Adorable, Affordable Steiff Mini Teddy Bears and the Inspiring Margarete Steiff
Added the beloved day of March 8, 2008 - Add to your
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Anyone who loves toys probably would squeal like a tickled pig if they had thousands of dollars to gloriously spend solely on Steiffs, the most beautiful stuffed animals on the planet. The classic Steiff Teddy bears, with their buttoned ears, movable joints and soft mohair fur, are a must for any toy collection... Even if many collectors would insist they're not just toys, they're Steiffs.
Of course, if you can't afford the high price tags for the larger Steiffs, why not go smaller? The adorable mini Teddy bears (shown above) still may seem expensive at around $60, but we found them online on sale for just under $40. In Steiff terms, that's a steal! After all, Steiffs are the utmost in quality and say volumes about your taste and sentiment. The mini Teddy bears are only 3" high, yet still possess the exquisite quality of a full-size Steiff, making them perfect gifts for special occasions.
About Margarete Steiff, the Founder of Steiff
Margerete Steiff was an incredible woman and an entrepreneur years ahead of her time, with a success story that sounds like many you would hear on 'Oprah' today. Most people who only popularly know the Steiff brand don't realize the empire of collectibles was started by a woman who was stricken with polio as a toddler and confined to a wheelchair her entire life. Then imagine living as a woman in Germany in the 1800s, and her story becomes even more inspiring.
Late-bloomers should be heartened to know it wasn't until Margarete was in her thirties that her "wow moment," as Oprah would put it, came to her. While making and selling her own garments, Margarete made a stuffed felt elephant that she simply meant to be a pincushion. Eventually, however, that little pincushion caught the eye of a child who thought it was a toy, and Margarete had her "wow moment." Why not make them as toys? Soon she started making more elephants than garments, and within a few years already had sold thousands. The rest, as they say, is history.
Her toy business grew and soon her nephew, Richard Steiff, joined her and helped create the iconical Steiff "Teddy" bear we all know today. Of course, history buffs would like to add that the worldwide popularity had a lot to do with Teddy Roosevelt's passion for bear hunting and Clifford Berryman's famous caricature of Roosevelt and a bear cub printed in the 'Washington Post' in 1902.
- Buy Steiff Mini Teddy Bears Online
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