Teddy Collecting Old Teddy Bears Part II: Bears from outside the UK by Jill Byron

Margarete Steiff started her now famous company, making soft toys in 1880 but the teddy bears would not be a part of it until 1903, when her nephew, Richard, took some soft toys and a large to a showroom in New York, to promote Steiff goods. There, an American buyer, Hermann Berg, saw one of the Steiff bears, ‘Bar 55 PB’ and ordered 3,000 of them and the rest, as they say, is history. Steiff’s wonderful old bears are recog- nised as the ‘Rolls-Royces’ of the bear world and as such, are highly sought after by 1940s-50s pink musical Tara 1905 small Ideal bear. (Old collectors, with fabulous sums of money changing hands for several well-known bears Bear Scene) £395. Toys bear. such as ‘Happy’, who was bought for £55,000 by Paul and Rosemary Volpp in 1989 and ‘Teddy Girl’, purchased for £110,000 by Yoshihiro Sekiguchi, President of the Japanese company ‘Sun Arrow’ in 1994. In the year 2000, an old black Steiff, made as a mourning bear when the Titanic sank in 1912, was sold for £91,750 and ‘Elliot’ a unique blue Steiff, went to a Canadian buyer for £49,500. Christie’s held the first ever auction of teddy bears in 1993 and were the sellers of Happy, Teddy Girl, Elliot and the black Titanic Steiff but as the years have gone past, even old Steiffs, which would have commanded a high price a few years ago, have dropped in value, so that it is possible to buy some of them now for a very reasonable price. I managed to find a 12 inch, 1912 Steiff in October 2008 for just under £600 and I have a small 1910 white Steiff, for which I paid only £300. Neither of these have a Theo, a large Knickerbocker button in their ears, which is quite a usual occurrence, as mothers would remove the 1906-1908 Aetna bear. (Old bear. £175. button to stop them being swallowed by small children. They were, after all, children’s Bear Scene) £280. toys that were meant to be played with and were not the valuable collectors’ items that they are today. However, Steiff, although by far the name best known to antique dealers and arctophiles (bear collectors) alike, is far from being the only antique bear manufac- turer. Many other firms made soft toys and teddy bears, some of which bore a remarkable resemblance to Steiff in the early days. The German manufacturer, Bing, made some beautiful bears, which are very similar to Steiff in appearance but are actually far rarer, as not nearly as many were made. Bing also made mechanical walking and tumbling bears which are highly collectable. These are still very sought after and used to fetch up to £6,000. Some of these, because of their rarity and desirability, still command good prices today but are not as expensive as they used to be. 1930s Fadap bear. (Old Schuco, another German manufacturer popular with collectors, made some wonderful 1950s Steiff. £135. Time Bears) bears, many of which were novelty items such as bear powder compacts, lipstick holders and perfume bottles, usually made in bright colours. These little bears used to fetch £600 at auction but their value has dropped to half that in the present economic climate. Schuco also made some marvellous mechanical bears. One of their most popular ones is the ‘Tricky’ Yes/No musical bear, whose head turns from side to side and up and down when his tail is twisted. These bears also play a melody and have a wonderful wistful expression. They were extremely expensive at one time but the financial market has hit prices of these too and they can now be bought for £300-£400 when once they might have fetched up to £1,500. Hermann Spielwaren and Hermann Original are two more very popular German companies who are still making bears today. Hermann Spielwaren has a green label and Hermann Original uses a red one but as very few old bears have kept these, identifying them is a matter of practice and 1910-1915 Strunz tumbling research. I have a gorgeous caramel coloured old Hermann that I bought from Vicky Large, very rare, BMC bear. (Bourton Bears) £595. Bears, 1907. (Old Bear Gwilliam of ‘The Chest’. He had been in a museum and as Vicky knew I Scene) £1,950. Note label on liked the old Hermanns, she let me know when he became available and ‘Caramel’ right foot. joined my hug a few years ago. When I buy from a dealer, I always make sure that they know their bears. As I have been collecting for a long time now, I recognise many makes but I still ask a bear restorer friend of mine to identify any I am not sure about. Other nationalities also made teddies and soft toys. American manufacturers, in particular ‘Ideal,’ ‘BMC’, ‘American Stuffed Toy Company’, ‘Knickerbocker’, ‘Aetna’, the ‘American Doll and Stuffed Toy Company’ and ‘’, are popular with collectors. ‘BMC’, (Bruin Manufacturing Company’), were only in