Hello Brenda,
This recent purchase was sold to me as a 1906 Aetna Bear and has been professionally restored.
He is 26 inches and retains 100% of his mohair, has black show button eyes and retains nose, mouth, and five claw stitching on each limb. His feet are cardboard lined and each of his four paw pads are wool felt. He is completely excelsior stuffed with a nice hum on his back. I detect no internal noisemaker. Jointed are firm and move well.

Hi David,
Wow…love this new teddy who will reign perfectly with all your existing treasures! He is so rare, and the professional restoration was done with great talent. I found a photo ad of Geo. Borgfeldt & Co. in Teddy Bears, Past & Present Vol 11, by Linda Mullins.
With our present economy being unsure, I tried to be on the safe side. But, the teddy does consider a second look since it is a homegrown product - mad in the USA! Appraisal to $4,500.00 Brenda

Hello Brenda,

This is my Dad’s Bear.
I literally know nothing about it. My Dad was born in 1930.
Bear is 18 inches. Left eye broken. There is missing fur.
Arms, legs and head are all moveable.
Thanks for any information you may find.
Jen

Hi Jen,
Love the fact you have your Dad’s teddy bear! You mentioned he was born in 1930, indicating this teddy was a cherished childhood companion. He is American, from the Knickerbocker Toy Co, of NY. He is brown mohair, and has slight wear on his vertically stitched nose, and one perfect glass eye while the other one is partial. The wool felt pads are in very good condition. At 18”, he was sizable for your Dad as a companion. Shirley Temple had a white version of this style teddy, and Captain January was his name! He dates to the 1930s with the felt pads. Later bears had velveteen pads. His muzzle is unshaven. With provenance (picture of your Dad and teddy or forming this toy as your Dad’s) value would be $ 250.00.
Brenda

Hi Jim,
Your mystery teddy bear is from the famous Steiff Co. of Germany. He dates to the 1950s, is curly mohair in a pinkish tone. The eyes are glass, before the child safety laws, and merely sewn into place. Usually all the teddy bears leave the factory with buttons, but at this time they were merely riveted in place and could be removed. Later years of the Original Teddy had very firmly placed buttons, were child safe, and could not be removed. At 16” he is a medium sized bear. The non-working growler means that air got into the device and he know longer makes noise. That sound was always heard when the bear was placed on his back. The mohair color is caramel. Value for your 50s Steiff teddy would be $350.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
I purchased this bear from a family that was moving out of state they told me they purchase this bear from a Steiff bear shop It was a display for the shop long time a go..they purchased the bear for there children. He said there were only 2 made in Germany. He said it is full of excelsior inside.
The bear is 5 feet tall and has a little tear on the right hand very little and the bear is dirty from the bottom of the fur.
Jonathan

Hello Brenda,
My teddy. I believe he is a 1920's "Fluffy Duplex Whistler" bear from National French Fancy Novelty Co, NY. Teddy is approximately 16" tall, both of his large ears have non-working squeakers, eyes may be replacements, his long mohair has areas of thinning, original stitched claws are intact, the felt pads have staining. I love his sweet face and short stout body with long arms. From my research online, I've included a copy of a page from Toys and Novelties, January 1922, advertising the "Fluffy Duplex Whistler" bear.
I look forward to your appraisal of this dear sweet teddy. As always, thanks so much for offering your online appraisal service. Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,
Thanks so much for your patience.. and including the advertised ad that has a picture, but more importantly, mentions the attributes of Nat. French Fancy Novelty Co. of NY. He is much better looking than the ad figure! Ken had originally listed our teddy (just like yours) as a possible Peacock, from the Chad Valley firm. Very little is written about Nat. French Co…or pictured aside from the movable eye sockets from this firm. They were basically doll related. But yours is this teddy with the squeakers in the ears, plump body with all over stitched seams on the entire teddy. The nose is horizontally stitched (ours is a fabric piece) and your eyes are replaced with shoe buttons. It does seem to have a cork stuffed head…much like Chad Valley bears. He dates from 1914-20. The unique pointed foot pads in the toe area, are also a trait, shown in the illustration. Having the ad as authentication is also a plus.
At 16”, with slight wear but definite attributes to this NY American firm, his value as an “antique” teddy would be $2,400.00
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
I purchased this handsome guy from a local antiques fair yesterday and would love to know more about him. He is 20” tall and is stuffed with wood wool; is jointed five ways, has felt pads, no discernible squeaker or claws, a hump back, and a seam running under his chin; and other characteristics hopefully clearly visible from the photos. I noticed the felt foot pads have a point similar to Petz but not exactly the same. Thank you in advance.
Kind regards,
Laura

