Two fine Arcade Toys Come up for Sale at Z & K Antiques

Please click on this sentence to redirect to this Excellent Antique SellerSaturday, May 23, 2020
Sunny
23 C 74 F

Two fine Arcade Toys Come up 

for Sale at  Z & k ANTIQUES

I've been returning to the websites of many of my contributors to see how they are doing. 
Several years ago, I discovered this fine seller by having done a search. What I like about  this website is the excellent photography that they have of their merchandise, and the research that they use to carefully describe each the items that are for sale.

Please click here to visit this fine American Merchant

The scanned pages for the 2 toys come from a nice

small booklet for Arcade Toys circa the 1920's. The booklet of 76 pages was

reproduced by the publisher Noble House in 1988.

Dimensions:

L x W x H: 

 8 1/2" x 3 3/8" x 3 3/4"

215 mm x 86 mm x 95 mm

I was able to find the patent of the toy on the Internet.

Thanks for dropping by.

and have a great part of the day

or night wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Chain Driven Trucks of the 1920's-1930's

Monday, November 15, 2016
Cloudy with Sunny Periods
11 Celsius 52 Fahrenheit

Chain-Driven Trucks

of the 1920's-1930's

Please click here to visit this fine American toy auctioneer

You can learn a thing or two from toys. When I started out, I was too busy to look at the toys carefully. I was retouching the photos, colour-balancin them, and spotting them. I did not pay too much attention to the toy or the details of the toy.

However, I did notice that on Mack truck cast iron toys, there was a chain in the back of the 2 wheels. I did some research, and as it turned out, the Mack trucks of the 1920's and 1930's were in fact moved by rear-driven chains. Eventually rear-driven drive trains would replace the chains.

Last year, I was in Calgary, Alberta, Canada to visit my brother, and my brother decided to take me to a car museum there. Sure enough, there was a mack truck there, and it was in fact chain-driven. 

I didn't bring my camera with me, and forgot to ask my brother to take a photo.

A few days ago, I was meandering around the Internet searching for Mack trucks, and lo and behold an excellent photo of a chain-driven Mack truck appeared. I wrote to the website, and got a "yes" reply.  Interestingly, the photo was on another website with the name of the company. I then had to contact them to get the permission. The name of the company is Shorpy.

Please click here to visit this most fascinating website

What's so fabulous about Shorpy's website is that it has lots and lots of old photographs and fine-art prints for sale. Over the years, Shorpy has purchased original photos and the rights to old photographs to sell. THey've spent a lot of money to acquire these photos, and they then resell them to people who might need them for writing articles, or for nice artwork. Back in the 1900's-2010's, there were 4"x 5" and 8" x 10" cameras. These cameras used the correspondingly same-size film for the respective cameras.  If we're talking megapixels, then we're talking large-format (as these view cameras were called. So what's large?  A 4" x 5" ( 101 mm x 127 mm) negative or slide will yield a 300 megapixel image file scanned at 300 dpi (dots per inch). Today's high-megapixel 35mm camera can go up to 28 megapixels, while the Hasselblad will give you 60 megapixel files and higher for a price of $ 20,000 USD and higher for the magazine back.  an 8" x 10" scan of the correspondingly same size negative or slide will yield a 300 megapixel file. 

So of you like lots of detail in a photo, these camera and their corresponding images are just absolutely fantastic!

The photo above is a small-sized image. I was asked to make the image smaller and I naturally did so , so that I could present a chain-drive Mack truck to you. However, if you go over to the Shorpy.com website, you will be able to see large-sized images with lots of detail.

If you look at the rear end of these trucks, you will be able to 

see the chains that are located on either side of the truck.

ARCADE MACK GASOLINE TANK TRUCK

Cast iron, painted in red overall, gold fill caps, embossed "Gasoline" on sides, 

Mack Cab with embossed door and rubber tires. 13" long (330  mm)

ARCADE MACK DUMP TRUCK
Cast iron, blue body, dual rubber tires, decal on doors, nickel T-bar. 

12" long ( 305 mm)

ARCADE MACK STAKE TRUCK

Very scarce example, c. 1930, cast iron, painted in green overall, open stake body, contains one milk can, seated driver and nickel spoke wheels, decal appears on frame. Ex. Donald Kaufman Collection. 11" long ( 228 mm)

Hubley Gas Truck 

Cast iron, painted in red body, yellow cast iron spoke wheels, seated nickel driver, Mack cab, gold painted fill caps on tank body, decal on rear panel, has Hubley decal. Ex. Bob Stewart Collection. 

11" long ( 228 mm). Crack to driver's door.

Eventually, the truck and car industry improved the movement of their vehicles. 

