We all loved stuffed toys, whether we are kids being imaginative at playtime, adults getting comforted, or collectors hunting for their next find, teddy bears and stuffed toys are woven into the tapestry of our lives, so it is interesting to take a look at the history of these much-loved toys.
Kids have always played with toys. As communities grew ever more sophisticated and techniques such as knitting and sewing became more prevalent, it was only natural that parents would make toys for their children. In most cases, these were mostly things done in the privacy of people’s homes and it wasn’t until later that the manufacture of stuffed toys become popular for businesses.
Stuffed toys are a more recent invention than many people think and only really started to be given as presents in the 19th and early 20th centuries. This popularity grew, it’s generally thought, because of one woman called Margarete Steiff in Germany.
Who Was Margarete Steiff?
After suffering from polio as a child, Margarete grew up in Gein, Germany with profound weakness of the muscles and some paralysis in her arms and legs. This didn’t stop her, however, at the age of 17 from going to sewing school where she learned to be a seamstress.
For a while, she worked as a tailor but diligently saved her money until she could afford her own sewing machine. Indeed, she was one of the first people in the neighbourhood to own her machine outright.
For Margarete, the machine was a lifesaver as it allowed her to do more intricate things and expand her sewing ability even though she was disabled. Soon after, she discovered new felt material that was imported from Asia and decided that this could be used to make soft toys for children.
The First Teddy Bears
While she made her first toys (including toy mice and elephants) for her family and close friends, she was soon able to open a shop and started selling to the public. The Steiff Company was founded, and it would go on in the early 1900s to make the first teddy bears (named after Theodore Roosevelt the US president).
At the centre of Margarete’s ethos was creating quality toys and this has been one of the main reasons the company has lasted to this day. Steiff teddy bears are highly sought after, and some antique ones can fetch thousands of pounds. Even buying a new one can set you back a few hundred pounds.
Rare Steiff Teddy Bears
If you are looking to invest in antiques, then Steiff is a brand you will have heard of when it comes to stuffed toys. The BBC recently reported on a rare Steiff teddy bear fetching more than £3,000 at auction. The bear in question dated back to 1908 and was originally given to Ilene Smith for her 7th birthday. This would have been a luxury at the time, but Ilene kept the bear with her well into adulthood. She carried it with her during the blitz in World War Two.
The Rising Popularity of Stuffed Toys
Steiff weren’t the only ones to start producing stuffed toys in the late 19th century. Over the years, many more companies got in on the act. They were cuter than the traditional ragdoll and not as hard or uncomfortable as the other popular choice at the time, China dolls. Even when times were hard, we were still producing cheaper sock puppets to keep the kids entertained.
Today soft toys are as popular as ever, and with now with the ability to add customisations to every stuffed toy we at Bears 4 U sell, these much-loved toys are as wanted now as ever before.
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