamy and the cat on the right is a postwar 23 cm Siamy.

Specifically, these update included:

The postwar model was distinctively more plump and rounded than the prewar model.

The postwar model had its tan mohair tail and front legs painted brown, while the prewar model had a brown mohair tail and front legs.

The postwar model appeared with either an open or closed mouth. Steiffgal has only seen closed mouthed prewar models.

The postwar models had a somewhat inverted triangular shaped muzzle and forehead construction, while the prewar models had a simpler, rounded muzzle.

The medium and largest postwar models had felt lined ears and the smallest had felt ears. Prewar Siamy cats all had brown mohair ears.

But one thing about Siamy's pattern didn’t change significantly over time—she retained her famous trademark blue eyes which continue to melt the hearts of collectors almost 90 years after her debut.

Steiffgal hopes that this little discussion on Steiff's Siamys has been the cat's meow for you.

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

Can you teach an old dog new tricks? Well, when it comes to Steiff, there is always something new to learn, no matter how old you are - or how many years you've been studying all things button-in-ear! Such is the case with this marvelous and extraordinarily rare black doll, best known through a Steiff schoolroom display from the turn of last century. (But more about that in a bit!) This "head of the class" little fellow belongs to a dear friend of Steiffgal. And boy does she have a schoolgirl crush on him indeed! Come see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This delightful doll is cataloged as "Negro Boy" in the Steiff literature. He is 35 cm, standing, fully jointed - including special knee joints - and made from light brown felt. These knee joints allow him to sit easily and comfortably. He has the typical Steiff vertical facial seam and a quilted, set-in mouth and red painted lips. He comes to life with very unusual tri-colored, almond shaped glass eyes, prominent and dimensional ears, and distinctive hair made from black curled wool material. His outfit, which is correct in design but not original to him, consists of a striped shirt, red vest, and plaid pants. Unlike many of the Steiff dolls of his time, this pattern is purposely barefoot. He was produced in this size only from 1912 through 1918.

Now for a little history lesson on him. This boy was produced at a key time in the company's doll history. Starting in 1911, the company began manufacturing dolls representing different far away countries and dressing them accordingly. They were referred to as "nation types." These included a Mexican cowboy, a Sinhalese girl from Sri Lanka, and a man and a woman from Argentina, among several others. These were all idealized as well as stereotypical in design, with exaggerated facial features and detailing, dramatic skin tones, and perfectly-to-scale national outfits. It is very possible that this line was designed by Albert Schlopsnies, Steiff's creative consultant who was hired to help grow the company's doll line and marketshare starting around 1910.

Prior to Steiff's nation types doll series, Steiff did make dolls in local attire (like their series of German farmers starting in 1908) as well as dolls dressed in regional outfits (like their Dutch children also starting in 1908.) However, unlike the nation type dolls that had specific ethnic features, coloration, and distinctive outfits, the dolls in local attire or regional outfits were standard line dolls dressed in outfits that were slightly modified in shape, form, or proportion - not entirely new patterns. The Dutch girl, Alida, is shown here on the left. She was She was made from 1909 through 1919 in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm. She is described as "felt, jointed, Dutchwoman, original costume, Sunday best.""Sunday best" most likely meant she was wearing special or more upscale clothing for church - not an everyday outfit.

It's a clothes-call when it comes to Negro Boy's outfit. It is based on the clothing worn by schoolboys in a c. 1911 display. A photo of this display appears above, the picture is from the Cieslik's Button in Ear The History of the Teddy Bear and His Friends. In the photo you can see a black teacher giving a multiplication lesson to a classroom of black schoolboys. In the front rows are boys in yellow vests and red and white striped shirts; behind them are boys in orange vests and green and white striped shirts. Perhaps these different "uniforms" reflect the the boys' ages or grades. This one room school display is almost identical in theme to the company's one room school display featuring white children. You can read more about that display here.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this adorable Steiff schoolboy has you feeling like a genius!

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

This bears repeating - Steiffgal's never seen anything like this terrific Ted before! Steiffgal had the privilege of handing this astonishingly special cub for a friend. Yes, he's got traditionally handsome Steiff good looks, but he also has a little secret to him that places him at a really interesting point in Steiff's product development history. Can you guess what that might be? Let's take a closer look at this Steiff rarity and see what makes him outstanding in so many ways.

It's nothing but Teddy hugs when it comes to this fine fellow. This bear is 35 cm sitting or 50 cm standing, fully jointed, and made from long, thick, white mohair. He is solidly stuffed with excelsior. His paw pads are tan felt. He has five brown hand embroidered claws on each of his hands and feet. Typical to very early Steiff bears, he has long and narrow feet, extra-long arms with prominently curved wrists, and a very pronounced back hump. His sweet and baby-like face comes to life with black shoe button eyes and and a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth. And just when you think things could not get better with him - they actually could.

His little secret just might test your metal. Believe it or not, this bear is rod jointed... dating him right at the turn of the last century. Steiff only produced white rod bears in 1904 and 1905! Steiff's rod jointed bears are extraordinary in their own right. These early bears are best known for their chunky forms, almost (American) football-shaped torsos, simple and somewhat "puppy like" expressions, and gutta percha noses. A somewhat more "typical" white rod bear is pictured here on the left. This photo is from Christies and this bear, which had its original elephant button, sold in 2010 for 13,125 pounds. But as you can see, the rod bear under discussion today really has the face - and the facial stitching - of a c. 1905 to 1912 Steiff bear!

So who nose what's going on here? There are a few possibilities, but it is clear that this all-original bear is a transitional example that spans the company's c. 1903 to 1905 rod bears with gutta percha noses and their c. 1905 onward disk jointed bears with embroidered facial features. As such, it is Steiffgal's best guess that this very bear was one of the very last rod jointed bears made - and at the same time - one of the very first bears to feature a hand stitched nose. How remarkable is that?

Let's take a breather here and talk about gutta percha. Gutta percha is a natural latex product made from the sap of the Palaquium gutta tree. Gutta percha noses were very labor intensive to produce on bears. Each one required an artisan to place individual drops of this black, sticky, rubbery substance on the tip of the bear's muzzle until enough built up to resemble a nose. The artisan also was required to constantly shape the cooling material into a nose shape, which explains why early and original gutta percha noses often are asymmetrical and have fingerprints and nicks on them. You can see a close up shot of a Steiff gutta percha nose here on the left. Richard Steiff himself thought this process was way too time consuming, and insisted that the company's bear production incorporated stitched noses from around 1905 onward.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this extremely rare transitional rod bear has been a one in a million experience for you!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's easy to celebrate all things Steiff! Steiff introduced the world to its fully jointed Teddy bears in 1903. In honor of the golden anniversary of this accomplishment in 1953, the company designed and produced an entirely new and novel Teddy bear design. It was named Jackie and she was made in 17, 25, 35, and 75 cm from 1953-55 only.

