MY STEIFF LIFE

The temperature is dropping - but the fall auction season is really starting to heat up! And that means many opportunities to add a new - or a few - new vintage Steiff treasures to your collection!

To kick off the sales calendar, Steiffgal is very excited to announce that the next James D. Julia, Inc. toy auction features several collections of simply marvelous button-in-ear rarities and collectibles. These include groupings of exciting Steiff treasures, single items that will take your breath away, and also a bunch of very early "button-in-ear" pull toys. These items are all currently being photographed and cataloged for this event, which will occur in Fairfield, Maine on November 7th, 2014. The online catalog should be available in a few weeks. But with Steiffgal on your side, there's no need to wait for a special preview! Here is a sneak peek at a few exceptional items from a fine collection from New Hampshire that will be featured at this can't miss sale!

Size defies when it comes to this amazing duo of teeny-tiny felt farm animals on wheels! And Steiffgal really did do a happy dance when she first learned of these petite treats! Here we have the smallest sized donkey and horse ever produced by Steiff; both are made as pull toys on wheels. Oh baby - each is only 8 cm tall!! The donkey is c. 1917, standing, unjointed, and made from grey felt. He has a tiny grey felt tail and traces of his grey mohair mane. His face is detailed with black button eyes and felt ears. He rides upon a metal carriage mounted on four natural colored wooden eccentric wheels. He retains the blue leather belt that was part of his saddle cloth detailing, and his tiny Steiff button as his ID. This tiny donkey was manufactured in this size only from 1917-1933.

Donkey's neighhh-bor, the horse is also c. 1917, standing, and unjointed. He is made from rust brown felt. He has a black woolen tail and traces of his black mohair mane. His face is detailed with black button eyes and felt ears. He rides upon a metal carriage mounted on four natural colored wooden eccentric wheels. He retains his blue felt saddle cloth and brown belt. His IDs have been lost to time. This handful-sized horse was manufactured in this size only from 1917-1927.

The next featured Steiff pull toy in this auction is truly the wheel-deal as well. This blue-ribbon buddy is a charming example of the earliest model German Shepherd dog produced by Steiff. And it is doubly interesting to note that according to the Steiff Sortiment reference book, this pattern was first produced on wheels and then without... it is usually the other way around. Although many collectors assume that Steiff has called their wonderful and popular German Shepherds "Arco" since their introduction, the breed did not actually official receive its official "Arco" moniker until 1937.

So here are the Shepherd's doggy-details. He is standing, unjointed, and made from brown and tan mohair. His appealing and realistic face is detailed with a prominent brown muzzle, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and black and brown glass pupil eyes. He has a curvy tail and black embroidered claws. He rides upon four regular green wooden wheels. He retains his original leather collar, but his IDs have been lost to time. This model, an absolute favorite with vintage Steiff collectors worldwide, was manufactured in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm from 1923-1928 and due to his limited production and time frame, rarely comes up for sale on the secondary market.

Today's final Julia's auction highlight, a very vintage Steiff zebra on wheels - may just have you seeing stripes. That's just what happened to Steiffgal when she first laid eyes on this jungle gem! These striped sweethearts have been gracing the Steiff catalog since 1899, and collectors have been "lining up" since then to add these beautiful beasts to their hugs.

Here are zebra's facts, in black and white.Here we have an utterly fantastic and seldom seen early woolen plush zebra on wheels. He is standing, unjointed, and made from textured grey material that has been lovingly and painstakingly hand painted with black stripes. He has a grey and black yarn mane and a black mohair tipped tail. His charming and distinctly old fashioned looking face is detailed with black button eyes. He rides upon four early metal wheels. He retains his Steiff button as his ID. This absolute rarity was manufactured in 28, 35, 43, 50, and 60 cm from 1910-1919 and is seldom, if ever, seen up for public auction.

Steiffgal hopes this preview of some of the wheeled wonders to be sold at James D. Julia's November 2014 toy auction is worthy of a round of applause! The full catalog should be online at www.JamesDJulia.com in mid-October.

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

A picture is worth a thousand words! And this is especially true when it comes to Steiff, and their marvelous catalogs over the years. These great time-capsules really capture the essence of the brand from decade to decade - in terms of key styles, proportions, fabrics, and designs. When giving a talk on the history of Steiff and the company's product design evolution, Steiffgal often refers to the 1970's (in the most loving way) as the "ugly decade." By this, she means that for the most part, item designed in this time frame have a goofy, nontraditional look about them. Let's look at the items on this cover of a 1971 Steiff catalog and see if you agree, too!

Before we start, it is important to note that this particular catalog cover from 1971 features both legacy and "new to the 1970's" items.Today, Steiff, or really any other company, only features the newest, latest, and greatest items on the cover of any printed materials. In terms of "vintage" items, collectors will surely recognize Zotty, the gymnastics ball, the Lulac style rabbit, the lying tiger, the Jumbo elephant, and the woolen miniature ladybug as beloved items first introduced in the 1950's - or even earlier! These items are made from high quality mohair and have a very youthful, energetic, and "here for the long run" feeling to them - sort of the opposite of the vibe of 1970's items.

So are you "red"-dy to dive right into the 1970's now? Then let's check out the 70's pieces in above, from left to right. No monkeying around here - the cheerful chimp is Steiff's "Weich-Schimpanse" or soft chimpanzee. He is standing and unjointed. He is made from brown dralon - a very common synthetic material used by Steiff in the 1970's and '80's - and has red overalls. His face, hands, and ears are made from peach colored synthetic velour, another material typical to Steiff for the period. Chimp has a sweet and playful face, highlighted by oversized white and black cartoon-style eyes. He is stuffed with foam chips and is fully washable. He was produced in 30 and 40 cm from 1971-1982 overall. In addition to his chest tag, button, and yellow ear tag, this chimp - and other foam stuffed, washable dralon items - would have left the factory with an additional silver hang tag, which read, "form formgeschaumt" with the Steiff logo. You can see this on the chimp if you look closely; a sample of this tag is pictured here on the left. (Is it Steiffgal's imagination or does the bear faced logo look uncharacteristically unhappy here?)

Let's now check out Steiff's "Buzzel Hen," just to the right of the chimp. Hen is 19 cm, unjointed, and sitting on a flat bottom. Like her chimp neighbor, she is made of dralon, stuffed with foam, and is fully washable. Her feathers, beak, face, and comb are made from yellow, red, and white felt. She has a squeaker in her base. She was made in this size only from 1971-1974.

Bird is also the word with the adjacent pair of featured feathered friends. Here we have Steiff's well attired Cosy Duck Boy and Cosy Duck Maid. Both are 25 cm, standing, unjointed, and made from white dralon. Their beaks and webbed feet are orange synthetic velour. Both have airbrushed highlighting on their faces. The boy dons a dapper blue tam-o-shanter and a matching blue sailor collar. The girl is adorable in her green felt hat. They are stuffed with foam and are fully washable. Boy and Girl Duck were both produced in 25 cm only from 1970-1973.

It's easy to see things in black and white with this next 1970's feature. Here we have Steiff's 17 cm Pinni penguin. He is standing, unjointed, and made from black and white dralon materials. He has a chubby, orange beak and feet, as well as oversized black and white cartoon style eyes. He was made in this size only from 1971-1974.

Can you feel the "buzz" from the last two 1970's cover stars on the far right of the catalog cover? If you guessed that these, like the hen, are also buzzel items, then give yourself a high five! The bunny is Steiff's Buzzel Rabbit. He is made from tan and white dralon and has a face that sort of reminds Steiffgal of Steiff's Pummy Rabbit. The rooster is Steiff's Buzzel Rooster; he is pictured here on the left. He is made from orange and black dralon. He has a yellow felt beak, and a red felt waddle and comb. His tail feathers are made from green felt. He is a very simplified version of the company's legacy mohair and felt rooster model. Both are 20 cm, sit upon a flat bottom, have a squeaker, are stuffed with soft foam, and are fully washable. The rooster was made from 1971-1976; the rabbit from 1971-1978.

When it comes to Steiff, it goes without saying that "the more, the merrier!" In addition to the Buzzel collectibles noted above, the company also produced a Buzzel Cat and a Buzzel Santa, which did not make it into this cover shot. Both are pictured here on the left. The cat is made from grey and white dralon and has a pink hand embroidered nose, clear monofilament whiskers, and adorable green and black slit pupil eyes. Santa is made from red and white dralon material and felt, with a full long white dralon beard. His face is precious and simple; he has small blue felt eyes, a round peach colored felt nose, and a tiny red circle for his lips. Santa is wearing his traditional Santa suit which is integral to his body. He carries a brown Santa sack, which has a little bell in it. Both are 20 cm with typical "Buzzel" construction and features. Cat was made from 1971-1975; Santa from 1972-1974.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of vintage Steiff treasures from the early 1970's has been a great blast from the past for you.

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

Does Steiff give you the warm fuzzies? If you are like most enthusiasts, just the thought of a lovely vintage Steiff item brings a smile to your face - and makes your heart race just a bit, too. But some Steiff items are literally "hot stuff" with the real ability to warm cold fingers and toes. Such is the case with this Steiff superstar featured in the upcoming Special Auction Services event in London on November 6th. Check out this toasty Ted and see what makes him so special from the design and historical perspectives.

This heart "warming" bear is cataloged as follows:"A rare Steiff Hot-water Bottle Teddy Bear, with golden mohair, black boot button eyes, pronounced muzzle, black stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs, hump, the front seam opens with four brass eye and hook fasteners, opening to reveal metal cylindrical canister with brown cloth lining, circa 1908 –19.3/4in. (50cm.) high (pads replaced, the originals have been removed, some slight wear and missing some nose and mouth stitching)." This bear is only one of 90 made between 1907 and 1912, and was developed in response to a record cold winter in Germany at the time of his introduction. He has an auction estimate of £10,000 to 15,000, which roughly converts to $16,000 to $24,000.

