Antiques Roadshow guest stunned into silence as she learns eye-watering value of broken teddy bear with hearbreaking backstory – and BBC crowd gasp in shock
A woman at Antiques Roadshow was stunned to discover the eye-watering value of her broken teddy bear, which caused a loud gasp from the crowd.
During the BBC show on Sunday evening, two guests brought a black mohair teddy bear named Teddy from German brand Steiff to the experts at Belfast Botanic Gardens.
Recognizing the brand and the rarity of the bear, Marc Allum said: ‘I have been in the antiques business for about 36 years and have handled many great objects in that time, but I have never seen such a black Steiff bear handled .’
He added: “It’s a real honor for me to do this today. It is an object that also has a connection with Belfast.’
Marc explained that Edward was part of a collection of black bears that Steiff issued in 1912 after the sinking of the Titanic in April of the same year, making him a “mourning bear.”
He added: ‘Edward himself was part of what I would call a strict mourning convention and he would have been treated with reverence and respect for the many people affected by the great tragedy of the event.’
A guest on Antiques Roadshow was stunned when she discovered the eye-popping value of her broken teddy bear, prompting a loud gasp from the crowd
During the BBC show on Sunday evening, two guests brought a black mohair teddy bear named Teddy from German brand Steiff to the experts at Belfast Botanic Gardens.
Recognizing the brand and the rarity of the bear, Marc Allum said: ‘I have been in the antiques business for about 36 years and have handled many fantastic objects in that time, but I have never seen such a black Steiff bear handled’
Marc said Steiff had only sent about 600 bears to Britain, which were “expensive” even all those years ago.
He pointed out that Edward had put on the scarf because it was not part of the original toy, with the owner speculating that it must have been his mother.
Marc went on to tell the husband and wife that he could “immediately tell” that Edward was a Steiff bear because the condition and form of originality cannot be copied.
He pointed out that all Steiff bears have a stud in their ear, but Edward’s was missing, with just a small hole where it should be.
Edward’s paw had also been chewed by moths, creating a series of holes that exposed a material called Excelsior, which resembles wood shaving strands.
Marc noticed that the bear’s shoulder was broken because it was being ‘dragged around’ by the arm.
The antiques expert admitted that the valuation was ‘difficult’ to determine.
The guests looked shocked as he revealed the figure: “Honestly, sometimes these bears deserve more. I think it’ll be worth £10,000-£15,000 at auction.’
Marc explained that Edward was part of a collection of black bears that Steiff issued in 1912 after the sinking of the Titanic (pictured) in April of the same year, making him a ‘mourning bear’.
Marc highlighted that all Steiff bears have a stud in their ear, but Edward’s was missing, with only a small hole where it should be
Edward’s paw had also been chewed by moths, creating a series of holes that exposed a material called Excelsior, which resembles wood shaving strands.
The guests looked shocked as he revealed the figure: “Honestly, sometimes these bears deserve more. I think it’ll be worth £10,000-£15,000 at auction.’
The crowd that had gathered in a circle to watch let out a huge chorus of sighs when they heard the whopping estimate.
“Oh my word,” the guests whispered, completely stunned by the amount.
Marc added: ‘It’s a significant amount. But there is an important story behind this beautiful bear.’
Steiff recently re-released the Titanic bear as part of their Teddies For Tomorrow collection, which can be purchased for £165.
Last December, another guest on the show was left speechless when her Steiff bear was valued at £15,000.
Revealing how she came to own the item, the lady explained: ‘It belonged to my great aunt and when she passed away it went to my mother and now I am currently the custodian of it.’
An Antiques Roadshow guest (L) was left in tears after discovering the immense value of her childhood teddy bear, which was kept in a carrier bag for years. (photo with expert Bunny Campione, right)
The furry bear also contained a water bottle and left expert Bunny Campione almost speechless when she clapped eyes on it.
She said, “Well, I have to admit, I hope I wasn’t too shocked when I saw you come to my table. I think I screamed, didn’t I?’
An excited bunny then praised the item, before finally giving her stunning appreciation.
‘So we’re talking about a Steiff teddy bear, circa 1904, incredibly rare colour, a rare size as most were smaller than this, and worth £15,000.’
Completely shocked and awestruck, the guest asked, “What, £15,000?!” before admitting, “It’s just in a bag in the closet.”
Antiques Roadshow airs on BBC One and can be streamed on iPlayer.