Rare Seated Brown And White Steiff Cockie Cocker Spaniel Puppy Dog 2 IDs 1959 ONLY

I am delighted to have another member of the brown and white Cockie family in my shop, and her sisters (10 and 17 centimeters) and cousins are happy to see her too. Her cousins are two sizes of the standing Cockie, the 11-cm baby and her 18-cm big sister.

Now that I have accounted for everyone, let me tell you about this sweet girl. Cockie’s flag is faded (with a tiny stain), but it is absolutely legible; her article number is 3325,00, where the “25” indicates her height in centimeters. She is fairly close to her size designation in the catalogue, measuring 24.5 centimeters high to the top of her sweet swivel head, about 9 5/8 inches.

Cockie is very rare; she was made in two series, starting in 1957. Her whole production period was only three years, 1957 to 1959. The slightly earlier series was made in 1957 and 1958, and this Cockie was made in 1959 only.

I would characterize Cockie’s condition as “very good,” which I mean as an absolute determination, not “for her age.” While age and play may contribute to my assessment, it is not dependent on them. You can find pristine antique Steiff animals as well as those made only 10 years ago who are ready for the trash. If you want to bring age into the discussion, you can say that Cockie is in very good condition DESPITE her age.

My main reason for downgrading Cockie from “excellent” is fading, both in some of her mohair and the felt inside her mouth. The brown markings on Cockie’s face and muzzle, while most certainly visible, are not as strong as they once were. This color change is exacerbated somewhat, because the white mohair covering Cockie’s head and muzzle has darkened. It has been my experience with all the versions of the brown and white Cockie that their head and face (which are a different cut and texture form the longer mohair covering the rest of them) are always more of an “ecru” than absolute white. This is true of the 25-cm Cockie who lives in my vitrine, whose muzzle is not as white as the rest of her non-brown areas. Thus, I don’t think this Cockie’s muzzle is seriously darkened. However, the combined color changes make the color contrast less than it once was.

While I am on the topic of fading, I will mention that the felt covering the inside of Cockie’s mouth is also faded to some extent. The underlying cantaloupe color is subdued, and although the rose-colored airbrushed markings on the felt are not totally gone, they remain in the back of her mouth where they have been protected from light.

The rest of Cockie’s coloring is wonderful. I doubt that the longer white mohair was much closer to white when Cockie left Giengen than it is now. And although the brown markings on her legs and back may be slightly less intense than the once were, they are quite nice. You can also see what a nice luster Cockie’s longer mohair has.

Cockie’s mohair coverage is complete, with a touch of wear under her paws and tail.

While the last two things I want to mention about Cockie could be considered detractions, they are both minor and do not make me change my mind about how I have rated her condition. Her red leather collar is cracked and worn, but since you should have no reason to touch it or unbuckle it, it is not likely to deteriorate further.

Finally, and this is condition ”issue” is always the lowest in my hierarchy of concerns, I will tell you that Cockie no longer “barks.” You can feel her squeaker depress when you press her belly, but no sound comes out except the crunch of excelsior. As I always remind you, I am assuming her new guardian will be an adult collector, who would display her in a vitrine or other protected environment, and when you, or anyone else, passed by and looked at her admiringly, you would not know whether she barked or not.

Speaking of looking at Cockie, you will note that she meets your gaze with almond-shaped brown and white eyes. It is interesting that her eyes are plastic, given the early date of Cockie’s production. I just thought I would mention that.

I can’t think of anything else to tell you, but please write if you have a question. I am hoping that the serious collectors out there recognize what a wonderful find Cockie is. She would be a fantastic doggie to add to your collection or to give to the Steiff or dog collector in your life. And while you are in a “Cockie” frame of mind, check out her relatives!

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT COCKIE 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.