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Posts: 3I NEED YOUR HELP.
I'm not an AVID collector of teddy bears, but I have seen a fair share of them. I've never seen one as old as this, though, and I am tearing my hair out to know what it is.
Steiff bears, Bing bears, Farnell bears, oh my...
This bear looks, feels, smells, and in all ways seems to be an original early 1900's Steiff Teddy Bear. There are a few things to note about it, though, and they are throwing me for a loop.
No Steiff button in the ear (could mean it is pre-1905, or not a Steiff, or it was lost)
Center stitched (pre-1920)
Mouth open? (Post-1950), but possibly done by owner)
4 claws on the feet and hands
Fully jointed...
Shoulder has a hump in it
I can't find any bear that looks like this in ANY of my reference materials, nor on the internet. I even went to Barnes & Noble last night as well as Books-A-Zillion and none of their books showed it either.
I'm thinking it is either a Steiff that has been repaired, a *very* early Farnell Alpha model, or a Bing. What thinketh the forums?
The estimated value of the bear could be anywhere from $0.50 - $80,000.00 depending... I found a report from an auction of a bear that looked almost exactly like this one (that one had a closed mouth, though) and it sold for $12,000.00. I snatched this one up at a yard sale for FIFTY CENTS.
I can't remember for sure, but this might be a Hermann, maybe from the '50s or '60s. Steiff made a bear called Teddy Baby, and Hermann made one that was similar. What a great buy for 50 cents! 
Someone else on TT will probably know for sure what this bear's pedigree is. 
~Debora
Welcome to Teddy Talk!
Bears by EdieHi,
What a fabulous garage sale find!!
Your bear is a Steiff Teddy Baby - they were made from the 30's until 1959 (also later reproductions but yours looks to be one of the originals). They were made in an assortment of sizes from 4" to at least 16 inches - what size is this guy? He would have had a chest tag saying "Teddy Baby" and also a button in the left ear. You will find him pictured in almost any book that has Steiff bears in it.
Debora was posting while I was checking books and typing 
I thought Herman at first too as I have a somewhat similar bear that has a Herman tag but the nose stitching is more consistant with Steiff than Herman - Herman noses have an extra stitch coming down on each outside edge of the nose and Steiff doesn't. Anyway he was certainly the bargain of the century!!!
Aha! Thank you so much, Edie! :hug: All the pics I could find on the Internet weren't helping at all. Definitely the bargain of the century! :dance:
Posts: 3Well, let's see... what can we rule out knowing the following :
Four claws... That would mean that it is 1906 or after.
No button... Lost, perhaps?
Mouth open... I thought it would be a Teddy Baby, too, but I can't find one that looks like it. This one has a really cute bewildered look on its face. That would be 1929 - 1950
I understand that Bing, Farnell, and Steiff were the only ones who center stitched, too.
Here's something I forgot to mention... There is a bit of string coming out of his... well... crotch. It is a long loop of string that, to me, looks like where a tag would have hung. There is no marking anywhere at all on the bear to suggest who might have made it, though.
Past Time BearsI found these photos in a Dee Hockenberry book, c. 1996. In your last picture, KittyLitter, there is what looks like a possible tag high up on the inside of the right leg. Or is that something I'm making up? I also saw the strings on the front which look like about where a navel might be . . . too low for a Steiff chest tag. Does the left ear have a hole or what looks like could have been a hole? What a fun mystery! And whatever this bear is, you got a TERRIFIC bargain!
Posts: 3That top one... I'd recognize that goofy look anywhere. That's him! :D
Mine is 11 inches tall, and you were correct about the string on his leg - I mentioned it in the previous post. :crackup:
As for the button in the ear - I'm guessing someone carefully removed it at some point because it is gone.
Is it possible to narrow him down any further? I'm excited, now!!! 
Ciderantiques and Old Soul BearsOh you lucky girl ! Good thing I wasn't at that yard sale . . . I would have looked liked an old Bridesmaid diving for the bouquet at all costs LOL. For fifty cents !!!! You scored !!!! :clap:
I looked up your bear in the Steiff Sortiment Book (1947 - 1999) version. This book is affectionately known as the Steiff Bible. Your bear is found on page 53. It is the Teddy Baby bear. Yours is the honey color. If he is 11 inches tall, that is the 28cm size that was only made between the years 1951 and 1957. The thread on the leg is a remnant of the tag that read "Made in US-Zone Germany."
Your bear would have originally had a leather collar with a bell, and a chest tag (Steiff ID tag) attached to the collar. He would have had a button and yellow Steiff flag in the left ear as well. You should be able to see a small hole. Mothers often ripped out the Steiff button to protect their little ones. They tossed the collars and bells as well :doh:
The Sortiment book rates Steiff toys on a scale of 1 to 9 for rarity. Your bear is given a level 7. :clap: This is for a bear with all IDs in MINT condition. Even without his IDs, your bear is easily recognizable.
The value for a level 7 (from page 9 of the Steiff Sortiment Book) is 1,250.00 Euros to 2,500 Euros. I have found that I get about half the book value for bears without ID. His mohair looks nice and full, with minimal thinning, which is very good !
A professional surface cleaning goes a long way in getting the highest value for your bear. I am currently cleaning Deb Burnham's antique bear . . . photos on my second blog www.oldsoulbears.blogspot.com . Deb's bear has had quite a transformation. I will do a post on TT when he is completely finished.
Congratulations on your Treasure! You lucky gal!
~ Karen
Matilda Huggington-beareWOW you most certainly found yourself a beauty. I couldnt resist from looking it up myself and yep you got yourself a Steiff Teddybaby. With this one its the paw pad design that is the dead give away.
PottersHouse BearsWow! You certainly hit the jackpot. I've been keeping up with the posts. I couldn't help solve your mystery, but I was certainly interested in the outcome. Now I may be off to the yard sales a bit more this year.
FenBeary FolkYou and me both Millie, what good fortune, I hope one day to find a Faberge item, that I could sell on and pay the mortgage off, but an old steiff.......................no way would I let that go
Matilda Huggington-bearebut an old steiff.......................no way would I let that go
My mother did.......he was missing an ear and an eye and his voice box no longer growled but that didn't warrant being thrown to the dump. She saved my dolls (which I never liked) and dumped my Ted which I had dragged around everywhere with me from the ages of 2-10. ....sigh..... 
Seamore CollectiblesO'h how exciting, would LOVE to know what the final conclusion is. He needs lots of LOVE now.
Mutz's Tootsz Bears & BudsWoo Hoo! What a find! How come all I ever find at garage sales is junk?
TTFN Amy
