Handsome Steiff 1950s Fox Hand Puppet 2 IDs

This gorgeous guy was not made for many years; the total spanned only from 1952 to 1963 and was subdivided into two series. Fox’s article number, 317, places him in the earlier series, made from 1952 to 1958. Along with his article number go the hallmarks of an early production: glass eyes, an old-style raised script button, and cardboard finger tube.

Fox has some really inconsequential condition issues, but they are not sufficient for me to rate him less than “excellent.” I mean that absolutely, not “for his age!” If you must bring age into the discussion, I would say that he is in excellent condition DESPITE his age.

Fox has two minor areas of wear, and I am pointing to each with an arrow. The first one is so minor, I feel silly even mentioning it. In my second composite image, I have given you a large inset image of the left side of Fox’s snout (right as he faces you). You can see that there is a tiny area of hair loss, which is irregular and does not look like what I usually can recognize easily as moth nibbling. On the other hand, it does not look like ordinary wear, since the area involved is so specifically (if irregularly) defined. Whatever it is, I think it has no effect on Fox’s gorgeous presentation.

I am showing you Fox’s other minor area of hair loss In my fourth image. What you see in the inset are few lines of wear on Fox’s lower lip. Because the exposed area of the supporting fabric is white, as is Fox’s mohair in that area, that minor loss also has no real effect on Fox’s presentation.

Everything else about Fox is wonderful. He has very strong rose-colored airbrushing in his ears, as well as a healthy dab of it topping the felt on both his upper and lower palate. Not only is the airbrushing strong, but the felt, itself, looks wonderful, having what I like to refer to as the color of a ripe cantaloupe.

Fox has strong black airbrushing in several places; The most expansive area is the backs of his ears. I don’t believe that black has any fading, and the only reason you can see his ears against the black background of my pictures is the fact that a thin line of white mohair from the fronts of his ears sticks up beyond the black backs. Fox also has black accents at his eyes, above his nose, and tracing the outline of his open mouth.

I am assuming that Fox will be moving to the home of an adult collector, who intends to display him in a vitrine or other confined environment. If there are children in your house, you might want occasionally to take Fox out to entertain them. In case you do want to put him through his thespian paces (and you, as the adult, should provide the entertainment), I have supplied you with some ideas of the activities, attitudes, and emotions you can make him express.

Whether your thing is foxes or puppets, this wonderful piece of Steiff history will do your collection proud. If you can bear to give Fox up when he arrives, the Steiff collector in your life will be absolutely delighted.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT FOX 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 JANUARY, 2023.