Steiff

Steiff is one of the leading brands in children's soft toys, sought after by collectors and fans of all ages the world over. The company is named after Margarete Steiff, born in Geingen, Germany in 1847. Margarete contracted polio at a young age and became paralysed in both legs and found it painful to use her right arm.

Despite this, she was determined to lead a normal life was taken to school by handcart every day and carried into the classroom. At the age of 17, Margarete qualified as a seamstress and worked part-time in her sisters' dressmaking shop. By 1877 Margarete opened her own shop selling ready-to-wear felt clothing.

The move into soft toys stared in 1879 when she made an elephant shaped pin-cushion inspired by a pattern she had seen in a magazine. 'Elefäntle' was a big success and in 6 years she had sold 5000 of them. Margarete's motto was "only the best is good enough for children" and she soon created a whole range of animals to give them more choice, establishing Steiff as a major toy manufacturer.

It was her nephew Richard, an art student, who designed the original Steiff bear in 1897 - the world's first to have jointed arms and legs. An American businessman spotted it at the Leipzig Toy Fair and placed an order for 3000, starting a huge demand. The Steiff bear, named 'Teddy Bear' in 1906 after US President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt, became an instant classic, selling 974,000 within the first year.

The trademark 'Steiff - Button in Ear' was used to distinguish the original from cheap imitations and today stands as a mark of true quality.