The Margarete Steiff GmbH company was founded in 1880.  Margarete Steiff, despite being paralyzed and having a painful right arm, starting sewing dresses at an early age.  As fate would have it, one day while paging through a magazine she found a pattern for a small fabric elephant.  She thought this would make a great pincushion.  Thus was born the first Steiff “stuffed animal“!  These stuffed elephants became popular, not as pincushions but as toys for children! Shop for Vintage Steiff Bears

 Margarete Steiff, along with her nephews, built a wonderful company that has produced fine quality stuffed animals for over a hundred and twenty five years.  That first elephant was joined by camels, mice, dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, and many other fun animals.  The first “teddy bear” Steiff produced was in 1902.  This plush animal was made with soft, dyeable mohair.  The trademark “Steiff – button in ear” was introduced in 1904.  This was to make the high quality Steiff animals instantly recognizable among all the cheap copies that were being produced by other people.  Steiff teddy bears and Steiff stuffed animals have become widely famous and collectable. Shop for Steiff Bears