There are several features that help to determine the age of a vintage teddy.
- Can You Determine the Maker?
- The Fur or Fabric Is a Clue to Age.
- The Stuffing Says a Lot.
- Teddy Bears’ Shapes Change With the Times.
- A Teddy Bear’s Eyes Can Say a Lot About Its Age.
- An Older Teddy May Have a Distinctive Nose.
In this post
How can you tell how old a teddy bear is?
Early Teddies copied the look of real bears, who have a hump of muscle between their shoulders. If your teddy has a hump then the bigger his hump is, the more likely the bear is to be early 20th century. German manufacturers made their bears with humps up to the 1930s.
How do you age a stuffed animal?
You can’t be serious?
- Soak the toy in tea or drip a used teabag over it. Mmmm Zebber never looked tea stained. Or smelt of Earl Grey.
- Use sandpaper. OK. This is more bizarre than the tea option.
- Tie the toy to the back of your car and drive around the block a few times. Erm, this sounds like toy abuse to me.
How do you value a teddy bear?
Labels, buttons and tags
These are not only important for identification of a teddy bear, but the more complete the teddy bear is, the more he is worth. A good example is the Steiff button in ear. If this button is no longer present, this immediate lowers the value with 25%.
What teddy bears are worth a lot of money?
With that, the teddy bears on this list range from a low of about $3,000 to a high of $143,000 for the Steiff Teddy Girl Bear.
- Steiff-Karl Lagerfeld Teddy Bear – $3,687.26.
- Gund Snuffles Teddy Bear – $10,000.
- Steiff Rod Bear PB28 – $10-12,000.
- Steiff’s Grandfather bear – ~$12,900.
- Steiff Alfonzo Teddy Bear – ~$16,000.
How much are old teddy bears worth?
A Steiff teddy bear of excellent condition from the same era may go for up to $500 per inch of bear, with some twenty-inch bears selling for around $10,000 at auction. Original 1904 Steiff Bear 28 PBs can sell for up to $40,000.
How do you tell if a teddy bear is a Steiff?
When it comes to teddy bears, look for these tell tale signs of quality: swiveling head, plush and felt paws, eyes made of glass, joined legs and arms. Details on Steiff teddy bears–like the nose, mouth, and other small elements–are hand stitched with thread with care.
Is it weird to sleep with a stuffed animal at 20?
It is not unusual for your attachment to soft toys as a sleep aid to persist into adulthood. A survey carried out last year found that 44% of adults have held on to their childhood teddies and dolls, and as many as 34% of adults still sleep with a soft toy every night.
When should a child stop sleeping with a stuffed animal?
Don’t let your baby sleep with any soft objects until he’s at least 12 months old. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, pillow-like toys, blankets, quilts, crib bumpers, and other bedding increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and death by suffocation or strangulation.
How do you wash stuffed animals without ruining them?
Place the stuffed animal in a mesh laundry bag, zippered pillowcase or pillowcase with the ends tied for added protection against wear and tear. We recommend using the Delicate, Hand Wash or Gentle cycle setting on your washing machine, along with cold water to help keep colors from fading.
How can you tell if a stuffed animal is vintage?
There are several features that help to determine the age of a vintage teddy.
- Can You Determine the Maker?
- The Fur or Fabric Is a Clue to Age.
- The Stuffing Says a Lot.
- Teddy Bears’ Shapes Change With the Times.
- A Teddy Bear’s Eyes Can Say a Lot About Its Age.
- An Older Teddy May Have a Distinctive Nose.
How do you clean a 50 year old teddy bear?
For most teddy bear cleaning, we recommend a surface clean. The best way to do this is with carpet foam or a mild shampoo and warm water solution. Do not get your toy very wet – just enough water to loosen the dirt. A steam cleaner is helpful if you have one.
Why are Steiff teddy bears so expensive?
Mohair bears like those produced by Steiff command the highest prices because the material is expensive to import and produce. Acrylic pile is used commonly for handmade and mass-produced bears.
What is the most famous teddy bear?
Winnie-the-Pooh
1. Winnie-the-Pooh. believe it or not, Winnie-the-Pooh, or Pooh Bear as he is also known, has been around for almost 100 years, having been created by author A.A Milne back in 1926.
What are the most collectible bears?
Most Valuable Teddy Bears in the World
- Steiff and Louis Vuitton Bear. Sold: 2000.
- Steiff Bear ‘Teddy Girl’ Sold: 1994.
- Steiff Titanic Mourning Bear. Sold: 2000.
- Steiff Teddy Bear. Sold: 2000.
- Steiff Happy Anniversary Teddy Bear. Sold: 1989.
- Steiff Diamond Eyes Bear. Sold: 2008.
- Steiff Harlequin Teddy Bear.
- Steiff Elliot Teddy Bear.
What can I do with my old teddy bears?
- Donate to op shops or not-for-profit organisations.
- Donate to emergency services or hospitals.
- Donate to a pet shelter.
- Arrange a swap with family or friends.
- Hold a garage sale.
- Make a teddy bear backpack.
Are any stuffed animals worth money?
One of the most highly-valued ones is Claude the Crab. The 1996 plushie is listed for $5,000 on eBay. Valentino the Bear is another Beanie Baby that could earn you some real cash. Even one of these 1993 bears with minor errors (like a misspelling on the tag) can sell for $1,000 on eBay.
What was the first teddy bear made out of?
mohair fabric
Raw Materials. The original teddy bears were made (on both sides of the Atlantic) with mohair fabric “fur” that was commonly used for upholstery, black leather shoe-button eyes, and excelsior packing as stuffing. In the 1920s, glass eyes were used, but both the glass and button eyes pulled off easily.
When was the first teddy bear made?
On February 15, 1903, toy store owner and inventor Morris Michtom places two stuffed bears in his shop window, advertising them as Teddy bears.
In 1904 Franz Steiff, Margarete’s nephew was looking for a way to protect Steiff products from imitation. His great idea later became the epitome of quality and handiwork: a metal button in the ear as a protection label.
Do Steiff bears go up in value?
Even modern copies of old bears rapidly increase in value. When Steiff made a limited edition of 5,000 replica Alfonzos two years ago for Ian Prout they sold out quickly at pounds 164. This autumn they are fetching more than pounds 300 as they come back on to the market.