14" Steiff "Grosspapa" 1905 all felt Outstanding!!! Start Price USD 2,230.00 Current Price USD 2,230.00 Time Left - Bid Count 0 Buy It Now Price - Reserve Price - Start Time Friday, July 04, 2008 End Time Friday, July 11, 2008 Location Cincinnati, OH See more about '14" Steiff "Grosspapa" 1905 all felt Outstanding!!!' Description This wonderful old Steiff was sitting on a shelf in Arnold's Fairyland, a doll shop in Cincinnati in 1980. I had no idea he was a Steiff, nor did the proprieter of the store. I just marveled at his construction (since I'm a doll artist) and his price was very affordable.  In  fact, when I mentioned he had a couple moth holes,  the sales person reduced the price,  so how could I pass him up!   I brought him home, and placed him in the freezer, just to make sure there were no moths lurking inside him.  Since then, he has been sitting in a glass cabinet,  in a smoke-free house.   A friend,who is a doll collector,  told me she was almost sure he was a Steiff,  and showed the marks on his left ear, where a button had been. I took him to a Steiff exhibit at a Toledo Toy Store in 1989, where there were representatives from Steiff.   Since the button in his ear is missing,  they definitely identified him as a Steiff, and gave me a "Certificate of Authenticity" with an appraisal.  They were very generous in listing his condition as "very good",  considering the moth holes,  and appraised him at $3,000.  Since then, I have seen him pictured in several doll books, one of which is Shirley Conway's "100 Years of Steiff", who is a Steiff authority.   He is pictured in a 1910 Circus Scene on page 16.  He is called "Grosspapa" and stands nicely on his own two feet.  He is 14 1/2 inches tall.  His leather shoes and felt spats are worn looking, and a couple of the moth holes in his jacket had been nicely darned years ago (before I purchased him!)   His black shoe button eyes are sewn over felt spectacles.   There have been no moths since purchasing him over 25 years ago.   There is one moth hole under his painted right nostril,  one under the brim of his hat in the back,  and one tiny one in the back of one spat.   Of course,  there are the ones that had been darned beautifully.    I have heard there are repros of "Grosspapa" out there, but have not seen them. Since my children nor grandchildren have an interest in "inheriting" him, I"ve decided to offer him up for "adoption" at this time.   The cost for mailing would depend on his destination and how he is to be shipped.      I will ship outside of the U.S.A. also.  UPDATE;  Revision on pictures;   He is featured in "The Ultimate Doll Book" featuring Steiff Dolls on pages 96 and 97. Place a Bid!