According to Daniel Agnew, Doll and Teddy Bear Specialist at SAS,"His fur is probably in the best condition of all the previous ones I have sold, and this is the only one with this fastening. The others have been laces. I also know of one example which has pop-studs."

Despite their huge appeal to collectors, little else is known about these adorable and functional Teddy bears. Their article number was 5335b, which corresponds to 5=jointed, 3=mohair, 35=cm (size sitting), b=hot water bottle or "Warmflasche." And just why were so few made? Given his complex construction, it quite probable that they were expensive to make, and therefore quite a pretty penny to buy. This may have limited his potential audience of buyers. In addition, this product concept, although charming and fully understandable today, may just have been too advanced or confusing in the early 1900's - when people had Teddy bears, and hot water bottles, but not a hybrid of the two. Today, bidding for vintage Steiff hot water bottle Teddy bears at auction usually brings the room to a boil. And, in response, Steiff has created several recent modern replicas to satisfy collector's interests in these rarities.

Now let's turn up the heat on this delightful collectible by learning more about its provenance.

The consignor's grandmother, Mildred Behrendt, received the Steiff hot water bottle Teddy as a gift shortly after she was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1907. While Mildred’s parents were born in Milwaukee, her maternal grandmother was born in Germany in 1868. The winter of 1907 brought frigid temperatures to Germany; the Behrendts and their German relatives shared a common desire to keep warm.

When Mildred’s relatives sent the Steiff hot water Teddy to her in 1908, they began what developed into a 100 year gift-giving tradition. Mildred cherished the bear throughout her life. She passed it and her love of Steiff animals on to her daughter, Lois, the consignor's mother. Lois kept the Teddy in pristine condition. This teddy presided over Lois' collection of beloved Steiff stuffed animals.

As an adult, Lois continued the family tradition by selecting a special Steiff animal to give to her daughter - the consignor - every Christmas. Over time, this extended to Lois picking out new animals from Steiff’s collection to give to the consignor's two children in a similar fashion. As such, the consignor's family truly represents four generation of Steiff lovers and collectors.

Lois truly loved all things Steiff, and the brand continued to be so important to her throughout her life. Steiff's Jocko the monkey, outrageous spotted gecko, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer, and the growling bear were some of her very favorites. She watched eagerly as her grandchildren opened the boxes containing the special Steiff animals each Christmas Eve. During the holidays, Lois and and her husband accompanied their two grandchildren to a winter wonderland inhabited by movable and life-sized Steiff animals. The amazing exhibit is a reflection of the Milwaukee community’s fascination with Steiff animals and the marvelous history behind them. An example of a typical Steiff holiday-themed window display is pictured here on the left.

And just how can the consignor "bear" to part with such a beloved legacy treasure? She says, "Steiff bears have been an important part of our family’s holiday traditions for generations and we are eager to share this remarkable bear with the world."

Steiffgal hopes this background on Steiff's rare hot water bottle Teddy bears and the story of the Behrendt family has added a warm glow to your day!

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

It's all good when it comes to Steiff's storks! And just why is that? According to German history and tradition, these long legged lovelies are associated with luck and happiness, and are very good neighbors indeed. So let's take the high road and check out a fantastic example of a mid twentieth century Steiff stork and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This very impressive tall drink of water is called Storch Adebar or Stork Adebar. He is 60 cm tall, unjointed, standing and made primarily from off white felt.His wings come to life with scalloped feathers and very light grey airbrushed stencil details. His tail feathers are made from black felt. He has delightful, solid orange felt legs with prominent, distinct knees and over-sized feet. His face is detailed with brown and black pupil eyes, black hand painted highlighting, and a most prominent, over-sized orange felt beak. He has a particularly charming and old fashioned look to him for sure - perhaps because he is made entirely from felt, which is Steiff's legacy material. Adebar was produced in 17, 35, and 60 cm from 1953 through 1969.

Storks have found their nest in the Steiff line from the very beginning - appearing in the company's debut catalog of 1892! Like most of Steiff’s first commercial toy items, these storks were produced from felt. Models were made in 7 sizes ranging from 14 to 100 cm through 1918. These earliest storks had metal legs that were wrapped tightly in waxed orange cord, a charming design treatment for Steiff birds through the 1920s or so. You may have seen this limb detailing on Steiff's hens, chicks, and roosters from this period. A nice example of a 1910-era Steiff stork is pictured here on the left; the photo is from Christie's. Early Steiff stork novelties included an ink wipe, produced from 1892 through 1894, and a hanging pram toy, produced in 1916. In 1925, Steiff updated its traditional stork pattern by changing the body shape slightly, wrapping the legs in felt instead of cord, and producing the birds with an open mouth. This model was produced in 43, 60 and 100 cm through 1939.

The "Adabar" stork pattern debuted in the early 1950's, a few years after the toy factory reopened for business post World War II. It was at this time that this big bird was finally was given a "proper" name. His pattern was a slightly updated and simplified version of the company's prewar model. Steiff also produced a 50 cm "studio" or lifesized stork in plush from 1980 through 1984; interestingly, he was not called "Adebar." This studio piece is pictured here on the left. In 1991, Adabar was brought back to the line, and was made in trivera velvet with plastic legs in 18 cm through 1993. And, more recently, Steiff produced a little felt standing stork holding what appears to be a little “bundle of joy,” clearly touching back to the reputation and legacy of this bird throughout the world.

So why are storks considered to be such lucky charms? This all started many centuries ago. For example, in Germany, there was the belief that if a stork built its nest on a home, then that dwelling would be protected from a house fire. In addition, this "neighbor" stork would insure good luck to all the people who lived in that home. Another tradition suggested that storks found babies in caves or marshes and brought them to households in a basket on their backs or held in their beaks. The babies would be delivered to new mothers directly, or dropped down the chimney! As such, couples that wanted children would put treats on their windowsills to attract storks. Even today, storks and new babies are universally associated with each other!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Adebar sends some very good luck your way soon.

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

It's fun to talk Steiff - especially with professionals who have the distinct pleasure of working with the brand we all know and love for a living! Steiffgal recently had the wonderful experience of chatting with auctioneer Carsten Esser from Teddy Dorado about his upcoming Steiff sales event on October 25, 2014 in Germany. This is the company's lucky 13th Steiff auction, and there are so many interesting items available at this sale, both for new and vintage Steiff enthusiasts... and the catalog in its entirety can be viewed here. But for right now, lets go behind the scenes and learn a little more about this auction and the stories behind some of its highlights!

Steiffgal: Of all the delightful items coming up for auction, which ones would you most like to add to your own collection?

Carsten Esser: I have collected Steiff since I was a young boy, and have forever loved the company's very small dogs. They have always seemed to have such fantastic craftsmanship, and even today I wonder how it is possible to bring excelsior and plush to life in such a magical way. The upcoming Teddy Dorado Auction features some minty mint doggies from the 1950s; this of course brings me great pleasure - and hopefully the same to Steiff dog collectors from all over the world. A wonderful example is lot 13-1204, a 10 cm St. Bernard dog from 1953-1955 in pristine condition; he is pictured here on the left.

However, when I founded Teddy Dorado four years ago, I made the very difficult decision not to actively collect Steiff anymore. I did so because I felt that if I continued to build my collection, I could not be a fair agent between those who would like to buy and/or sell fine Steiff treasures. So this fabulous example will have to find a new home that is not with me and my family. But I am certain that this will not be a problem!

Steiffgal: Although you have handled Steiff for many years, and are very familiar with the company's products from the very beginning, are there any items in the upcoming auction that were new to you?

Carsten Esser: Whenever an item appears that I have not seen in the past, well, this is always a very exciting experience indeed! And yes, this did occur with an item in this auction. We ran a Steiff valuation clinic during a Steiff Club event in a very large shopping center in southern Germany some months ago. Here, someone brought us a Steiff pedal car, which is lot TD 13-2601. The owner told us that it was his favorite toy when he was a kid, that the car still works very well, and that he hoped that now this vehicle could find a good new home. This was the first time I had seen one of these in person, and all I could think about was how exciting it will be to share this great and unusual find with the rest of the Steiff collecting world! (This pedal car is pictured here on the left.)

But then the story gets even more interesting! The same man with the Steiff pedal car then took a tiny woolen miniature Pomeranian dog (now lot TD 13-7009) out of this pocket. He told me that he suspected that the dog was made by Steiff due to its white paper ear tag, but that it felt it was probably not terribly valuable and not worth enough to be auctioned off. Much to his surprise, I told him that the small dog would also do quite well at auction, and that his car and dog would be important lots in the upcoming October overall sale. (This dog is pictured here on the left.)

I sometimes do see very rare or uncataloged items, and that is due in part to our business location, which is relatively close to Giengen. My company very often receives consignments from people who live nearby the Steiff factory who have - or had - relatives who were employed by Steiff. And that is true in this auction as well, where we are listing a large and most likely one of a kind rabbit, lot TD 13-1503, from the estate of a former long term Steiff employee. He is brown and white dralon and was most likely a prototype that was never put into production. I particularly like his eyes, which are backed in felt. (This rabbit is pictured here on the left.)

Steiffgal: Your printed catalogs are so professionally done, well illustrated, and most informative. But how do you decide what appears on the cover? Is it the age of the items, or the lot numbers, or values, or something else?

Carsten Esser: We try to have the items on our catalog covers to be representative of the entire auction, as well as highlight some very special pieces, too. We choose items which are the "celebrities" of an auction (like Black Jack, the 1912 black bear who appeared on our summer, 2014 catalog cover and hammered for 15,000 €), items in extremely good or like new condition, very unusual treasures (like the White Teddy Girl on a mohair cushion who also appeared on our summer, 2014 catalog cover and hammered for 8,000 €), highly valued items, and things that go together nicely, like "couples." Our current cover features two such pairs: two small Teddy bears (lots 13-7001 and 13-7002) and a Fluffy cat and Rattler dog who have been together for many, many decades. They all came to us from the same private estate. If you check out our fall, 2014 catalog cover, you'd have to agree that they look great together! (Cover pets Fluffy and Rattler are pictured here on the left.)