Collectors could bearly get enough of Jackie. For many reasons - including her charming appeal, airbrushed belly button, pink-highlighted nose, and short time in the line - Jackie remains one of the most beloved Steiff bear designs of all times. Accompanying Jackie was a small celebration booklet, which told the history of the company in words and pictures. To find a mid century Jackie bear in very good condition with IDs is a dream come true for many collectors; to find one with this original booklet is practically unheard of!

But sometimes wishes do come true, at least in part. Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of finding one of these original Jackie booklets for sale, and was delighted to add it to her Steiff ephemera collection. The piece itself is very small - measuring 10.5 cm x 7.5 cm closed, or 10.5 cm x 15 cm opened up. There are 14 total printed pages, and all words are in German. The booklet is bound by one staple. It is printed on paper which has most likely mellowed to a tan color over time. Let's take a peek into this time capsule and see what secrets it might hold about the company we all know and love.

You can click on any of the pictures of the spreads to make them bigger on your screen!

Here is the front and back spread of the booklet. As you can see, the cover features the delightful Jackie bear, complete with her special anniversary chest tag. It is interesting to note that she is pictured without her Steiff button or ear tag. The front reads, "a small teddy travels in the wide world," probably in reference to Steiff's humble beginnings which progressed to international standing and recognition. The back very roughly translates to, "This is the story of the Teddy bear with the button in ear by Margarete Steiff GmbH."

Featured on pages 2 and 3 of the booklet are two iconic Steiff images. The first is of company founder, Margarete Steiff. The other is of the two very distinctive church steeples which are the prominent features on the Giengen horizon - even today. The headline of the spread reads, "The history of the Teddy bear."

Pages 4 and 5 are graced with the headlines, "At the beginning was a small felt elephant" and "Richard Steiff, the inventor of the teddy bear." The illustrations include a small grey felt elephant, which was Margarete's first "toy," a picture of her in her wheelchair hand sewing something, and a handsome headshot of Richard Steiff. Richard, Margarete's nephew, came up with the idea of the fully jointed Teddy bear after studying how real bears move and interact at a local zoo.

The next pages - 6 and 7 - are dedicated to 1903, the year Steiff Teddy bears really went global. The headlines roughly translate to, "In New York from 1903 onward" and "The Leipzig Fair debut in 1903." The page is illustrated with a skyline of New York City, an early and very fuzzy Steiff Teddy, and a man hammering shut a wooden crate, presumably filled with Steiff Teddy bears heading to the USA. This page most likely references how 3,000 early Steiff bears were ordered by an American distributor (The George Borgfeld Company of NYC) at the 1903 Leipzig Fair. The whereabouts of those Teds have been lost to time. This mystery is still ongoing today.

Pages 8 and 9 are all words. Given the headline, which translates to "Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt gave him his name,"these key passages probably explain why Steiff's Teddy bears from Germany were branded after the famous American President. Roosevelt refused to shoot a baby bear cub on on a hunting adventure in Mississippi at the turn of last century.

Next up on pages 10 and 11 are a charming series of illustrations featuring Steiff's "Nimrod" bears. Like Jackie, the Nimrod bears were produced in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Teddy bear. They appeared in the line in 1953 and 1954 in 22 and 50 cm. Four versions were made in a variety of hunting themed outfits. These "outdoorsmen" bears are a gentle nod back to President Roosevelt - who was instrumental in his own way in helping Steiff grow and thrive in the early 1900's.

The headline on page 11 translates to "The Steiff factory is built entirely of glass" and is referencing the illustration that is found on page 12.

And here on page 12 you can see this glass factory. This feat of architecture is sometimes referred to the "1903 Building" because that's when it was built, or the "Maiden's Aquarium," because you could see from the outside of the building all of the beautiful seamstresses working inside. The headlines roughly translate to, "Steiff animals, the beloved toys of all children,""Only the best for our children,"and "Steiff button in ear - adorable playmates." These statements, now over half a century old, still ring completely true today.

The final spread of the booklet, which includes pages 14 and 15, present a playful quartet of photos featuring company's now most iconic designs of the early 1950's. Most of these charmers were completely new post-war introductions. The items pictured are:

A standing duck, made in 11 and 18 cm from 1952-76.
A grey elephant, made in 7, 10, 17, 22, and 35 cm from 1950-78.
A Niki rabbit, made in 14, 17, 22, 28, and 35 cm from 1951-64.
A Zotty Teddy, made in 9 sizes ranging from 17 to 100 cm from 1951-78.
A young lying lion, produced in 17, 28, 43, and 60 cm from 1953-59.
A Mecki hedgehog doll, produced from 1951 onward in 17, 28, 50, and 100 cm over time.
A Papa lion, made in 14 and 22 cm from 1949-61.
A Jocko, made in 9 sizes ranging from 10 to 80 cm from 1949-81.
A Disney Bambi, made in 14 and 22 cm from 1951-1972.
A Pucki dwarf, made in 13, 18, 30, 55, and 115 cm from 1963-73.
A Peky dog, made 8, 10, 14, and 22 cm from 1952-77.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed this quick time-travel adventure back to 1953!

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

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.

Mark Twain once wrote, “The more I know about people, the better I like my dog.” Is it possible he was referring also to Steiff's wonderful line of pooches? As most collectors know, canines have been well represented in the company's product mix from the late 1800's onward... and are probably second only to Teddy bears as Steiff's most favored collectibles worldwide.

A penny for your thoughts here! Steiffgal recently had the pleasure of welcoming one of the company's blue-ribbon beauties to her collection - a lovely, early 1950's copper-colored "Cockie" Cocker Spaniel. Although not terribly vintage, or extremely rare from the collector's perspective, Cockie's presentation, construction, and detailing really make her one top dog. Come take a look and see if you too don't also feel the "puppy love!"

It's easy to have a plush crush on this canine-cutie! Cockie is standing on all fours, head jointed, and is made mostly from mohair. Her soft and floppy ears are made from long mohair, her head is made from short mohair, and her body is made from medium length mohair. She simply glows with well executed, fabulous, and realistic looking airbrushed copper colored highlights. She has three black hand embroidered claws on each of her paws. Cockie's expressive face and muzzle are quite detailed. She has pert brown and black glass pupil eyes and a hand embroidered black nose. Her muzzle and mouth are made from mohair and velvet and are remarkably constructed with dimensional jowls. You can see this detailing in the close up photo here on the left. Cockie retains her raised script button, fully legible ear tag, and US Zone tag as her Steiff IDs. This design was manufactured in 10, 17, and 25 cm between 1952 and 1957.

