A Nice 1900's Dayton Hill Climber

Sunday, February 21, 2016

A Nice 1900's 

Dayton Hill Climber

Please click here to visit the Copake Auctions Inc. website

I decided to visit Copake Auctions Inc., a great resource for bicycles. However, this time I was searching for toys. Amazingly, I found a nice toy that was photographed on white. I like white because it's easier to photograph on white, the toy is presented at its' best, and it's clean.

Description:

Dayton toy company hill climber with figures

Circa: 1900's

Length: 14 1/2"   368 mm

I always like how Copake Auctions includes a Coca-Cola soda can

 as a reference to the size of the object.

For a toy that is at least 110 years old, it's still in great condition and undoubtedly works

The 2 photos above illustrate what is called a friction wheel (Hill climber). 

The rear fire engine wheels turn a resistance wheel that slowly builds 

up a strong rotational movement (in one direction).

When the toy is put down, the energy will again be transferred to the rear wheels, 

and the toy will be able to climb a hill even at a steep 30-40 degree slope.

The Dayton toy company is one of the few companies that produced 

these friction wheel (hill climber) toys. Most other toys of the time 

were wind-ups, or simply pull toys or toys that moved on wheels.

This is one of the few American toys that's readily identifiable by it's movement mechanism. There were also several other companies in Dayton that produced similar-propelled toys.

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

Not Yet Seen Toys from Copake Auctions

Sunday, May 31, 2015
Very Cold and Cloudy
 9C or 48 F

Not Yet Seen Toys from Copake Auctions Inc.

  It was a great day to write today. Yesterday was 31 C ( 88 F), and today it's freezing  (9C or 48 F).  Of course, I can't complain. The other day, it was 47 C (116.6F) in India.

Whenever I finish a post ,I will write to the contact person at a company or the person from whom I had the permission to post and of course use their photos. Since I'm returning again to write after a 5 month hiatus (rest break), I wrote to Copake Auctions Inc. and specifically to Mr. James Thompson. James is the  website/technology, marketing & media person at Copake Auctions Inc. That's certainly a big title and lots of responsibility. I like to ask the person that I contacted just to proofread the post for anything that he or she might like me to change, add, remove, or edit. James thanked me, and provided me with an address for a search on Copake Auctions Inc. for "toy- 2006-present".

   Of course, I'd written about Copake Auction Inc.'s toys before, but it didn't hurt to take a look at what James Thompson had sent me. No sooner had I  looked at the first 2 pages of 10 (total 466 toys), did I select 4 toys that I had not seen before. Actually 1 was a "mascot" for RCA. 

Please click here to visit Copake Auction Inc.'s start page

Please click here to visit the search results for "toy-2006-present)

Below is a nice articulating horse with a Sheffield Farms Company milk wagon. I don't see a string, but the toy look like a "pull toy". There's no date provided for the toy, but it appears top be early 20th century or slightly later.

The photography is very good, and I especially like the wide-angle close pup of the roof of the wagon. That illustrates the roof quite well, and shows you the iron step for the milkman to step up to the wagon.

Here's something that I had not known before - another RCA figure - RCA Radiotrons.

Everybody who is older that 60 certainly know the most famous  RCA Mascot. 

Hint: He is a dog

Answer: Nipper

Answer:

 Here's another discovery for me-another articulated toy with a horse and buggy.

I think that this is also another pull toy. I selected this because of its' realism, that reminds me of those travelling salesman samples.

And here's yet one more "discovery". I think I've mentioned or posted a toy from "Oh Boy", but not this one. It's quite large for a toy, and certainly illustrates the early types of car racers that it was modelled after.

This post was certainly an "eye-opener".  I was able to find 4 new toys that I had not seen before in a matter of a few minutes, and the fun of it was that I found them on an exceptional auctioneer's website whose specially is antique bicycles, but of course sells other merchandise.

As the expression goes "leave no stone unturned"…..

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 

One of the Best Bicycle Auctioneers in the U.S.A.

Wednesday, May  27, 2015
Partly cloudy and 20 C. at 5:30 a.m.

One of the Best  Bicycle Auctioneers in the U.S.A.

   When I first started this blog some 4 years ago, I was writing about hand-held toys. One day, the reason of which I can't remember, I think Idid a search for antique bicycles, and  came upon Copake Auctions Inc.. If you've read my blog before, you'll know that I like details in all kinds of things. So when I came upon  Copake Auctions Inc., this was a major discovery. I'd never seen so many old and antique bicycles before, in so many different designs, styles, and from different times.  My newfound discovery was in fact one of those "Eureka moments".  I naturally had to write the company and write about them. 

Please click here to visit this exceptional company

What makes Copake Auctions Inc. so great is the unbelievable of bicycles that come through their place. I never even knew that there were so many different types of bicycles. When I look at these bicycles, I think about what made America so great. So many different people from all over the world coming to America. for a new life. In the bicycles I see what America was and still is.

Below is a  nicely-crafted head lamp. What's interring is that the lens had a green colour. I'm not sure pif the lamp was illuminated from a flammable fuel. The holes in the  stack above the lamp body look like small air vents to vent out the heat and fumes.

This "Spacelander" was designed by Mr. Benjamin Bowden. 

He would eventually go on tho work for General Motors and design the Corvette. 

That says it all!

In you do a search for "Montreal potholes",  you'll be able to read a lot about the state of our fine city. The roads here in Montreal are true "Boneshakers", with no disrespect to this fine bicycle from the past!

I like the simplicity of this bicycle and the red wheels that most certainly stand out!