The new method was via an axle, with rear driven movement.  I'm assuming that this type of movement was better, and less-dangerous than having the chains exposed to people and the elements (weather).  That's progress!

Thanks for dripping by,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

A Trio of Heavyweights from opamerica

Monday, November 6, 2016
Clear skies with Sun 
9 Celsius / 48 Fahrenheit

A Trio of Heavyweights from

opamerica

Please click here to visit this exceptional ebay seller

I haven't written about OpAmerica in a while, when I saw a nice image from them on PicClick.

So I decided to venture over to OpAmerica's ebay store and see what was being offered.  Immediately, I saw a very rare  Lockheed Sirius (below), and decided to check for more airplanes. 

I had a "hunch" (feeling) that if I searched by price from high to low, I'd find some interesting items. Sure enough, there were 3 exceptional and rarer airplanes for sale.  And that's how today's post arose.

OpAmerica is an exceptional and highly-successful ebay store. They have an excellent seller reputation, always have  a very fine selection of toys for sale, and of course (my favourite) take excellent-quality photos in conjunction with well-sized files.

I've decided to let the super photos and well-written descriptions speak for themselves as far as today's post goes. 

Hubley Lockheed Sirius Cast Iron Plane Lindy NR-211 

---

I am pleased to offer this Antique Hubley Lockheed Sirius Cast Iron Plane.  Following the famous flights of Charles Lindbergh and his wife, Hubley manufactured one of their rarest and most valuable toys in commemoration: the Lockheed Sirius.  Designed by Chief engineer Gerard Vultree, the Lockheed 8 Sirius was based off of Charles's specifications.  Around 3 feet shorter than the Spirit of St. Louis (the plane Lindberg used for his NY-Paris flight),  the Sirius could travel at 185 mph, 52 mph faster than the St. Louis.  

This particular piece features a two-tone black/orange paint job, with "Lindy" embossed on the left wing; "NR-211" embossed on the right wing, as well as "NR-211 Lockheed Sirius" embossed on both sides of the tail.  The front engine is nickel plated with a small attachment for a pull rope, which is not present.  All Parts, wing sections, tires, and pilots are present, making this plane complete minus the original pull rope.

This rare plane is in good condition for its age, showing moderate paint wear and mild oxidation from age/display.  Paint is at about 80%, with the majority of loss being on the wings edges and the underside.  Original tires are present, but they have hardened and are cracked (see pictures).  Propeller moves well.  Remnants of a Hubley decal can be seen on the tail wing.

Measures about 9" L x 10-1/2" W x 4-1/4" H

(228 mm x 268 mm x 106 mm)

Rare 17" WS Hubley Cast Iron Tri-Motor America Plane 

---

I am pleased to offer this Antique Hubley Cast Iron Tri-Motor America Plane.  This version of the America was the largest Cast Iron Plane made by Hubley, and features three prop motors that rotate via a spring drive when the toy is pushed across a surface.  There are two visible pilots in the open cockpit, and right behind them across the large single wing panel are raised lettering of "AMERICA" and two circled stars.  There is also a raised star on each side of the tail wing.

This plane is constructed with a cast iron body and cast aluminum motors/propellers.  The two large front wheels are rubber, and look to be reproductions of original Hubley Tires.  There rear small tire has no rubber but still rolls well.  Plane looks to be all original (with exception to the tires).

This antique Hubley America is in good aged condition, showing some moderate shelf wear from display/age.  Moderate paint wear throughout, with some mild oxidation present throughout the areas of paint wear.  Spring drive works rotating the motors as you push the plane, although the props do stick occasionally.  

Measures about 17" Wingspan, about 13" L, and 5-3/4" H 

( 432 mm x 330 mm x 147 mm)

Antique Arcade The Monocoupe Cast Iron Airplane #357

---

I am pleased to offer this Antique "The Monocoupe" Cast Iron Airplane #357 made by Arcade.  This great example of early 20ths century cast iron aircraft was made by the famous Arcade Toy Company.  With a black cast body, orange steel wing, and iron wheels/propeller gear; this beauty will stand out in your collection.  "The Monocoupe" is found in raised lettering on each side of the plane.  On the top of the plane you can see the remnants of an Arcade Toy sticker.  The inside of the plane is marked "Arcade 357".