Hi Laura,
Your 20” teddy is German, from the Hermann Eckstein doll and toy factory in Neustadt near Coburg.
He dates to the late 1920s, with long, plush mohair, and is five way jointed. He has no sewn claws, but does have a horizontally stitched nose and large glass eyes placed just outside the head seam. The right ear appears to be cupped, while the left ear appears to be straight. It may have become loose and was resewn. There appears to be restitching on the back, perhaps a damaged area. While the final closure is in the front tummy. The pads are wool felt, and each foot pad seem to come to a point at the top. The mohair is cinnamon in color, quite full and not faded. This factory had a famous eye for their dolls and some animals, called the living Steiner eye. It was a glass eye, and resembled the Bye Lo babies. The seams are top stitched, a method to produce more teddies in a less expensive fashion. Only a slight upward turn to the hands. They produced teddies under the name of ECCO, until 1945. Value for your teddy would be $400.00.
Brenda

Hi Lindsay,
You found a definite older mohair bear…with some adjustments made by a fairly talented teddy adjuster! At 18”, this is considered a large bear. The missing mohair is offset by the newly created nose, mouth and septum, as well as the newly sewn wool pads. Your remark about the shoe button eyes was very true….they are newly attached with the dark cord. The excelsior stuffing throughout seems to be solid. He has most traits of Petz of Germany, circa 1940s. The pointed toe pads were recovered perfectly. Three claws, ears with a slight tucking to emulate the sliced in technique are also evident.
The arms have an upward trend to the paws. His new full nose is probably exaggerated, but he is happy, so the fix is worthy. Value for your thrifty find would be $275.00.
Brenda

Hello Brenda,

This Teddy Bear, I was told by my aunts, belonged to my Grandfather Channing Lucas who was born in 1884. He died in 1923, and is buried in Tonkawa, Oklahoma. It has a cute red metal cone mouth, a black metal nose, adorable eyes and there appears to be a small round marble-shaped ball in one of his ears. He measures 8.5” (arm-to-arm) x 13” (top of ears to bottom of feet).
Thank you,
Norman

Hi Norman,
Your heirloom teddy is a bit later in time than was passed along to you. He is American, with the tin eyes, and unjointed nature.. before the child safety laws took hold. He dates to the 1940s, and resembles the Gund teddy bears. He is in remarkable condition as a crib bear (unjointed). Another NY firm called Bantam also made similar teddies. Adolf Gund was a German immigrant, who eventually hired a Russian immigrant, Jacob Swedlin. He started out as a janitor and turned into a business partner! He even purchased the business after Adolf retired. As a very good example of a Gund crib toy, the value would be $75.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
My bear was previously appraised by you. Some omitted information is provided now. The original owner was Mary Bellack Fergus of Columbus, Wisconsin. She was born in 1908, not 1909, as I originally indicated. She was the only child of Dr. and Marie Bellack. Mary was a client of mine when I practiced law. She became a dear friend and I inherited many of her possessions. I don’t recall how I became aware that she received Ted when she was 4 years of age but I think that would be accurate. That means Ted was made in 1912 or so. When we originally corresponded about Ted we had some concern about the Steiff metal stud. It is present and there is part of the paper tag below.

