SAF
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[Berg] [Fechter] [Ratz-Fogel] [SAF] [Schenker] [Schwika] [Miscellaneous] [Reproductions and Fakes]
Please
scroll down the page to see a gallery of photos of SAF bears, other soft toys
and identification tags.
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The Beginning:
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This firm was
started by Siegfried Saf in Bad Mittendorf
[Northern Styria] after WW2. Siegfried was one of
many people who came to Austria after the war [voluntarily
or forcibly] from the Sudetenland. His hometown was Bielsko-Biala
in the Southern part of Poland in this area. (thanks to the Saf family for this information)
In the early 1950's
he also began production of
his own mohair fabric to use on his soft toys.
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Bears and Other
Animals:
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The range included
bears and other animals some similar in design to those produced by Graz
firms and also the Steiff range at that time.
The quality of the products was reasonable
but not as good as those made by Fechter
and Schwika.
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Identification:
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Saf used a number of
ID marks including an orange printed label
[usually well faded] and black woven label [see
various pictures in the gallery].
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End of an Era:
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Siegfried Saf was a well respected member of the community and was
the Burgermeister (Mayor) of the town 1965-85. In that time he was involved in many beneficial
projects in the area. He died in 1990.
Production of soft
toys was still going in the 1990's [may have moved to Altenmarkt
an
der Enns] and I have no
record of when it closed.
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Click on the pictures to
enlarge:
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Smaller closed-mouth teddy by SAF with orange ear label |
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Another larger teddy by SAF with orange label |
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More modern SAF rabbit with ID |
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SAF 'Zotty' type teddy [note the peach coloured bib] with SAF wool miniature crow |
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Large SAF teddy closed mouth |
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Woven SAF label showing teddy motif to one side |
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More modern SAF label [as seen on swan] |
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SAF label on leg of wool miniature crow |
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SAF orange printed label sometimes the writing has faded completely |
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Another SAF woven black label |
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