If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
Click here to see similar items on eBay, and to buy.
Fechter Rare Blonde Mohair 15 Inch Fechter Rein Mohair Tag Famous Open Mouth Felt Tongue missingHandstitched Nose Glass Eyes Growler Not Working Fully Jointed With Discs Felt Paws He Measures Approx 38 Cm – 15 Inch Tall 30 cm / 12 Inch Sitting Filling is very firm Wood wool stuffing
Fur is High Quality Mohair much of the mohair used by Fechter was the same as used by Steiff but even better
The Beginning:The business was started after WW2 by Wilhelm and Berta Fechter. Berta Fechter [nee Bohn] came from Neustadt, a town at the heart of German Doll and Teddy production where she learnt her trade working at the factory of Nicol Steiner. The Fechters moved to Graz after the war, possibly a wise move as Neustadt became part of Eastern Germany after the wall went up. They started their business in a house in the Leonhardbach district and registered it in 1949. Their first products were reputedly made from any available materials including American army blankets but they quickly progressed to good quality mohair as it became available and later to synthetic plush.A Cottage Industry:Although basically at this stage a cottage industry, Bertas own formal training made sure this was a well run operation. Wilhelm also worked in the business although he was a hairdresser by trade. Berta was a hardworking person and expected her employees to be too, no time for idle chat she would say. Her young workers underwent formal 3 year apprenticeships with training in a technical college and in the workplace. Training took place in all aspects of bear-making and this was evident with the quality of the Fechter end product.1960s and 70s:In the 1960s as the family expanded along with manufacturing production, the Fechters moved to another house in the Andritz suburb of Graz. In 1973 they acquired a factory in Wies. It would appear that Berta Fechter died around this time but Wilhelm kept the factory going until 1979, again far east imports playing a part in its demise. Wilhelm died in 1983 and the contents of the factory were sold to dealer in the USA.Unlike other manufacturers Fechter marketed their products themselves and had contacts in Europe and the USA. They reputedly had a large glass showcase in the centre of Graz and did not sell them through the toy and department stores like other producers. Fechter products were also expensive.
If you buy after clicking affiliate links on this site we might receive a commission from companies such as eBay, Amazon etc This does not affect the price you pay.
Click here to see similar items on eBay, and to buy.