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BUSINESS
Rare 1927 English stuffed animal going to auction in Glendale
Bonzo was a popular cartoon character in the early 1920s, only 115 were made
(Photo provided by EJ's Auction & Appraisal)
This rare circa 1927 Steiff Jointed Velvet Begging Bonzo dog features to fetch six figures in a Dec. 30 Glendale auction.
Posted
TO BID
What: 1927 Steiff Begging Bonzo Dog auction
When: 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 30
Where: EJ's Auction & Appraisal, 5880 W. Bell Road, Glendale
More Information: ejsauction.com or 623-878-2003
Special to Independent Newsmedia
It’s a goofy-looking dog that is 10-½ inches long, velvet, with glass eyes, a black velvet ear, a red felt tongue, jointed limbs, and a swivel head.
Some might discard this odd stuffed animal, thinking it’s worthless. But a Phoenix resident bought it at a flea market and is now poised to earn thousands of dollars when it hits the auction block at EJ’s Auction & Appraisal in Glendale on Saturday, Dec. 30.
Erik Hoyer, EJ’s Auction & Appraisal’s CEO, says Steiff canines seldom appear on the secondary market, and those that have been auctioned have sold for $25,000 to $45,000.
“Bonzo was a popular cartoon character created by British artist George Studdy in the early 1920s,” Hoyer shared in a press release. “Steiff was a popular manufacturer of stuffed animals. It was founded in Germany in 1880 and still makes teddy bears and other plush toys today. Steiff had produced 115 Begging Bonzo dogs before Studdy expressed his dissatisfaction with them. ….The fact that so few Steiff Begging Bonzo dogs were made is a big deal to collectors.”
Bidding is open now and interested bidders can preview the items Wednesday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or on Saturday, Dec. 30 prior to 10 a.m. at EJ’s Glendale auction house on the northeast corner of 59th Avenue and Bell Road.
Other items in the Dec. 30 auction include five-foot porcelain temple vases, a life-size Native American warrior on horseback bronze, vintage stereo speakers, mid-century modern furniture, an Andy Warhol signed limited edition serigraph, fine jewelry, a gold Rolex watch, a Mercedes Benz, musical instruments, a suit of armor, and other collectibles.
The largest item in the auction is a life-size World War I German Fokker replica airplane.
EJ’s conducts online auctions at 10 a.m. every Saturday and free appraisal fairs on the fourth Friday of every month.
