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PORTRAIT STEIFF IN PARADISE — An interview with Steiff collector Holly Greenwell from Hawaii Top: Three 1930’s era Steiff Dicky bears enjoying a day in the park. Note the lovely rainbow behind them! Left: Small, medium, and large 1950’s era pandas play in a Hawaiian forest. Middle: Teddy babies from the 1920s onward soak up the sun on a warm Hawaiian day. Right: 1920’s era cinnamon, white, and blonde Teddy bears from Holly’s vintage Steiff bear collection. — 22 —
Steiff: Thank you for speaking with us today. Can you please tell us a little about yourself? Holly: My name is Holly Greenwell, and I live in the Hawaiian Islands, in the county of Honolulu on the island of Oahu. I live in a valley called Manoa, which is about three miles from downtown Honolulu. How did you end up in Hawaii? My family came to Hawaii from England in 1852. My greatgreat grandfather purchased islands from the King of Hawaii in the era before the islands became a part of the United States. He settled with his family in Kona, on the island of Hawaii, and started a coffee farm and sheep ranch that expanded into a large cattle business by the 1960s. My family has been living and farming in Hawaii ever since. My father moved to Oahu to work as a physician in Honolulu, so I was raised both on the ranch and in the city. It is clear that Steiff has been a lifetime love and passion of yours. Yes, I have always loved Teddy bears, and from a very early age I had a collection of special bears that were given to me as gifts. My sisters and I loved playing with our bears and would often spend our evenings creating stories for them to act out. I think my Steiff collection started in part because of these great family memories. As an adult collector I was attracted to Steiff bears right away because of their high quality and beautiful design. My first Steiff bear was a large 20” gold “US Zone” bear named Josef, who was bought from an antiques dealer in California many years ago. Josef inspired me to want more Steiff bears, and ever since that purchase I have been an avid collector. Your tropical state is quite remote, how do you grow your Steiff collection and connect with other collectors? Collecting Steiff in Hawaii is mainly a computer hobby. The antiques market in Honolulu emphasizes Hawaiian and Asian antiquities, so I very rarely find Teddy bears here. However in the past few years the number of auctions offering on line bidding has increased significantly, so I have much better access to Steiff bears now than I did five years ago. My only “in person” Steiff find in Hawaii was at a huge antique toy fair held in downtown Honolulu several years ago. Out of about 200 stalls there were only two that had Steiff toys, and these were mostly vintage 1950s bears and animals. I purchased a 1950s Teddy bear and a lovely vintage Steiff Zebra that day. How do you store and display your Steiff collection in your island climate? The climate in Honolulu is very mild, with temperatures ranging between 65F to 85F (about 18C to 30C) all year, so it is fairly easy to keep an even temperature environment for the bears. I keep a dehumidifier and air conditioner in my display room, and use them when the weather occasionally PORTRAIT — 23 — becomes rainy or very hot. The sunshine in Hawaii is very strong, so I keep the windows in the “Teddy room” completely shaded so that the bears never get direct sunlight, which I think is the greatest concern for Teddy bears in the tropics. Tell us about the focus of your marvellous collection and what you look for in any vintage bear you are considering adding to your hug. I started my Steiff collection with bears from the 1940’s and 1950s. I soon fell in love with the Steiff Panda and the Teddy Baby, so for a few years I focused mainly on collecting these designs. Several years later I bought an early blank button cinnamon coloured bear and got hooked on the soulful look of those old shoe button eyes, so I started collecting early Steiff bears as well. In the end, the facial expression is always the main criterion for me when choosing a bear. I buy bears whose faces speak to my heart instantly, because I know they will lift my spirit every time I see them on the shelf. I think the power to lift the human spirit is the most valuable quality you can find in a bear. Aloha, and thank you so much for sharing your story and beautiful location with us. Sweet vintage white Steiff bear friends enjoy the cool shade and warm breezes. Holly Greenwell and a turn of last century Steiff cub in typical Hawaiian flower garlands or leis.
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