Steiffgal: Carsten, as always, thank you so much for your time, and sharing some of your behind the scenes auction secrets with the Steifflife readers today!

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

For many people, "the most wonderful time of the year" is the holiday season... but for Steiff collectors, it is arguably right now! And why is that? It's full throttle auction time, with wonderful Steiff buying opportunities happening all over the world! Recently, Steiffgal has brought you exciting highlights from upcoming fall Steiff sales in Germany and the UK. This week, to complete the trifecta, she's leaving her passport at home and staying relatively local... and reporting in on some fantastic finds from the upcoming James D. Julia Important Toy, Doll, and Advertising Auction. This sale, which offers something for every collector - including several "instant collections" of precious Steiff pets - will be held on November 7, 2014 in Fairfield, Maine. If you are looking for something rare and unusual to add to your Steiff collection, take a look at these three lots. They certainly caught Steiffgal's eye!

Steiffgal can't think of a better way to start your day - and this review - than with this delightful and unusual Steiff rooster on wheels. He has amazing wheel-appeal! According to the catalog in part, "This wonderful wooden rooster pull toy is made from three pieces of carefully cut wood. The bird itself is delightfully and authentically painted in greens, tans, and golds. He has black dimensional eyes and a playful red comb and waddle. He is mounted upon a metal carriage with four green eccentric wheels. He also sways back and forth in a see-saw manner; the overall effect of him in motion is simply charming. Rooster retains his Steiff button, which is skillfully placed near where his ears would be, if he had any. Rooster appeared in the Steiff line from 1919-1941 in this size only. SIZE: Overall 7-1/2″ h."

Although most people associate soft toys and collectibles with Steiff, the company also has a long tradition of manufacturing wooden playthings, too. The first wooden items appeared around 1910 and were mostly accessories for the Teddy bears, animals, and dolls in the line. Then in the late 19-teens and early 1920's, Steiff began producing large numbers of wooden items - in part because high quality woolen fabrics were in short supply post World War l. These treasures included block sets, wooden characters on rocking bases and wooden wheels, building sets, trains, pull wagons, animal-themed wagons, novelties, and animals and birds on wheels. The pull toy birds were exceptionally popular and manufactured overall through the early 1940's. A wooden duck squeaker toy from this period is pictured here on the left for comparison; the photo is from the website www.oldwoodtoys.com.

Next, let's all shake a leg and check out this fantastic Steiff sweetheart from the late 1920's. According to the catalog in part, "This “tall drink of water” is Rabbiette. She has a mohair rabbit head; long, soft unjointed dangling limbs; and mohair hands and paws. Her body, arms, and legs are made from velvet, which has faded over time. She has glass, very large black and brown pupil eyes and embroidered claws, nose, and mouth. Rabbiette is one of a series of long limbed lovelies in the Steiff catalog from 1927-1932. These “play and car dolls” included Bulliette, the bulldog, and Fluffiette, the cat, among others. These were based on the most popular named Steiff characters of the time. Each had the head of the character, mohair paws and feet, and dangling velvet limbs. Rabbiette has all of her Steiff IDs including her most exceptional metal rimmed chest tag, long trailing F button, and red ear tag. SIZE: 8″ h."

Doesn't Rabbiette just make you feel like dancing? Here's why! Some toy historians liken this Steiff pattern to a very popular product group from the Chad Valley Toy Company of England called "Tango Toys." It is suspected that Steiff modified this toy design to fit their popular characters and manufacturing processes of the time. They then named and launched their line as "Charleston Animals" based on the Charleston dance crazy of the 1920’s, with its fast moving arm and leg movements. Rabbiette was designed as a novelty for fun and play, so it is absolutely amazing that this one survived in such good condition with all of her IDs! Rabbiette's Charleston "cousin" Bulliette is pictured here on the left for comparison, the photo is from Christies.

Today's third and final Julia's highlight certainly deserves a salute! Here we have a great example of Steiff’s early five ways jointed military-themed dolls. According to the catalog in part... "Except for his boots and accessories, he is made entirely from felt... His center seamed face is detailed with tiny black shoebutton eyes, pink rosy cheeks, and a brown painted mustache, eyebrows, and nostrils. His hair is indicated by brown airbrushing on his sideburn areas and the back of his head. Soldier’s uniform consists of a matching top coat, hat, and pants... Soldier has oilcloth shoes, a large white leather belt, and a ceremonial sabre. The doll retains his tiny trailing F style button as his Steiff ID. Steiff made many similar styled soldiers; this one is most likely “Dragoon” who was manufactured in 28 and 35 cm from 1909-1918 overall. SIZE: 11″ h."

These great early Steiff felt dolls captured the attention of the world upon their introduction, and remain collector's favorites over a century later. It is interesting to note that elements of this soldier's design really span two important doll-making phases at Steiff. His black button eyes and somewhat more prominent nose and ears are relatively common characteristics of Steiff's earliest felt dolls which were introduced in 1903. However, his overall realistic body proportions (including to-scale feet), lifelike expression, and perfectly scaled accessories are more typical to Steiff's dolls produced in the roughly 1910 through late 1920's time frame. This soldier doll is a great example of Steiff's legendary turn of last century craftsmanship and attention to detail - just check out the work on his hat and uniform! And his leather belt and sabre truly put him in a class by himself from the collector's standpoint.

Steiffgal hopes this preview of some of great Steiff treasures to be auctioned off at the upcoming James D. Julia's November 2014 toy auction has you going once, going twice, going three times to check out their entire online catalog... which can be accessed by clicking here.

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

It's beginning to look alot like Christmas... at least around these parts! This morning, Steiffgal had the unexpected pleasure (or pain, depending on your perspective) of waking up to snow showers in her town! And the white stuff got her thinking about one of her favorite little Steiff oddities that is coming more and more seasonally appropriate each day! Check out this happy handful to see why he's worthy of a round of applause!

Let's set the stage and introduce this great Steiff hand puppet. Here we have the company's Hand Sneba. The German word for snow is Schnee, so his name makes perfect sense. Sneba is 17 cm tall and made from a white synthetic fabric called dralon. He is detailed with black pom-pom style buttons up his front, an orange felt nose to resemble a carrot, a red hand embroidered mouth, shiny black eyes, and a black felt hat. When he was new, he had just a touch of pink on his cheeks and you can just barely make that out now on this example. Sneba's head and the tips of his hands are stuffed with excelsior. His button and yellow tag are located on the edge of the front of his body. Like most snowmen, this one only lasted a very short period! He appeared in the Steiff catalog for one year only - 1964 - making him one of the rarer post war puppets created by Steiff.

Like many things we all know and love, Sneba has cold hands but a warm heart! And despite his unassuming looks and personality, he has three very interesting features from the collector's perspective.

First is his design. Unlike the vast majority of Steiff puppets produced by the company before the early 1980's, Sneba appears to be a totally original design and not based on a popular standard line character. The only other somewhat period snowman designed item Steiffgal can think of is the 25 cm white wool plush snowman that the company designed as a US exclusive in 1955, who is pictured here on the left. However, as you can tell, there really isn't any design overlap between him and Sneba. This photo is from Gunther Pfeiffer's 1947-2003 Steiff Sortiment book.

Second is his material. During Sneba's period of production, Steiff made most animal puppets out of mohair, and character puppets with molded heads and felt and/or fabric bodies - not dralon. Sneba is in good - but extremely rare - company with Hand Gora, Steiff's dralon gorilla puppet from 1961 through 1964. Gora is pictured here on the left for your review. She is 17 cm; her body and head are made from long and short grey dralon and her hands are made from short tan dralon. Her face comes to life with peach colored tan felt ears, black and white google style eyes, and extensive airbrushed features.

And topping up reason number three is his accessory. Sneba wears a handsome black felt chapeau. Like many of Steiff's legacy dolls, Steiff's earlier "people" puppets generally wore head wear to complement their well designed outfits. Except for Steiff's Hand Bear Sailor puppet from 1972 through 1975, Steiffgal cannot think of another Steiff non-human puppet donning a hat. Hand Bear Sailor is pictured her on the left for your review. He is made from a very golden yellow colored mohair. His head is hard stuffed with excelsior, while the rest of his body is floppy. His paws are made of tan velvet material. His face is detailed with large black and white google eyes and a black plastic nose.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of Steiff's interesting Sneba snowman puppet has taken a bit of the winter chill out of your day!

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

Here's a question for you. Do you know how long it actually takes to make a Steiff Teddy bear from start to finish? The answer might surprise you... usually in the 8 to 9 HOUR range! Can you believe it? Well, Steiffgal wouldn't have either... until last weekend when she participated in the first ever North American Steiff Teddy bear making workshop in New York City. The workshop, which was arranged by Steiff North America's Club Manager and Superpal Carolyn Smith, was lead by Ralf Fahrig, Steiff's Area Sales Manager at Margarete Steiff GmbH, and his team of two amazing Steiff seamstresses.

Overall, two workshops were held: one starting at 9am, and one starting at 1pm. Each was sold out and over 40 Steiff enthusiasts had the great pleasure of customizing and detailing their very own bear. The room was set up with two large tables; each was draped in a black tablecloth. In the center of each table were several completed bears for study and inspiration. Each table was stocked with needles of various sizes, thick tan thread, many floss choices for claw and nose embroidery stitching, bins of different eyes in various sizes and colors, scissors, mohair combs, thimbles, and other tools. When the workshop attendees entered the room, they found their partially completed bear and name tag, and sat at that designated place. For the most part, people spent the first 10 to 20 minutes of the workshop experimenting with the different floss and eye color combinations to plan out how they would like to detail their bear; you can see Steiffgal's initial thoughts for this here on the left.