Richard

Hi Richard,
Your fine looking 20” Steiff teddy with underscored button and attached tag is still a great piece!
Five way jointed, excelsior stuffed and in very excellent condition, this also contributes to his provenance. If you have any pictures of the original owner, that would add to his portfolio, and make his provenance even better. Even a hand written letter from Mary would suffice. It’s telling his story, with illuminating your dear friend. In a way, you were meant to hold unto him for awhile. At the present time, the teddy bear market is somewhat down. But, the true collectors are willing to invest with prime examples. Pristine best describes this long curly mohair fellow! Keep the original appraisal, and perhaps be willing to accept $5,800 as a meeting place!
That one nose thread just shows you teddy is “Real”. Over a hundred years old means he is now “antique”.
Good luck Richard..you have the same first name as the original Steiff teddy made by Margaret Steiff’s nephew…Richard in 1903.
Brenda

Good afternoon,
The teddy bear in the pictures belonged to my great-great-grandmother. My grandfather brought the bear to Ken Yenke 25 years ago to get appraised but only remembers that Ken told him the bear was made in 1905. The bear is 14" tall and 7" wide. The head, arms, and legs all can be rotated. There's faint writing on the right foot and there are no tags or identifying manufacturer markings.
Thank you!
Samuel

Hi Samuel,
Your family’s teddy bear is American, made by Hecla and dates to 1907. The rust cord and claws are character traits, along with a sort of “mousy” looking presentation. The clear, glass eyes were used as well as shoe buttons. His condition is remarkable, near pristine. The 5 claws were the earliest teddies. His wool felt pads are original and also carry a message from yesteryear. He has the fine traits of the early German bears, hump on the back ( simulates shoulder blades in real bears!), and long legs. The long arms are slightly curved. Your provenance with your great, great grandmother is also history. Any pictures of her with teddy would add value as well. As teddy presents himself, the value for your 14” teddy would be $4.000. Excellent!
Brenda

Hi Samuel
What a great antique patent paper from the US Patent Office, circa 7/11/1924. You have the completed monkey as testimony for your relatives ingenuity. It makes the story complete, even without a final product from Montgomery Ward. The paper is the supporting evidence. Your stewardship is appreciated too…keeping the treasure. I would say this piece of toy history would be valued at $1,200. and up, Brenda

Greetings All,

This was sold as a 1950 Steiff Jocko monkey - he is a whopping 36" tall and retains 100% of his mohair as well as his Steiff ear button. His felt face and features are in excellent condition with much of the airbrushing still vibrant, joints move freely without wobbling, his tummy press squeaker does work. There is some very minor fading to the mohair in the front, as if he were facing towards the sun at some point, however it's so evenly distributed I didn't realize it until I looked at his back for a slight darker color, so slight it is difficult to show up on the camera pics. I added the jester collar at hat.
Sincerely,
David

Hi David,
Another great Steiff piece that happens to be uncataloged in the Gunther Pfeiffer Sortiment book. In comparing your size to those listed, it could have been made for display purposes, or a special order. His condition is excellent, with only slight fingernail fading and as you mentioned the very delicate tone difference between front and back. It might have been in a toy stores window, to attract the attention it deserved. The jester title fits his style too, with the ruff and hat. No “monkeying” around! He is center stage, and knows it! The nickel button is 1950s, ( script is the thinner version, longer FF loops), and was used into the 60s. His voice remains strong as well. At 36” we can say he is a prime example, without a chest tag. Value for your Jocko would be $1,200.00
Brenda

Hello Brenda,
I have an 11" tall bear that I bought on eBay.

Beige-apricot mohair with cream, felt like pads. He appears to have kapok and wood wool stuffing. Both head seams, particularly the left side run straight up (connecting to the inner ear) and not through the middle of the ear. Boot button eyes. The ears are sewn close into the head seam making them appear cupped, similar to that of a Harwin. He has a horizontal stitched nose and half of his ‘W’ shaped mouth stitching, similar to that of a Harwin.

