Possible Steiff bear

by Heather
(Springfield, MO)

Possible Steiff bear

Possible Steiff bear

I have a 25" teddy that belonged to my great grandmother. The story told to my dad is that she either won it or someone won it for her at the county fair near Sedalia, MO when she was a little girl. That would have been around 1905-1910. When my great grandmother passed away in the 1980's he was given to me as a little girl because of my extensive, yet much less valuable teddy collection. I came across him yesterday in a box with my dolls and other bears that I did not give away over the years. At one point, he was probably fuzzy, but he must have been greatly loved. He does still have some mohair left (at least I think it's mohair). He has button eyes, is straw filled or wood fiber, whatever you call it. He has one foot that the pad has worn out over the years and his stuffing is shown. He has a hunch back. I would be grateful if anyone could help me identify this bear. I have attached a couple of pictures.

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Jul 02, 2016
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starstarstarstarstar 		Early American Ideal
by: Reswob

Hi Heather,

I am not an expert or anything but that bear looks like photos I've seen of early American Teddy bears made by the Ideal Company that were made in the early 20th century. I'm basing my judgement on the nose and mouth embroidery, if they are original. I've seen them being sold on Ebay for $100 or more. The bear has more value if it has provendence, like an early photo of the bear with the original owner.

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