GUEST: I got them at an estate sale.
APPRAISER: How long ago?
GUEST: Oh, about six months ago.
APPRAISER: Oh, wow.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: And may I ask what you paid for them?
GUEST: I believe around $100.
APPRAISER: Well, that's nice.
GUEST: I bought a group of things, and they kind of...
APPRAISER: You know who made them?
GUEST: Steiff, by Disney.
APPRAISER: Yep, and they're the Mickey and Minnie Steiff. What made you buy these of everything that was at the estate sale?
GUEST: Well, I had to spruce up my doll collection, and I wanted something that I could pack away and not break. And so I got into the Steiff, and I really am very interested, and I'm a deep collector now of Steiff. And these two bring me back to my childhood, because Minnie and Mickey were the big thing when I was a child.
APPRAISER: Curious thing to wonder about these Steiffs. These were made... Mickey and Minnie were made in the 1930s in Germany, which was a rough time over there. And it's very interesting that a company, old-fashioned company like Steiff.
GUEST: Mhmm.
APPRAISER: Which got into business in the 1880s, got talked into making these wonderful little Mickey and Minnie dolls.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: Well, there's an interesting story about that. We owe these dolls to an unsung hero in toy manufacturing, a man by the name of George Borgfeldt, who was one of the most forward-thinking toy distributors in America. Starting in the 1920s, he knew the importance of comic character licensing, and he went to Germany and had them make some of the best tin toys. And of course in the 1930s, Mickey was the great character, and he managed to talk Steiff into making these incredible dolls. They're velvet, they are very finely crafted, and these are truly exceptional examples.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: The best I've ever seen.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: What's interesting about these, there's so many areas in which these could fall down in terms of quality and condition. This fabric is very brilliant and bright, but it's very subject to fading. These must have been out of the light and in boxes for years to be preserved so beautifully. Never seen Minnie retaining her original silk bows on her shoes.
GUEST: Oh. Okay.
APPRAISER: Never seen Minnie still retaining the little black lines on her eyes. The eyes, by the way, are cut oilcloth, which they often fall off. And of course, not only do you have the original button, but you have the original paper tag saying "Steiff Original." These were made for the American market by Steiff under the auspices of George Borgfeldt, and they're just absolutely exquisite. The real key pieces of Mickey Mouse material that collectors like is only ten years.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: 1930-1940. Because after the war, the characterization totally changed. Everything about them is spectacular-- the little whiskers on their noses... They're just absolutely extraordinary. Now, you paid $100.
GUEST: Yeah.
APPRAISER: You had to be a little excited to find them.
GUEST: Oh, yes. Well, I knew they were there, and that's why I wanted the box, because they were in there.
APPRAISER: Well, Mickey Mouse toys have... that market has sort of softened up over the years since I've been in the business. But every once in a while, if something comes along that is exceptional, it changes all the numbers. And we think an auction estimate on these could be $1,200 to $1,500 for the pair.
GUEST: Oh, okay. That's wonderful.
APPRAISER: They're just the best.
GUEST: Really?
APPRAISER: The best I've ever seen.
GUEST: $1,200 to $1,500? That's marvelous.