The bears all started out the same, except for what was embroidered in brown on the bear's tan felt paw pads. This was customized per each attendee's request. The bears were 28 cm, five ways jointed, and excelsior stuffed. They were made from long, curly, brown tipped mohair with a cropped muzzle. Each had an open seam up the back, no embroidery on their paws or face, and lacked eyes and a decorative ribbon. Here to the left you can see Steiffgal and her not-yet-worked upon cub; one paw says, "Steiff Workshop" and the other one says, "My handiwork RK, 11/8/14."

The very first thing attendees were instructed to do was to be careful of sharp pointed objects! And also to take care of their hands, as their fingers would be doing alot of stitching and thread pulling, which sometimes causes bleeding. So to prepare for that possibility, Ralf and his team gave everyone white German band-aids to put on their stitching fingers. Here you can see Steiffgal modeling these giant bandages!

Our first "hands on" task in the workshop was sewing up the back seam of the bear. This opening was about 4 inches long. We were instructed on how to thread the needle and knot the thread, and do a somewhat complicated "ladder" style stitch up the back. We were to make 3 of these stitches then pull them together tightly, then do another 3, and pull... until the seam was completed. Because the bear was stuffed with excelsior, attendees had to keep tucking strands back in the body cavity, as it sometimes fell out as part of the sewing process. This step turned out to be the easiest and most forgiving of all the ones needed to complete the bear - as the long mohair could be "combed over" any crooked seam or stitching on the back. After the back seam was completed, the stitching was knotted, and that knot was invisibly pulled through the body for durability and aesthetic reasons.

The next step was to embroider the cub's hands and feet with claws. Attendees had many choices of the colors in which to do this, including black, red, green, blue, and several shades of tan and brown. We used a bigger needle and thick embroidery floss to create these stitches. It was quite difficult to space the claws correctly, as well as make them the same overall length on each paw. Like with the back seam, the stitching was again knotted and pulled through each limb for durability and aesthetic reasons. Steiffgal chose to do her cub's foot claws in dark brown, and his hand claws in light brown.

Finally it was time to face the music and work on the bear's noggin. Each participant embroidered their bear's nose and mouth with a thinner version of colored floss; the colors were similar to those available for the claws. Steiffgal chose dark brown for this. In general, for a bear of this size, his nose has 6 or 7 equal length stitches, then a longer stitch, then another 6 or 7 equal length stitches. The stitches have to line up on the top and bottom. Then, once the nose is done, the mouth is formed, using the larger middle stitch as a "hook" for the downward facing mouth stitches. Steiffgal cannot begin to tell you how challenging all of this was. It was much, much harder than it looks or sounds. And, as a matter of fact, Steiffgal actually had a fellow participant help her rip out her first attempt at nose stitching, because it was so awful. But practice makes perfect, or in this case, improvement, and her second attempt was much, much better. In the spirit of creative design, Steiffgal also chose to put a light tan "Jackie" style horizontal nose highlight stitch across her bear's completed dark brown nose.

The almost last step in the workshop was inserting the eyes into the bear's head. Steiffgal chose gold and black pupil eyes for her cub. This process was completed via a metal tool that looked like a giant thick needle about 6 inches long. This "weapon" was securely mounted on a sturdy wooden handle. Participants threaded the giant needle and strung one eye onto the hanging thread ends. They then jabbed the needle through the area of the bear's eye socket, through his head, to the back of his neck. They then did this again with a second piece of thread and the other eye. (This sounds cruel, but the Steiff team assured everyone that the bears never feel a thing, and welcome the opportunity to see with their new eyes!) In a perfect world, the eyes landed with the correct spacing and in the desired location... and the threads for each both ended up within a 1/4 inch or so at the same place on the back of the neck. Like the nose stitching process, this was MUCH more labor intensive than you can imagine, and many participants, including Steiffgal, had to try it a few times to get it right. It also took tremendous hand strength to drive the needle through the bear's head, as well as tug the two neck strings tightly and knot them correctly. The ends from this knot were then re-inserted into the bear's head for durability and aesthetic reasons. After each bear had his new eyes, they were adorned with a large golden ribbon which read "Teddy Bear Workshop" on one end and "New York City 2014" on the other.

After all that work and worry, it was so exciting to see all the bears truly come to life with their new claws, noses, mouths, and eyes. And each really reflected the taste, character, and personality of their creator. Some cubs were very serious, and others were young and more playful looking. Some people designed their bears to match their favorite colors or even the decor of a special room in their home. One person in the morning workshop was building a very special bear which was going to be her 25th wedding anniversary present to her husband!

At this point in the workshop, the bears were almost finished... except for perhaps the most exciting part of all. The Steiff "buttoning," of course! Participants picked white ribbon ear tags with red lettering out of a large bucket. Each was imprinted with numbers ranging from 1 to 150, and it was by luck and chance who got what edition number. Steiffgal drew number 110. The buttons used on this edition were the gold plated "elephant" style ones. The button and ear tags were inserted into the bear's ears by a rather simple metal tool that sort of resembled a large vice. A member of the Steiff team layered the top of the button, then the white ear tag, then the bear's ear, and finally the back of the button and then "squeezed" these items together with the large vice. The top and bottom of the button sandwiched tightly, securing the bear's forever branding trademark. And, at long last (just a hair over four hours time...) all the cubs were finally completed and ready to go home with their new "friends for life."

The workshop was amazing in so many ways, and truly a once in a lifetime treat for many of the participants. For Steiffgal, it gave her a new appreciation for the precision handiwork that goes into every item leaving the Giengen factory, as well as a better understanding about how the company's items are built to last for generations. For others, it was a time to meet new enthusiasts, catch up with old friends, and discuss all things "button in ear." But it goes without saying that EVERYONE who participated in the workshop left with a greater passion for the brand, enormous respect for Steiff's professional craftspeople, and a deeper and far more personal understanding about what makes Steiff collectibles so incredibly special.

Steiffgal hopes this review of Steiff's Teddy bear making workshop has inspired you to attend one as well!

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

Who deserves a standing ovation? Why, this precious Steiff Puppbaer or Doll bear, of course! Steiffgal admits to having a huge plush crush on this bitty boy, a recent addition to her Teddy hug. Not only is he totally adorable, he also has a bit of a mystery to him. But more on that later. Let's first take a look and see what makes him so interesting from the design and historical perspectives.

This Teddy Baby doll is truly the best of all worlds. He has the head of the beloved Steiff Teddy baby design, the body of a doll, and a charming, well fitting outfit made from period fabrics. He stands about 22 cm tall, is head jointed, and has dangling arms. His head, hands, and the tops of his flat feet are made from light yellow woolen plush. His body and limbs are made from a flesh colored fabric with a somewhat velvety finish. His face is detailed with brown and black glass pupil eyes, a brown hand embroidered nose, and a smiling, tan felt lined mouth. He wears green trousers and a red and white calico shirt - which are original to him - and a tiny old fashioned brass basketball charm around his neck, which is not. Overall, this model was made in 14, 22, and 28 cm from 1931 through 1943.

It is interesting to note that over his production period, Steiff's Teddy Baby doll was dressed in about 11 various outfits. This particular example is in outfit #8, which is documented simply as, "green trousers, red blouse." Outfit #8 was manufactured from 1935 through 1942.

Although Steiff produced dressed animals, especially monkeys, bears, and rabbits, since the turn of last century, it was not until the late 1920's that the company produced a true animal doll such as the Teddy Baby under discussion here. In 1929, Steiff introduced a Pupp-Bully, Charly, and Treff. All were 28 cm and only remained in the line through 1930. Between 1931 and 1932, Steiff debuted a number of animal dolls, including a cat (pictured here on the left), duck, pug dog, and a boy and girl rabbit couple. And like the Teddy Baby doll, all were made in 14, 22, and 28 cm and appeared in a number of different outfits over time. In the mid to late 1930’s, Steiff would go on to produced a delightful series of additional pupp-animals including an elephant doll, Waldi the Dachshund as a hunter, Scotty the Terrier as a Scotsman, and Arco the German Shepherd as a farmer. However, due to supply restrictions and geopolitical realities, production on all of these doll models ceased by 1943.

Once the factory reopened for toy production at the end of WWII, Steiff briefly resumed their manufacturing of their “pupp-animals.” In 1949, a pair of fully dressed, 25 cm wool-plush Teddy Baby dolls appeared in the line; these were quickly followed with the introduction of a pair of 25 cm blond and brown mohair dressed Teddy Baby dolls in the early and mid 1950’s. Steiff continued the production of their pre-war pair of boy-girl rabbit dolls but renamed the set Hansili in 1954. They also extended this doll animal line to include two additional models of rabbit pairs, a Dachshund doll boy and girl set (pictured here on the left), and a fox doll boy and girl set. Overall, all of these sets were discontinued by the early 1960s, probably due to their highly detailed, labor-intensive and costly production requirements.

Ok, so perhaps you are wondering by now what is so mysterious about this little Teddy Baby doll. When Steiffgal was doing a close inspection on him, she noticed something entirely unexpected. He has a US Zone tag sewn into his leg seam. But that would suggest a production date in the c. 1947 to 1953 time frame. So what's going on here? Only Teddy knows for sure, but here are a two scenarios:

It is entirely possible that he was produced in the late 1930's or early 1940's, put in storage during the war, pulled out after the war, labeled, and sold in the late 1940's to early 1950's.
It is also entirely possible that he was indeed made as part of the early post war production. As noted above, the literature documents that Steiff did produce a 25 cm wool plush Teddy Baby doll from 1949 through 1950. Perhaps Steiff also made a few of them in 22 cm at the time as well.

Either way, given the US Zone tag, Steiffgal is all but certain he did not leave Giengen until at least 1947, and that his "birthdate" is somewhere in the 1935 to 1950 time frame. Unfortunately, Ted's primary IDs have been lost to time. However, given his documentation and look and feel, Steiffgal suspects that originally he had either a short trailing F button, a blank button, or a raised script button.

Steiffgal hopes that this discussion on this precious Steiff Teddy Baby Doll has been as enjoyable as child's play for you!

