Antiques Roadshow: Expert values teddy bear at £10-15K
Two guests on Antiques Roadshow were taken aback when their Steiff teddy bear was given an eye-watering five-figure value.
During Sunday night's instalment (December 15) of the hit programme, the experts were greeted by members of the public with hidden treasures at Belfast's Botanic Gardens.
When Marc Allum was handed a Steiff teddy, he immediately recognised its rarity.
The expert said: "I've been working in the world of antiques for some 36 years and I've handled many amazing items in that time but I have never handled a black Steiff bear like this."
Marc admitted it was an "honour" to speak with the owners, revealing the object had a great connection to Belfast.
The guest revealed the teddy bear's name was Edward before Mark explained how he was issued in 1912 for the sinking of the Titanic.
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"And that's why Edward is black," Marc said. "He's a mourning bear."
He added: "Edward himself was part of what I would call a strict convention of mourning and he would've been treated with reverence and respect for the many people touched by the great tragedy of the event.
Marc said how Steiff sent around 600 of the bears to Great Britain which were "expensive" at the time.
The expert noted how the scarf had been on Edward afterwards, with the owner speculating it must have been his mother.
He went on to tell the duo that he could "instantly tell" that the bear was a Steiff as the condition and form of originality cannot be copied.
Marc pointed out that all Steiff bears have buttons in their ears, and while Edward didn't, he could spot the whole where the button originally was.
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Edward is filled with a material called excelsior which is similar to wood shaving strands. Gently moving the bear's arm, Marc realised that it was broken due to being "dragged around" by this part of its body.
Moving on to the value of the bear, Marc confessed it was a "difficult one" to pinpoint.
"To be frank, these bears have made more at times," he told the guests. "I think, being honest with you at the moment, I think he's worth £10,000-£15,000 at auction."
Those watching the interaction gasped as the owners looked completely shell-shocked.
"Oh my word," the guest whispered.
Marc said: "It's a significant amount of money. But there's a significant story locked up in this wonderful bear."
