Rare 1920s Bonzo dog up for auction, expected to sell for over $25K — one of only 115 ever made

A rare stuffed animal is hitting the auction market this weekend and is expected to sell for over $25,000. 

A Steiff Begging Bonzo dog from 1927 was bought by a Phoenix, Arizona, resident at a flea market — a decision that will soon make the person potentially thousands of dollars. 

British artist George Studdy created the popular cartoon character in the early 1920s, according to EJ’s Auction & Appraisal. 

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CEO Erik Hoyer said in a press release that Steiff was a popular manufacturer of stuffed animals — and the Begging Bonzo was one of the bestsellers.

“It [Steiff] was founded in Germany in 1880 and still makes teddy bears and other plus toys today,” he said. 

He added, “Steiff had produced 115 Begging Bonzo dogs before Studdy expressed his dissatisfaction with them.”

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Hoyer said that Studdy had final approval on all things marketing and licensing and ended up choosing Chad Valley as the plush toy company to manufacture the toy. 

“The fact that so few Steiff Begging Bonzo dogs were made is a big deal to collectors,” he said. 

This particular plush dog up for sale is 10½ inches long. It’s velvet, has glass eyes, a black velvet ear, a red felt tongue, jointed limbs and a swivel head, according to EJ’s.

The rare find means the item could be worth lots of cash, with EJ’s noting that other similar collectibles previously sold secondhand for between $25,000 and $45,000. 

Hoyer told FOX Business that EJ’s Auction & Appraisal is excited to have the item on deck.

“It’s pretty remarkable that this Bonzo dog made its way to our Phoenix auction house, and we’re hoping to see an exciting bidding frenzy during the auction,” he said. 

EJ’s Auction & Appraisal will conduct its annual New Year auction on Dec. 30 starting at 10 a.m. 

Those interested in spotting the dog before the auction can visit the item for a preview in person on Friday, Dec. 29, and Saturday, Dec. 30, before the auction begins. 

The auction is exclusively online.

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