Knowing copper Cockie was on a roll, Steiff also produced the 10 cm version of her on blue eccentric wooden wheels from 1954 through 1977, and then again in 1960. She sashays back and forth, much like a real dog, as she is pulled along on her off-center carriage axles and wheels. This happy handful is pictured here on the left.

Steiff's Cocker Spaniel production can be measured in dog-years. It is interesting to note that this breed did not appear in the Steiff line until the early postwar era. However, the company quickly made up for lost time starting in 1951 when the first Steiff Cocker Spaniel was introduced. The company's earliest Cocker Spaniel, also named Cockie, is sitting, head jointed, and made from brown and white mohair. Like her copper colored cousin, debut Cockie has an elaborately constructed muzzle and a smiling, velvet lined mouth. Sitting brown and white Cockie appeared in the line from 1951 through 1959 in 10, 14, 17, 22, 25, 28, and 30 cm. The smallest version of this pretty puppy is pictured here on the left.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed learning about this wonderful copper (show) stopper of a pooch!

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

What's on your Steiff bucket list? It's easy to come up with a list of great Steiff toys that qualify as truly dreamy acquisitions. But in Steiffgal's case, her list also included visiting the home of her Steiff superhero - Richard Steiff! And dreams can come true, as they did last weekend when she had the absolute pleasure of visiting the Jackson, Michigan home where Richard lived in the late 1920's and 1930's when he resided in America. Come take a tour of this happy, historic home and see if you too can feel Richard's playful spirit!

Richard lived at 610 Harwood Road in Jackson, MI. Steiffgal has a number of notes he wrote on his personal letterhead; that is how she knew his exact address. She penned a letter to the family that lives there now, and asked if it would be possible to stop by for a quick tour with friends. The family was extremely gracious, and said yes. Then, through a series of emails and Facebook chats, the meeting was set for late April.

Here on the left you can see the exterior of Richard's house. The neighborhood is really pleasant and family oriented, and apparently everyone knows everyone and is quite friendly. The house, which was probably built in the 19-teens or early 1920's, has a distinctly arts and crafts look and feel to it. The front stairs are made from concrete, and the home features a marvelous outdoor sitting porch that extends the entire length of the house. The building itself may have been a "prefab" house that was ordered from a catalog like Sears and then built on site; this was somewhat common through the 1920's in America.

The interior of the house is lovely and modern. Clearly, many changes and updates in both its decor and the layout were made over time by the various owners since 1939. This would have been done for practical as well as aesthetic reasons. For example, the original kitchen, which was tiny, was repurposed as a study. However, there are some exciting details in the house that clearly existed when Richard resided there. Perhaps the most obvious is the fine woodwork and paneling which appear in almost every room. You can see an example of that here on the left. The current owners said that the woodwork had been painted an "unnatural" color and that they stripped it to bring this detailing back to its original condition. Can you imagine Richard going up and down these steps? He certainly did about a zillion times when living here.

Another great feature of the house is a number of built-in storage units that are clearly original to the home. They are well constructed, with a charming, old fashioned look to them - earnest and practical at the same time. This storage unit, located at the top of the stairs, looks to be perhaps a linen closet for towels and sheets. There is also a built in china cabinet located in the dining room; the family suspects at one time it had glass doors. Today it is just open and displays a collection of vintage tableware.

The attic in this house is open, light, and accessible by a staircase from the second floor. Although there are no physical indications today that Richard did work in this space, the room itself is extremely conducive to creativity given its layout, storage potential, sight lines, and window-configuration.

The home's period details also include more decorative features like knobs, pulls, light switches, and vents. Here on the left you can see a very pretty floor vent located right near where the original kitchen was located. Of course, Steiffgal brought along the "Terrible Trio" of Bitty Bub, Mini Mopsy, and Petite Penelope on the visit. They, like Steiffgal, are batty over Richard Steiff - and that is why they decided to pose upside down on it.

Richard's house features two laundry chutes. These allowed people on the upper floors to put their dirty clothes down a pipe leading to the basement where the "washing machine" was located - but more about that in a bit. Here you can see the bottom of the chute, which is basically just a large wooden box with a mesh wire door. The wood is quite worn and may have been "repurposed"; i.e., it started out life as shipping crates for produce or something like that. It was very cool to open and close this door, and realize that Richard had done so as well.

Speaking of laundry, it is most likely that the family did its laundry in this big granite sink tub. It is located just a few steps away from the laundry chute. Today it is allocated for storage, but its size, location, and materials perfectly align with 1930's usage. And right above the tub is a series of hooks - a set on one side of the basement and a symmetrical set on the other side of the basement. It is suspected that the family strung rope or lines between these sets of hooks, and used this setup as an indoor clothesline for drying laundry. You can see the tub and half the hooks pictured here on the left.

Of course, Steiffgal has saved the best for last in this virtual tour. Perhaps the most thrilling part of this visit was to stand in Richard Steiff's workbench area. This is also located in the basement of the house - in the farthermost, back corner. It is a dark space, and the drawers and cabinets are all made from wood, which also may have been "repurposed" like that of the laundry chute receptacle. This area consists of series of drawers, shelves, and a well worn bench top. It is a truly magical space. Steiffgal ran her hands along the bench top, and on the drawers, just to touch something that was also very near and dear to Richard. It is interesting to note that this area has a similar feeling and construction to Richard's workbench area featured in the Steiff museum in Giengen. You can see a collage of Richard's Jackson workbench area pictured above.

Steiffgal is incredibly thankful to Cheri Valkuchak and her family for opening their doors and hearts to this crazy collector and her traveling companions. Cheri runs a popular day care service for working families out of this house. Steiffgal can't think of a better use of this legacy Steiff space - and can only imagine Richard smiling at the thought of his home filled with happy, laughing children.

Steiffgal hopes you enjoyed this tour of the Steiff action in Jackson!

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

Steiffgal's not trying to get your goat here, but she's betting you haven't seen this Steiff rarity before! All kid-ding aside, this young mountain-dwelling friend is not only darling, but has some wonderful period detailing on him. Check out this baby Chamois and see what makes him so delightful from the design and product development perspectives.

Here's looking at you, kid! This Chamois kid is 22 cm tall, unjointed, and made from light and dark tan woolen mohair. He is airbrushed with darker brown highlighting on his back. His claws are designated by black airbrushing. He has a sweet, stubby tail, curvy legs, and a non-working squeaker in his belly. His youthful and appealing face comes to life with brown and black glass pupil eyes, two embroidered black nostrils, a simple black embroidered mouth, and black airbrushing around his eyes. The insides of his pert ears are highlighted with a touch of pink airbrushing. He retains his short trailing "f" button and yellow ear tag as his Steiff IDs. This Chamois kid was produced in this size only from 1933 through 1943.

