Steiff bear captured America's heart.(Chicago Tribune)

Q. This 13-inch Steiff teddy bear, with the identifying button in its ear, was a birthday gift to my father when he turned 5 on Jan. 16, 1906. We are eager to hear more about its value. _Tecla Sund Reklau, Winfield, Ill.

A. This wonderful bear is an early example from the Steiff Co., founded by Margarete Steiff in Geingen, Germany, in 1879. Confined to a wheelchair due to a case of childhood polio, Steiff spent many years at the sewing machine and by the age of 25 had become an accomplished dressmaker. Her career might have continued without incident were it not for a toy elephant pattern she spied in the December issue of Modewelt magazine. That inspiration led to …