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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Some bears going under the hammer !!! get your dollars ready !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Mr Edward Bear', a fine Steiff teddy bear
Estimate 5,000 - 7,000 British pounds
Lot Description 'Mr Edward Bear', a fine Steiff teddy bear
with white mohair, black boot button eyes, pronounced clipped muzzle, brown stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump, in-operative growler and FF button in ear with remains of white tag, wearing 'tortoise-shell' celluloid glasses, circa 1912 --25in. (63.5cm.) high (left ankle split and stitched together and moth holes in left hand pad)
Provenance Mr Edward Bear and the following two lots were given to Elita Bittencourt as a teenager, around 1912. They were never played with and just sat on her bed.
A very rare Steiff hot-water bottle teddy bear
Estimate 20,000 - 30,000 British pounds
Lot Description A very rare Steiff hot-water bottle teddy bear
with golden mohair, black boot button eyes, pronounced clipped muzzle, remains of black stitched nose and mouth, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads and black stitched claws, hump, FF button in ear, opening at front seam fastened with brass hooks and brown lace with coiled brass tips and rare original tin cannister, circa 1907 --19½in. (49.5cm.) high (some thinning to mohair on face, chest and tips of limbs, holes in right foot and hand pad, slight holes in others, missing most of nose and mouth stitching and cannister dented and missing one stopper); two small studio photographs of the owner as a young girl; and a colour print of a portrait of the owner by Rose Bonner, date 1909
(3)
Provenance This was the childhood bear of Mary Vernon Pegge born 24 September 1903 at the Elms, Briton Ferry, Wales. Her father was a doctor, he died suddenly when Mary was about 10 years old and she moved to Bedford with her Mother and younger brother. Eventually she marrided Hubert Boys-Stones, classics master at Bedford School.
She died in her sleep on 22 January 1993 - the bear having been with her all her life.
Literature See Steiff - Teddy Bears love for a lifetime, Jürgen & Marianne Cieslik, page 35.
For a similar example sold in these room see - 100 Years of the Teddy Bear, Tuesday 3 December 2002 - lot 383.
Lot Notes This novelty teddy was expected to be a great success, but surprisingly there was very little interest in the bear, only 90 examples were made from 1907 to 1914.
A very rare, large and early Steiff display teddy bear
Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 British pounds
Lot Description A very rare, large and early Steiff display teddy bear
with apricot mohair, boot button eyes, centre-seam, pronounced cone nose, black stitched nose, mouth and claws, swivel head, jointed elongated limbs with felt pads, hump, blank button with remains of white tag and large heavy studded leather collar with padlock, circa 1906 --45in. (114.5cm.) high (various bald spots including on nose, right hip and right foot, ankles split a repaired, staining to feet pads, some fading)
Provenance The bear originally belonged to the vendors Great Grandfather, Frederick V. Chipman, Sr. The owner has not been able to find out where and/or how he acquired this bear. In his possession the bear sat on display in his small shoe store, this was believed to be in the town of Roxbury, Massachusetts. The bear was also on display in a few town parades, which was very popular with the locals. Frederick V. Chipman, Sr. retired the bear from the public and as a surprise gave the bear to his young children, the vendors Grandfather, Frederick V. Chipman Jr. and her Great Aunt Priscilla Chipman. In the morning before the children awoke, he tied a string to Aunt Priscillas toe. Upon waking to find this string she woke her brother, who shared the same bedroom, curious as to what this string was they had to follow it out of the room, down a hall and into another room where the bear was sitting awaiting their discovery.
The children were not allowed to really play with the bear. He only came out on special occasions, such as Christmas and other holidays. So the tradition started that the children in the family would have a chance to see and briefly touch the bear on these occasions. As the years went by Great Aunt Priscilla is the one who became the bears custodian. The vendor remember as a child going to her house, as they often did, and asking if her and her brother could see the bear, it was always a special treat.
During the Great Aunts later years, knowing the vendors love for teddy bears, she gave him to her. He has been in her care for about 20 years.
Literature This size of bear appears in a number of period photographs and adverts of the 1908-10 period, see Button in ear, Jürgen & Marianne Cieslik, page 45, fig.102 and page 73, fig.184.
Lot Notes This is the largest size of Steiff teddy bear available and is very rare from this early period, the only other known example was sold in these rooms December 2003.
A very rare Steiff PB 28 "rod" bear
Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 British pounds
Lot Description A very rare Steiff PB 28 "rod" bear
with rare white mohair, large black boot button eyes, pronounced part clipped muzzle, horizontal seam from ear to ear, gutta percha nose, pink stitched mouth, swivel head, rod jointed limbs with felt pads and five black stitched claws, hump and elephant with shaped trunk button in ear, circa 1904 --15in. (38.5cm.) high (very slight thinning to mohair)
Literature See Button in ear, Jürgen & Marianne Cieslik, page 32 and 33.
