A RARE teddy bear bought at a car boot sale in Monmouth sold for thousands of  pounds at auction. 

Jeanette Davies spotted the antique teddy on a stall at a car boot sale at Monmouth Show Ground, South Wales, in June while browsing with her son Kyle Johns.

She said: “I just had a feeling - a gut feeling. I thought he looked like a Steiff bear, a make which can be valuable. Sometimes you just take a gamble and I’m glad we did.”

The bear was identified as a rare 1905 cinnamon-coloured, centre-seam Steiff by Hansons Auctioneers’ teddy bear expert Janet Rawnsley.

It went under the hammer at Hansons’ Staffordshire saleroom, Bishton Hall - where it sold for £3,800 at auction on Wednesday, August 16.

South Wales Argus: Rare 1905 Steiff teddy bear which is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire on 16 August. Picture: PARare 1905 Steiff teddy bear which is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire on 16 August. Picture: PA (Image: PA)

The total paid, with buyer’s premium, by a private UK bidder was £4,985.

Mr Johns said: “We’ve been going to the Monmouth car boot sale every Saturday for years, but we’ve never found anything as valuable as this. Mum was convinced the bear might be special, but I wasn’t too sure.

“We had no idea the bear could be worth so much. We would have been pleased if we’d doubled our money to £250. I help mum run a weekly flea market stall but we’re certainly not antiques experts. Mum just had a hunch it was special.”

Ms Rawnsley said: “This was a teddy bear of exceptional rarity for any serious collector of Steiff toys, a renowned German make.

"Cinnamon teddies were a rare production and an expensive toy from around 1905-1908. It’s time for him to begin a new life in a new home 118 years after he was manufactured in Germany.”

South Wales Argus: Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers with a rare 1905 Steiff teddy bear which is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire on 16 August. (Image: PA)Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers with a rare 1905 Steiff teddy bear which is expected to fetch between £4,000 and £6,000 when it goes under the hammer at Bishton Hall, Wolseley Bridge, Staffordshire on 16 August. (Image: PA) (Image: PA)

Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers, said: “What a tremendous find, and result, for Kyle and Jeanette.

"I’m delighted Hansons has found a new home for this historically important toy. Chance discoveries like this make people’s day.

"They remind us there are always treasures to be found at car boot sales, flea markets and charity shops.”