Time Capsule Treasures: Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion’s November 9, 2025 Steiff Archive Auction

Margarete Steiff GmbH has been producing premier Teddy bears, dolls, bears, and other playthings since the very early 1900s and remains one of the most recognized toy brands in the world today. Since its founding, Steiff has kept multiple samples of every item manufactured in its archives located on the company’s Giengen, Germany campus. On November 8, 2025, Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH of Ladenburg, Germany hosted its 418 lot Steiff Archive Auction. This sale featured redundant articles from Steiff’s archives so every lot on offer, regardless of era produced, was in clean, nearly as new condition with IDs. Here are some highlight results from this fine sale that caught the eye of the Auction Daily team. 

The top lot in this event was #2027, a large velvet Steiff Bonzo dog. Estimated at €2,800-€5,600, it realized €40,920. This fully jointed, hand painted velvet dog measured 31 cm sitting and 34 cm standing and was in the form of the famous 1920s-era cartoon dog Bonzo by British artist George E. Studdy. It was detailed with white, black, and green glass google style eyes and a prominent red felt tongue. The dog was numbered “24” on its bottom and retained its original Steiff archive tag dated 01.07.1927, reflecting the date that this sample dog was created. 

Given their absolute rarity, it is no surprise that this Bonzo rose to the top of this Steiff archival sale – as this example was just one of a handful extant. Steiff was interested in working with George Studdy to create a Bonzo stuffed toy for the international toy marketplace. In 1927, Steiff made a velvet, hand painted sample version of Bonzo and sent it to Studdy for his evaluation. Steiff was so sure that they would receive good news on this partnership proposal that they began making Bonzos before any agreement was signed. Steiff manufactured 115 examples overall during this interim period. Much to Steiff’s surprise, Studdy flatly rejected Steiff’s Bonzo sample, and gave the license for soft toy production to the English company Chad Valley instead.   

Bears have been Steiff’s signature category since 1903 and did extremely well in this sale. Lot #2024, a white Dicky bear, was estimated at €1,200-€2,400 and delivered €37,200. This 27 cm tall, fully jointed mohair bear featured a prominent muzzle with airbrushed highlights; plain tan felt paw pads with black claws; and proportional black and brown glass pupil eyes. Sample Dicky retained his original Steiff archive tag, noting 20.01.1931 as his production date. 

Steiff’s Dicky bears were an important part of Steiff’s late prewar-era Teddy bear production. It is possible that this line was named in honor of Margarete Steiff’s nephew, Richard Steiff, who invented Steiff’s jointed Teddy bear design at the turn of last century. Dicky bears that were produced on a commercial scale all featured streamlined seaming, required less and often cheaper fabrics, and relied on hand painting and/or stenciling rather than embroidery for decoration – among other manufacturing efficiencies. These were all cost reduction factors that reflected the economic hard times of the early 1930s in Germany. 

Steiff has traditionally produced toy-inspired novelties that reflect popular cultural trends and phenomenon of the era. Lot #2101, a chimpanzee radiator mascot, was estimated at €650-€1,300 and sold for €27,280. Designed to sit on the top of a car as decorative item, this fully jointed primate from 1911 measured 25 cm and was made from brown mohair. He was detailed with a tan felt face and white mohair chin, lovely facial painting, and brown and black glass pupil eyes set in eye pockets. His hands, feet, and ears were made from tan felt. He wore a perfectly to scale black felt chauffeur’s cap decorated with a strap and medallion. This sample radiator mascot retained its original Steiff archive tag. 

Automobiles became available on a commercial scale at the turn of last century and began to make their mark on worldwide culture almost immediately. The Steiff family was the first in their home town of Giengen, Germany to own an automobile, probably purchasing it around 1912. Soon after, Steiff began to make a range of car related novelties, including radiator caps like the one sold here, headlight covers, and travel mascots. These little known rarities today always catch the eye, and pocketbook, of collectors when they appear at auction. 

Next to Teddy bears, Steiff’s production is known for its outstanding and prolific dog lines. Lot #2093, a supersized Bully Bulldog, was estimated at €550-€1,100 and traded hands at €19,840. This 50 cm tall Bulldog was sitting, head jointed, and made from white and rust-brown mohair. His lifelike muzzle with dimensional jowls was made from tan velvet. His face came to life with oversized black and brown glass pupil eyes, and his ears were lined in wire and were posable. Bully was decorated with a leather horsehair collar which was further embellished with four Steiff metal buttons. He retained his original Steiff archive tag which noted his manufacturing dates of 12.01.1930.

Bully the Bulldog debuted in the Steiff line in 1927 and was an immediate hit with kids (as a toy) as well as adults (as a collectible and an accessory). Bully’s pattern was based on the French Bulldog—the “it” companion for high society across Europe at the time. Prewar, Bully was made in all velvet as well as mohair and velvet in sitting and standing configurations, in sizes ranging from 10 to 50 cm. Given his popularity, Bully was made as a pincushion, music box, dog-doll, nightdress bag, and even a puppet, among other novelties. 

This sale rounded out with a fine offering of prewar dolls, category spanning animals, wheeled playthings, and collections of postwar-era archival items. Lot #2021, a 43 cm felt doll named Johann, was estimated at  €550-€1,100 and found his new home at €18,600. This fully jointed doll, probably in the form of a messenger, was produced in 1912 and wore a perfectly proportioned outfit consisting of black leather boots, striped pants, a buttoned jacket, and matching cap. His exceptional detailing included an inset mohair wig and long mohair mustache, a prominent nose, and delicate facial painting. This doll would go on to appear in the Steiff catalog in 43 and 50 cm from 1912-1920 overall. 

For more information on Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion’s November 8, 2025 Steiff Archive Auction, see https://www.spielzeugauktion.de/catalogs/181/categories/0/pages/1?lang=en&&.

Interested in other outstanding Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion Steiff sales results? Then check out: https://auctiondaily.com/news/steiff-titanic-mourning-bear-breaks-records-in-special-steiff-auction/

Captions, all images from Ladenburger Spielzeugauktion GmbH:

• Lot #2027, a large velvet Steiff Bonzo dog, was estimated at €2,800-€5,600 and sold for €40,920. 
• Lot #2024, a white mohair Steiff Dicky bear, was estimated at €1,200-€2,400 and sold for €37,200.  
• Lot #2101, a Steiff chimpanzee radiator mascot, was estimated at €650-€1,300 and sold for €27,280. 
• Lot #2093, a supersized Steiff Bully Bulldog, was estimated at €550-€1,100 and sold for €19,840.  
• Lot #2021, a 43 cm Steiff felt doll named Johann, was estimated at  €550-€1,100 and sold for €18,600.