What's It Worth?

This month, I thought it would be interesting to share with you the factors that are usually considered when identifying and valuing vintage Steiff treasures. The process is personal, and can vary considerably from expert to expert. But it is safe to say that most specialists take into consideration these five areas when evaluating any given button-in-ear example. 

1, Condition: Specialists consider the initial appeal and presentation of the piece, compared to as it would have appeared when new. Does the item have playwear, or is it in pristine condition? How is the face? Does it have any restoration? Does the piece have any fading from the sun, loose or sagging limbs or joints, insect damage, or other structural issues like rips, tears, holes, loose or weak seams, bare patches, or missing accessories? It is not unusual for a specialist to place their nose very close to an item and take a good hard sniff. They are checking for smoke and other odors that may indicate internal structural issues. Clearly, the better the condition, the more interest a piece has now, or could have in the future. 

2, Identification: Specialists look for the presence of Steiff IDs. These can  include - depending on the item and its year of production - a button, ear tag, chest tag, bracelet, US Zone tag, hang tags, washing instruction tags, special store tags, and other forms of IDs. In a perfect world, an item would retain all of its original Steiff elements, and a specialist should be able to tell you what those were originally for any given piece. 

3, Materials: Specialists consider an item's materials, as these are often good clues to its age and rarity. Steiff has used many different fabrics over time, including felt, velvet, mohair, wool plush, coat plush, paper plush, silk plush, dralon, woven plush, and trivera velvet, just to name a  few. They have also used unconventional materials, such as leather, plastic, rubber, and wood, as design elements on their products over the years. Specialists should be able to identify external materials and use this information in context to help date any item to within a decade or so.  

4, Details: Specialists look for those design features that define an item as relatively common, somewhat hard to find, or even a remarkable treasure. These things involve obvious elements like an item's eyes, facial and claw embroidery, and other details like whiskers and accessories. They also include less obvious details like an item's construction, seams, jointing, stuffing, and presence or absence of a working voice or squeaker. Specialists should be able to point out design elements and explain what makes them interesting from the historical and pattern evolution perspectives.   

5, Size: Size can impact value for both larger and smaller items. In general, specialists place higher value on those  items that appear in unusual, unconventional, or uncatalogued sizes. In some cases, ironically, the smaller the item, the larger its collector's appeal - and in turn - its value. This may be true for two reasons. First, smaller items were more likely used and loved by kids as toys, and therefore very few in good or better condition are still around. And second, smaller items take up less space. This can be attractive to many enthusiasts, especially ones with limited display areas and/or mature collections. On the other side of the coin, unusual Studio items also are of interest to specialists. These life-sized items often need true detective work to unearth their origins and design evolutions. In general, specialists consider size relative to rarity and value on an item-by-item basis. 

With vintage Steiff treasures as well as every other type of collectible, something is "worth" what someone will pay for it more than anything else. However, having an expert review a few of your vintage treasure is a great way to get an informed perspective on their value as well learn something new about them as well. Who knows... your gut feeling might just be right and you do indeed have an exceptional treasure in your collection!

Steiffgal hopes this discussion on what goes into a vintage Steiff evaluation has checked all your boxes!

Come view our "priceless" selections of midcentury marvels, prewar treasures, and other darling dolly friends at www.mysteifflife.com!