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

What's on your holiday wish list? A wonderful vintage Steiff Teddy bear, perhaps? You are certainly not alone there! Well, the timing couldn't be better for vintage Teddy Christmas, Hanukkah, or Kwanzaa shopping with the upcoming Teddy Bear sale at SAS (Special Auction Services) in London, England. On December 4th, 2014, the auction house is selling 102 fabulous Teddy bears from Steiff Superfan Jena Pang, including some remarkable and very rare examples. Steiffgal checked in with friend and SAS auctioneer Daniel Agnew to learn more about what is certain to be a great auction to top off the 2014 Steiff sales year.

Steiffgal: What was your first reaction when Jena contacted you about selling the bears?

Daniel Agnew: I have known Jena and his wonderful collection for a number of years, almost as long as he has been collecting. I thought he was joking when he asked me to come and see the bears again for a potential sale. How could anyone part with these bears? He had to keep reminding me to come and see him. I eventually went down and then we discussed his collection, and the logistics of the auction process, and I was back a few days later picking them up!

Steiffgal: What was the process to get the bears from Jena's collection to your business? How long in advance before the auction did you need them in-house?

Daniel: This was a very unusual circumstance, once Jena had decided to sell, he wanted an auction this year. I was virtually on deadline for my 6th November auction, so after some pondering we decided to do a double catalogue, with the 6th November one half and Jena's auction the other. I literally had to collect and catalogue the sale in a few weeks. Normally we close 8 weeks before the auction. I live an hour south of London, Jena lives an hour to the east of London and Special Auction Services is about an hour west of London, so it took some managing to get it collected.

Steiffgal: Cataloging is a really important part of the auction process. How did you (and your team, if that was the case) go about cataloging the bears? How long did it take? Where was it done?

Daniel: I catalogue on my own; this is done at SAS in Newbury. I also had Jena's insurance valuation document which we had prepared a few years ago. So I could pad out the antique bear descriptions in the comfort of home, also Jena had extra information that he prepared. It was fun to put it together, but would have been a bit less stressful if we had a bit longer than a couple of weeks to get it all done.

Steiffgal: Getting the photography right is key for creating a memorable auction catalog. Can you explain to the Steifflife readers how you go about photographing the bears for the catalog?

Daniel: We have a new photographer and I am a very fussy specialist when it comes to bear photography. So, we did several test shots and then I have to set the bear up, so we get that important eye contact. The bear has to speak to you from the pages of the catalogue. That bear needs to be saying, "please, take me home." And, the image has to be suitable for the printed catalogue and the on-line catalogue.

Steiffgal: You have been in the auction and vintage toy world for many years. How is this auction similar, and atypical, to other toy and plush auctions you have conducted in the past?

Daniel: It's a fairly unique auction. Jena's collection has at its core 27 exceptional Steiff Teddy Bears, then there are a few other antique bears by different makers. Jena also had a selection of artist bears and limited edition collectors bears, which makes up the rest of the auction. It's a total of 102 lots, which is small for one of my auctions, but it's perfectly formed and we will be all home in good time for dinner!

Steiffgal: Of the bears up for offer, which are your top three favorites, and why?

Daniel: How can you ask me to choose three! I want them all. OK, after looking through the catalogue again, and again. I can easily chose my favourite; Lot 1014, Constantine. When I first saw this bear, he simply took my breath away. A huge, chunky, centre-seam, blank button, 1905, 28 inches, and a stunner. For a bear which is almost 110 years old, he is in exception condition. If I had a spare £10,000 lying around, I would snap him up.

I have about five second favourites, but I think I'm going to plump for Lot 1016, Winston Howitz. I like this bear because he is a cinnamon, I have a white and a golden mohair Steiff bear, which are smaller than this one, so he would be a nice addition to my collection, but the most intriguing thing about Winston, is that he has a 'Howitz' name tag under his arm, the sort of tag that is sewn into your school clothes (does/did this use to happen in US?). When Jena bought this bear, nobody had realised this was there, but I find it fascinating to think who this person was, that owned this beautiful bear.

For my final choice, I could chose any of the other antique Steiff bears, but I'm going to go for something different and completely different to my normal taste.Lot 1091, a Stier Bear made by artist Kathleen Wallace, he is called Harmony and is a Pierrot/clown bear. I just love his colours.

Steiffgal: Thank you so much for giving us a peek at the inner workings of this great upcoming Steiff sales event! Best of luck you!

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

Ever feel like howling in excitement upon a wonderful Steiff find? Even if just in your mind? Well, that just happened to Steiffgal when this delightful Wolfspitz on wheels arrived on her doorstep last week! Take a look at this dynamic dog and see what makes him so interesting from the design and product development perspectives.

This vintage pup is the wheel-deal indeed. Wolfspitz measures 20 cm from head to toe and 22 cm including his wheels, measured vertically. He is standing, unjointed, and made from tan mohair. His body and tail are made from long wavy mohair, while his face, ears, and legs are made from matching short mohair. He has very distinctive black hand embroidered claws on his paws, and a full and very prominent tail. He has distinctive mohair "feathering" construction on his front legs; this is pictured here on the left. His somewhat serious face is detailed with black and brown glass pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose and mouth, and traces of black airbrush highlighting. He rides upon four red wooden eccentric wheels.

So how old is this pup, in dog years or otherwise? He retains his short trailing "f" button and traces of his yellow year tag. Given this utterly charming pattern was made in this size only from 1934 through 1943; his combination of IDs suggest he was produced in the 1936 to 1943 time frame.

Spitz, or Pomeranian dogs, are legacy patterns for Steiff. They appeared as early as 1902 in the Steiff line. The earliest Steiff Spitz dogs were produced in felt and mohair. This is most interesting from the historical perspective. And why is this? Felt was Steiff's first toy making fabric, and mohair became available on a commercially viable scale in 1903. Thus, early Spitz dogs truly embody the "old" and "new" material ways of manufacturing at Steiff!

These earliest Spitz dogs were produced in many configurations, including on wheels, sitting, fully jointed, and on a pincushion. They were made from long white curly mohair, with white felt faces, ears, and legs. All had black shoe button eyes and embroidered facial features. Most also left the factory in Giengen with a red cord with two pom-poms or tassels around his neck, giving them a “regal” appearance. The breed does have some connections to German royalty, which may explain why Steiff decorated them like “little kings.” The felt and mohair Spitz dogs appeared in the line in general through the 1920s. A typical early Steiff Spitz is pictured here on the left; the photo is from Christie's.

Except for one all mohair, 17 cm model produced from 1924 through 1927, it was not until the mid 1930's that the company focused again on Spitz dogs. In 1934, Steiff launched a series of very expressive, all mohair tan colored Spitz dogs. These included a standing version (produced in 22 and 35 cm); a sitting version (produced in 17, 21, 22, and 25 cm) and the 22 cm version on wheels, the topic of this post. At the same time, the company also introduced two new all white Zwergspitz, or Miniature Pomeranians. These included a standing model (produced in 15, 18, and 23 cm) and a 20 cm sitting version. (An example of a lovely white Zwergspitz dog is pictured here on the left, the photo is from Teddy Dorado.) All appeared in the line through 1943, when Steiff ceased toy production due to war constraints and political realities.

It is interesting to note that despite their popularity and longevity in the line, Steiff did not produce a standard line mohair Spitz after the factory reopened for business after the war in the late 1940's. More recent Spitz dogs include a 22 cm white dralon "Cosy Spitz Blanko" from 1960 through 1973; a 30 cm woven fur model produced in black, white, or red-brown from 1980 through 1983; and a 60 cm mohair standing display "Polar Pomeranian" dog, produced in 1960 and then again in 1967.

So what's in a name? According to Wikipedia, the Wolfspitz breed name was formally changed to "Keeshond," in 1926 in England. The breed is described as having "a lion like ruff, spectacles, small and dark triangular ears, definite contrast, and a thick double coat." All of these characteristics truly describe Steiff's Spitz dogs from the very beginning!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's lovely Spitz dogs has been a warm and fuzzy experience for you.

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

In the mood for a little Steiff puzzler? Then check out this mysterious forest friend who's keeping very, very quiet abut his identity. Does he look familiar to you? As far as Steiffgal can tell, he does not appear in any of the standard Steiff reference books. But, he did squirrel away a little clue about himself many years ago in a most clever way. But more about that in a bit. But first, take a look and see what you think!

What is the tale behind this rare rodent? Here we have a 22 cm, begging Steiff sweetheart. He is made from shorter tan mohair and is unjointed. His hands are made from double thick felt. His prominent tail is made from very long, wavy mohair. He is expertly hand airbrushed all over with tan, brown, orange, and black highlights. His adorable face is highlighted with over-sized black eyes, a simple black hand embroidered nose and mouth, clear monofilament whiskers, and single sided mohair ears.

His IDs help just a bit in identifying him. He retains all of his original Steiff IDs including a large colorful bear faced chest tag, his raised script button, and yellow ear tag with the article number 2029/02. This combination of IDs suggest he was made no later than 1969. However, his actual article number doesn't translate into anything that actually describes him or his size. This is possible because in 1968, Steiff started to give each item its own unique number, rather than relying on its traditional numbering system that had alot of redundancies to it.

So just who is this guy? Given his configuration, detailing, and era, is possible that he could be a squirrel, a chipmunk, or a marmot. Steiff has a legacy of creating all of these fuzzy friends, and they share many similar general characteristics. These include body position (begging); double thick felt hands and/or feet; large and fluffy tails; and eager faces detailed with oversized eyes and whiskers.

It took an international effort to crack this nut - oops, case! Thanks to a tip from Steiff Super fan Alaina Russell from Canada, it appears that this example appeared in the FAO Schwarz toy catalog in 1968-1969, and is indeed a sensational squirrel! His picture appears here on the left. It is interesting to see that he is grouped with another field and forest friend, Dormy the Edible dormouse.

