1904-05 Chicago Cubs Steiff Teddy Bear with Blank Button

Auction: December 2003

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December 2003
Howard

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1904-05 Chicago Cubs Steiff Teddy Bear with Blank Button

The provenance of this bear is better than any in the history of Steiff in that it’s a baseball story. The best and most American of sports meets the finest and most American of toys whose origins are a testament to the kindness of one beloved President named Theodore Roosevelt who inspired the “Teddy” Bear. On a hunting trip, Roosevelt's companions captured a bear cub. The President, being a naturalist and champion of conservation, refused to kill the little guy. According to the Howard family annals, all of the wives of the Chicago Cubs players were presented with Steiff Teddy Bears in the 1907 baseball season. This bear, one of the earliest of Steiff’s, (the bear’s blank button was distinctly first used by Steiff, in 1904-05) was given to Jessie Howard (pictured) when her husband George (Del) Howard played for the Chicago Cubs in 1907-08 and he accompanied her to all the Chicago Cubs home games. Jessie treasured her Teddy as a lasting memory and testimony to her husband’s career. She treated him as you would a much-loved pet, protecting him from the rough play of the children keeping her Teddy Bear in perfect condition. Upon her death in the 1940s the bear was given at her request to her favorite niece, Ruth. Ruth adored the bear and kept it mostly out of view, resting him in a child’s rocking chair for years in her bedroom. This bear has been a member of the Howard family for nearly 100 years. A teddy bear's provenance can affect its value greatly. The most expensive bear ever sold at auction was a Steiff Teddy Girl, a bear that was listed at $10,000 to $15,000, yet it sold for $171,600 a few years ago. This was in large part due to the fact that it was owned by Colonel T.R. Henderson, a leader of the United Kingdom branch of the organization, Good Bears of the World.Margaret Steiff of Germany made the finest, most desirable and expensive Teddy Bears of the period as it continues to do today. The Steiff "Button in Ear" is one of the best-known and oldest trademarks. The “Blank Button” in the ear of this handsome sports-minded bear, was the first, used as the trademark for Steiff toys in 1904 and 1905. This Teddy Bear is made of warm, cinnamon mohair, measures 24” high, and is fully jointed, with black shoe button eyes. He has a pronounced clipped muzzle, stitched nose, mouth and claws, jointed elongated limbs, hump back and is stuffed with excelsior. Condition, overall, is very fine with minor holes to paw pads with red felt showing. No odors, he comes from a smoke free environment. He is also a rare and highly desirable color. Typically, you can expect fading to the color of the fur, but this exceptional and most likely peerless example is very close to his original hue. As all bears of the period vary slightly in appearance, this bear has the appealing Steiff characteristics sought by all collectors. They include a round belly, long limbs, and a full adorable face that can’t be resisted by anyone with a warm heart.