production for one year, so their bears are extremely rare and are usually snapped up as soon as they come onto the market. Hazel Jobson, of ‘Old Bear Scene’, has one of these delightful characters for sale at the time of writing. At one time they would have fetched £3,000-£4,000 but can now be bought for £1,000-£2,000. She also has a gorgeous ‘Aetna’ bear for sale at £280. ‘Knickerbocker’ and ‘Ideal’ are among the most popular of the American manufac- turers. Both made bears with gorgeous faces, and some of the Ideal bears have really sweet wistful expressions. I have a little Ideal bear named ‘Maisie’, who is completely Blue Petz bear. German. Old Australian ‘Joy Toys’ £350. bear. £250. bald but who has the most pugnacious expression imaginable! She is a very early bear ANTIQUES INFO - May/June 09 Teddy Bears whom I bought for £90 a long time ago. I couldn’t resist her face! ‘Theo’ is a very large Knickerbocker bear who I bought from the same dealer. He is cinnamon in colour and in profile, looks just like an old bear from a storybook. He was very reasonable priced at about £175. Knickerbocker teddies from the 1920s have metal noses and a flatter face, whilst some of the later bears from the 1950s were produced with long luxurious . Both may be bought for £100-£200. They are charming bears and are quite unmistakeable in appearance. Ireland’s ‘Erris Toys’ made their early bears at Elly Bay in 1950s-60s rare Hermann with 1947. In 1953 they changed their name to ‘Tara’ and this Yes-No musical Schuco. £300. Tara laughing bear. (Old chain. (All You Can Bear) company became one of the best known of all the Irish Time Bears) manufacturers. Tara made musical teddies in different colours, as well as novelty ‘Feed-me’ bears and pandas, which open their mouths when the tummy is pressed. Both may be bought for £100 or less if you are lucky. Their musical bears were once £300-£400 but have dropped in price to £200-£250, or less if you find a bargain at auction. Tara also made the ‘Laughing Bear’, which opens and closes its mouth when a lever in the back of its head is squeezed. These used to cost £250-£350, but they may be bought at auction for £60-£70. Australia had a number of teddy bear makers from the 1930s to 1960s. Among them were Jakas Soft Toys, Verna Toys, Clemens, German bear. Nestle, 1950s Knickerbocker. £200. 1910 White Steiff. £300. Joy Toys, Berlex and Barton Waugh. The Berlex bears would (Blue Ribbon Bears) £170. have been worth £200, Joy Toys could have cost £300-£400 and Barton Waugh Could have been £300-£400. Like every- thing else, the prices will be lower than this now and ‘Gumdrop Editions’ have a Verna Toys bear in very good condition, priced at only £119, at the time of writing. Sadly, by the 1970s, almost all of the Australian companies had gone out of business, because they could not compete with cheap imports from East Asia. There were several well-known French teddy bear manufac- turers in the early to mid twentieth century. Pintel made mechanical bears in addition to ‘ordinary’ ones and one of their most popular examples of these is their somersaulting Late 40s Diem German bear. bear with a clockwork mechanism, which enables him to Redford, early American bear. 1950s Australian Verna bear. (All You Can Bear) £265. (Gumdrop Editions) £119. turn somersaults when he is wound up. Pintel also made a Photo: Sad Pad Bears. £350. mechanical bear riding a metal tricycle in 1915. This was a great success and was made until 1940. ‘Fadap’ and ‘Les Jouets Enchantes’ were also French manufacturers who made teddy bears. There were several others but French bears can be very hard to identify because many of them were made without any label. A Fadap bear could have been sold for £300-£400 and a Pintel clockwork somersaulting bear might have made £400-£500. Les Jouets Enchantes teddies were less valuable at £100-£200. Poland and Japan also made early bears but American, German, Irish and French bears are probably the ones most sought after and easy to find, as there are so many of them. French bear, probably by 1918-1920 rare white Bing. (German) (Bourton Bears) There were a lot of other companies from outside the UK Pintel. £895. which also produced good quality soft toys and bears but 1950s Hermann. £150. unfortunately there is not enough room to mention them all here. It is worth remembering that although you will pay more for a bear from a reputable dealer who specialises in selling them and consequently knows far more about them than a novice, you should not be sold a fake, of which there are all too many. All the dealers mentioned here may be found in the Hugglets Teddy Bear Guide. Thanks to Old Bear Scene, Gumdrop Editions, Old Time Bears, Bourton Bears, All You Can Bear and Blue Ribbon Bears for their permission to use their photos.