The squirrel's FAO Schwarz catalog description reads as follows...
"Tame and friendly, this begging grey squirrel in soft plush, has a long bushy tail and looks very natural. 7-1/2" tall. Ship wt. 2 lbs. $6.95"

It is not possible to tell from the information at hand if he was produced exclusively for FAO Schwarz or not. However, regardless of his manufacturing status, it is clear that he is quite rare and was produced in extremely small numbers overall. Have you ever seen another one? He really is fabulous!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on the mystery FAO Schwarz squirrel has left you bright eyed and bushy tailed.

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

One of Steiffgal's favorite things about this time of year is what her nephews call the "big socks," or Christmas stockings. After all, what's more fun that an oversized piece of faux hosiery filled to the brim with sweets and gifts? So this got Steiffgal thinking - what would be perfect Steiff stocking stuffers? Maybe the company's early woolen miniatures or "woolies?" After all, they don't take up too much room, wrap easily, have a fantastic legacy, and truly capture the precious nature of the season! So let's check out these three very vintage "tiny treasures" to really get into the spirit of the holidays!

Bird's the word with this first pre-war Steiff woolie stocking stuffer. This mellow yellow fellow is Steiff's Golden Bunting bird. He is 8 cm, head jointed, and made from yellow, tan, brown, and olive green woolen yarns. He stands upon metal legs that have been painted brown. His tail feathers are made from brown felt, and his beak is made from orange felt. He has tiny black button eyes. Yellow Bunting wears his Steiff button and tag like a bracelet around his leg. He never had a chest tag.

This golden oldie was produced in 4 and 8 cm from 1934 through 1943. Around the same time period, Steiff also made woolie Robins, Green Woodpeckers, Finches, Blue Tits, and Sparrows. Like the Golden Bunting, all were made in 4 and 8 cm and had very similar construction. Only their yarn colors differentiated from species to species. You can see several of the 4 cm versions of these other birds - and also the 8 cm Golden Bunting - in the picture on the left. It is interesting to note that Steiff reintroduced all their 4 and 8 cm Robin, Green Woodpecker, Finch, Blue Tit, and Sparrow models right after the factory reopened for toy-making business in the late 1940's. However, the Golden Bunting version, for some mystery reason, never appeared in the line after 1943.

Steiffgal's just quackers over this second woolie Steiff stocking stuffer. Here we have a little 4 cm Steiff duck. His body, head, and backside pom-pom are made from yellow woolen yarn. His decorative head pom-pom is made from white woolen yarn. His large, friendly beak and oversized feet and legs are made from orange felt. His face is detailed with black bead eyes and a touch of orange airbrushing. His button and tag, which have been lost to time, would have been on one of his feet.

This darling woolie duck was made in only this size and color combination from 1931 through 1941. For the most part, pre-war Steiff woolie birds were designed to stand on metal legs, so this lying duck is somewhat unusual in terms of form and presentation.

Not a creature was stirring - except for this mouse! This final Steiff woolie stocking stuffer is not only insanely adorable, but also extremely seasonally appropriate! This is Steiff's woolie mouse in felt slippers. He is 9 cm, standing, head jointed, and made from white and orange woolen yarn. His head and lower body are white, while his midsection is orange. His hands and ears are made from single thick felt. His legs are made from grey metal which has been painted light pink. His little slippers are made from single thick orange felt and literally "slip on" his feet. His tiny face comes to life with red bead eyes, a touch of pink to indicate his nose and mouth, and a few clear monofilament whiskers. When he was a younger man - eh, mouse - he had a long matching tail. He retains his tiny short trailing f Steiff button in his ear.

This petite treat was made in from 1936 through 1942 in this size only. He also came in several other color combinations, including grey and red and brown and yellow. Steiff also made several other standing woolie models with tiny felt slippers around this same time period; these included birds, rabbits, ladybugs, beetles, and bumblebees.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's tiny pre-war woolies has gotten you excited for the holidays in a mighty big way.

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

Are you in the mood for a Steiff-y holiday hug? Or even better, a Steiff-y holiday pug hug? Of course you are! Then check out this most unusual Steiff dog doll that will certainly warm your heart. He's certainly got Steiffgal's all a-flutter!

This darling dressed doggy is none other than Steiff's Pupphund or pug dog doll. He is 22 cm, standing, and head jointed. His arms hang softly at his sides, and he has flat feet for standing. Pug's head, ears, and the tops of his hands and feet are (or in this case were) made from mohair. His body is made from a tan linen fabric. He is filled both with soft stuffing and crunchy excelsior. His head and face come to life with floppy ears, oversized black and brown glass pupil eyes, a black hand embroidered nose, a pink mouth, and a distinct brown inset muzzle area. He retains his large, long trailing f button and traces of his red ear tag as his Steiff IDs.

According to Coco Chanel, “Fashion changes, but style endures.” Such is the case with our sweet pup pal. He is dressed to the nines in brown cotton pants, a tan checked shirt, and a light grey-blue felt tam-o-shanter style hat which is "topped off" with a pom-pom. His shirt and pants are original to him, but it is not clear if his hat is. It is of Steiff quality and design and fits him quite well; Steiffgal simply has not ever seen another one like it. Pupphund was made in 14, 22, and 28 cm from 1932 through 1935 only. Each size came in six different clothing styles, which included pyjamas, swimsuits, dresses, and play suits. You can see another one of Puggy's outfits here on the left, the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book.

Take a good look at Pupphund's pug-mug. It is quite unusual and as far as Steiffgal can tell, this doll pattern is the only item produced by Steiff with this basic design. Steiff often made their charming characters in a number of "theme and variation" ways. For example, many popular and now legacy 1920's and 1930's era designs were often produced as puppets, in sitting and standing versions, as music boxes, in different colors, as handbags, night dress bags, or other novelties. Unfortunately, this does not seem to be the case with this pug design - which is too bad for collectors today!

So how did this pug doll pattern come about? There are few clues here to work with. Steiff produced two different pre-war pugs; a grey standing mohair version on wheels from 1916 through 1927, and a caricatured blond and white mohair pug from 1925 through 1927. However, Pupphund really does not share any characteristics with either of these items. The only design element this pug dog doll does seem to share with any other Steiff dogs of its period is its distinctive pink mouth stitching. This can also be seen on Steiff's Ball Chin Chin, a 15 cm novelty which was produced from 1932 through 1935 as well. Ball Chin Chin is pictured on the left for your review; the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book.

As you can see from the photo to the left, the resemblance between Steiff's pug dog doll and real pugs is absolutely striking!

Steiffgal hopes this conversation on this rare and darling Steiff dog doll has made you feel as snug as a pug in a zebra striped rug! And happy holidays to all the Steiff fans out there. Your readership and friendship are most appreciated!

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

Nothing is better than studying precious Steiff items in person, but that is not always possible for many reasons. A great - and budget friendly - way to learn about exceptional button-in-ear rarities is through auction catalogs. In addition to collecting vintage Steiff, you probably won't be surprising to learn that Steiffgal also collects auction catalogs, both for entertainment and research purposes. Most recently, she spent just a few dollars on a relatively vintage catalog from 1998. A picture of the catalog's cover is featured here on the left. The auction was held on Saturday, April 25, 1998 in Germany; the auctioneer was Horst Poestgens. Little did she know how many treasures the catalog featured! Here are three highlights from this long-ago sale; in next week's blog she will describe three more. Steiffgal is certain that they will make you want to turn the clock back to 1998 as well!

This first auction highlight is truly an original!This lot, #33, is cataloged as... "Original Teddy, Steiff, circa 1905/06, button in ear, grey mohair (type Richard Steiff-Teddy), black shoe button eyes, black embroidered nose and claws (missing on left paw), expertly restored hole in felt on left paw, growler defect, long bent arms, expressive humped back, pointed muzzle, Teddy has no mohair loss, good condition, an interesting collector' item, standing size: 35 cm/14"."

And - given that he is as described - just what makes this such an incredibly rare bear? His color, construction, and proportions suggest he is one of the absolute earliest disk jointed bears created by the company. And it is quite possible that Richard Steiff himself directly had a hand in bringing him to life! Steiffgal once read that Richard Steiff made his early prototype bears in grey mohair as that was the color of material at hand - and that the grey mohair was originally purchased for the manufacture of elephants. She has not been able to confirm that through other sources, but the theory would make sense from the logistics and R&D perspectives. According to the Cieslik's Button in Ear book, in reference to these early grey bears, "Only two examples of the bear are known to have been made in gray plush. It is possible that this color was used for a few hand made samples and not for an actual series."

Steiffgal thinks this second auction highlight deserves a "best of show" nod as well! This lot, #38, is cataloged as... "Wolf Pomeranian, Steiff, 1930's, button in ear and remains of red woven tag, long mohair white, white short mohair lower legs, inner ears and mouth, standing, turnable head, painted back glass eyes, black embroidered nose and claws, punch growler, dog in mint condition, standing size: 30 cm/12"."

Steiff has a very long history of manufacturing Spitz or Pomeranian dogs, but this example is truly in a class by itself! And that is because Steiffgal can't find any reference to it at all in the standard Steiff reference materials. His larger size, oversized eyes, and his facial/muzzle construction are quite distinct from the company's other Spitz models from 1902 through the mid-1940's time frame. His long mohair forehead and sweet expression give him a youthful, innocent look; one that was quite prevalent in Steiff designs of the late 1920's. Because he does indeed have traces of his red ear tag, it is entirely possible that he was designed and produced at the same time as the beloved - and childlike - Teddy Clown, Teddy Baby, Bully, and Molly models.

Today's last auction highlight is pretty as a postcard. Literally! This lot, #66, is simply cataloged as... "Original Steiff postcard with Steiff felt dolls, motive, Dutch village, 1912, very good condition, very rare."

