TheTwins Posted yesterday at 06:02 PM Posted yesterday at 06:02 PM The collecting bug has a way of biting you, as all of us who collect pins understand so well. And when you collect things, it’s rarely confined to just one collection or one type of item. Most of us can lay claim to at least one other collection, and Disney has collaborated with a number of other brands over the years to offer enough fun merchandise to fill our houses with fun and cheer. Every now and then, those collaborations spill over into matching pins. Today, we’re going to explore the combined love of pins with another great collectible – plush. And not just any plush. Steiff plush. Steiff and Disney have had a long-standing partnership, and you can still enjoy park-exclusive pieces at Der Teddybar in World Showcase at the Germany Pavilion. Did you know that the first Steiff Mickey debuted in 1931, with Minnie following in 1932? These velvet wonders are a bit gangly looking when judged by modern standards (get a load of Minnie’s droopy whiskers), but it’s fun to imagine just how many Christmas trees in 1931 and 1932 had these hiding under them. While they don’t quite resemble the cute stuffies we’re used to now, they were a hit in their day! Mickey sold 30,000 pieces in no time flat. And if you watch the early cartoons, Mickey and Minnie did look a lot like these originals, though the yellow gloves are a bit different! Early plush and toys have featured on a number of pins over the years, including PP#1103 and PP#1104, some early real-cloisonne beauties that are quite similar to the plush above (and definitely on my wants list). Recently, we’ve seen some much cuter Steiff Mickey plush renditions hit the shelves. When Duffy Bear came to WDW as a character in 2010 (having been in the Asian parks for some time already), PP#81338 was released at Disney parks around the world. It featured Captain Mickey holding his beloved Duffy Bear. The pin is super cute, and just look how amazing the same idea can be in plush! Steiff released this Mickey and Duffy special in 2024. Don’t you just want to stroke mini-Duffy’s cheek?! A lesser-known pin is PP#117872, an Adventures by Disney special that guests on a certain tour received after visiting the Steiff Museum in Germany. Again, Steiff released a plush echoing the design – only this time Mickey and his bear were released in honor of the Disney100 celebration in 2023. Sis and I were born in the prime era for plush. If you grew up in the 1990s or 2000s, then the world of cuddly animals was yours. We fell for it hook-line-and-sinker and are still plush nuts. (Trying to remember if we’ve managed a trip to Disney where we did not come home with a new plush . . . nope . . . don’t think it’s happened yet.) Well, you’re never too old for a teddy bear, and this Christmas Mom and Sis made one of my plush dreams come true! Meet Theodore P. Trader and Margarete. These beautiful bears were made by Steiff as Limited Edition releases for the Teddy Bear and Doll conventions at Walt Disney World in 2000 and 2002 respectively. If you were active in the pin community at this time, you might even remember Larry of Dizpins.com who took his Theodore to WDW on various adventures and blogged (from the bear’s perspective) about them in some very entertaining posts. Theodore (PP#60426) was released in October 2000, at WDW's 13th Annual Teddy Bear and Doll Convention, as a limited edition of 1,500 with a hefty $270.00 price tag. Disney pin trading was just turning a year old at the time and was one of the hottest things the Resort had to offer, making a pin-trading bear a natural choice for Steiff’s exclusive convention release. He sported several pins, including his exclusive PP#3180 – which was the first Steiff exclusive Disney pin! Margarete (PP#60766) was released two years later at the 15th Annual TB&D Convention, also a limited edition of 1,500, but with a slightly smaller price tag of $250.00. She was considered a cousin of Theodore (the other cousin, Seymore PP#60765, having been released in 2001), but I can't find that she had a storyline or character released at the time. She resembles the construction of the very early teddy bears and came with a little bag that featured the logo for 100 Years of Steiff Bears and had PP22818 attached to the front. Both bears are made of “mohair”, being a mix of wool and cotton. They’re stuffed in the very firm old-fashioned manner (used to be sawdust but it’s 100% acrylic in these cuties) and feature the famous Steiff “growler” sound when you tip them forward or back. While Theodore and his cousins have to rate as some of the most unique offerings in the Steiff x Disney releases, there are certainly some more great choices. The TB&D events continued through 2008, with special pins appearing each year. In 2006 and 2007, two fabulous releases were showcased; Mickey and Minnie holding their own Disney Bears. They’re so completely irresistible that the TB&D pins for those years feature matching designs. Well, maybe their irresistibility isn’t the reason for the matching designs, but it should