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Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

Related | John Fery Oil Painting, ca. 1895

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

Appraisal Collection | All Our Appraisals from Hotel Del Coronado

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Steiff Teddy Bear, ca. 1905

Value (2014) | $1,500 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Watch  

GUEST:
This was given to me by my dad's oldest sister, and I believe she was born in about 1908. And she told me she did not get the bear the year she was born; she got it on her first birthday, and it was given to her by some family friends. There were three children in their family. She said they all played with it. It doesn't look like it's been played with very much. But she never had any children, so she gave it to me many years ago and just told me to keep her bear.

APPRAISER:
How many years have you had it?

GUEST:
Almost 30 years.

APPRAISER:
This Steiff bear was made in Germany by Margaret Steiff. This bear was made between 1903 and 1910. It was a family occupation for her, and she just made them for friends, and then they became so popular, they started manufacturing them. And her bears are the most sought after bears that are made. If you look at the top, the button is marked "Steiff." The condition of this one is really excellent. Also how you can tell it's a Steiff is that it has shoe-button eyes, and also the arms are a lot longer, okay, and the feet are a lot larger. This is a very unusual color, the dark brown. It's mohair. Normally, it's not in this condition because it's a sought-after material for moths, and the condition is really good considering it's a mohair bear. I only see a little wear on the nose, which doesn't take away from the value. Another thing that this bear has going for it is the size. The size is a very unusual size and a very collectable size. If this bear was at auction, it would bring between $1,500 and $2,000.

GUEST:
That's wonderful!

APPRAISER:
At one time, this bear would have probably been anywhere between $5,000 to $8,000, but the market has changed.

Support provided by: Learn more

Appraisal Details

Appraiser
Floyd Jones
Dolls
Appraised value (2014)
$1,500 Auction – $2,000 Auction
Featured In
Bismarck, Hour 1 (#1907)
Event
Bismarck, ND (May 31, 2014)
Category
Dolls
Period
20th Century
Form
Stuffed Animal , Stuffed Bear
Material
Cloth and Fabric , Fabric

Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.

Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."

Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.

Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.

Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.

Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.

Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.

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