Steiff's wonderful dolls, bears, and animals have always been as attractive in print as they are in real life. Steiff has used this to their advantage in terms of advertising, marketing, and promotions from about the early 19-teens onward. The company's charming center-seamed felt "children" and "student" dolls were used in many classic photo shoots including circuses, skiing vignettes, cultural and "small town" local settings, toy rooms, Christmas celebrations, and other playful and imaginative displays. These shots were intended as illustrations for catalogs and postcards, among other printed items. (If this is of interest to you, check out the book Advertising Art of Steiff Teddy Bears & Playthings by Dottie Ayers and Donna Harrison. It features many of these beloved images and is one of Steiffgal's favorites.)

The postcard itself is delightful in so many ways - the theme, layout, composition, and attention to lifelike detail are simply charming and universally appealing. However, on a more personal note, Steiffgal noticed that the card also features two Dutch children dolls that she has in her own personal collection - Alida and Harry, who are pictured here on the left. Alida, who is featured in the front and relative center with a boy and a rabbit on the postcard, was made from 1909 through 1919 in 28, 35, 43, and 50 cm. She is described as "felt, jointed, Dutchwoman, original costume, Sunday best." Harry, pictured in the left of the postcard talking to another boy, was made from 1908 through 1925 in 28, 35, 43, 50, and 60 cm. He is described as "felt, jointed, Dutch fisherman, original costume." By "original costume" Steiff means that the dolls are dressed in apparel that is traditional to a country - in this case, the Netherlands. And by "Sunday best", that would imply "fancier" clothing for going to Church on Sunday, which makes sense in the case of Alida given her elaborately embroidered dress bodice and red cuffs.

Steiffgal hopes this review of some long-ago auction highlights has been as fun as a time travel adventure! And be on the lookout for more additional highlights from this great catalog in next week's blog edition!

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

Last week, we took a peek back in time and checked out a few auction highlights from a long ago sale. The event was held on Saturday, April 25, 1998 in Germany and managed by auctioneer Horst Poestgens. Steiffgal recently purchased the catalog from this sale and was just floored at some of the amazing treasures it featured. Here are three more absolute standouts from this wonderful Steiff event.

You can't help but think, "oh, baby" with this first auction highlight under review today. This lot, #49, is cataloged in part as... "Prototype of a Steiff snap-joint teddy baby with neck mechanism, 1936. Pre-war button in ear, corn colored mohair, velvet paws and soles, brown-black painted back glass eyes, turnable arms (discs), nose embroidered vertically with light brown tread, open felt mouth, lower jaw notchlessly movable via a built-in hinge, legs movable by snap joint mechanism, excelsior stuffed, head turnable from tail by means of neck mechanism, known from Steiff (like the circus bears or snap joint Dicky bears from the 1930's), standing 30 cm/12", sitting 24 cm/9-1/2", very nice pot bellied bear shape. Very attractive friendly expression. This teddy is the only known specimen in the finish worldwide (sample)!! He dates from the time and trial series the snap joint Dicky of 1936."

Let's snap to it and see what make this little love such a remarkable bear. In the 1930's, Steiff designed and produced a number of items capable of mechanical movements. This started with a tail-moves-head feature. Several of the most popular dogs, rabbits, and cats of the time were made with this detailing. Steiff then took this "movement momentum" one step further by experimenting with just a handful of "snap" style items, which had internal metal joints that allowed these top-tier toys further flexibility in their body positioning. As far as readily available references and sources reveal, Steiff officially produced four such "snap" models: a 30 cm blonde Snap Dicky (pictured here on the left, photo from Christie's), a 30 cm brown Circus bear, a 25 or 28 cm grey or white Circus Elephant, and four variations of a very rare 28 cm "Dream Baby No. 103" doll.

The Horst Poestgens Snap Teddy Baby in some respects looks a little bit like a Snap Dicky. It is interesting to note that like Snap Dicky, this Snap Teddy Baby also has velvet paw pads. Teddy Baby models from this period in this size were usually made with felt pads. However, unlike Snap Dicky, this Snap Teddy Baby's pads do not have stenciled footprints, are round and toddler-like, and lack snap fingers and toes. There is precedence for previously undocumented snap style items to appear on the secondary market; in 2010, Christie's sold a petite 18 cm Snap Dicky bear (pictured here on the left, photo from Christie's). So, it is entirely possible, given the exploratory and evolutionary nature of its development, the limited number of snap items produced, and the fact that previously unknown snap-style examples occasionally surface in the secondary market, that this Snap Teddy Baby is indeed an utterly charming, insanely rare, one of a kind, uncataloged prototype.

Although Snap Teddy Baby is indeed a hard act to follow, this next auction highlight also gives a terrific performance. This lot, #57, is cataloged as... "Somersault chimpanzee, Steiff, circa 1910, button in ear and remains of white tag, cinnamon colored mohair, light brown felt face, ears, hands, and feet, the thumbs on both hands expertly repaired (hardly visible), right hand likewise on back of hand, implanted painted back glass eyes, somersault clockwork functions, absolute mint condition, very rare, sitting size 23 cm/9 inches."

Doesn't this sweetie just make your head spin? Steiff's tumblers are all time collector's favorites, and seldom appear on the secondary market in delightful, working condition. This somersaulting chimp example is actually only the second one Steiffgal has ever seen for sale. These tumbling treasures are activated by an internal clockwork mechanism and literally do somersaults when their arms are wound up. Steiff produced several types of "purzel" animals, including bears, monkeys, and elephants, and a few doll models, including Eskimos and clowns. Steiff's somersaulting chimp was produced in 23, 26, and 36 cm overall from 1909 through 1919.

All of Steiff's purzel tumblers are based on popular standard line items of the time with slight tweaks to their design and assembly. These items tend to have their arms attached slightly lower on their shoulders than their non-tumbling brothers. And, the arms can sometimes look slightly less "flush" with the body than with the static versions. Tumblers are also significantly heavier than their non-tumbling counterparts, due to their internal metal mechanisms. You can see the physical differences here with the picture on the left of a regular Steiff bear (L) and the tumbling version (R); both bears are 28 cm and were produced in the 1906-09 time frame.

Steiffgal's just quackers over this final auction highlight from this Horst Poestgens auction. This lot, #82, is cataloged as... "Doll duck pair, Steiff, 1920's, button in ear and white paper tag, article no. 28, linen body with loosely sewn on wings, yellow mohair head, wing tips and back of felt, painted brown claws, pretty head coloring, turning head, orange felt beaks, white wool pom pom on head, black shoe button eyes, original felt/cotton clothes, slightly used condition, interesting early collector's item."

Steiffgal has a very special place in her heart for Steiff's 1930 - 1950's era dressed animal dolls, and these are no exception. According to Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book, these duck dolls were produced in 14, 22, and 28 cm from 1931 through 1935 overall. Each size was detailed in one of six styles of clothing, which included a sports shirt and blue trousers (probably the boy duck in this case), pajamas, red patterned trousers, a swimsuit, a salmon red dress (probably the girl duck in this case), or a blue playsuit. Another more pristine example of the company's duck-doll is pictured here on the left; the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1894-1942 Sortiment. It is interesting to note that the duck in the red shorts does not have a white pom pom on his head, while the pair on offer do. Another point to consider about the duck couple is their identification. The cataloging specifically mentioned a white paper tag. However, technically, the white paper tag was only used through 1925/26, and these dolls were made in the early 1930's. As such, they "should" have red ear tags. In this case, it is entirely possible that Steiff had a bunch of extra "28" imprinted white ear tags in inventory, and simply used the white tags in the place of the red tags for efficiency.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of three amazing Steiff lots inspires you to find some wonderful Steiff treasures at auction in 2015!

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

The excitement of finding wonderful vintage Steiff treasures is certainly universal... and all collectors love to be able to say... "Look what I found!"Check out this note from a reader from Germany who asks for advice on a possible purchase of a very vintage Steiff dog. Leonie writes:

"Dear Steiffgal,
Could you give me an advice for a purchase? I saw a Steiff prewar St. Bernard dog on eBay. He lost most of his fur, and his button, too. He is 28 cm high and his price is 95 euro. Should I buy him or is he too expensive? I have also sent a picture. I would appreciate an answer very much. Best regards, Leonie"

Who wouldn't climb every mountain for this wonderful mountain-loving canine? And yes, Steiffgal says YES, GO FOR IT! What we have here is a much loved 1930's-era Steiff sitting St. Bernard dog. This model was made both in white and brownish-copper mohair and white and tan wool plush in 10, 14, 17, 22, 28, and 35 cm. The mohair version appeared in the line from 1929 through 1937, and the wool plush version from 1929 through 1932. Given this photo, it is hard to tell if Leonie's pup was originally made from mohair or wool plush. Both versions were adorable, very puppy-like, and featured realistic fur coloring. Each model had a dear face that was detailed with expressive brown and black pupil eyes, a black hand-embroidered nose and mouth, and a distinctive muzzle which came to life with black and pink airbrushing. These sitting St. Bernard models had their tails wrapped gently around their backsides, much like how "real" dogs sit... especially when they are on their best behavior!

The mohair version of Steiff's sitting St. Bernard dog - like several very popular models of the 1930's - was also produced as a tail-moves-head model. The one big difference between the regular and tail-moves-head version of this design is the position of the tail. The regular versions have wrapped tails, while the tail-moves-head versions have a stretched-out tail. The sitting tail-moves-head version was made in 11, 15, 18, 23, 29, and 36 cm from 1931 through 1934. These dynamic doggies in good or better condition are quite rare on the secondary market; in 2013 Teddy Dorado sold a 29 cm version for over 7,000 euro! And just how beloved is this moving model? In 1993, Steiff made a replica of their special tail-moves-head St. Bernard in in an edition size of 4,000. This replica is pictured here on the left.

St. Bernard dogs continue to be collector's favorites today. Many enthusiasts can't get enough of the company's models from the late 1940's through the 60's, and it is easy to see why! It is interesting to note that the first St. Bernard to appear after the factory reopened for business post World War II was a larger standing mohair model on wheels. He was based on the company's pre-war design and was manufactured in 43, 50, 60, and 62 cm from 1949 through 1957. A slightly simplified standing model, also based on the prewar design, was available in 10, 14, and 22 cm from 1953 through 1957. These early standing post-war St. Bernards are pictured here on the left.

