Cute And Spooky Steiff Big Brother Hucky Raven Bird 2 IDs

This rare and handsome big Hucky raven (“Rabe” in German) has many avian friends in my shop, and although he, like his black tomcat shop companion, may be an animal who is associated with the spookiness of Halloween, Hucky would be a wonderful all-year-long addition to your collection. However, because of the Edgar Allan Poe poem, Hucky may have even more claim to be the “official” Steiff Halloween animal. And whether you want him to be part of your Halloween decorations or just because he is a neat bird, please continue reading.

Hucky is the larger of two mohair birds with this name. His little brother is 12 centimeters tall, and this big boy is 17 cm in the catalogue. That is what the “17” in his article number, 7317,00, tells you. Hucky is almost exactly in accord with the catalogue, about 6 1/2 inches high. Actually, Hucky was made in two series with this same article number, one made from 1960 to 1963, followed (after a 3-year hiatus according to Pfeiffer) by one made from 1966 to 1967. Although his raised script button is the earlier kind, with skinny letters, I can’t say for certain which series he was in, and, because they have the same “book value,” it doesn’t really matter.

If I did not have Hucky’s same-size brother in my vitrine, I would not have much to help me evaluate his condition, except based on general principles that apply to all Steiff mohair animals. Because I can examine them side by side, I see that this Hucky’s red felt beak is a touch less intense than his vitrine relative’s. Likewise, the two short black airbrushed lines depicting Hucky’s nostrils are also less intensely black than his relative’s.

One other thing about his beak I can see without having to compare it to his vitrine relative’s is the two tiny open stitches at the extreme tips of his upper and lower beak. I decided to leave everything the way it is now, since the “damage” to his beak is inconsequential. And because I expect him to be displayed by an adult collector, there is no chance that any additional stitches will break. There is also the chance that any effort I would put in to repair his beak will end up making it look worse. 😉 This is a prime example of the kind of repair I don’t try to undertake. If the repair would not vastly improve an animal’s appearance, I won’t take the chance of causing more harm.

The red felt surrounding this Hucky’s eyes seems to be every bit as intensely red as it must have been when he left Giengen 60-ish years ago, so I have nothing further to report about the red felt. Hucky’s black wings and tail feathers are also felt, and there is nothing to report about them either.

Hucky’s mohair is as black and lustrous as it must have been when he left the factory, and although the mohair shows MINIMAL wear, mostly along the seams, I have nothing serious to report. He has the same number (8) of whisker-like feathers sticking up (in some disarray ;-)) from the top of his head as does his vitrine relative, and I think those are all either of them had.

Moving my discussion from top to bottom, I have two things to tell you about Hucky’s metal legs and feet. The amount of red lacquer that has worn off Hucky’s appendages is MUCH less than you typically see on birds with metal legs, so I am delighted to report that. Finally, Hucky’s feet give him a slight wobble, but only if you press on them; his stance is perfectly stable if you let him be. His right heel is ever-so-slightly raised off the ground, and I know better than trying to alter that with a pair of pliers (yes, I have tried that in the past and regretted it)!

In my typical way, I have nitpicked poor Hucky to pieces! Unlike most others, I think it is important to discuss every little detail about my animals, even though my descriptions would probably be one third their size (or less!) if I wrote like everyone else. You know when you get something from me, there will be no surprises—except, perhaps, that the animal is so much nicer than I led you to believe!

I hope you will decide, long before Halloween, that this cute spooky guy deserves a place in your vitrine, or in the vitrine of someone you want to surprise. I don’t think I left anything out, but if you do have a question, please write.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT HUCKY 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.