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Hello all,
Some of you might already know about this, but see:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-11517569
Some of the teddies there look lovely! :) I'll be keeping an eye on the auction.
-- Thomas Adam
Chaska, MinnesotaI wish I could be there to see the auction!!! I would love to see pictures of the little fellas.....
Boechout, AntwerpI have been following part of the auction online and the final bids for the top pieces were well below the estimates:
- the pièce de resistance : lot 218 Steiff Harlequin Teddy Bear (estimated at £ 50,000 - £ 80,000) went for £ 38,000
- lot 219 a 1920's Steiff similar in style to Happy (estimated at £ 15,000 - £ 20,000) went for £ 13,000
- lot 195 a 1912 Steiff black bear (estimated at £ 15,000 - £ 20,000) went for £ 11,000
Two Steiff Dicky teddies went for higher amounts than estimated
And the Steiff fox in fur coat went for amazing £ 17,000 (estimated £ 7,000 - £ 10,000)
At the moment the auction is still in full swing (lot nr. 550 is coming up), still a 102 lots to go ....
If I had the money there were a few bears I would have bid on, but most of the lots were other Steiff animals and critters and more curiosa than genuine Steiff vintage teddy bears. I was amazed at the amounts that were bid on these -usually very small- animals. 
I am sure we will here more about it on this and other forums.
Hugs, :hug:
Peter & the bears
I have been watching it all day and it has been fascinating.
I also had a press release from Christies saying that the amount for the harlequin bear was actually £46,850 with the buyers premium!
As an artist who feels bad about charging actual shipping costs with some of my heavier bears, this is just entering into fantasy land!
I too am shocked at some of the prices for the smaller pieces - I can't help but smile when the Auctioneer says this is 'only at £500' etc.
I know how much of a struggle it is for artists at the moment, but it is nice to know that there are people spending on bears etc. I guess it is an investment market, and quite different from what we are doing.
Hugs
Dawn
Nice to "see" you here again, Thomas.
I watched some of the auction online, and most of the lots did seem to be going for less than the estimates, though Dawn is right - add 25% to the hammer price, plus shipping costs...wow.
The item that really surprised me was a very small (9 cm) teddy baby that went for 6,000 pounds. Somebody REALLY wanted that little bear!
For me, the catalog, the news stories, and the video clips have indeed been a trip to fantasy land. I loved and collected Steiff animals before I became interested in bears, so I've been gasping audibly as I look at the collection. (I was especially taken with a mohair calf on wheels, but that velvet lion on a green pillow had me sighing as well.) It's been like a trip back in time with the animals being in such excellent condition. And I tell myself that the collector's love of Steiff was obviously sincere, if not his business practices. 
Becky
Nice to "see" you here again, Thomas.
Thank you. :)
(I was especially taken with a mohair calf on wheels, but that velvet lion on a green pillow had me sighing as well.)
Ah, yes. The calf! My boss told me off this morning at work for wasting time looking at that stuffed cow! :) But I thought it was magnificent, seeing as I also collect dogs on wheels, I really wanted the calf!
-- Thomas Adam
What a piece of History!!! My all time favourite was the Steiff Fox in the Purple coat....FABULOUS!!! Wish he was mine 
I only got to watch some of the auction, but it was interesting. I would loved to have some of those (well, actually, any) bears, esp. the 1912 Titanic black bear. Some things went for lower and some went for higher than I thought.
I read an article where someone bought a couple of them to store and resell later. I thought it was sad that they wouldn't be loved.
Furgotten BearsI was quite shocked to see how low some of the prices were at the end of auction, the harlequin especially!!