Lot Notes This is a version of the earliest Steiff jointed bear that appears on the market. The rod bear is the second stage in Steiff's development of the teddy bear, the first which had cord joints has yet to re-appear.
The PB 28 (P plush B bewglich (jointed) 28 size in centimeters seated), this is the much rare white mohair version.
For the full list of bears the site is
http://www.christies.com/promos/dec06/4068/overview.asp
the Auction is on the 4th December 2006
it will be interesting to see who eventually gets these bears !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe Father Christmas is listening !!!!!!!!!
Lynette
Kiprie BearsOh my my my goodness !!!
My favorite is 'Mr Edward Bear' . 
How much do I need to adapt him ?? 
I'll go to get lottery now !! 
Thanks for posting photos, Lynette ! :hug:
hugs
Marie
Wow, what gorgeous early bears. I don't see myself as the Christie's auction type -- it's a cashflow thing, not an "I hate Christie's and all they represent" thing -- but if I could manage it, I'd bring one of these lovelies home myself. I think I'm partial to Mr. Edward Bear, too, just like Marie.
Thanks for posting this, Lynette!
MerBear OriginalsI wonder if these are the surviving bears from the guard dog attack...remember last summer when the rottweiler went crazy and tore up a bunch of old teddies? :crackup:
Marion
Acid Attic BearsOh thanks Lynette !
I had no idea we could see such a fantastic bunch of beautiful old bears on the net !
I wonder if I give Santa this list if I could get one for Christmas :angel:.
Hugs,
Marion
Wonderful Bears - yes they would be a grand Christmas present, Marion.
Hugs
Carolyn
Doodlebearsand a darn big fibster! wishful thinking...phooey!
Hugs Jane. 
Oh Jane I am richer ??? than you, I have just won 2 million pounds hahahhaha, if I beleived these scam emails that went around, so I could buy you all a bear from Christie's !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Marion, I subscribe to Christies news letter so you get notified when an auction is coming up, so lovely to be able to look at all these bears and read the stories. I feel that when a bear here makes the news it is always good for us in the bear world as it brings the spotlight back onto bear collecting.
One year I was able to atttend a bear auction at Christie's and it was magic,just being there amongst all these majestic bears.
In this auction it is going to be interesting to see what some of these bears fetch as I see some are very rare, and look like they all are in need of some repairs, yet they are still listed at a very high price !!!!! Must check and see if you can go online and view the auction while it is taking place.
I have also told Santa that I have been a good girl , he does have a wide choice to choose from !!!
Lynette
Chaska, MinnesotaWow: It is so amazing how much these bears are worth. Does anybody watch Antiques Roadshow? Every once in a while a Steiff or another type of old teddy is on and I have to pick my jaw up off the floor when they give the worth of the bear. Now I look at my sad little bear from childhood looking worn and furless (due to multiple dunkings in the toilet) and wonder what she is worth. Probably not much but she is priceless to me. I am 46 years old and she is sitting on a shelf in my bedroom so I can see her everyday.
Michelle
Acid Attic BearsI would love to own an old bear one day, but so far I have stuck to artist bears as they do not come with little bugs in their furs. I just can not bear the thought of the amount of little creatures that could be crawling in the old chap's fur...even after they have been in the freezer for a while. My husband once bought a small antique monkey on the car boot sale and I have put it in the freezer for weeks, then I took it out vacuumed it and put it back in the freezer for a few days. I still look at him and hope he has never done really yakky things....Maybe it is best to stick to artist bears :D
...
OK you've won, I don't want an old Steiff anymore :crackup: :crackup:.
Dear, that's marvelous as I do not have the money for such a bear, so that's great I just think about the bugs instead of the bear :D.
Can someone here can make me the exact replica of one of these two ? 
(yes, my list has shortened up 
)
Hugs,
Marion
well my dream is still to own a real old Steiff Teddy bear, bugs and all !!!!
One day when visiting Sue Pearson's shop I saw this old fella, with a huge price attached, well the closest I got to owning him was Sue letting me have my picture taken with him, although that was with me begging 
as they do not like doing that because of insurance etc.
Till then ,( I will join Marion ) and wait for someone to make me a bear, I will choose the top one on her shortened list 
Lynette
Posts: 8,574......hmmm I think I may have spend enough money this year in support of the economy and therefore will sadly have to pass..... :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Can someone here can make me the exact replica of one of these two ?
(yes, my list has shortened upHugs,
Marion
Oh, I wish I could make a replica of the top one for you, Marion, and one for Lynette--and one for me. I just love him! Some day I will try to do that...but I have a feeling that the bear would come out looking like another New Avenue Crew bear! :crackup:
I had such fun looking through the auction catalog; there are some amazing Steiff bears coming up for auction, which is on our seven-year wedding anniversary, no less. These bears are just beautiful with such stories to tell if they could speak!
Bear hugs,
Debora
