Great day at Newbury auction house as teddy bear collection fetches a total of £362,000
Newbury’s Special Auction Services had a great sale yesterday as The Teddy Bears of Witney went under the hammer and realised a total of £362,000.
The collection was owned by Ian Pout, who in 1985 opened Teddy Bears of Witney, which was the first shop in the UK dedicated to selling old and new teddy bears.
The top lot was Happy, a rare large-eyed brown tipped Steiff teddy bear c.1926 which sold for £55,800 to a UK private collector. Happy was bought by her original owner as an anniversary present and following that travelled the world making public appearances and raising over $100,000 for charity.
Aloysius c.1910 who became the unexpected star of ITVs 1980s drama Brideshead Revisited was another highlight selling for £32,240 to a private collector.
A handwritten letter signed Ernest H Shepard and dated 1971 which explains that the model for Pooh bear in the books was actually his son’s Steiff bear ‘Growler’ made £17,360.
Kanga and Roo which belonged to Christopher Robin’s best friend Anne Darlington sold for £16,120.
Other highlights included:
A beautiful white Steiff teddy bear called Xenia which was named after the Russian Princess who owned Ian’s first bear Alfonzo went for £8,680, Princess a rare Steiff velveteen rabbit which belonged to Princess Xenia sold for £7,440 - over six times it’s top estimate.
Bo, a 1905 Steiff (£11,160) and Dearheart (£8,680), a cinnamon centre-seam Steiff belonging to Paul & Rosemary Volpp were bought by the same collector and it is lovely for them to remain together.
Pery, a rare Steevans Manufacturing Teddy Bear with button in ear sold for £8,060.
Stratford, a 1910 Steiff wearing a red knitted coat with brass buttons sold for £7,440.
Captain Hay a British teddy bear dressed in the uniform of a Captain in the Gordon Highlanders, wearing the Hay tartan sold for £5,456.
Ian Pout said: “It is never easy saying ‘goodbye’ and it wasn’t easy today, but there was a good atmosphere in the saleroom and that eased any tension I may have had!”
Teddy Bear Expert Daniel Agnew said “This has to be the strongest teddy bear sale in the UK for 15 years and it was fantastic to see the amount of room bidders back to pre-covid levels. The majority of pieces sold to private British collectors, and we are delighted with the prices achieved.”