Sweet Next To Largest Sister Steiff Brown Tabby Striped Kitten Cat Tapsy ID

There is a Tapsy reunion in my shop! The biggest sister has arrived, and the whole family is here.

Tapsy has only her chest tag, but her article number is certain. She was made in two series with that number, 1315,00. I am almost certain that this little girl was made in the first series (sometime between 1959 and 1963) because she has glass eyes. That means that even at the youngest she could be, Tapsy would have reached her 60th birthday. That’s hard to believe since she is in such nice condition. I would say she was “excellent,” and I mean absolutely, not the meaningless “for her age.”

Tapsy’s coloring is wonderful, and her mohair coverage is complete. Her ribbon does not appear to have faded, and it is only minimally frayed. It is also still tacked to her neck.

In fact, maybe her coloring is TOO wonderful. 😉 If you look at her underside on the right half of my fifth composite image, you will see a tiny brown mark. While that could be a stain, I believe it is actually an errant spritz from the air brush gun used to spray her stripes. Even if I am wrong, the mark is really tiny, AND you don’t see it when Tapsy stands on display. In any case, it is not part of my evaluation of her condition.

Also not seen in the display situation is the tarnish on Tapsy’s chest tag caused by the bell that has rested on it for more than half a century. I lifted the bell (which still tinkles, by the way) to show you the mark, but, of course, when the bell is in place, you don’t see it!

There are two other slight detractions to Tapsy’s chest tag, but I believe both are inconsequential. You can see that the attachment string has pulled up from the hole by a tiny amount (the attachment is tight and it includes the bell!), and you can also see a very shallow horizontal crease covering about half of the top of the bear’s head. This crease is NOWHERE NEAR threatening to decapitate the bear, and like the “issue” of the string, it is nothing to worry about.

I got sidetracked. 😉 Tapsy’s two sets of whiskers are complete: 6 on each side of her nose and 4 in front of each ear. Finally, her perky tail sticks up from her behind with no bends or creases, something you often don’t see on this cat and lots of other animals who have (supposed-to-be) upright tails.

Oh yes, I should tell you her size, which the “15” in her article number denotes in centimeters. As is so often the case with this cat, Tapsy is shorter. Measured to the top of her head, Tapsy is about 12 cm high, or about 4 3/4 inches. Of course, you need to have enough vertical display area to accommodate her big kitteny ears, about 5 1/4 inches. In doing that, you will also have enough room for her tail.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with Tapsy’s legs. They are the same length, but she was put together in a walking pose, putting one foot in front of the other. You can see that in my fourth and fifth (the right half) images.

I can’t think of anything else you might want to know, but please write if you have a question. Tapsy is a rare, sought-after kitty, and you will be delighted if she joins your collection. If you can bear to part with Tapsy once you see her, she would delight the Steiff collector in your life. And check out her three sisters!

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO ABOUT TAPSY OR ANY OF MY OTHER STEIFF ITEMS, PLEASE BE SURE TO SEE THE ARTICLE I HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT STEIFF 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 JANUARY, 2023.