Steiff Wittie Owl Bird Hand Puppet Magic Eyes 2 IDs Great For Halloween!

I have helped quite a few Wittie owls get adopted over the years, but I believe I can count the puppet version of this bird on the fingers of one hand (and still have some left over)! Although Wittie retains her button (on the back of her left wing) and chest tag, I cannot pinpoint her hatching date precisely. But I can assign her to one of the middle two series in which she was made. The very earliest Wittie puppets had felt beaks. This Wittie’s beak is vinyl. That puts her production somewhere between 1959 and 1967. Because her button is the earlier version of raised script, I believe it is more likely that she was not born later than 1964. In the case of either that series or the next one—made from 1965 to 1967—Wittie would have had the same article number, 0317,00.

Wittie is in very good condition with wonderful coloring and good mohair coverage. Her green accents—around her eyes, on her wings, and on the top of her head, are probably a bit subdued from what they once were, but they are absolutely present. Her mohair is a touch thinner in some areas, like the white circles surrounding her eyes, and along some of her seams, but those considerations are why I have given her the rating I have. When I say that she is in very good condition, I DON’T mean “for her age.” I rate the condition of all of my Steiff animals on an absolute scale, irrespective of when they were made. If you want to bring age into it, you can say Wittie is in very good condition DESPITE her age (and probably play).

I just alluded to Wittie’s role as an “actor,” either on the hand of a child or a parent who wanted to join in the fun. The fact that she still has her chest tag is a nice thing to note about a puppet, since the tag lies directly in the path of the puppeteer’s fingers when she or he makes the puppet come alive. To be sure, Wittie’s chest tag has creases, but it has survived the decades very well. If, as I suspect, she will be joining the collection of an adult and will be displayed unmoving in your vitrine, her chest tag is a nice piece of ID to have. And if you only admire Wittie from a distance, her chest tag will look very nice.

There are two final things I want to tell you, but if either—or both—were her only detractions, I would have called her “excellent.” One is her “magic eyes.” The phosphorescence of the green paint is less than it must have been when Wittie was new. But phosphorescence, even at its strongest, is ephemeral. It lasts for just a few seconds after you turn out the light. And since Wittie will be enjoyed during the day, either in her acting roles 😉 or on display, how long her eyes glow in the dark is not going to be something you’d worry about.

The last (really) minor detraction I want to mention is the scratch on her right eye. I am pointing it out to you with an arrow on the enlarged inset in my second composite image.

Well now, in true Rosalie style, 😉 I have nitpicked poor Wittie to pieces. I don’t think I have left anything out, but of course, write if you have any questions.

Just in case you would like to put Wittie through her Thespian paces, I am giving you some ideas in my final several pictures of moods, emotions, or attitudes 😉 you can make her express.

If you are into owls, birds, or Steiff puppets, Wittie should be in your collection. And she can have lots of avian friends, including her full-bodied cousins, so be sure to check everyone out.

And, as I said about her standing cousins, Wittie is a wonderful all-year-long addition to your Steiff or bird (or puppet!) collection, but like her avian shop companion, Hucky raven, Wittie would make a wonderful addition to your Halloween decorations!

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT WITTIE 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 MY SHOP HOME PAGE UNDER “FAVORITE LINKS.” IF YOU HAVE NOT LOOKED AT IT RECENTLY, I UPDATED AND EXPANDED IT IN MARCH, 2023.