Legs and arms: He has quite large feet for a small bear and slim ankles and his paws curve in at the wrists.
He has a small hump on this back, a good amount of stuffing and a non working growler. Where the centre gusset joins to the neck it is squared off and not pointed.
I thought he may be a Harwin due to some similarities with this bear. I have studied the Harwin, particularly the smaller size and have located one on the wonderful Hilary Pauley’s museum that looks so much alike.
The lady whom I bought this bear off also mentioned she thought he was an English / British bear due to his upturned nose and other characteristics.
Thank you,
Erika

Hello Brenda,

I purchased my 10" Steiff bear about thirty-five years ago at an estate sale. He has black shoe button eyes, a blank button attached to left ear, he's missing some floss to nose area, mohair is sparse throughout, there appears to be three possibly four stitched claws on each (hand) paw and three to each (foot) paw, three of the pads appear to be original with one replaced. He is somewhat flat and would benefit with additional stuffing.
Thanks some much for providing this online teddy bear evaluation service! Kathleen

Hi Kathleen,
Your early good taste in teddies is greatly appreciated with this 1905-06 blank button Steiff. Although there is wear, his white mohair was rare as well. The rust cord nose and claws need a touch up to preserve what is there. During his production, out of ten bears, only one was white. His claws probably numbered four or perhaps 5 on the earliest. He has wear, and some thinning but he could be restored with minimal work- pads could be expertly filled in. The side squeaker was the earliest, 1905, more common for the front to back style in 1906. He is a dear sweet antique, and would be valued at $500.00 and up.
Brenda

Hello Brenda,

Brown bear is 17" tall.
He’s got what feels like straw in his tummy
And his tongue is separate like it’s sticking out with stuffing in the tongue. He’s got movable arms legs and head he’s in really good condition. No rips or tears anywhere.
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
Your medium brown bear is Austrian, from the Fechter teddy bear factory in Graz, Austria. He dates to the 1950s, is five way jointed with brown mohair and glass eyes. The felt pads have
3 claws on the feet, but not on the hands. The move to Austria from Neustadt, Germany increased their production and encouraged the husband and wife team ( Berta and Willi Fechter). Your example has their traditional open mouth (red) and is stuffed with excelsior. He seems to have a tongue as well. The inset snout is a shorter mohair. At 17” the value would be $350.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
This bear was sold to me as a 1940's Knickerbocker Teddy Baby. He is 17' tall, fully jointed, kapok stuffed, and retains 100% of his white mohair. The amber eyes are replacement as is the growler mechanism. Everything else is original. Paw pads are clipped mohair with cardboard back on the feet with velveteen open mouth. Three claw stitching on the hands and retains the original cloth tag in the front.
Thank you,
David

Hi David,
What a great looking teddy baby from Knickerbocker! The tag suggests the 1940s as you mentioned for Animals of Distinction and Knickerbocker Toy Co. inc New York on the back of the tag. Amazing mohair and pads, inset snout with the lovely rust colored claws and vertical nose. Love the way the replaced eyes even tie into that color scheme. His condition is exemplary for such a vocal guy. All the ones I have seen in the books are scrappy compared to your example. Linda Mullins in Teddy Bears and friends ID and prices has it listed as 1930. That is similar timing to Steiff, with their first examples as closed mouth. The page is #21, with a price of $550.-650, for a 22” gold Knickerbocker (no tag). The book is from 2000.
I would elevate your price to $900.00 with the scarcity of white mohair and the great condition, tag as well.
Brenda

