Overview
- Expert Detlev Kümmel identified the piece as the smallest 15 cm Steiff King Peng, produced roughly between 1931 and 1936.
- He noted that a pristine example could fetch €2,000–€2,500, but set this heavily worn penguin’s likely range at about €300–€400.
- Dealer Christian Vechtel bought the toy for €250 in the showroom after other bidders held back.
- Walter “Waldi” Lehnertz declined to purchase, joking about its looks and calling it “vor Hässlichkeit schön.”
- Seller Jens Kuhlmann, a 69-year-old veterinarian from Göttingen, said the penguin came from his grandmother’s vitrine, and host Horst Lichter shared a brief anecdote about his grandfather.