Toy found at a flea market by Phoenix resident could sell for $25K. Here's why it's so rare
A rare stuffed animal of a dog from a 1927 cartoon that a Phoenix resident found at a flea market is expected to sell for thousands of dollars at an upcoming Glendale auction.
The Steiff-manufactured stuffed animal of Begging Bonzo the dog, a cartoon character made by British artist George Studdy in the 1920s, is the headliner for EJ's Auction and Appraisal at its annual New Year online auction.
Susan Kern-Fleischer, a spokesperson for EJ's, described the stuffed animal as a goofy-looking dog that is 10 1/2 inches long, velvet, with glass eyes, a black ear, a red-felt tongue, jointed limbs and a swivel head.
This particular toy is special because it is extremely rare. It was made by Steiff, a German plush toy company founded in 1880 that still makes toys today. They only produced 115 Begging Bonzo toys before production was halted.
Studdy had the final say regarding marketing and licensing decisions and decided to go with another toy company called Chad Valley to recreate his cartoon canine, according to EJ's CEO Erik Hoyer.
"The fact that so few Steiff Begging Bonzo dogs were made is a big deal to collectors," Hoyer said. "It’s pretty remarkable that this rare stuffed animal made its way to our Phoenix auction house.”
A Phoenix resident bought the dog at a flea market in Michigan around 40 years ago and brought it with her to Phoenix. She is now poised to make a large profit off of it.
Hoyer said that Steiff dogs that have been auctioned before have sold between $25,000 and $45,000, indicating how much this stuffed animal might sell for.
Bidding is open now for Bonzo, who can be previewed at EJ's Glendale auction house from Wednesday to Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The auction starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 30, at EJ’s Glendale auction house, 5880 W. Bell Road, on the northeast corner of 59th Avenue and Bell Road.
Some other intriguing items that are to be auctioned off include 5-foot porcelain temple vases, a life-size bronze statue of a Native American warrior on horseback, 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 a life-size World War I German Fokker replica airplane.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: This rare dog stuffed animal is going on auction at EJ's in Glendale
