Vintage view: A Teddy Bears’ Picnic- Steiff

Kya deLongchamps says an old teddy bear or cuddly toy by German company Steiff can fetch thousands.

THE words ‘Ah, there’s the button in the ear’ thrill the ears of eager collectors worldwide, as they signal the work of one of the great soft-toy makers — Steiff, of Germany.

I’m amazed that the signature button survives attached to a well-cuddled, sucked and trampled teddy. We were clearly infant thugs, as that little golden bead would have been the first thing to be chewed, swallowed and reproduced at A&E.