This Monocoupe # 357 is in good antique condition, showing some moderate scratching and paint wear from play and display.  Mild oxidation is present on the iron section of the plane (prop, wheels, etc).  Front wheels spin smoothly when the plane is moved, rear wheel spins with slight resistance on smooth surfaces.  Wing is a little loose

Measures about 9-1/2" L x 10-3/4" Wingspan, x 3-1/2" H

Sometimes you don't have to write much to say a lot, 

and OpAmerica certainly has done that for me today!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

A 1923 Arcade Catalogue

Saturday, October 29,2016
Cloud with Rain
9 Celsius 56 Fahrenheit

A 1923 Arcade Catalogue

(A  Noble House 1988 Reproduction)

I saw this catalogue on ebay, and purchased it for $ 12.95 USD, plus 13.95 USD for shipping.
It's always good to have old or reproduced toy catalogues if you are collecting toys, especially cast iron toys.  I decided to select all colour pages from the # 33  catalogue. The catalogue begins with page 135 and finishes off with page 210. 

I happen to also have a 1940 reproduction (Noble House, 1988) catalogue.THat catalogue is entirely in colour, and has only 40 pages. ANother difference is that there are no different sizes of the same toy offered to the customer.  Another interesting fact is that the shipping sizes and weights changed. In the 1923 catalogue, it was noir unusual for a 100 pound shipping crate to be used to send toys to a seller. By 1940, the weights were halved to 50 pounds and a bit more for some packages. This of course had to do with rio freight. In 1923, shipping costs were much less expensive relative to the 1940 prices. 

Above:

THe 2 pages above are the front and rear covers of the catalogue. 

I like these artist illustrations for the catalogue.

There are 34 pages of automobiles and motorized trucks of assorted types in the catalogue.

Different sizes and different colours are offered to the store.

3 pages are devoted to mechanized tractors, while 7 pages are devoted to horse-drawn farm machinery and wagons. By 1923, motorized vehicles were more common on roads, but horses and horse-drawn farm items were still being produced.

The Yellow Cab was quite popular as a toy. Notice that there are 3 different sizes for this toy. In 2 sizes, the cabs are furnished with rubber tires. There is no mention as to what the third size has for wheels, but it most likely was metal wheels (tires).

Farm machinery was still quite popular with bot the older horse-drawn items, 

and of course, the newer mechanized farm machinery.

A good percentage of farms still used horse-drawn wagons. 

The "Red Baby Truck" was a very popular toy. It was offered in several  sizes.

THere are the No 1 and No. 2 trucks, and  No. 10 and No. 20 versions being offered with 

rubber tires and disk wheels. Again, there is no mention as to what the No. 1 and No 2. Versions come with, but I am guessing that they came with metal wheels.

There are many other toys that were made for children. There is furniture for the house. Kitchen appliances such as wood stoves, kitchen cabinets, sinks and ice boxes are just some example. There are also windmill toys, toy pumps, and even several hand-pushed lawn mowers that occupy 3 pages of the catalogue. There are even kitchen items such as meat grinders, kettles, skillets, and coffee mills with 2 pages of them in assorted sizes and designs.

THese are just some of the items that are in the catalogue. It's interesting to see that so many toys are based on adult kitchen items, even too miniature cast iron stoves. Most are wood-burning, while one has knobs, which I would assume were for gas control for coking.

Once again, a catalogue such as this (reproduction) is a great resource to have if you collect cast iron toys. You can also find original catalogues from the past, but this are very expensive and are for book collectors, rather than reference, since you wouldn't want to bend the pages or have fingerprints anthem over a period of time.

So that's a wrap, and I probably  post again in the future about this 1923 Arcade catalogue.

Thamks for dropping by,
and as always,
Have a great part of the day or night,
Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman
toysearcher@gmail.com

Another Fine Vintage Tractor from Mr. Michael Hadshian

Wednesday, October 19, 2016
Sunny with Clouds,
13 Celsius 56 Fahrenheit

Another Fine Vintage Tractor

from Mr. Michael Hadshian

Please click here to visit this fine ebay seller

Please click here to visit Michael Hadshian's Previous Post

WHen I first had asked Mr. Michale Hadshian if I could use his photos and descriptions, he mentioned that he would have other tractors for sale next week on ebay. Sure enough, I received an e-mail from Michael today, informing me that the other tractors were now listed for sale. When I looked, there were 22 bids for this particular tractor that you see below!

Description:

Arcade Oliver Row Crop 70 Tractor

Circa 1930's

Length:  5 1/2"  139.7 mm

When a toy is photographed well, it most certainly looks that much better to the viewer.

That's all there is for today.

I let the photos "speak for themselves" and the tractor.

Sometimes, it's not always necessary to write.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

More Arcade Busses

Thursday, October 6, 2016
Overcast and Seasonally Warm
21 Celsius / 70 Fahrenheit

More Arcade Busses

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions Website

Arcade Fageol Bus

Cast iron, blue body, nickel disc wheels, embossed

lettering on sides, gold striping

Length:  8" / 203.2 mm

Above:  Scanned page from a 1936 Catalogue

Notice that the bus is offered with different colour combinations, and there is an option to have the bus come with rubber balloon tires, instead of nickel-plated wheels.