be! Even though the Teddy Bear conventions ended in 2008 (which also marked the end of Steiff exclusive Disney pins), the magic of pins and plush has continued on. In fact, a brand-new LE Duffy Bear by Steiff has just debuted at Der Teddybar and on the new DCL ship Adventure. I can't really find photos of it anywhere, but it's shown up in a YouTube walkthrough by one of our favorite channels. You can see Duffy by clicking here. Apparently, he'll be featured in the "Duffy and Friends Shop" aboard the Adventure. To wrap up, here’s a picture from last year that shows Sis and me in the Germany Pavilion just after purchasing mini Steiff “Fynn” bears . We bought them to make little Theodore P. Trader bears for our 18” American Girl dolls. All we need to do is make a little pin lanyard for them, and voila! If anyone here remembers the Teddy Bear and Doll events, or got a Theodore (or Seymour or Margarete) back when they were new, we’d love to hear your memories! May you all have a pin-filled (and maybe even a plush-filled) New Year! ~ Sarah 2 3 Quote
WaltFan1928 Posted yesterday at 07:51 PM Posted yesterday at 07:51 PM Do you have these in your collection Quote
mollyanne Posted yesterday at 07:53 PM Posted yesterday at 07:53 PM Love this! Ohhhhhh I may have some pin dolls to share from those conventions!!! 1 2 Quote
TheTwins Posted yesterday at 08:31 PM Author Posted yesterday at 08:31 PM 41 minutes ago, WaltFan1928 said: Do you have these in your collection I just got Theodore and Margarete bears for Christmas. The ones in the photos here are mine! Also, the little Fynn bear at the end. All the other plush . . . just photos from Steiff. These bears are actually the first real Steiff we've ever had! So excited about them. 39 minutes ago, mollyanne said: Love this! Ohhhhhh I may have some pin dolls to share from those conventions!!! Yeah, those could be a slippery slope. I'm planning a post on those, too . . . 1 1 Quote
sithathoriunet Posted yesterday at 08:38 PM Posted yesterday at 08:38 PM I also collect teddy bears, as my maiden name is the word for bear in the Scandinavian languages! One of my collecting goals is to acquire a Steiff bear someday. All the better if I can get one with a Disney connection!! 1 1 Quote
TheTwins Posted yesterday at 10:15 PM Author Posted yesterday at 10:15 PM 2 hours ago, sithathoriunet said: I also collect teddy bears, as my maiden name is the word for bear in the Scandinavian languages! One of my collecting goals is to acquire a Steiff bear someday. All the better if I can get one with a Disney connection!! What fun! That's super cool about your name and definitely a good reason to collect teddy bears. There are actually quite a few great Steiff options with a Disney connection that are pretty affordable -- especially if you're willing to watch and wait a bit. There was an exclusive release by Steiff each year at the Disney Teddy Bear and Doll conventions, so twenty different options (and a few extras, because there were multiple exclusives sometimes). They are not always Disney-themed, though a lot are. Here are the official Disney-only exclusives by Steiff (along with links to the pins that would have come with them or been available to people attending that convention) . . . 1988: Antique Teddy Convention Pin: PP#305 1989: Petsy Bear Convention Pin: PP#2353 1990: Antique Teddy (Charcoal Grey) Convention Pin: PP#2354 1991: Mickey (Removable Mask) Convention Pin: PP#2358 1992: Minnie (Removable Mask) Convention Pin: PP#2355 1993: Donald Duck Bear Convention Pin: PP#2088 1994: Winnie the Pooh Convention Pin: PP#2351 1995: Baloo Convention Pin: PP#2352 1996: Geppetto Bear Convention Pin: PP#1143 1997: Zehn Convention Pin: PP#315 1998: The Sea Bar Convention Pin: PP#1709 1999: Dawn of a New Century Convention Pin: PP#287 2000: Theodore P. Trader 2001: Seymore C. Trader 2002: Margarete (100 Years of Steiff Bear) 2003: Big Al Convention Pin: PP#27088 Pin with Purchase: PP#41826 There doesn't seem to have been a Teddy Bear and Doll event in 2004. 2005: Mickey Bear Convention Pin: PP#37450 Pin with Purchase: PP#37488 2006: Mickey and His Disney Bear Convention Pin: PP#47176 Pin with Purchase: PP#47399 2007: Minnie and Her Disney Bear Convention Pin: PP#54742 Pin with Purchase: PP#54741 2008: Jiminy Cricket Convention Pin: PP#62077 Pin with Purchase: PP#62316 And there were two Disneyland events with their own exclusive Steiff bears. 1992: Classic Grey Convention Pin: PP#797 1993: Classic Blonde Convention Pin: PP#798 2 Quote
ViciousLady Posted 21 hours ago Posted 21 hours ago I have quite a few plushies that I've gotten over the years with sentimental ties that keep them close to my heart and safe from being donated, nothing quite as fancy as a Steiff, or Jellycat, and I never ventured into those collections despite how cutely tempting they are. HOWEVER - A while back I found out that they have a Lady Steiff plush and I CANNOT get her out of my head, I might cave and buy her one of these days, but for now I just eye her covetously lol 2 Quote
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