This Mickey Mouse toy was made by the Deans Rag Book Co. Ltd in the 1930s, the character having debuted in Walt Disney's 1928 animated short film 'Steamboat Willie'.
After the big success of the first talking cartoon, "Steamboat Willie”, Dean’s Rag Book Company produced the first Mickey Mouse soft toy in the early 30s. Indeed, they were the first company to produce the famous Walt Disney toy cartoon character.
My little soft toy is about 6 inches in height - he sadly has no label - I don’t know if these toys originally had one or not. He seems to have a little registration number printed in black on his neck below his pink ribbon.
The wee figure is in a delicate condition, particularly the feet but it is almost 90 years old.
These toys weren’t manufactured for very long as it was thought that the face of this Mickey would be too scary for children.
It doesn’t have tail either but these never lasted as were made of a perishable rubber material. Mickey has a black velvet body, cream face with printed features, boot button eyes, beige felt hands (originally white - but discoloured with age) , yellow felt shoes with leather soles, grey (faded blue) velvet shorts.
A similar example is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.