“Little Santa” is a teddy bear that has been announced every year since 1997 as a Christmas model limited to Japan. Every year, we release a different motif, and the cuteness of the design is very popular. The original Little Santa, released in 1997, was marketed as a teddy bear with a classic and orthodox design and a bright red velvet jacket and hat.
The concept of Little Santa in 2023 is “Bell”.
The Christmas bell means “bell of joy” to announce the birth of Jesus Christ.
Last year’s Little Santa “Noel” comes from the Latin word for “birth.” This year, we will pass the baton to the “bell” that announces the joy of “birth”!
Features
Last year’s Noel was impressive as a newborn bear with an innocent look, but this year’s Bell has dark brown slightly longer curly hair and a trimmed muzzle, giving it a slightly more mature and classic feel.
The choker is accented with the bell from which the name is derived, and the French candy cane-colored ribbon on the back adds a touch of glamour.
Candy cane means “guidance”, and bell is said to have an amulet-like effect, and is a little Santa with an amulet-like existence.
Product Overview
[Little Santa 2023 “Bell”]
Item No.: 679339 / Limited number: 1500
Size:23cm / Material:Mohair
Retail price: 38,000 yen (excluding tax)
Scheduled to be shipped sequentially from October 2023
European teddy bears
In Europe, it is customary to send a teddy bear as a gift for childbirth at birth. A “real” teddy bear that is not easily damaged so that it can be cherished not only as a child but also as a friend for life.
Receiving it is considered a status in itself.
Among them, Steiff is so popular in Europe and the United States that it is said to be “Steiff for birth celebrations”.
Born in Germany in 1880, Steiff created the world’s first teddy bear, and today it has grown into a historic top brand that is indispensable when talking about teddy bears.
History of Steiff
“Speaking of teddy bears, Steiff” – This world-famous plush toy brand was founded by a woman named Margarete Steiff (1847~1909), who was born in 1847 in the small town of Kingen, Südger. When she was one year old, she suffered from childhood paralysis, which crippled her right hand and legs, and she spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair.
Margarete’s parents sent her to school and raised her to master sewing so that she could be independent despite her disability. In his twenties, he founded the Felt Mail Order Company, the predecessor of Steiff, and sold women’s and children’s clothing. In December 1880, Margarete came up with the idea of giving her nephews and nieces a toy with an elephant motif as a Christmas present. A total of eight soft elephant toys were made of felt and the finest wool was inside. The elephant toy, which was given as a toy to children and as a needle stick to adult women, was well received. This was the birth of the world’s first stuffed toy. The year 1880, which triggered the creation of stuffed animals, is considered to be the year Steiff was founded. Margarete’s nephew Richard, who had been helping with the business since 1897, proposed to Margarete to make a “lifelike stuffed bear.”
This is the world’s first teddy bear, the “55PB”, and the finest and elegant stuffed animal with a neck and limbs that moves and uses the finest materials was born.
The 55PB caught the eye of American buyers at trade fairs, and eventually went into mass production after repeated improvements.
Around the same time, in the United States, along with President Theodore Roosevelt’s nickname “Teddy”, stuffed bears were growing in popularity, while counterfeit and inferior products began to circulate. That’s where the idea of attaching a button to the left ear to authenticate that it was a Steiff product came in. This was the beginning of the world’s oldest trademark, the “button-in-ear”, which continues to this day as a testament to the highest quality.
The world’s first teddy bear called “55PB”
White tag + red text
It is attached to limited products with limited production numbers, such as regional, limited quantity, and year-limited.
In addition to the part number, the production year and serial number (serial number) are displayed on the tag.
White tag + blue text
It is attached to collector’s products of standard products. An unlimited number is produced to order during the catalog period.
White tags + black text
It is attached to replicas of past Steiff products. In addition to the part number, the production year and serial number (serial number) are displayed on the tag.
Yellow tag + red text
It can be attached to standard products for babies and kids. An unlimited number is produced to order during the catalog period.
MS1880 Co., Ltd. has been the sole Japan agent of Steiff since 2014, providing import, wholesale, and retail of Steiff products, as well as store planning and operation consulting. The company name “MS1880” is derived from the initials “M.S.” of founder Margarete Steiff and the year Steiff was founded “1880”.
【Company Profile】
Company Name: MS1880 Inc.
Representative: President Manabu Nishimoto
Location: South Aoyama Tech Building, 3-13-24 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo
URL :https://www.steiff.co.jp/
* The information posted is current as of the date of publication. Product information is subject to change or revision without notice.
* The contents of this event are subject to change or cancellation due to circumstances. Please note.