Hi Jason,
Your Grandpa was right, it is a Steiff teddy bear! I think it is older than the 1920s, possibly 1911, with the shoe button eyes, horizontally stitched nose cord and slight remnants of the mouth extension. This size teddy, 10” was referred to as the doll sized teddy. That meant it could be a little companion to other animals or dolls. He is mohair, with wear. A slight bathing could help him shine as well. He is the common tan or gold. The stuffing is excelsior, with parts showing through the wool felt pads. He had four claws on each appendage. Eyes are sewn just outside the head seam, a notable trait with Steiff.
He is all original and has provenance (lineage of ownership), although no button. Value for your treasure would be $500.00.
Brenda

Hi David,
What a great bear your Mom has kept safe all these years! I think your heirloom teddy is from Alfred Volk, Neustadt near Coburg. Alfred had the German factory until his death in 1976, then, his eldest son (Arno) took over and ran the factory until 1988. They had many large bears, including those with red tongues, musical and even made a Berlin mascot teddy. How wonderful the music plays on too. The excelsior stuffing was the most durable, especially when a music device is enclosed in the toy. The collar and red tie just made him perfect for a birthday gift. He has some wool felt damage to the feet, but this could be plugged to ensure his integrity. The face, body and extremities with mohair are in great condition. The eyes are plastic at this time, to ensure safety regulations. Seated, he measures 15”, so while standing from foot back to top of the head must be 25”. Value would be $350.00.
Brenda

Hi April,
Your inherited teddy is not a Steiff but could be another German maker, Strunz. The measuring tape seams to point to 13-14”. The eyes are not original, they should be black shoe buttons. The nose is somewhat less detailed than a Steiff, fewer cords and it seems he has a center sewn insert of backing sewn over the nose just below the eyes. The face is the most important part of any teddy bear. He is stuffed with excelsior and should have the tummy closure in the front. Steiff feet are longer in detail,while his arms are very elongated. Both have tan wool felt pads. He dates to 1907-09. Strunz was founded in 1902, by Wilhelm Strunz. There were many court disputes with Steiff, who is still in business but Strunz stopped around 1914. Value on the 13” teddy bear as he appears is $500.00.
Brenda

Hi Julianna,
Your bears is from the Gottfried Kraeber factory in Lebensstedt/ Braunschweig. He is a “Gorka” teddy! In the German book it mentions two fabrics; gold/yellow and black or brown mohair. The eyes in the book are amber glass with black pupils while your bear's eyes are replaced with wood shoe buttons. The teardrop hand pads are a notable character trait, along with the cardboard under the linen for standing. Three claws are the key for the hands and feet. This factory did business from 1945-1952. Your bear dates to 1949. At 15” his value with some wear to the fabric backing would be $125.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,

I purchased this bear online and do not know much about it's history. He is 20" tall and fully jointed. You can feel the discs
in his joints as well. He is straw stuffed. There are three claws on his paws and feet. His eyes appear glass and are orange.
I would love to know what you think about him!
Thank you!

Deanna

Hi Deanna,
Your large teddy is German, from the Gokra teddy bear factory in Lebensstedt/Braunschweig. He dates to the late 1940s. The firm was founded in 1945, and continued production until 1952. The fur is a velvet velour, with 3 claws on both hands and feet. He is excelsior stuffed. The tear drop hand pads, and cardboard footpads are accented by the light cord claws that matches the simple horizontal nose cord and mouth. The ears are cupped.
It seems the eye may have been replaced…original ones were amber glass and black pupils. Value for your 20” German teddy would be $300.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
I purchased him on Ebay and was told that he had been stored away in an antique shop that had closed down.
He is 7" tall and fully jointed, appears to be hand stitched and crunchy when you squeeze him. I'm not sure what type of fur he has, as I haven't seen another bear like him.
I appreciate any information you can provide!
Thanks again!
Deanna