Steiff also made an adult Chamois, who looks quite similar to the "kid' - except for black fabric horns and a more "adult" expression - in 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1938 through 1943.

So what exactly is a Chamois? These somewhat hybrid goat-antelopes are native to the mountains of Europe, although they can also be found in New Zealand - which also known for its altitudes! Several species of Chamois are protected by law in order to preserve their populations and well being. Fully grown males are usually around 30 inches tall and can weigh in the 66–132 pound range. As usually found in nature, the males are a little larger than females. Interestingly, both adult males and females have horns. According to Wiki, "Distinct characteristics are white contrasting marks on the sides of the head with pronounced black stripes below the eyes, a white rump and a black stripe along the back." The Steiff Chamois under discussion today indeed sports these breed-specific features.

This young Chamois certainly hides his age well! He has two key features that really reflect the time in which he was produced - just at the start of World War II.

The first is his material. He is made from woolen mohair, not Steiff's traditional mohair plush. You often see items in the Steiff line made from woolen mohair, wool plush, short pile plush, or artificial silk plush from the early to mid-1930's onward. Steiff used these substitute materials from the early 1930's through the very early 1950's when regular mohair plush was in short supply as it was being allocated for military purposes. Chamois' woolen mohair texture is a bit more coarse and flat due to its short nap and fabric properties.

The second is his construction. He has delightful "color patching" seam work. That means that the different colors that are used to bring him to life are actually made from distinctive fabrics - not one fabric that has been painted or airbrushed to show contrast. This is especially noticeable on the deep "V" shapes on his neck and forehead. This multi-fabric detailing is expensive in terms of time and labor to do. One way to approximately date Steiff animals is to look for this old fashioned "patched color" construction. Earlier items have it, while most items dating from the mid-1950's rely on airbrushing for color differentiation.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this high-altitude early Chamois kid has left you breathless!

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

Collecting, and the way we learn about the things that we love, has changed so much over the years. Alot of this is the result of the Internet and social media. These "invisible" resources enable seamless information exchange as well as facilitate new and often unexpected relationships. This is entirely true in the case of Steiff, where mysteries are solved, information shared, and great finds are celebrated worldwide with just the click of a button. Check out this note from a new friend as a case in point here. Judy from St. George, UT shares,

"I saw a YouTube video recently where you were presenting some of your Teddy Baby Steiff bears, and lo and behold, there was the sister to my Betsy Bear, who has been with me for 72 plus years now. I've never seen another one like her, but I knew a little. She has excelsior stuffing, measures 10" tall, and had a Steiff ear tag in her left ear for many years, but it fell out.

I received her for my 5th birthday on Dec. 23, 1945 when I lived in military housing in Mannheim Germany. My Dad probably bought her at the Army PX. I have never received a better birthday present in all my 77 years!

I even wrote a book about her for my grandkids and family, The Life and Times of Betsy Bear, because her story is really the story of my life as well. In my little book about Betsy's life, I showed her sitting with other dolls that have the same body but with different animal heads. I don't know exactly why I thought that Steiff made interchangeable animals during that phase, but my Dad may have mentioned that he had a choice of dolls and he picked the bear for me.

I want to give her to my granddaughter, Emily, but so far I can't seem to part with Betsy. I've always told my husband if the house burns, SAVE BETSY! That's how much I love her.

Betsy's mohair is very scant and patchy now. There's still a little color of pink in her open mouth. She has shoebutton eyes. Her original body was like stocking material with mohair paws and I think I remember her original feet as being a little longer, but my mom had to resew her body, arms and legs after Betsy went through a typhoon when we lived on the island of Okinawa in 1948. Later in about the 1960's I hand sewed another set of arms and legs. Like I said, she's had an adventurous life!"

Heavens to Betsy! What a great note, and a wonderful story. Yes, what Judy has here is an example of Steiff's WWII-era silk Plush, rayon, and stockinette animal dolls. They are 22 cm tall, standing, and head jointed. Their bodies are made from stockinette (which looks and feels just like a thick lady's stocking), while their hands, feet, and heads are made from artificial silk plush. They are dressed in simple and inexpensive rayon outfits made from checked or floral prints. They left the factory in Giengen with a button and yellow ear tag as their Steiff IDs. Steiffgal has never seen any company specific cataloging on these items. Given their production timeline, it is most likely that Steiff did not advertise or thoroughly document these dolls in their records. Here on the left you can see a photo of a little boy and girl version of this doll pattern, the photo was taken at the Puppenhaus Museum in Basel, Switzerland.

These animal dolls are extremely ephemeral, and as such, quite rare. They are based on the company's most popular designs of the time, but every element of their construction was done in very low end, substitute fabrics. This is understandable given the absolute dearth of materials available for toy manufacturing in the 1940's in Germany. Steiffgal actually can't think of any other pattern Steiff item made from this stockinette material. Here on the left is another picture of one of these rarities, it is from our friends at Teddy Dorado.

Given that there is no official documentation, the question that many collectors have about these dolls is when exactly they were made - before, during, or after WWII. The power of the Internet has answered this question, sort of. Judy received her doll in late 1945, just a few months after the conclusion of WWII. According to company records, Steiff announced that the government forbid them to manufacture toys of any form as of 4/15/43. We also know Steiff started producing a very small number of artificial silk items as early as 1945, and that these items could only be sold to American troops - not to stores or civilians. Given Judy's dating, where Betsy was purchased, and Steiff's manufacturing history timeline, it is Steiffgal's suspicion that these floppy dolls were the first, or one of the absolute earliest, toys produced once the Steiff factory slowly started emerging from the WWII imposed shutdown.

Another very interesting tidbit shared by Judy is her drawing of Betsy and her friends. You can see that illustration here on the left. Steiffgal has seen and handled several Teddy Baby style animal dolls. She also has a rabbit stockinette and artificial silk plush animal doll in her personal collection. But Betsy's illustration also shows a cat and a dog version of these dolls - in addition to the known versions. How cool is that? Is it possible that Steiff also made cat and dog dolls at the same time as the Teddy Baby and rabbit versions? Well, with Steiff, you never know... but if Judy's father's purchase choice recollection is true... then maybe yes!

The next great Steiff hunt has begun!

Steiffgal hopes this information on Judy's Steiff friend-for-life and book has been a great read for you!

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

Anyone out there have a rabbit-habit? Steiffgal does for sure, especially when it comes to Steiff's unusual vintage bunnies. And this fantastic example under discussion here is not only breathtaking to look at, but also is a bit mysterious in terms of his construction and dating. Take a look and this bouncing bundle of joy and see what you think. Jill shares...

