Collectible teddy bears are as precious as diamonds, if not more at some point. Don’t believe us? You’d be surprised that these toys have come to become one of the most valuable items in the world today. Auction houses have seen how much they’re being valued, emotionally and financially.
Today, we’ll focus the spotlight on one of the pioneer manufacturers and designers of the teddy bear. Here are the most expensive toys from the German manufacturer, Steiff.
#5: Diamond Eyes Bear – To celebrate its 125th founding anniversary, Steiff manufactured 125 special teddy bears. The toy came with a mouth of pure gold and fur made of golden threads. But what sets it exceptionally apart was that its eyes were made of sapphires and diamonds. Each one retailed at $84,000.
#4: Rod Bear PB28 – Considered to be the oldest Steiff teddy bear to ever have surfaced, this toy was made in 1904 and came with metal rod joints was sold for $122,000 at the 2002 Steiff Festival in Giengen, Germany.
#3: Mourning Bear – The all black mourning bear was manufactured in 5 different sizes and produced in 600 pieces as a commemoration for the tragic loss during the 1912 sinking of the RMS Titanic. One such bear showed up at a 2000 Christie’s auction and fetched $136,000.
#2: Teddy Girl – Owned by Colonel Bob Henderson of the British Army who fought during World War II, Teddy Girl was a cinnamon Steiff bear released in 1905. It was said that Col. Henderson brought it to war with him and after surviving the D-Day landings, he set up a foundation that gave out toys to sick children. After his passing, the toy was auctioned off for $163,000 in a 1994 Christie’s auction to Japanese businessman Yoshihiro Sekiguchi.
#1: Steiff x Louis Vuitton Bear – This eventful collaboration behind the brand and the legendary fashion house smashed records and up to today, it stands as the most a toy has ever fetched in history. A white furred bear, it comes with a hat, a coat and suit case bearing the signature LV monogram. Sold for $2.1 million in a 2000 Monaco auction, the bear was bought by Jessie Kim from Korea and is now preserved in a museum located in Jeju Island.
So, which among these Steiff collectible teddy bears do you wish to have? Do you dare add them to your collection? Well, why not?
steiffbearslondonuk 