Rare Little Brother Steiff Male Kangoo Kangaroo (No Pouch) ID

This is a male Kangoo (with no pouch), a version you see far less often than his mate with pouch and Joey. I believe, based on my own collection and those few male Kangoos I have seen who had a flag (or a red-printed chest tag), it is always the earliest model of a given size who is male; see his big brother, with article number 4328, in my shop. Therefore, I am almost certain that this guy’s article number was 4314 (where the “14” denoted his height in centimeters). That model was produced from 1953 to 1958. Kangoo is almost exactly in accord with his size designation, which is about 5 1/2 inches to the top of his head.

Kangoo is in excellent condition (and I don’t mean for his possible 60-plus-year age!), with nice coloring and full mohair, except for the tip of his tail, which is actually just the seam; see my second composite image. This is too minor for me to count in my evaluation of Kangoo’s condition, but I wanted to point it out to you.

Also not counted against Kangoo is a “birth defect” that he acquired at the factory, which I am showing you in the second image as well. There are several tiny bubbles in his right eye, which you don’t see unless you get very close to him. It was very hard to get a picture of it, without its being obliterated by the light.

Kangoo’s chest tag is in excellent condition, with no defects to note. Although he lost his button, you can see where it was, leaving behind two slits at the edge of his ear. Given that location, its loss is not surprising.

I can’t think of anything else to tell you, but please write if you have any questions. All Kangoos are rare, since they were not made after 1966. This Kangoo is even rarer, since he is male (and presumably early). If you are a fan of kangaroos or 1950s Steiff animals in general, here is a great opportunity to enhance your collection. If not for you, Kangoo would be a great gift for the Steiff (or kangaroo) collector in your life.

Kangoo’s female counterpart has joined him in my shop; it would be nice for them to stay together. See my last image.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT KANGOO 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 DECEMBER, 2022.