Editor’s Note: On the next two pages I have provided a Sweep, 19in, early American sample of bears sold at auction in recent years from our Gold Red Schuco powder puff bear. 1940s Erris Roys bear. (Old bear, black and silver. £200. Services database at www.antiques-info.co.uk (All You can Bear) £380. Time Bears) (Old Bear Scene) ANTIQUES INFO - May/June 09 Teddy Bears Selection of foreign Teddy Bears sales from www.antiques-info.co.uk 17 13 9

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Small Steiff bear dating from Early Steiff cinnamon mid 1920s. Wotton Auction Smuggers, early Steiff teddy Teddy bear, button in left ear, Rooms, Wotton. Jan 08. HP: bear. old gold mohair, boot boot-button eyes, stitched £960. ABP: £1,129. black eyes, stitched nose, snout, jointed limbs, hump- Rare Steiff black plush teddy flesh coloured pads with back and wood-wool filling, bear, c1915, 16.75in, mohair Early 20thC Continental stitched paws, original tag to c1908, 13in, growler inoper- good, right paw pad worn, teddy bear, long gold plush, 18 ear, pristine condition, 11.5in ative, arm-pads replaced, minor moth damage to other straw filled, replaced pads, high Canterbury Auction repairs to foot-pads. pads, tears to both legs. 24in high, limbs now holed Galleries, Kent. Dec 05. HP: Gorringes, Lewes. Jun 05. Gorringes, Lewes. Mar 03. and leaking. Andrew Hartley, £2,500. ABP: £2,940. HP: £1,300. ABP: £1,529. HP: £23,000. ABP: £27,053. Ilkley. Sep 03. HP: £3,100. ABP: £3,646. 14 10 Early 20thC Steiff teddy bear, worn cream fur, black button 2 6 eyes, hump back, straw filled, worn felt pads, 10in high. Andrew Hartley, Ilkley. Mar 02. HP: £800. ABP: £941.

19 Steiff cinnamon plush Teddy Steiff display teddy bear, Early 20thC Steiff teddy bear bear, wood-wool filling, glass mohair plush, 5in high, need in pale gold blush, humped eyes, stitched snout, jointed of restoration. Holloway’s, 1930s German mechanical back, long arms, large feet, limbs, original pads, hump to Banbury. Feb 07. HP: teddy bear, original leather growl, 17in high. Andrew back and growler, 1920s, £13,000. ABP: £15,291. shoes. Biddle & Webb, Hartley, Ilkley. Mar 02. HP: 16in, pads holed. Gorringes, Birmingham. May 03. HP: £2,400. ABP: £2,823. Lewes. Mar 06. HP: £1,100. Prices quoted are actual £3,000. ABP: £3,528. hammer prices (HP) and the ABP: £1,293. Steiff cinnamon bear, (faded) Approximate Buyer’s Price. 11 c1910, hump, long arms, (ABP) Includes an average carved paws, large feet, premium of 15% + VAT. 7 button in ear, pronounced 15 nose, boot button eyes, pads replaced, worn, repaired. 3 Gorringes, Lewes. Mar 01. HP: £700. ABP: £823.

20 Early 20thC Steiff teddy bear, Steiff blond plush hump back Steiff centre seam teddy bear, straw filled, pale gold plush, growler teddy bear, c1910, c1908, golden mohair, 21in swivel joints, shaved snout, 46cm high, areas of wear, high, holes and moth holes in black button eyes, humped pads replaced. Rupert Toovey felt pads. Halls Fine Art, back, long arms, felt pads, & Co, Washington. Sep 03. Shrewsbury. Dec 03. HP: faulty growl, metal button to HP: £2,100. ABP: £2,470. Steiff blonde plush teddy bear, left ear, 13in high, c1910. Steiff cinnamon teddy bear, £3,000. ABP: £3,528. c1910, boot-button eyes, Hartleys, Ilkley. Apr 08. HP: later repairs, replacement beige needlework snout, hump £1,000. ABP: £1,176. eyes, c1906, 25in high. Tring to back, original pads, plush Market Auctions, Herts. May 8 12 in good condition, 14in. 02. HP: £4,000. ABP: £4,705. Gorringes, Lewes. Jul 02. 16 HP: £650. ABP: £764. 4 21

Early 20thC Continental teddy bear, straw filled, dark Steiff Teddy bear, pale plush Early Steiff bear, humped gold plush, black button eyes, mohair, button in ear, boot- back, long limbs, pronounced 1920s Steiff two tone plush humped back, long swivel White Steiff teddy bear, button eyes, stitched snout, snout, boot button eyes, teddy bear, rare ‘startled’ arms, and legs, 16in high, brown stitched nose, glass hump-back, jointed limbs, growler mechanism - partly eyes, stitched muzzle, two possibly Steiff. Andrew eyes, ear stud, 1920s, 43cm 12.5in, wear, and a smaller working. Cotswold Auction replaced pads, button to ear, Hartley, Ilkley. Mar 06. HP: high, known as Schnauzi. German mohair Teddy bear, Company, Cirencester. Jan 18in. Gorringes, Lewes. Feb £1,500. ABP: £1,764. John Taylors, Louth. Sep 03. 8.5in. Gorringes, Lewes. Jun 07. HP: £2,800. ABP: £3,293. 09. HP: £4,000. ABP: £4,705. HP: £980. ABP: £1,152. 06. HP: £600. ABP: £705. ANTIQUES INFO - May/June 09 Teddy Bears

