Steiff Little Felt Elephant 140 years of Friends for Life Fabric animals as toys? A new era in children’s toys ... When the first little elephant from Margarete Steiff’s workshop was sold in 1880, this paved the way for a new worldwide phenomenon – soft toys made of plush. This was the stuff of countless children’s dreams, with these toy animals playing a central role in their imaginations. As well as being invitingly cuddly, they act as companions, comforters and a constant source of ideas. Since then, millions of friends for life have made the journey from the Swabian town of Giengen to new homes all over the world. They live their own personal stories and create lasting memories. They are loved, cherished, occasional forgotten, found again, collected and inherited. We are marking the anniversary year 2020 with our 140th Anniversary Collection: all of the anniversary toys come in a limited edition of 1,880 and bear the special elephant logo “140 years of Steiff”. This white wool felt elephant conveys its sense for classic design with its proudly raised S-shaped trunk and dapper saddlecloth. Here, the initials “AS” bear witness to the fact that Anna Steiff received the very first “Elefäntle” as a gift from her sister-in-law Margarete. The removable saddlecloth is attached by hand with 14 black pins that match the elephant’s glass bead eyes.