When you start your vintage bear collecting, remember that quality is always key to value. As a beginner collector, you probably won’t have the skills you need for restoration, so unless you really love that tatty old bear, wait for another. If it was a well-loved bear, it’s bound to have signs of wear which adds to the charm for many. Watch out for replacement parts, stiff joints and new clothes as these detract from their value.
Although Steiff come with buttons that are easily recognisable and show their authenticity, many of the worthwhile bears do not have this tell-tale tag. Sometimes these may have been removed for safety reasons with young children. If they have been removed, it is sometimes possible to see where they were because of indentations in the fabric or little bits of different fabric in the seam line.
All makes of bears have different markings, so you may wish to purchase a book on vintage bear collecting that will clearly explain the features that you need to look for as well as the type of damage on the bears that should set alarm bells ringing. Unfortunately, as with most popular markets, this is necessary due to some pretty good fakes out there. If there is an authenticity certificate, you will of course expect to pay more for the bear.
There are a couple of other things that affect the bear’s value. The older, larger and scarcer the bear is the higher the value with anything that is pre World War 1 being the most prized. Looking at scarcity again, you will find that vintage bears that were produced without a smile tended not to be purchased for children. This means there were often very few made leading to them being hard to obtain now and often very valuable. An example would be the snarling Sussenguth’s Peter teddies. Finally, when vintage bear collecting look out for original intact clothing and boxes as this will add to the value.
You can of course just choose the bears that you fall in love with, but if you are serious about starting vintage bear collecting, follow the tips above and get yourself a good book so you understand properly what you are looking for and how to care for your bears.
Our suggestion for a good book is Teddy Bears: A Collector’s Guide to Selecting, Restoring, and Enjoying New and Vintage Teddy Bears