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1920s small Steiff brown Steiff Teddy bear, 16in. with plush teddy bear, humped button to left ear. Gorringes, Blonde Steiff teddy bear with Mechanical teddy bear, straw back, glass eyes and stitched Lewes. Oct 06. HP: £600. glass eyes, ear stud, 1920s, Steiff ‘Bruin’ teddy bear, filled, covered in fawn plush nose and mouth, button ear, ABP: £705. 27cm high. John Taylors, straw filled, dark gold plush, with black and clear button 7in. Gorringes, Lewes. Sep Louth. Sep 03. HP: £450. amber eyes, growl, swivel eyes, swivel limbs, felt pads, 08. HP: £150. ABP: £176. ABP: £529. limbs, felt pads, 20in high, head rocks back and forth, pre-war. Andrew Hartley, tail operates turning head, Ilkley. Mar 06. HP: £290. 41 8.5in high, probably German ABP: £341. 28 pre-war. Andrew Hartley, 23 Ilkley. Mar 06. HP: £190. ABP: £223. 33 Steiff pull-along bear on wheels, straw stuffed, fabric 37 worn, button in ear, amber eyes, four legs, on cast iron Small Steiff Teddy bear, beige Steiff bear with growler, frame with four wheels, 32in plush, boot-button eyes, hump playworn to head, ear torn, long. Andrew Hartley, Ilkley. and jointed limbs, original one pad replaced. Kent Sep 05. HP: £560. ABP: £658. button in left ear, c1910, Early 20thC Steiff teddy bear, Auction Galleries, Folkestone. 10in. Gorringes, Lewes. Jun stitched body, 15in high, Oct 05. HP: £140. ABP: £164. 05. HP: £360. ABP: £423. later repair, poor condition. Tring Market Auctions, Herts. Jan 03. HP: £260. ABP: £305. Teddy Bear, c1930, possibly 42 29 Images are in descending American, gold plush, hump- hammer price order. The back, glass eyes, jointed 24 price range is indicated at limbs, 17.5in, growler in- the start of each section. operative. Gorringes, Lewes. Early 20thC Continental Mar 03. HP: £180. ABP: £211. teddy bear, dark gold plush Tara Toys (Ireland) Teddy cover, straw filled black Bear, c1950, gold plush with 38 button eyes, pointed nose, 34 jointed limbs, 18in tall. slightly humped back, Small mohair Teddy Bear, Gorringes, Lewes. Oct 02. replaced pads, 17in high, possibly Bing, c1910, boot HP: £100. ABP: £117. very worn. Hartles,, Ilkley. button eyes, jointed limbs, Sep 01. HP: £520. ABP: £611. plush worn, 8in. Gorringes, Lewes. Jan 03. HP: £360. ABP: £423.

25 Schuco ‘Piccolo’ series ‘Yes- 30 No’ teddy bear, gold plush, 43 German Teddy Bear, c1920, 5in and a green plush teddy Pre-war Continental possibly Bing, light brown bear, 4in. Gorringes, Lewes. standing brown bear, amber mohair, hump-back, boot- Apr 04. HP: £170. ABP: £199. and brown glass eyes, straw button eyes, jointed limbs, stuffed, 2 replaced red pads, 13.5in, growler inoperative. 16in long. Andrew Hartley, Gorringes, Lewes. Mar 03. Ilkley. Sep 01. HP: £50. HP: £260. ABP: £305. 39 ABP: £58. Brown Steiff teddy bear, glass 1930s Steiff plush brown eyes, ear stud, open mouth, bear. Great Western 35 c1929, 26cm high, known as Auctions, Glasgow. Feb 06. Ju-Ju. John Taylors, Louth. HP: £350. ABP: £411. 44 Sep 03. HP: £520. ABP: £611.

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French mid 20thC teddy Teddy bear, German or Teddy bear, made in 1920s in bear, gold plush, black and American, beige plush, wood- Small gold plush teddy bear, a style made for Gebruder clear button eyes, swivel wool filling, glass eyes, wide pricked ears, embroi- Bing, approx 2ft tall, pretty head and limbs, replaced upright ears, stitched snout dered pointed snout and open German Teddy bear, possibly short golden plush fur, pads, lambskin collar and and claws, jointed limbs, felt mouth, possibly German, Bing, 12.5in, pads replaced. superb condition for its age. muff, 24in high. Andrew pads, c1920, 32in. 8.5in high. Fellows & Sons, Gorringes, Lewes. Nov 05. Wallis & Wallis, Lewes. Jun Hartley, Ilkley. Sep 05. HP: Gorringes, Lewes. Mar 05. Brimingham. Oct 03. HP: HP: £460. ABP: £541. 05. HP: £300. ABP: £352. £220. ABP: £258. HP: £160. ABP: £188. £50. ABP: £58. ANTIQUES INFO - May/June 09