Best of the 695-lot strong catalogue was this Steiff Cinnamon plush teddy bear, pictured right. Thought to have been made c.1915, the bear had boot button eyes, shaved snout, vertically stitched nose, stitched claws and felt pads on the feet and arms. The 19in (48.5cm) high bear had some moth damage to the pads and slight damage to the mohair, and, moreover, the trademark Steiff button was missing to the ear, which explains the £1500-2000 estimate. However, specialist collectors were not put off and the bear went over estimate at £3600.
Buttonless bear still sells
The well-documented English love of teddy bears was the main feature of the June 27 sale of the toys, dolls, bears and juvenilia sale at the Knowle rooms of Phillips (15% buyer’s premium).
