Since 1880, Steiff has been making plush toys and collectibles that set the world standard for quality. Each Steiff animal is meticulously hand-sewn and hand-finished by our staff of talented artisans in Giengen, Germany. The company is perhaps best-known for its bears – Steiff invented the Teddy bear in 1902. Since the firm was founded by Margarete Steiff in 1880, more than 16,000 different designs for animals have been created. Vintage Steiff pieces are regularly sold on the secondary market for thousands of dollars.
Steiff animals are made from mohair, alpaca, cashmere, 100 percent cotton velvet, 100 percent wool felt, and valuable woven plush – a material usually reserved for the high fashion industry. Manufacturing is still done by hand in our 103-year-old factory in Germany. Steiff products are often considered family heirlooms and are passed from generation to generation.
Steiff toys last so long because they are extremely well-made and vigorously tested – surpassing all U.S. and international toy safety standards. Vintage Steiff toys from the company’s earlier years have sold at auction for more than $100,000. Collectors treasure Steiff products for their artistry, beauty, and lasting value. Children love their friendly faces, cuddly fur, and realistic designs. When “only the best” is good enough, Steiff is the only choice. Steiff North America, Inc.
Margaret Strong Bears / The Strong Museum
1985 catalogue
1986 catalogue
Hamleys catalogue page, 1983, UK
Scans made by TVTA from the 1985, 1986 and 1988 Steiff catalogues, US; and Hamleys 1983 catalogue, UK. Information taken from SteiffUSA,com
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 
Great post! Any good grandparent would give you a Steiff animal as present ( in Germany in the 60s)… I still have a fish and a squirrel, Sadlly, my beloved monkey got lost over the years. Thank you (again) for the memories!
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Thanks Wibi. That’s great you still have two Steiff. I received a bear from my grandparents of comparable quality – a UK Farnell bear (later Merryweather) which squeaked when you pressed its tummy. No idea how it’s survived all the moves and years but I still have it.
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Never heard of Steiff before this! I like the Muzzle (Hannibal Lecter) Bear! 🙂
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Ha, I thought of Lecter too when I saw the muzzled bear! I learned that Steiff and Morris Mitchom are credited as the inventors of the plush teddy bear named in honour of President Theodore Roosevelt. I knew Steiff was famous as the ‘button in the ear’ toy and am pleased to finally get hold of some images to make a post.
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Hi TVTA, my wife Mrs T has an old and very worn Steiff bear. Heaven knows how old it is but the fur has become more like felt. Up until recently Steiff bears were still being sold on one of the catalogue shopping channels here in the UK. I think I need to look at those hand puppets though, they look fabulous.
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Thanks FT. I’ve been wanting to do a Steiff post for a long while and finally got hold of some inexpensive catalogues to make a decent show of it.
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Those were a great find. I obviously knew of the traditional “Teddy” Bears but never knew of Steiff’s other animal toys or the puppets.. I really have to get one of those as my grandfather probably painted a few “Punch and Judy” and puppet show booths during his career (I know he made quite a few wooden puppets at his factory!) Keep up the great work.
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