Hi Deanne,
Your 7” mohair teddy is a modern artist made bear. Usually a tag was attached from the maker, with ID, name and possibly # of the edition. Also included, adult stuffed toy only, not appropriate for children. The eyes are glass, and merely sewn into the head. The stuffing is excelsior according to your description. His thin arms and legs that are very long resemble Cindy Martin in her “ Yesterbears”. She began making bears in 1982. He is five way jointed, has no pads and a hand stitched nose and mouth extension. The small ears are tufted and hand stitched into the head. The dark backing of the mohair makes the pale color of fur appear to be older than he is. Value for slim teddy would be $75.00.
Brenda

Hi Charles,
I love the story behind teddy, and the fact you have kept him mint condition as well, even though a clamped on nose is missing. His purchase in Germany is also interesting. At 36”, he could be considered with the larger bears Germany displayed at Fairs, called carnival bears. The fur is acrylic, and perhaps stuffed with kapok/ poly blend. The pads appear to be the same as the body fur. The red felt tongue shows no wear and the eyes are plastic. With his high forehead, he is a “thinker”. He might have been from Austria as well. Value for your teddy would be $45.00, with the story and condition.
Brenda.

Hello Brenda,
This bear has been in one family since 1911. They thought it was a Steiff and sometime in the 1970’s had a glass case built for the bear to protect it. No one in the family really has any interest in it now or wants it and they have decided to sell. I have done some research and would like to know from an expert exactly what it is and the value. The bear is 16 inches in length. It has lost some hair here and there but what you would expect from a 110 plus year old toy.
Scott

Hi Scott,
Your mohair family teddy dating to 1911, is American, from Harman Mfg. Co. in New York City. They had an early start in the teddy bear business, 1907. Known for selling bears without a distributor, they manufactured and sold the product. Sizes listed are; 10, 12, 14, 15, 18, 22, 26, 30, and 36”. The inset fabric nose was their trait, along with quality mohair, all excelsior stuffed. Felt pads with the over stitch closure, arms at the shoulders, and his final hand stitched closing is in the back. They also made a teddy purse. They advertised in Playthings magazine in 1907. The ears are seamed into the head seam, the body is very rotund and he resembles Pooh in that way. His three claws ( maybe more, I cannot see), are long in length. Mohair has wear in spots, but he is an antique. Value for Ted at 15” would be $400.00. Brenda

Hi Brenda,
Here is a 15 inch bear with slightly striped fur.
He is in good shape can’t find anything else in bear book.
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
This teddy is also American, referred to as the “stick bear”, meaning his long straight legs and short ended arms. His body is long as well and he is 5 way jointed. The fur appears to be a cotton plush, not mohair. We can see over stitches on the seams, a good production technique equal to mass making. Eyes are shoe buttons, sewn outside the head seam. Nose is a simple cord nose with just enough to give him some projection. Ears are high on the head and cupped. Value for this 1917 teddy that measures 15” is $125.00.
Brenda

Hi Brenda
Here is a small very old bear around 10 1/2 inches long.
He has the Steiff button in his ear. I am still looking through pages of notes on him.

Thank you,
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
Your sweet small Steiff from the 1915 era is also known as the “doll sized teddy”. They made perfect companions for dolls! The white mohair is in great shape as is the body, nose and all attributes. Five way jointed, button and an antique at this point, he is quite impressive. I am assuming the four claws are intact. Some of these tiny ones had squeakers in the tummy too. For the size and condition, the value would be $1,200.00
Brenda

Hi Brenda,
Another bear around 16 inches.
Very old mostly in good shape he just looks very old.
Has a sweet face.
Nancy

Hi Nancy,
Your characterization of “sweet” teddy fits him to a tee! The feet appear to have cardboard on the bottom, and with that pointed foot pattern, would classify him as Aetna Toy and Animal Co. of NY. They were formerly known as Keystone Bear, with wholesalers of George Borgfeldt and Co. as sole agents. I believe he dates to 1909. The stuffing is excelsior, arms are high on the body, and the finishing seam is on the back body. He has long arms revealing the early years. Some wear, but he is all together. The value would be $425.00.
Brenda