LONE JACK, MO. – A rare skittles set of eight standing bears sold for $15,820 in Soulis Auctions’ three-day marathon sale from December 4-6. The bears in worsted wool stood holding a pole affixed to a turned wood base and the lot included the original wood game ball. As the button-in-the-ear trademark was implemented in 1904, the auction house wrote that the absence of the button in the ears of these examples indicates a manufacture date prior to that. Steiff’s first catalog was released in 1892.

Watch for a full sale review in a future issue.