"Here are a few pictures of the orange rabbit I was telling you about. He is 11" in height without his ears, which are floppy. His head and front paws are jointed. He has a non-working squeaker.

I thought maybe he was from the 1920-30s, BUT he has a raised script button, not an FF button. Could he be prewar stock that was buttoned and sold until after the war? I was not able to find him in any Steiff reference book.

Thank you for any help or insights you can provide."

Orange you glad you checked out the blog this week to see this wonderful treat? There are three key things to note about this happy hopper.

The first, of course, is his 14 carrot mohair. It is bright orange with a little white tipping to it. Tipping and/or bright colors were very popular fabric choices for charming things designed and produced in the mid- to late 1920's through the 1930's at Steiff. For example, think of the company's wonderful "jellybean" colored begging and sitting rabbits and the bright orange Bully the Bulldog patterns produced during this time - and of course Petsy the Baby Bear, famous for his brown tipped fur.

Now let's move and grove with his second feature, his jointing. According to Jill, this example is head and arm jointed. He has a very similar presentation to the company's tail moves head rabbits, which appeared in the line from c. 1931 through 1938 overall. This is especially true when you look at his neck area, which is somewhat elongated. You can see an example of one of Steiff's tail moves head rabbits here on the left for comparison. This photo is from Morphy Auctions. However, Jill's rabbit is absolutely not tail moves head jointed.

And finally, let's button up this analysis with a look at his ID. Apparently Jill's rabbit came with a raised script button. This ID would indicate that he was produced in the c. 1952-1969 time frame. However, his color, pattern, and presentation strongly suggest that he was made prewar.

So do you feel you've just been lead down a rabbit hole? Well, Jill's orange rabbit is confusing in part, but here's Steiffgal's best take on him. He may be an undocumented, one-off sample or prototype made in the mid-1930's and based on a little known rabbit that appeared in the Steiff line in 21 and 30 cm in 1935 through 1936 only. (Jill's rabbit is 28 cm, so it is entirely possible that he started out life at 30 cm, or shrunk a little over time, like all good things seem to do.) This cataloged rabbit, which is pictured here on the left, was begging, at least head jointed, and produced in long, soft grey/brown mohair tipped in white. This model is specially called out for its distinctive fabric, as noted in his cataloging. This photo is from Pfeiffer's Sortiment 1892-1943; you can click on it to make it larger.

It's unclear exactly why Jill's rabbit was not produced on a commercial scale, but it most likely had something to do with the general business realities of the 1930's in Germany. It is possible that his orange mohair was either too expensive or simply not available in commercial quantities necessary for manufacturing, and/or that Steiff decided that he would not sell in enough volume to justify his costs. And what about his ID? As Jill suspects - and Steiffgal concurs - he may have been made pre-war, put into storage, and buttoned and sold in the very early 1950's, explaining his raised script style button.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Jill's fabulous rabbit has been a cheerful-earful for you.

It's all hands in the air for Steiff's great mohair puppets - especially the really rare ones. Steiff started creating these high quality puppets in the early 1900's in the likenesses of some of their most popular characters and designs. This tradition was carried out for the most part through the 1970's; after then, the company's puppets were mostly constructed from plush, plastic, and other materials. Let's take a deep dive and check out one of the most unusual post-war mohair examples and see what makes him so interesting from the product design and historical perspectives.

It's not unusual to see collectors fighting tooth and nail over this walrus hand puppet. This unjointed rarity is 20 cm tall and made from tan mohair that has been airbrushed with brown and tan spots, shading, and highlights. He has a pair of dimensional flippers; the tips are stuffed with excelsior. His oversized, very round head is solidly stuffed with excelsior. His face come to life with two black and white google style eyes, jowls, a long, brown tipped mohair beard, a pink hand embroidered nose, and two white tusks. This walrus puppet was made in this size only in 1962 as an exclusive for high end toy retailer FAO Schwarz.

This perky puppet of course is based on the company's standard line Paddy walrus design. Paddy was produced in 10, 14, and 22 cm in the 1959 through 1965 time frame. It was not unusual in the 1950's and 1960's for Steiff to retool popular items as exclusives for FAO Schwarz. By "retool," Steiffgal means making an item in a bigger or smaller size; sitting instead of standing (or vice versa); dressing a piece in a fancy outfit or giving it a distinctive accessory, or taking a basic design and producing it in another toy category. That's what you see here - the Paddy design being reinterpreted as a puppet.

To keep things twice as nice, Steiff also produced Paddy as a pajama bag as an exclusive for FAO Schwarz from 1962 through 1972.This delightful and functional collectible was 45 cm nose to tail; made from short brown mohair or dralon plush which was carefully airbrushed on its face, flippers, and tail; and was lined in blue colored silk material. He had a zipper up his belly and was "hollow", meaning that you could indeed store your adult sized pajamas inside of his torso!

Steiffgal's Paddy puppet clearly was someone's best friend at one point in his life, which is a good thing. He has some play wear to him, his beard is quite thin, and he lacked his traditional tusks upon arrival. So the question is, how important is condition when making a Steiff purchase? Of course, everyone has their very own algorithm for this, and it always comes down to personal choices and preferences. But if it is helpful in any way, here are three key things that Steiffgal considers when making a purchase decision for her own collection.

1. Do I have this item in my collection already? If not, then it may be a good choice, all things being equal. If you already do, is this example in better shape than the one you already have? If yes, then consider purchasing it and rehoming your lesser quality example. If no, then maybe pass on the opportunity.

2. How often do examples of this item come up for sale? If the item seldom if ever appears on the secondary market, condition plays somewhat of a lesser role in the decision making process. If the item is almost never seen for sale or at auction, consider adding it to your collection. If you have seen examples of the item come up for sale two or more times in the last year or so, and the item you are considering adopting today is not in great shape, consider waiting for the next purchase opportunity.

3. How "bad" is the condition? In the case of this puppet, he was really dirty, had a small tear in his beard, and had lost his tusks to time. These things can be fixed or restored, and that's exactly what Steiffgal did here. She cleaned him, stitched his beard, and made him tusks out of white Fimo clay. (After all, its not uncommon to need custom tooth implants over the age of 50 these days!) If you (or someone you know) can fix the item's condition to a state that you are comfortable with, and/or stabilizes it so it is around for many more decades to come, then consider the purchase. Just make sure that you fully disclose these repairs if you move the piece along sometime in the future.

If the item is in really rough shape, may attract insects, or has other condition issues that make its time on Earth quite limited, perhaps consider waiting for the next big find - which is always just around the corner!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this Paddy walrus puppet has been a happy handful for you.

