A Steiff bear is something that will enhance any collection. The Steiff bear is a product that’s name is synonymous with quality and exceptional craftsmanship all round the world.
I can’t praise Steiff bears enough. It was something that I was aware of from an early age, although I don’t exactly remember when, that a teddy was a Steiff bear. It was just one of those things that you get brought up with. I suppose that I may be biased and a little brainwashed because I grew up with (more years ago than I care to remember) a Steiff bear which belonged to my grandparents and I am lead to believe that I became quite attached and to some occasions inseparable from Dillon. (I know, don’t ask) So from an early age I was hooked and then continued to appreciate Steiff bears as I grew older. What’s not to like?
 I was particularly interested in the history of the Steiff bear and was fascinated to learn that the first big seller for the company but it was in fact a small felt elephant in the 1880s. The company continued to grow and even though there wasn’t a Steiff bear as we know it in production at this time there was a menagerie of other animals including camels, cats, dogs, donkeys, horses, mice, monkeys, pigs and rabbits. The Steiff bear was as yet still several years away.
It wasn’t until 1902 that the first ever Steiff bear, with jointed arms and legs was unveiled at the Leipzig Toy Fair where it caught the eye of an American businessman. The Steiff bear was born. Due to its phenomenal success the company started to put a button in the ear of their animals and this has become their trademark and is an assurance of the high quality and exceptional craftsmanship of a Steiff bear.
Steiff bears come in all shapes and sizes these days and include famous productions such as Rupert and Paddington. Steiff bears can be expensive items when you can be paying several hundred pounds for the collector and limited edition series of animals but the do also cater for the more modest budget and produce a more standard modest price range of animals which are suitable for a child or any beginner to start off their collection. So go out, have fun, and enjoy your Steiff bear.