Steiff, a German company, began creating stuffed dolls and animals in 1880. Company founder, Margarete Steiff’s felt elephant, created as a pincushion, became one of her children’s favorite playthings. Steiff started her business by making small fabric animals for area children. Original creations included dolphins, penguins, lobsters, seals, cats and birds. The stuffed animals made by Steiff are credited as the first fabric toys with moveable arms and legs.
Steiff bears gained popularity in 1902 when a cartoon in the Washington Post portrayed President Teddy Roosevelt cuddling with a bear. Roosevelt took pity on an injured bear during a hunting trip, which prompted a public outpouring for the newly dubbed, “Teddy Bears.” The original teddy bears featured mohair “fur” and eyes made of buttons. While the company is best known for teddy bears, vintage productions of all varieties of stuffed creatures are highly collectible.
Steiff stuffed toys, created from cloth patterns, are cut either by hand, or with fabric punching tools. Workers then trace and screen-print the material. The reverse side of the fabric is stretched to prepare for the addition of the stuffing. Approximately 35 separate pieces of felt and plush material are hand cut for each stuffed creations. Steiff staffers then dye the fabric by hand in order to decrease the amount of damage to the material. A tailor at a sewing machine creates the modern Steiff stuff toys. Stuffing enters the fabric body with the use of compressed air machines.
Authentic Steiff creations include a silver button made from metal featuring the company animal’s name sewn onto the left ear, wing or fin of the toy. Underneath of the metal button is a yellow tag made of cloth, which shows the size and stock number of the toy. Toys, which still have the original metal button attached, garner a higher value at auctions. Steiff stuffed animals which no longer have the metal button, but show the prong marks which held the button in place, are more valuable than toys without any indication of the original manufacturer’s markings. Steiff stuffed toys with glass eyes indicate a post 1950 production date.
Age and condition of a Steiff creation are most important when determining value. Teddy bears with a golden color mohair body, button eyes and a hand-stitched nose are the most collectible of Steiff creations. Rare Steiff toys include a limited edition “Hot Water Bottle Bear,” the “Mourning Bear” created in memory of the sinking of the Titanic, “Teddy Clown” with a felt hat and neck ruffle, “Teddy Baby” with an open mouth, and the fiftieth anniversary bear, “Jackie” with a single pink stitch visible across the traditional black nose.
A set of stuffed rabbits which appeared on the Antique Roadshow, missing a tag and a button, but in otherwise excellent condition were appraised at $450-$600 for the pair. Palm Springs Fine Gifts and Collectibles, considers a teddy bear from 1907 to rate a value of $1,200.
Sources used in this article include informtion from personal experience and the following websites: Steiffbear.com, Palmspringsfinegifts.com, Countryliving.com, and Steiff.de/