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

Talk about (s)tumbling onto a fantastic Steiff find! Robin was at the right place at the right time when she found this absolutely amazing and extremely rare early Steiff bear novelty. She shares,

"Hi Steiffgal,

Here's the item I told you about. He is pretty cool and definitely something I’ve never seen before. Before I received him, I thought he might be a skittle like the bear ones I already have, and the bear himself is very similar but he’s much bigger and the base is totally different.

The bear himself is 10" tall and about 5" elbow to elbow. The base is 5-1/2" in diameter and 2-1/2" high. The base is wood with some kind of metal weight inset, that allow him to rock and spin without falling over. It is quite heavy."

Wow, it is easy to lose balance over this delightful turn of last century toy. He's actually a wonderful example of Steiff's early Tumbling Bear. He's standing, unjointed, and made from an early plush material. His eyes are black, and his nose and mouth are embroidered in a very early style. He is mounted on a weighted, wooden hemisphere. This allows him to wobble about, like a very early "weeble" but not fall down. He left the factory holding a wooden stick between his paws and a chain connecting his nose to the stick - to resemble a circus bear of the time. You can see traces of the stitching on his paws that would have held the stick in place. These real-life bears would travel from city to city at the turn of last century as part of roaming circus companies. Robin's tumbling bear was produced in 35 cm from 1899 through 1918 overall.

Check out this tumbler in action here!

Robin's tumbler has a key role in the history of the development of the jointed Teddy bear as we know him today. In the late 1890's, Steiff produced a number of bear novelties. They were made to give the toys action and movement. The picture on the left shows a few examples of these early bear toys. Left to right, they include bears on platforms with bristles supporting them; a bear on a cart with metal wheels; and three tumblers in different sizes and configurations. The bears on the platforms with bristles would move when someone tapped the table on which they were standing - so they would sort of "shimmy" about.

Richard Steiff wanted to create far more playful, dynamic, and child-friendly versions of these static/moving bears, and he took this challenge very seriously. He studied the way real bears move at the zoo. Mohair, a fabric perfect for soft, durable toys, became available on a commercial level around 1902. He married those two facts, inserted his great creativity, and came up with the patterns for a series of fully jointed bears, starting with string jointing, then rod jointing, then disk jointing. The company's disk jointing system has not changed much since its introduction over a century ago.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Robin's tumbler has left you steady on your feet!

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

It's time to cast a little black magic, in the best possible way. Cats are one of Steiff's most popular and prolific lines, but there is one example in particular that has every collector feline groovy. That's the company's Tom cat, the all black kitten on all fours with an arched back and prominent tail. Steiffgal would like to introduce you to a somewhat rare example she recently added to her collection.

It's no tall tail to say that this Steiff Tom cat is quite the looker! He measures 14 cm head to toe, and 25 cm top of tail to toe. He is standing, unjointed, and made from black mohair. His body, limbs, and head are made from shorter mohair, while his tail is made from much longer mohair. His tiny triangular shaped ears are made from velvet. He has a red embroidered nose and mouth, and three matching red claws on each foot. His teal-green and black eyes are in the slit-pupil style, and he has clear monofilament whiskers on his muzzle and forehead. He has a very serious, pensive look to him. His red silk ribbon may be original to him, his brass bell has been lost to time. He retains his short trailing "F" button as his Steiff ID. Tom cat was made in 8, 10, 14, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1923-1943; the two smallest sizes were made with velvet bodies and heads.

Steiff's Tom cat design literally has had nine lives - or maybe even more! The original Tom cat was produced in both black and white velvet. Both versions were very skinny, standing on all fours, unjointed, and had arched backs and open mouths. They all left the factory in Giengen, Germany wearing a silk ribbon and bell. Black Tom cats were produced in 10, 14, and 17 cm from 1904-1918. White Tom cats were produced in 14 and 17 cm for three years only - from 1906-1908 - and are exceptionally rare. Steiffgal has never actually seen an early white velvet Tom Cat! Steiff's next version of its Tom cat was the one under discussion today. Then once the factory reopened for toymaking business after WWII, Steiff produced its Tom cats in 8, 10, 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1950-1976. These post war models were very similar in appearance to their 1920's-40's versions.

One thing that's the cat's meow about this pattern is how long it has appeared in the Steiff line. It debuted in a photograph featured in the 1903-1904 Steiff catalog... in the same picture that introduced PB55... the world's first jointed Teddy bear! This got Steiffgal thinking about other named Steiff legacy pets that have stood the test of time and have not changed significantly in appearance over many decades - appearing prominently both pre- and post- war. Of course, there's Jocko the Chimp, who's design debuted in 1909.Molly the Puppy was "born" in 1925, while Waldi the Dachshund appeared on the scene in 1933. These timeless treasures remind us how good design transcends years, generations, and borders.

Steiffgal hopes you found this discussion on Steiff's pre-war Tom cat close to purr-fect.

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

In the mood to learn about a bouncing bundle of joy? Of course you are! And it's a boy - really! Steiffgal was delighted to add this big blue baby bunny to her Steiff hug recently. He's got such a great personality, and exemplifies many of Steiff typical 1920's era characteristics. Take a look... you'll certainly fall for this cheerful-earful as well!

If this isn't hoppi-ness, then what is? Here we have Steiff's sitting rabbit. He is head jointed and measures 20 cm tall (not including his ears, which are typically not included in rabbit measurements.) He is made from blue mohair, while his chest and the fronts of his ears are white mohair. He has a proportionally petite tail and short, thin, curvy arms and legs. His face comes to life with oversized brown and black pupil eyes, a pink hand embroidered nose, and a black hand embroidered mouth. He even retains a few mono filament whiskers. His big ears are lined in wire and are posable. He is stuffed with a combination of crunchy excelsior and soft kapok. Rabbit retains his long trailing f button and bits of his red ear tag as his Steiff IDs.

This design was produced in mohair in 11, 15, 18, and 23 cm from 1926 through 1932. It was also made in velvet in 11, 15, and 18 cm from 1927 through 1933.

So just what makes this rabbit such a blue belle? Colors can be tricky with Steiff. When you have a vintage piece in hand, always look in "places where the sun don't shine" to discover its true and original color. Although this rabbit today looks cream or tan, if you peek in the crotch, deep in the neck joint, under the tail, under the glass eyes, and in its "armpits," you can absolutely see traces of a baby blue color both on its fabric backing and its mohair covering. Dyes used in the first quarter of the 20th century can fade, wash out, or change color dramatically over time, due to the nature of their chemical composition. So don't always assume that your 1920-1930's era Steiff items, although perhaps tan or grey today, didn't start out life in a much more colorful manner. Here on the left you can see traces of his blue coloring on the underside of his tiny tail.

