Rare AND With Unusual Coloring Next To Largest Sister Steiff SWAPL Black Persian Lamb ID BAAAAAA!

This rare, blue-eyed beauty’s name is Swapl. This 28-cm next-to-largest size is only my second in 25 years of doing this. I helped the other one relocate in 2020; she had no ID and was in worse condition than this gorgeous girl. Like other Swapls I have helped relocate, this sweet girl is a bit of a runt when compared with her catalogue description. She measures approximately 25 cm to the top of her head—about 10 inches.

Swapls of this size were made in two series, spanning only four years, total. With with her big (35-cm) sister, this Swapl shares the smallest production time of the five Swapl sisters—with article number either 6328,0 or 6328,06. The production times of the two series are divided evenly, with the first number in 1957 and 1958 and 1959-1960 for the other.

Because of an unusual characteristic, which may have applied to only one of the two series and no further information than Swapl’s raised script button (and her lack of any ID in my previous 28-cm Swapl), I am unable to know if that characteristic was in one of the two series and not the other. In fact, this characteristic is exceedingly rare in ALL my experience with Steiff animals who have velveteen inner ears and mouths. I am referring to Swapl’s PINK velveteen areas.

At first, I could not believe what I saw, and I thought the “ripe cantaloupe” color of the usual velveteen parts of Steiff animals was colored over. I scrutinized every detail of her mouth and ears, including even lightly pulling apart the crease in her left ear made when the button was inserted. I can say with absolute confidence that the pink is the original color, and not only that, unlike many animals with orange-colored velveteen parts which, because of their fading or soil, I could no longer call “ripe,” Swapl’s pink parts look pristine, including lots of additional airbrushing on top of the pink in her mouth, as you can see in my fifth composite image.

Not only are Swapl’s ears and mouth spectacular, but the rest of her is gorgeous as well. She has a few—barely noticeable and only on close inspection—areas of loss; her nubby, curly coat is full, black, and lustrous! This coat is really a wonderful approximation by Steiff of the look of Swapl’s namesakes in nature. Her curly mohair (used in the larger sizes instead of wool) has some “hills and valleys,” as do the coats of real Persian lambs, not the even, all-over, wool plush covering you find on her cousins—both black and white “Lambys.”

Swapl suffered from a minor condition issue, which I have learned over the years, is quite common, and unlike a 22-cm Swapl I recently helped find a new home, Swapl’s condition, even at the outset, was MUCH better. The issue was pulls in her lifelike nubby covering. I was able to snip off the tips of many of these fabric pulls while doing no injury to her. Because Swapl’s mohair is tightly curled, and long, even having to remove a good portion of each curl left enough behind to retain the curl. I left some pulls the way they were when Swapl arrived; I did not see the need to do all of them. My intention was to make her presentation a little neater, and I am satisfied with the results.

Swapl’s face and the tops of her ears are covered with black typical short-cropped mohair. It appears that her face was FIRST airbrushed entirely in the white color you see around her eyes and at her jowls, and then the rest of her face got a top treatment of black coloring. Because the light color still shows through the black on Swapl’s face in some views, that portion APPEARS to be thinning. After closely examining them, I think her black short-cropped mohair is full.

I have only two things to add. Swapl’s bow is my contribution to her beautiful look. It is keeping with the yellow color of the original.

Finally, I come to a condition issue that is always at the bottom of my hierarchy when enumerating the ways a Steiff animal is less than perfect. I refer, of course, to their inoperative squeakers. But that shortcoming is ABSENT in Swapl. She has a LOUD AND STRONG voice! It does not sound at all like the “BAAAAA,” of her in-the-flesh models, but she does, most certainly, squeak. 🙂

There is one more thing I want to mention about Swapl’s article number. I already explained the “28.” The first digit, “6,” is of interest too. Steiff uses that number to denote a young animal, and, as they always do, they were certainly successful in conveying Swapl’s sweet lamb-ish look.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT SWAPL 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.