Upside Down Letters on A Hubley Oil Tanker

Monday, April 6, 2020
Sunny 
11 C    52 F

Mysterious Upside Letters

on a Hubley Oil Tanker 

I'm always amenable to receiving mail from readers, because it lets me know that they might have something very good to mention or they have inquiries. So when I opened up Suzi e-mail last night, I was very happy. Suzi had an interesting question for me,  but I couldn't answer it.

"Stacey, we stumbled across your blog while researching our diecast toy truck.
The letters “L” and “A” are upside down in the HUBLEY U.S.A. maker’s mark. (photo attached)
What is the significance of this unusual detail, and does this impact its value?
Thanks for your time and expertise. "

Below are excellent photos of this 1930's diecast Hubley cab and oil tanker.

I say the photography is excellent because there is a good amount of photos for the viewer to see .

Also, these photos have great photographic composition, and a tape measure

is used to show the reader the actual size of this toy.

Below 

Above is a an excellent photo that

illustrates the detail of the upside down letters.

Copyright 2020           Suzi

Please do not copy without her written permission

I've enlarged the photo and cropped the 

part that is the focus of attention.

Notice how the lettering is "upside down"

So the  question for today is 

"Has anybody ever seen a Hubley cab and tanker with the upside down letters?

If you have, then please write to me, so that I can inform Suzi .

Perhaps this IS a rare or unique toy that was "accidentally" embossed with 

upside down lettering, and is quite rarer!

My e-mail address is:

majortrout@hotmail.com

As always have a great part of the day or night,

and please take precautions when you go outdoors.

These are very "scary times"

Stacey Bindman

A Blogger Helps Me Out

Tuesday, March 6, 2018
Sunny with some clouds
3 C  37.4 F

A Blogger Helps

Me Out

Please click here to visit the Bergs' blog

I had found Edward & Bettina's fine website through their photos. Naturally,

I wrote them to ask for their permission to use their fine photos of this 1950's Hubley helicopter.

I made the request on their website, and forgot all about it. I would have had to return to their website to see their reply.  The photography is excellent, and there are very good descriptions of the toys that they talk about. As well, Edward and Bettina spend lots of time and effort writing their blog posts, that are quite numerous!

Anyway, I'm "surfing the web" using myself for the search, when I come across a photo of this nice Hubley helicopter. They had given me their permission, and so this is today's blog post.

I revisited their website, downloaded the photos and description of the helicopter, and "voila", here is their post.

"In their own words"

Hubley Kiddie Toy No.1484 Mighty Metal Helicopter

Here's an interesting "helo" I picked up. Hubley made this diecast helicopter sometime in the 1950's and it was a nice addition  to their line of diecast airplanes. The only thing is, while the airplanes were definitely based on actual planes, this "helo" appears to be a caricature. I can 

find no photos of any helicopter that matches the outlines of this. The Piasecki YH-16 kinda, sort of matches it, except that the Piasecki is a r-e-a-l long helicopter when compared to this. What differs on the toy vs. the prototypes are two main features: the odd cockpit (there were some really unusual cockpits in earlier helicopters, but the toy doesn't match any of them); and the air intakes at the bottom of the rear fuselage.  THe YH-16 does not have air intake bulges sticking out from its' fuselage but they're higher up the body. 

Anyhow, the toy came in two colors that I'm aware of (yellow and blue) and two sets of markings that I'm aware of (star-&-bar and forest ranger). Often times the star-&-bar insignia is wrongly placed in an upside-down position. The star-&-bar insignia was used by all the services so you can make believe it flew for the Air Force, Coast Guard, Navy, whatever. The fuselage measures 9" (22.86cm) L x 1 5/8" (4.12cm) W x 3 3/4" (9.52cm) H The landing gear spreads out to 5" (12.7cm) wide and the rotors are 8 1/2" (21.59cm) L.  

Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

            You can see the care and attention that Edward placed into taking this                       excellent photos. So venture forth to Edward and Bettina's website and see  their fine blog for yourselves.

Thank's for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night.

Stacey Bindman

Toysearcher@gmail.com

A Nicely Photographed Hubley "Coast-to-Coast" Bus

 Thursday,October 5, 2015

A Nicely Photographed Hubley

Coast-to-Coast Bus

Please click here to visit Gotham City Toys on E-Bay

      I was searching through my past posts, when I came across the Gotham City Toys post.  I then decided to have a look at what was for sale on their E-Bay store, when my eye caught sight of this wonderful cast iron bus. So from there, I decided to present it for today. There were lots of photos which allow the viewer or potential buyer to see all the different features of the toy.

1927~Scarce~10 inch Hubley Cast Iron COAST to COAST BUS 

with INTEGRAL DRIVER

The photo above shows you the bus driver that was a part of the left side casting.The tires and hubs appear to be new since they are in such excellent shape.  However, overall, this toy is in very good condition.

So that's it for today, and I hope everyone is enjoying the fall weather, because pretty soon, we'll be having winter, which I can do without!

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)

Have You Any Idea How Much This Toy is Worth?

Tuesday, January 12, 2015
  Overcast, will snow, -8 Celcius/17.6 F

Have You Any Idea How

Much This Toy is Worth?

   I received an e-mail over the weekend from Paula Lind. There were just 3 photos and a request to offer my estimate as to how much the toy was worth. I wrote Paula back to say that if she sent me more photos, then I'd add a post for her, and perhaps one of my readers could help out.  SUre enough, Paula sent me more photos, and that's today;s post.

    I did a bit of work on the photos to better expose them too show the details, especially in the shadows.

The one thing that I forgot to ask Paula is the size of the toy. Paula also wrote to say that she thinks the toy is a Hubley, and that is is designed after the Chrysler Airflow. If Paula is correct, then that would place the toy around the late 1930's, since that is when the Airflow was manufactured. 

The Chrysler Airflow was a beautiful car, but was never a success. It was made for a few years and then production was stopped. 

One thing about Paula's toy is that it has wood wheels. COuld it also have been made around the late 1930's and early 1940's when America went to war (WWII)? In that case, wooden wheels would have been used to save on metal, since metal was needed for the war effort/

I intentionally left the out-of-focus (camera movement) photo below as part of the images that Paula sent. I like the "sense of  motion" that the blurred image conveys.

Also, the truck is missing its' rear door.

If anyone out there can help answer Paula's question about the value of the toy, both I and Paula would be very grateful.

My e-mail address can always be found at the end of each and every post.

But for today here it also is:

toysearcher@gmail.com

So that's it on this Tuesday, January 12, 2015. Snow is expected to fall in Montreal later today and tomorrow, but the good news is that the weather will remain somewhat "warm". Of course, "warm" is all relative as to where thou live. In Florida or Australia, Montreal at this time is "freezing", but in Alaska, or Canada's NorthWest Territories, Montreal is having a heat wave!

** Update (January 12, 2015 evening)

I did some cursory searching and I think that this toy is a Wyandotte oil truck, rather than a Hubley. It's pressed steel, and was most likely made in the late 1930's or early 1940's.  I found similar Wyandotte trucks to this one, but not the same one. The exaggerated fenders and wheel wells are characteristic of the Wyandotte cars and trucks of that era.

Paula informed me that this toy was her uncle's who was born in 1932. THe length of the truck was also about 8" long ( 203 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

A Very Early Hubley Train

Monday, March 31, 2014
              (Sunny and milder)

A Very Early Hubley Train

   I was browsing yesterday, when I came across a very old train made by Hubley. I was looking on the Bertoia Auctions website, when  an image of the train appeared. The orange platform attracted my attention, and so I investigated further. As it turned out,this particular toy was manufactured about the late 1890's!