This rabbit is a delightful example of a delightful product development era at Steiff - the mid 1920's through the early 1930's. Here's what makes this beautiful boy so period to the "roaring 20's:"

His color: Steiff did alot with colored and tipped mohair starting in the mid-1920's. It was not unusual to see rabbits, bears, dogs and other popular animals produced in "jelly bean" colored mohair, or tipped mohair though the early 1930's. Think of Teddy Rose, Molly the puppy, Charly the King Charles, and other favorites from that period. These color choices were the result of a directive from Richard Steiff, who insisted in the mid-1920's that the company's products include lighter, happier colors that reflected popular cultural trends of the time. Here on the left, you can see another colorful example from c. 1929, he is the 11 cm version of the blue bunny under discussion today, but in pink (which has also faded a bit over time.)

His proportions: During this period, many of the items produced moved away from lifelike proportions to appealing proportions. Items designed during this period were more round, chubbier, and toddler-esque than in the past. Teddy baby, who debuted in 1929, is a perfect example of this. As you can see with this rabbit, its head and body are quite oversized, while its legs are quite thin and narrow - not lifelike, but very endearing. Here on the left you can see a picture of a number of colorful rabbits that also fit this description; the photo is a 1929 Steiff advertisement and is taken is from Carsten Esser's Steiff Kataloge 1920-1929.

His detailing: Steiff items produced in the mid-1920's through the early 1930's have playful and happy personalities which come alive thorough subtle design elements. In this case, the rabbit's ears are lined in metal wires, making them posable and more interactive. Think of Petsy the baby bear, who also had this detailing. And his oversized eyes, placed low and wide on his very symmetrical face, give him a distinctly innocent, appealing, and inviting look.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this blue bunny has left you jumping for joy.

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

Good things come in threes, but sometimes in the most unexpected ways. Steiffgal, and probably a significant number of other Steiff enthusiasts, spent a few hours on Saturday, June 30th watching the annual Steiff Festival auction on the computer. Hosted by Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH and broadcast on Liveauctioneers.com, this comprehensive sale offered 183 lots of fine vintage Steiff, with prices realized ranging from 43 to 18,910 euro or about $56 to $22,131. From the business and collector's perspectives, it was very encouraging to see the number of bids and the robust results of the sale. As always, the finest and rarest items will always generate lots of interest and top dollar.

So what's the connection to the number 3? Well, the one offering that really got Steiffgal's wheels spinning in this sale was lot #78, an utterly fantastic Steiff doll on a three wheeled scooter. It was estimated at 2,500-5,000 euro and cataloged as....

"Steiff Urboy, produced 1926, felt doll on a three-wheeled vehicle with clock mechanism drive, case is made of sheet metal, wheels are made of wood, maneuverable, 21 cm, button with long stretched F, good readable white cloth tag label, item No.: 9322 (in the literature the Urboy is wrongly mentioned with the item-No.: 9318, but that is the item-No. of the monkeys Urfips. the correct item-No. is 9322, as it was mentioned in the main catalog from 1926 ), swivel head, black glass eyes, whole clothes and cap original, while driving the Boy is pedalling with the feet, clock mechanism is intact, because of the adjustable front wheel the Urboy can drive straight ahead or in a circle, extremely rare,perfect unused original condition."

This wind-up wonder had 82 bids and hammered at 12,500 euro ($14,629) and realized 15,250 euro ($17,848.)

There are so many things to love about this crossover item, which may help to explain its popularity on the auction block. It has enormous appeal to doll collectors, Steiff collectors, wind-up and tin toy collectors, as well as vehicle collectors. Steiff produced a series of novelty clockwork vehicles - both three and four wheeled - in the 1926 through 1929 time frame. Their drivers included this boy, a white mohair chimp, a brown mohair chimp, and a Teddy. According to the Cieslik's Button in Ear book, 724 examples of the boy were produced and 1,583 examples of the Teddy bear were produced. The 1927 catalog page advertising these high-end items is pictured here on the left, the illustration is from Carsten Esser's Steiff Kataloge 1920-1929.

It's so easy to have a plush crush on the doll driver. His condition appears all but flawless. The little fellow has an irresistible, impish presentation and personality. Although the company started to move away from their center seamed face design in the early 1920's with the introduction of the Schlopsnies dolls, this late 1920's novelty clearly has this legacy facial construction. It is also interesting that the Urboy doll has black eyes, and not distinctive, two color glass pupil eyes, like most dolls produced after around 1910 or so. His green and blue felt outfit is relatively simple, but its hard to miss his pert yellow newsboy styled cap detailed with brown embroidery.

His tricycle is also the wheel-deal. The chassis is made from red and yellow painted metal and houses the clockwork mechanism in its underside. The wheels are made from wood. The boy's feet are sewn to the bike's pedals, so when the toy is wound up, it appears like he is pedaling. This is very cool and life-like. Given the appeal - and the rarity - of these novelties, Steiff made replica versions of two of their 1920s-era clockwork tricycle riding monkeys in the late 1990s. You can see a demonstration of the mechanics behind this model's movement in the video posted above. It was made by filming the clockwork mechanism of a 1996 replica of the company's 1926 "Urfips" motorized tricycle monkey.

Buttoning up this discussion is a review of Urboy's IDs. As noted in the cataloging, his article number is actually 9322, not 9318 as shown in the Steiff Sortiment. 9318 is the article number of the clockwork chimp on a tricycle. It is interesting to note that 9322 means 9=clockwork, 3=mohair, and 22=22 cm. Given he is almost entirely made from felt, it is surprising that the "3" in his numbering is not actually a "1," which means "felt." If you look at his tag, which is shown here on the left, you can see that it is made of a white linen-paper with small threads woven throughout it, probably to strengthen it. The red ear tag was introduced in 1926, so his white tag is most likely one of the last ones used in production before this change was made.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this clockwork tricycle boy has been worth your time!

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

Let's not be sheepish here - this week's find is truly awesome. Steiffgal recently added this lovely beast to her collection. He was listed on eBay and with a little luck, she placed the winning bid. However, it wasn't clear from the photos just how large, or how well made he was. It's always a treat to be surprised about those things. Take a look at this fuzzy friend to learn moor!

Let's sound the horn over this amazing rarity. Here we have Steiff's studio Moorland Sheep. He is standing on all fours and unjointed. He measures about 18 inches tall (measured vertically, head to toe) and 27 inches long (measured horizontally, nose to end of tail.) His body is made from ultra long white fuzzy mohair. His tail, ears, legs, and face are made from short black mohair. His huge, curling, 3D horns are made from felt, stuffed with excelsior, and have airbrushed highlights. And his face comes to life with green and black glass pupil eyes and a simple pink hand embroidered nose and mouth. Steiffgal had to provide replacement eyes as he arrived without any at all! This studio Moorland Sheep was produced in 1960 only and technically at 50 cm, which roughly corresponds with his height measurements.