In the early 1960's, Steiff again updated their standard line St. Bernard and even gave him a name for the first time - Bernie. Bernie was made from mohair and available sitting or standing on all fours. New Bernie had a different pattern of facial airbrushing, a chunkier build, and a smaller scale tail; standing Bernie also featured a cask attached to his collar. Standing Bernie is pictured here on the left. Overall, sitting Bernie was produced in 12 and 22 cm from 1963 through 1970 while standing Bernie was made in 22 cm from 1964 through 1966. In about 1970, Steiff also produced a most impressive display sized St. Bernard, perhaps as an exclusive for the high end toy retailer FAO Schwarz. And, since then, St. Bernards have always been a standard feature in the Steiff line, mostly appearing in large size plush models for children's fun and play.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's wonderful legacy St. Bernards has been a warm and fuzzy experience for you!

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

Most Steiff collectors would take a tumble for an unexpected Steiff discovery! And that's exactly what Steiffgal did when an inquiry from a colleague about this great and very vintage Steiff treasure landed in her email in-box. Steady yourself and take a look at this marvelous merrymaker!

Oh baby, here we have a delightful "child-proof" item intended for the youngest Steiff enthusiasts. This is Steiff's "Roly Poly" Bear. Many of us grew up with "Weebles," those funny egg shaped character toys that "wobble but they don't fall down." This Roly Poly cub is an early version of this toy idea.

Roly Poly Bear is made from mohair with a very distinct shape - extremely round (almost ball-like) on the bottom, with a standard jointed Teddy bear head. He has jointed arms but no legs at all. His face is detailed with black shoebutton eyes and a brown hand embroidered nose and mouth. He retains his long trailing "f" button as his Steiff ID. Given his stitching is brown, it is safe to assume that this bear started out life with white mohair - which has aged and mellowed to darker vanilla color over time. Overall, this pattern was produced in 16, 19, 23, and 29 cm from 1909 through 1916. During that entire time, it was produced in blond mohair. However, in 1912 it was also produced in white mohair in the smaller sizes. So this is one rare bear indeed!

Steiff's soft Roly Polys are great Steiff novelty items. Models produced over time include rabbits, cats, and dolls. But these are not the first type of "rounded bottom" products that the company produced. It is possible that Roly Polys are based in part on the company's much older wooden bottom "tumblers," which were smaller, standard line items (usually in the sitting or begging position) that were mounted on a solid wooden hemisphere. Like the Roly Polys, they swayed and tumbled about, but did not fall completely over - unlike their wooden cousins the "skittles" - which were designed like bowling pins to fall down! The big difference between the Roly Polys and the tumblers was that Roly Polys had a rounded bottom that was integral to their body and design, while tumblers could be basically any shape - as the featured animal or doll was mounted to a rounded bottom. Wooden bottomed tumblers appeared in the line as early as 1894, and were produced on and off through the early 1940's. The photo on the left shows a very early wooden bottomed felt clown tumbler; this shot was taken at Margarete Steiff's birth house in Giengen, Germany where this item is also on display.

It is interesting to note that Steiff's Roly Polys made two distinct appearances in the Steiff line. The first was basically from around 1909 through the late 19-teens... the era of the little white Roly Poly under discussion here. These ball-like creatures came 'round again from 1937 through 1943 overall, in the form of three designs: a 20 cm mohair Roly Poly Teddy baby, a 20 mohair Roly Poly Rabbit, and a 25 cm felt Roly Poly clown doll. Most memorably, an all but pristine example of the Roly Poly Teddy baby realized almost $17,000 at auction at Christie's in London in October, 2010! This terrific Ted is pictured here on the left.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on Steiff's Roly Polys and tumblers been a well rounded experience for you.

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

It's easy to go bananas over special Steiff finds... especially when when it comes to the company's beloved primates! A few weeks ago, Steiffgal saw a great vintage Steiff white Jocko up for auction on an online platform. She put in a bid, and in all honesty, forgot about the auction. Much to her surprise, she got an email saying she had won the lot! A few weeks later, the charming chimp arrived at her home. And he was even BETTER than expected! Check him out here... isn't he adorable?

This chimp-champ is Steiff's delightful and early pre-war white Jocko chimp. Jocko measures 15 cm sitting and 25 cm standing. He is five ways jointed and made from lovely white mohair which has mellowed to a more vanilla color over time. His hands, feet, face, and ears are made from light peach colored felt. His face is detailed with green and black glass pupil eyes set in eye pockets and a fuzzy white mohair chin. Jocko's face and ears truly come to life with delightful grey, pink, and black paint and airbrushing. He has a distinctly innocent, childlike look to him that is rather precious and endearing. White Jocko was produced in 10, 13, 15, 18, 22, and 25 cm from 1925 through 1943. Post war, white Jocko was again produced in 10 and 15 cm from 1949 through 1961. In 1966, he was also produced as a "bendie" version in 11 cm.

White Jocko has an important place on the Steiff primate family tree. Of course, Jocko is a chimp, and chimpanzees are legacy animals for Steiff. Chimps first appeared in the company's debut catalog of 1892. In 1903, a large, primitive looking string jointed monkey (PB 60) was introduced to the world. A few years later, in 1909, Steiff redesigned their monkey pattern towards a more lifelike appearance. This new brown mohair chimp design featured detailed felt hands, feet, and facial features, including eye pockets and a white mohair chin in the medium and larger sized versions. The updated pattern was produced in 15 sizes, ranging from 10 to 90 cm, at various times from 1909 through 1943, and then again from 1949 through 1990. The chimpanzee received his "official" Steiff name, Jocko, in 1929. A collection of post war Steiff brown Jockos are pictured here on the left.

It is interesting to note that white Jocko - who is clearly based on brown Jocko - was introduced in 1925. This is around the time that Steiff started introducing a number of particularly innocent, feminine, and youthful looking models, including Molly the Puppy, Teddy Rose, and Fluffy the Cat. These new product introductions reflected the cultural priorities and levity of the "roaring 1920's", and well as design directives from Richard Steiff himself!

White Jocko celebrated his 80th anniversary in 2004. As such, Steiff created a charming fully jointed version to mark his important birthday. He was produced as a worldwide exclusive in an edition size of 1,500 pieces. You can see this lovely replica here to the left, pictured alongside his very vintage cousin for comparison.

Steiffgal hopes that this discussion on Steiff's white Jocko chimp has been more fun than a barrel of monkeys!

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

It's a rather gray day around these parts, and the almost four feet (that's over 120 cm for friends abroad!) of snow on the ground already is not helping things. But this little grayish friend is just the opposite of gloomy - so Steiffgal thought it would be the perfect time to introduce you to this happy-go-lucky fellow. Take a look at this fantastic vintage farm friend who just arrived on the east coast from Germany. Although not technically "young" anymore - he is certainly young at heart... and will warm yours, too!

Here we have a most adorable and vintage looking donkey. This farm friend measures 22 cm tall (top of head to foot) and 30 cm long (tip of nose to backside.) He is standing, unjointed, and made of tan mohair which has been lovingly airbrushed with grayish-purple highlights. His tail and mane are made from long, soft, black mohair. His face comes to life with longer tan mohair on his "sideburns" and forehead, a shorter mohair muzzle, pert black eyes, and a black airbrushed nose and mouth. The coloring on his face truly gives him him a youthful, playful appearance. He retains his long trailing "F" button and illegible yellow ear tag (pictured below) as his Steiff IDs.

Like many things Steiff, this donkey has details that make him hard to date and identify with 110% accuracy. His long trailing "F" button initially suggests that he may have been manufactured in the c. 1933 - 1935 time period. If that were the case, he most resembles the company's Jung Esel or Young Donkey, which was made in 22 and 28 cm from 1933 through 1943 overall. Young Donkey is pictured here on the left; the photo is from Pfeiffer's 1892-1943 Sortiment book. Like the example under discussion today, Steiff's Young Donkey pattern is famous for his grey-purple highlights and innocent looks. However, it is clear that there are some key differences between the Young Donkey pattern and the donkey under discussion here. Young Donkey is made from long grey wool plush; this example is made from highlighted mohair. Young Donkey has grey felt (or perhaps leather) hooves; this example does not. Young Donkey has a grey tail and mane; this example has black detailing. And Young Donkey has his ears positioned forward; this example has the ears positioned to the rear.

So how do his design elements and early IDs all align? Well, only this donkey knows for sure, but here are two ideas.

1. The mid 1930's through the early 1950's were a really rough time for manufacturing at Steiff, and supplies and fabrics were available on an inconsistent basis. It is possible that this donkey was indeed made to the Jung Esel pattern as best as possible, but with the materials and technology available on hand, in the late 1930's to early 1940's. It is not unusual to see wool plush and mohair plush interchanged on items from this time frame.

2. Steiffgal thinks it's more probable - given his distinctive overall coloring - that this donkey under discussion today is a transitional model between the company's pre- and post- war donkey models. As such, he may have been produced in the very late 1940's and given a long trailing "F" button... as that's what was on hand at the time. Steiff launched its post-war donkey in 1950 in 12, 14, 22, and 28 cm; this updated pattern has several design elements of the pre-war Jung Esel, especially in the muzzle area, but no purple-grey highlights at all. For comparison, a nice example of Steiff's postwar 22 cm mohair donkey is pictured here on the left.

Steiffgal hopes this discussion of this mystery donkey has added a touch of color to your day!

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

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Time Travelling Steiff Auction Highlights - Part 1!

Time Travelling Steiff Auction Highlights - Part 2!

Climb Every Mountain For This Great Vintage Steiff St. Bernard Dog!

Having A Ball With This Terrific Steiff Roly Poly Bear

This Very Vintage White Jocko Is More Fun Than A Barrel Of Monkeys!

Color Your World With This Mysterious Vintage Steiff Donkey