Arcade Yellow Coach Bus

Cast iron, body painted in orange and black, black roof, side decals read

"YELLOW COACH", rubber tires, spare tires mounted to fromt fenders,

seated nickel driver, needs cleaning.

Length: 13" / 330.2 mm 

Above:  Scanned page from a 1936 Catalogue

Notice that in the above scanned page, the "Parlor Coach" bus 
is offered in optional colours of blue and green.

Arcade Parlor Coach Bus

LAte 1920's, large cast iron example, painted in blue body, 

gold side strip,seated nickel driver, disc wheels.

Length: 13" 330.2 mm

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Four Arcade Busses

Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Overcast and Seasonal
19 Celsius / 66 Fahrenheit

Four Arcade Busses

   I recently wrote about cast iron toys that were similar in size and shape but different in their exterior finish. As I was searching for something to write about I came across a current Bertoia Auctions auction, where there were a group of nice cast iron Arcade busses. The arrangement of the busses on this page are by year, with the later busses starting from top to bottom.

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions

Arcade GMC Coast to Coast Bus

Rare red and cream collars, "Coast to Coast GMC" stencilled on roof.

Ex. Donald Kaufman Collection

Length 9" / 228.6 mm

Arcade Greyhound Bus

Cast iron, blue and white body, nickel grill and rear panel, white rubber tires,

"Greyhound Lines" Stencilled on sides. 

Length:  9" / 228.6 mm

Arcade Shortline Bus

Interesting  color scheme, in white, black and orange, white rubber tire,

"The Shortline" stencilled on roof.

Length: 7 1/2"/ 190.5 mm

Arcade  Private Label City of Detroit Bus

Cast iron, yellow bus,black fenders, white rubber tires,"City of Detroit Div."

on roof. Missing one spare tire.

Length:  13" / 330.2 mm

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day  or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Arcade Toys - Same Size and Shape with Different Finishes

Sunday, October 2, 2016
Overcast with rain
18 Celsius / 64 Fahrenheit

Arcade Toys

Same  Size and Shape

with Different Finishes

Please click here to visit this fabulous American auctioneer

During the cast iron era (1920's-1940's), manufacturers would sometimes make different sizes of the same toy or they would use the same mould but paint the exterior and use different decals on the side panels of the toy.

Below there are 3 Arcade cast iron toys from the 1930's. All 3toys are from the same mould, and are of the same size (9 1/2" long ( 168  mm)

RARE HATHAWAY’S BREAD TRUCK. 

In phenomenal original condition, this is the rare version of the Hathaway’s truck. Normally found with an advertising decal on side, this is the rubber stamped version. Not only is the paint brilliant, but the rubber stamping almost totally intact with some extremely minor fading to lettering. International decals along with Arcade decal are intact. This toy is rare to find without damage to front bumper, rear door or exceptional paint. SIZE: 9-1/2″ l. PROVENANCE: From the collection of the late Larry Seiber of San Jose, CA. CONDITION: Very fine plus to near mint. 1-9082 (5,000-7,000)

ARCADE INTERNATIONAL PANEL TRUCK. 

A wonderful and lifelike depiction of a 1930s International Harvester delivery panel truck. Enameled in rich colors of dark blue, peacock, with yellow pinstripes to center of vehicle and silver trim. Solid rubber disc tires with yellow simulated hubs further enhance the appeal of this toy. SIZE: 9-1/2″ l. PROVENANCE: From the collection of the late Larry Seiber of San Jose, CA. CONDITION: Very fine to near mint. 1-9073 (3,500-5,500)

ARCADE INTERNATIONAL AMBULANCE. 

One of two ambulances from the golden era of automotive toys (1930s) that was undoubtedly produced as a prototype for possible production. Although Arcade produced a smaller ambulance (approx. 6″) and Kenton produced a larger ambulance from the 1910s, there are no other larger ambulances produced by any toy company from this era. The White panel truck is normally painted in black, as was the case here, but the toy has been overpainted at the factory in a white color with a red cross. Perhaps the decision was made after viewing this toy not to produce for commercial use. It is believed to be one of two known. SIZE: 9-1/2″ l. PROVENANCE: From the collection of the late Larry Seiber of San Jose, CA. CONDITION: Very good, as typical with white paint, there is some fine crazing. 1-9072 (2,500-5,000)

 It's interesting that all 3 trucks had been estimated with different estimates in the 4-figure range. However, the Hathaway Bread Truck was rarer than the other 2 toys, and was estimated to be the highest value to go to auction.

Thanks for dropping by,

And as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

(toysearcher@gmail.com)