Steiff

Margarete Steiff began a felt clothing and household-goods business in 1877 in Giengen an der Brenz, Germany. In 1880 she made a small felt elephant from a pattern in a fashion journal, initially as a pincushion. It became a children’s toy, and the first Steiff catalogue showed a broader selection of felt animals. In 1893 the toy factory was registered as Margarete Steiff, Filzspielwarenfabrik Giengen/Brenz, and its products were shown at the Leipzig Toy Fair. The company established its first overseas business relationship with London retailer Harrods in 1895.

Margarete’s nephew Richard joined the business in 1897. In 1902 he designed the Bear 55 PB, a plush bear made with mohair and movable arms and legs. Steiff presented the bear at the Leipzig Toy Fair; an American dealer ordered 3,000, helping establish the product in the United States. In 1904, another nephew, Franz, devised the “button in ear” trademark to distinguish Steiff animals from imitations. After Margarete’s death in 1909, her nephews continued the company and expanded its toy and plush range.

Steiff adapted its products during the wartime and post-war years, including paper-based bears and toys made from domestic wood. It introduced assembly-line production in 1925 as demand for fabric and plush toys revived. After the Second World War, the company restarted production and later added licensed characters such as Mecki the hedgehog in 1951. In 1980 it opened a museum in Giengen and began issuing limited-edition replicas. Its later history includes a Disney collaboration begun in 1931 and the launch of its Steiff Club in 1992.