Now here's something I've never seen before- punched out shapes in the seat (saddle) of a bicycle. 

With a metallic seat like that, I'm sure the "pain in the butt" was no exaggeration after an hour of riding on the non-paved roads at the time!

Once again, the details and the design caught my eye.

The saddle (seat) spring is fantastic! The handgrips.the levers on the bicycle, the wooden rims, all combine to present a real beauty!

About 10 years ago, I started to notice that the latest "fad" in bicycles for a certain types of cyclists was the single gear bike.  As you know, I do ride a 12-speed racer to keep in shape. 

If I was 30 years younger and in great shape, you can be sure I'd be raving one of these  Elliot Hicokory bikes around the city - a real "show stopper". Of course, I'd be showing off the bike!

I haven't even "touched the surface" today in presenting to you Copake Auctions Inc.  If

you have the time and like details and bicycles and history, this is the place to visit. Of course, they also auction other merchandise as well,but for me, it's the bicycles that I never tire of.

Thanks for dropping by to visit,

and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Copake Auctions' "Other" Modes of Transportation Listings

Friday, February 20, 2015
Overcast with flurries and very,very cold

Copake Auctions "Other"

Modes of Transportation Listings

   Hello everyone. No, I haven't stooped blogging. I'm blogging less because I'm been busy with some other things. Also this winter, and especially the month of February, has been exceptionally cold. I was thinking that this could be a record month of continuous minus 10 degrees Celsius, and it just might be. There was even one day where I didn't even go to Tim Horton's (now owned by Burger King). I go there daily for my coffee and to meet several friends to chat.

   Of course, spring is coming "eventually, and with that more auctions and being able to stay outdoors for more than 10 minutes to walls our dog Buddy. Buddy doesn't seem to mind the cold, and when it stays,he's in "seventh heaven". As for writing today,and more to com,e  in the upcoming days and weeks, I am returning to one of my favourite auctioneers of antique bicycles (and other things) - Copake Auctions.

Please click here to visit this exceptional American auction company

   I can't remember how I came to discover this fabulous auction company, but I did. It was one of those "Eureka Moments", when you stop everything to savour the moment. Copake Auction Inc. at that moment in time had old toys, but their big attraction was exceptional rare and antique bicycles. I've written about Copake Auction Inc. sometimes exclusively about bicycles, and if you like bicycles and rare bicycles, this is one auctioneer you absolutely and positively must visit! Simply do a search on my blog for "Copake", and you will find the posts.

This first presentation is a marvellous children's pull toy wagon.

It's beautifully designed after the Art Deco style, and it's simplicity contrasted with its' lines makes for a wonderful collectible.

I like how Copake Auction adds reference items (The Coke Can) to illustrate the relative size of their items. In other cases, they might use a coin, or  a closely-cropped person (his side) as a reference to an item or toy.

Their photography is excellent of course, and these toys certainly "pop out off the page".

What'st interesting for today's post is that all of these toys are quite large. It's the first time where I decided to use M (meter) as the symbol) for the European length. Most of the time I use mm.

These are "bigger" toys!

I like wood and anything wooden will attract my attention.  Below is another simply-crafted toy,

but elegant in its design and the beautiful colour theme.

What attracted me to this toy is the rear wheels of the engine. The rear wheels are paired and I haven't seen that very often, if at all. THey remind me of those half-track dessert army trucks.

 There is not much information presented about today's toys. 

What's interesting about the Keystone label is the location of the company - 

Boston 24. Mass.  U.S.A

American "ZIP Codes" were introduced in the both century, but the 2 digit ones (24) were only introduced probably between 1930-1950. I'll have to check to be more specific about he time period.

I do remember here in Montreal, when Canada introduced area coded - but ours single digit. It was in the early 1960's when I still lived in Outremont, and the are code was: 

Outremont 8, Montreal, 

Quebec, Canada.

For those who don't know, The Keystone MFG. CO.  was also in the photographic business. I actually remember them when they advertises in the Sunday NYTimes newspaper, 

and of course in the photography magazines.

Here's another fine wooden toy that a child could probably ride on.

Again, it's the simplicity of the toy that attracted my attention. Of course, I did mention that I like wood. In the wood toys presented today, there are no knots in the wood, and the pieces are mostly one piece (no laminates or composites). When I visit Old Montreal (The 400-500 year old part of town), I am in awe of the simple 30 foot ceiling beams. And when I watch period British movies, I',m always looking at those old wooden floors with 30 foot single piece lengths of wood flooring!

Here's a new company that I discovered - the Rifton toy company of Rifton, New York, U.S.A.

I only found 1 other toy on Liveauctioneers that they manufactured. You'll have to visit there as this toy was noir from someone whose permission I have to use their photos.

I did some photo-editing on the photo below, bout I left the interesting flag in the back, and the blue stripe of the table cloth in the photo. I liked the red, white, and blue American theme here.

The Rifton toy is a ride toy of sorts, and the toop past can be removed. Whast I like are the industrial-quality castors underneath the toy. This toy was meant to be rode and was wall designed for even  older children who might weigh more.  

I do see some knots in this toy, but the main pieces are single wood piece and unknotted.

I also like how the original owner wrote "Jack and Jill" ion the underside of the toy. 

So that's it for this early morning (5:00 A.M.)  

It's going to be very cold and with blowing snow - again!

The good news is that March 22, (the Spring Equinox) is coming soon - 

a mere  30 days or 4 weeks and 2 days!

Thanks for visiting and as always

have a great part of the day or night

wherever you may be,

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com