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions fascinating website

   "HUBLEY ELEVATED RAILWAY

c. late 1890's, an impressive cast iron toy rendition of an arched tramway with steam output locomotive operated by central clockwork mechanism: cast trestles support split round track with centre supported board containing the dual clockwork gear. 30" diameter (762 mm). Break to one base trestle & tie support, repaint to trestles, board and clockwork professionally made for track, overall (VG Condition".*

 Description courtesy of Bertoia Auctions*

Those cast iron  vertical posts and the yellow/orange combination archways are beautiful to look at. 

 I like the old font style, which back then was modern. Also,the toy was patented on April 11, 1893.

Just a great photograph of a great antique toy!

There is a small hook hanging underneath the train locomotive. I would assume that the train moved around the track buy being attached to the horizontal rod that you see below. I'm also assuming the mechanism was windup, and that once wound, the rod or arm below would be hooked up to the locomotive and move the train and coal car in a circle. 

What's interesting to note is that the tracks  do not have ties, thus the arm below can move around in a circle. If you look closely at the above photos, you can see the spar between the left and right side of the rails.

It's truly amazing to be able to find older toys that I've never seen before.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night

wherever you my be,

Stacey

Please feel free to write me at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Yes,We Have Other Colours - Black!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Yes, We have Other Colours - Black

   I've been working around the house preparing for winter (ugh!). I've been moving more of our summer furniture inside our basement storage area. Also, this week, I decided to build garden tool cart. It took a while to figure out how to make it. I had purchase a 4 shelf rack, but it was poorly designed to assemble. I wrote the company to "suggest" a better design, but like many companies, they don;t bother to reply - their loss! And so, I decide to build one out of wood.  It came out quite well, but of course, it took trial and error, and some learning. So today, I'm back to writing.

    There's a famous story about Henry Ford in his early years with the success of his cars.  After making hundreds of thousands of cars in black, a reporter asked Henry if he was ever going to make his cars in any other colour. He answered "Yes, in black".

    Bertoia auctions has a Christmas Auction coming up in about 60 days, and their first listings at their website are all black cast iron cars. So that's my post for today. They photographed the cars on black, but they show better against white, which I have done lately in Photoshop, I wonder if  Mr. Henry Ford would approve?

Please click here to be redirected to Bertoia Auctions fine website

I like the way the red gas pump enhances the vertical composition of the 6 composite photo pairings.

Of course, Mr. Ford eventually added other colour choices to his line of cars.  It just took him a "bit' longer than everyone else.

Thanks for dropping by,

and a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey 

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hubley Ferris Wheel

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

The Hubley Ferris Wheel

    The other day, I was looking for material for my next blog when I saw a nice ferris wheel. When I looked more closely at the description, I realized that the  was Hubley (USA), the material was cast iron and pressed steel, and the date was circa 1930's. I was surprised, since I never knew that Hubley made such detailed and complex toys in that era.

Press this sentence to be redirected to the Bertoia website

The inner star-shaped frame that holds the outer wheel in place is cast iron, 

as are the small figures and the gondolas.

     I like the way the geared wind-up is exposed to the viewer. I also like the wound up spring that will unwind as the ferris wheel rotates through the gear and chain. Notice that the gondola on this model is different from the model below.

A better view of the mechanical device that moves the ferris wheel.

A pair of cast iron figures inside the cast iron gondola.

A view of the cast iron base plate that supports the ferris wheel.

It's always a pleasant experience to discover a new old toy, and I hope that you like the Hubley as much as I do. Wait till you see my presentation tomorrow. When I went from the Liveauctioneers 

website to the Bertoia Auctions website, I got another surprise. 

Bertoia Auctions for their May 3-4, 2013 auction has 2 exceptional Doll et Cie (Germany) ferris wheels made about 1904. These are really exceptional pieces, and the starting bid price is  very high. These are really fine toys for so long ago, and they're truly antiques (100 years +).

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Stacey