Buttoning up his Steiff identity is his great hand written yellow tag and raised script button. The tag reads 1350,90. This translates to 1=standing, 3=mohair, 50=size of 50 cm, 9=display animal or special edition, and 0=normal coloring (probably meaning color found in nature.) So his article number pretty much captures his characteristics in a nutshell! Often times unusual items, rarer studio items, or special orders have hand written tags. This is so because so few are/were produced, it is not worth the time, effort, or money to have just a handful of eartags printed up for these editions.

Moorland sheep are native to Germany and come in a few genetic variations. This one created by Steiff is based on the "German Grey Heath" sheep, which are known for their distinctive black and white coloration, as well as prominent horns. They are born all white but their ears, face, tail, and legs become black at around two years old. You can see a real German Grey Heath pictured here on the left. Steiff's version is certainly cuter, don't you think?

Now let's play the name game. It is interesting to note that the scientific name of Moorland sheep is "Heidschnucke." Steiff has produced a number of horned black and white sheep over time, the most famous being their "Snucki" mountain sheep. This design, which also features shaggy white mohair, short black mohair, and fantastic horns, was produced in 12, 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1959 through 1974. The 22 cm Snucki is pictured here on the left. Although not identified SPECIFICALLY as a Moorland sheep, it is Steiffgal's best guess that the company's Snucki is based on the design and details of this great German native species.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Heidschnucke didn't have you counting sheep.

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

Every girl wants a pony at some point in her life, right? Well, good things come to those who wait. Several decades past childhood, Steiffgal has finally welcomed the perfect horse to her collection. This particular barnyard buddy doesn't require boarding, special shoes, or exercise, and she certainly won't eat Steiffgal out of house and home! Check out this excellent equine and see what makes her so lovely - and interesting - from the design and historical perspectives.

No horsing around - this pretty filly is the mane event. She is 17 cm, standing, and unjointed. She is made from short white and brown mohair. Her tail is very long and made from white mohair threads. It's literally a "pony tail" in so much that it could be braided or combed! Her mane is made from short white mohair. Her face comes to life with brown and black glass pupil eyes, little white felt ears, and a pink airbrushed mouth and small nostrils. She was produced in 17, 22, and 28 cm from 1931 through 1939. This example retains her long trailing "f" button and traces of her red ear tag; you can see those IDs in the picture towards the end of this post.

Pony was produced at a very interesting transition point in Steiff's history, and has a pair of design elements that span two distinctive periods at Steiff - the 1920s and the 1930s.

The first is her coloration. Through the very early 1930's, when an animal was multicolored, the company often patched in different hued fabric as part of its construction. As in the case of this horse, her distinctive brown coloring is made from its own piece of brown mohair. Over time, this more expensive, more labor intensive way of constructing multicolored items was replaced by a less expensive method - airbrushing. For the most part, if you see a vintage item that was constructed by dramatically patched or seamed mohair in different colors, it probably dates from before the early 1930s. You can see a great example of that here on the left in this play duck in terms of his construction and detailing. He was produced in 14, 17, and 22 cm from 1925 through 1932.

The second is her general presentation. Starting in the early 1930's, when most everything in Germany started getting more difficult due to the emerging socio-political climate, Steiff also adjusted their design and manufacturing processes to be more economically conservative. You've probably noticed that items designed and produced in the 1930's are far less complicated, jointed, colorful, and detailed than those produced during "the roaring '20s." For example, Teddy bears from the 20's are "fuzzy, fat, and feminine;" some appeared in jellybean colors and tipped mohair. Those from the 30's are leaner, more serious in expression, and made from short mohair or substitute fabrics, like wool plush or artificial silk plush - and usually in more subdued hues. The same is true with this horse pattern, which is clearly designed for simplicity and efficiency. It's lines are very basic, it is unjointed, does not have embroidered features, and doesn't have accessories like a saddle or reins.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this Steiff pony has set your heart a-blaze.

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

Won't you be my Teddy bear? All Steiff collectors agree - there's no better six words in the entire world! And that's just how Steiffgal felt when a new vintage friend joined her hug a few weeks ago. He was purchased at an auction in Germany sight unseen, and when he crossed the pond and arrived at his new home, he was even BETTER than expected. Don't you just love when that happens? Come meet Marshmallow, and learn why he is so interesting from the historical and product development perspectives.

This precious cub is as sweet as sugar! Marshmallow is 30 cm standing, 20 cm sitting, and fully jointed. He is made from white wool plush and is solidly stuffed with excelsior. His pads are made from flesh colored felt that has faded considerably. His simple but beautiful face comes to life with round black and brown glass pupil eyes and a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth. He has four brown claws on each of his paws. He has a non-working squeaker in his belly. Marshmallow's IDs have been lost to time, but it is Steiffgal's best guess that he was made in the mid-1930's to early 1940's, given his materials and presentation.

Now let's dive into material matters. Although wool plush is a lovely and very durable material, Steiff has usually made items from this fabric just before, during, or after periods of war or hardship. It is considered a "substitute" material, used in the place of more expensive and higher quality mohair. Sometimes these items also have linen or lesser quality felt on their pads or lining their ears as well. Wool plush has a really old fashioned look to it, and has a "continuous" but bumpy feel on its surface - not like mohair which can feel softly "prickly" like a hooked rug.

It is interesting to note that Steiff created many of its beloved and most popular 1930's-era designs in wool plush. Sometimes these items, like the company's Teddy baby bears, are specifically called out in the standard Steiff reference books. But others are not. For example, Steiffgal has a wool plush Jocko monkey in her hug; he is identical to the mohair version we all know and love. And as far as Steiffgal can tell, this white wool plush Teddy bear is not noted in the Sortiment books. She handled a similar blonde wool plush Steiff bear for an auction client several years ago - so they were produced in some volume - but probably not many overall.

Another factor that makes this wool plush bear quite the "looker" is his general appearance. His body has a distinctly long and lean look to it, and his dear face has quite a pensive expression. After studying bears from every decade, it has been Steiffgal's observation that bears from the mid-1930's to the early 1940's do indeed have this more "austere" look to them - perhaps matching the socio-economic climate of the time in Germany? Bears from this era also are usually produced in very basic hues, like white and blonde. Just for comparison, check out this photo on the left. It features a similarly sized c.1906 Ted, a c.1929 Teddy Baby, and Marshmallow from the c.mid to late 1930's. What a difference a decade or two makes!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on this wool plush cub has been beary enjoyable for you.

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

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