Big Brother Rare Steiff Basset Hound Puppy Dog AMAZING EVERYTHING! ID

My “cat person” credentials may be subject to question in light of the string of fantastic Steiff dogs I have offered of late, and here is another one! I am delighted to offer this biggest brother of the three sizes of the rare Steiff basset hound. He is in spectacular condition, as my pictures clearly demonstrate. Basset retains just his chest tag (in only minimally creased condition), but he might have had either of two article numbers: the one Pfeiffer lists, 3322,00, and the one I learned existed when I actually had a basset with that number: 3322,90, a version of this doggie made only for the U.S. Market.

In either case—U.S. or worldwide, Basset was not made for many years. Because I think that the Steiff U.S. market versions of various animals (the collie is another example, which Pfeiffer does recognize) were test markets before the animals were made available worldwide, Basset could have been born in the 1950s. In fact, since I sold the “90” version of this guy, a collector told me she recalls receiving her “90” basset in 1956 or 1957. Pfeiffer lists the worldwide bassets as being produced in 1961 and 1962. I don’t know if the U.S. version was made continuously until 1961 or whether there was a gap between the two series. Even at the youngest he could be, Basset is more than 60 years old. That is absolutely incredible in light of his fantastic condition!

Basset is catalogued at 22 cm high, hence the “22” in his article number. He is actually taller than that, measuring 24 cm to the top of his head, about 9 1/2 inches.

I believe Basset could be classified as in near mint condition, or at least “excellent plus.” In addition to his lacking his button and flag, he has only two really minor condition issues. His tail has some stuffing separation in the first inch or so after it leaves his back. He may have been displayed too close to the back of a vitrine, not giving his tail enough room to extend back fully, or this could have been the result of too crowded storage. In any case, I believe that slight imperfection is really minor. I only do repairs and restorations when the restored look of an animal would make a big difference in its appearance, thereby making the risk of invasive repairs (like opening up his tail and sticking it repeatedly with a needle) worth taking for the benefit such a repair would have. Since Basset’s appearance would change very little from his gorgeous current look, this would definitely be a repair I would not want to do.

The other slight detraction is the fact that Basset no longer barks. You can feel the springiness of his squeaker when you press his belly, but he emits no sound except the crunch of excelsior. 😉 As I always point out, when Basset sits on display in your vitrine, no one who casually passed by and admired him would know whether he barked or not.

Everything else about Basset is spectacular. His coloring is fantastic, and his mohair coverage is absolutely full. His original green leather collar is in excellent condition, and as I noted parenthetically, his chest tag is in very good condition, with just some minor creasing.

I can’t think of anything else to tell you, but please write if you have a question. This exceedingly rare pup will make a fabulous addition to your Steiff doggie collection, or if you are particularly fond of bassets, he should join your others. If you can part with him, he would make a fantastic gift for the Steiff or basset lover in your life.

Note that the entire family is in my shop. Please also consider Basset’s two brothers, looking for a new home as well. It would be great if they stayed together.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT BASSET OR ANY OF MY OTHER STEIFF ITEMS, PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE THE ARTICLE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT STEIFF ID FRAUD—INCLUDING COUNTERFEIT CHEST TAGS—(AND OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR COLLECTORS). YOU WILL FIND THE LINK ON THE BOTTOM RIGHT OF MY SHOP HOME PAGE UNDER “FAVORITE LINKS.” IF YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY, I UPDATED AND EXPANDED IT IN MARCH, 2023.