Next To Smallest Rare Steiff 5xJointed White Original Teddy Bear ID

This sweet little guy joins his big brother and several of their cousins in my shop. While I am always delighted to help an Original Teddy (OT) find a new home, the white ones are really special. Teddy’s dark brown cousin just gave me a dirty look, and yes that color is special too. I want to tell you about this guy right now, but, of course, check all the others out.

Teddy (and yes, his brown cousin too) was made for fewer years and in fewer sizes than the gold and caramel OTs. This sweet boy is the second to smallest size OT, and the number “15,” printed on his flag as part of his article number, denoted his height in centimeters. Teddy comes fairly close to that height; he is 5 3/4 inches high to the top of his head. Because Teddy no longer has his flag, I can’t really determine what series he is part of. The earliest white OTs, with article number, 5315, were made between 1950 and 1958. Because Teddy wears a raised script button, he almost certainly was not made before 1951, but he could have been made during any of the subsequent years of that series. He also could be from the later series, which was made between 1959 and 1964. In which case, his article number would have been 5315,04. Even at the youngest he could be, Teddy would soon be celebrating his 60th birthday.

Being conservative, I would say that Teddy was in very good condition, but I am sure there are others who would say he was “excellent.” What NAME I give to his condition is not that important; you can make your own evaluation by looking at his pictures and reading what I say. And I am rating his condition DESPITE his age, not the meaningless (to me) “for his age.”

The first thing you think about when you see a WHITE bear is how close he is to that color? I would say that Teddy’s color has probably not changed very much since he left Giengen. I had a really tough time getting his color to look uniform from image to image. Part of the problem is the way the light strikes his fur from pose to pose, and part of it is the way the fur, itself, “flows” on his body. An example of the difference the direction of mohair makes is in my third image. The right half of his back looks much yellower than the left, which not only looks whiter, but more lustrous. On the other hand (actually the other ARM ;-)), the mohair flow and luster on his right arm makes it somewhat whiter and shinier looking than his left. I can tell you that the color of all if Teddy’s mohair is the same, and it is pretty darn white! Of course, I have no idea how he looks on YOUR monitor.

After color, you would probably want to consider mohair coverage. Teddy does have some all-over thinning, but it is not egregious; the thinning on some of his seams is more substantial. The seams that run down from each ear to the respective eye are probably the worst, but that is where your own evaluation of his appearance makes more sense than mine.

I guess the worst thing I have to tell you, which you can see for yourself, is that Teddy’s blue ribbon is quite faded. The size of his bow is a bit smaller than it was originally. The two non-loop ends were quite frayed, and I cut off the worst of the fraying. His bow is still a respectable size, and it is still tacked to his neck.

Teddy can stand by himself, but with much patience and “fine tuning.” 🙂 I think even these second-smallest OTs were meant to be displayed seated. It is time consuming, but I always try to make it a “game,” to see whether I can show one of these bears to you standing. Teddy was super stubborn in adopting some poses, but I was more stubborn. 😉

I think the almost unlimited variability of his seated poses, involving both his posture and the angle of his swivel head, gives you many wonderful poses to try out. if you get tired of one, you can change to another. 🙂

I can’t think of anything else to tell you (of course Teddy’s eyes are glass), but please write if you have any questions. If you collect Steiff teddy bears, you know what a rare find a white OT is. Whether he is for your own hug or the hug of someone dear to you, his new owner will be absolutely delighted!

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT TEDDY 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.