A Visitor Asks for Help in Pricing his Toy Collection

Sunday, February 2, 2025

-13° C / 9° F

Overcast and Damp

A Visitor Asks for Help in Pricing His Toys

I don't get a lot of e-mail, but whenever I do, I answer the questions or search for answers. So when (Mr.) Guy Tillman wrote to me asking if I might evaluate his toys, I was surprised, since that was a "first" for me. I did a few searches, found the answers, and then screen-captured the sites where the answers were found.

Of course, estimating prices is difficult, since it can be subjective. Also,

without the toy in front of you in your hand, it's hard to see every small detail or dent, or wear and tear of tires,  and so on.....

So for today, I'm presenting a group of toys for everyone to see, I'd also be 

interested if people would write to me about their experiences in buying and selling toys. 

As well, I could use some help if some readers could find these toys on the Net, and

send me the address, so I could send the prices to Guy. If you prefer to just send me the addresses, then feel free to do that.

Group 1

Group 2

This is a Louis Marx Allstate Steel Cab

It measures 14" long x 6" wide x 6.5" high

(35.6 cm x 16.5 cm x 15.25 cm)

 

Group 3

This toy is called a "dump trailer"

It measures 17" long x 6" tall x 6" wide

(43.18 cm x 15.24 cm x 15.24 cm)

Group 4

This Louis Marx toy is called a "moving van"

It measures 20" long x 8 1/2" tall x 6" wide

(50.8 cm x 21.6 cm x 15.25 cm)

        

Group 5

Super Trailer Measurement

17" long x 8" tall x 6" wide

43.2 cm x 20.3 cm x  15.25 cm

Group 6

This is a "super trailer combination" which is made up

of the Super trailer and the super trailer pup.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a fine day.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

 

Joel Siegel's Popeye Toys

 January 22, 2022

Overcast with some sun

-17 Celcius. 1.4 Fahrenheit

Joel Siegel's Popeye Toys

Among the many toys that are up for auction, there are several interesting Popeye toys from the 1930's - 1940's. I've already written a previous post about the Late Joel Siegel. You might want to visit this post that is the one before this one. Mr. Siegel was an exceptional man whom you might have seem on Good Morning America on ABC years ago.

Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar. The character first appeared in the daily King Features comic strip Thimble Theatre on January 17, 1929, and Popeye became the strip's title in later years. The character has also appeared in theatrical and television animated cartoons.

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye

"Popeye in a Barrel"

J.Chein Wind-Up Toy

1930's, tin litho, King Features Syndicate

When wound up with integral key, Popeye hops around

"Popeye and Olive Oyl on Roof"

Louis Marx

Circa 1935 Wind-Up Toy

Wen wound up with integral key, Popeye dances and Olive Oyl sways

"Popeye Dippy Dumper Funny Car"

Louis Marx

Circa 1940 Wind-Up Toy

Tin truck with integral key, celluloid figure

When wound, truck lurches

6" x 9"  152 mm x 228 mm 

Please Click Here to Visit Leland Little Auctions on LiveAuctioneers.com

So that's it for today, and I hope everyone is all bundled 

up and masked both for the very cold weather, and for Covid.

Thanks for dropping by

and have a great day.

You can always reach me at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Louis Marx and Company - Larger Than Life!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Louis Marx and Company

(Larger than Life!)

Introduction

Do I write about the Company or Mr. Marx?

     To be honest, I wasn't going to write about the  Louis Marx and Company toy company. I'm still trying to figure out how to find toy patents at the U.S. Patent Office, and again, I failed! I did find a site that has patent photos, and I was able to be redirected to the U.S.Patent Office to get a Louis Marx Patent of one of his more interesting toys.  However, I only could match 1 toy with 1 patent photo. 

    I then did a cursory check to see if I ever wrote about this historic toy company, and I didn't find a single solo entry. I did have Marx toys "all over the place", but not 1 entry just on Mr Marx and his company. Shamefully, that for me would like saying that I wrote a novel about the car industry, and didn't include Henry Ford and the Ford Motor Company.

    You can best get a fine easy-to-read narrative on Wikepedia about the Company and Mr. Marx, but here's a brief write-up from what I can remember. Louis Marx graduated high school in 1911 at the age of 15. He started work for a toy company called Ferdinand Strauss, and was managing the company's East Rutherford, (New Jersey) plant by 1916 (age 20). The company and Mr. Marx had a falling out, and Louis left  (was fired). He joined the army, and by 1918 was a sergeant.  He briefly worked for a Vermont wood toy manufacture, successfully increasing their business many times over, before deciding to start up his own company in 1919, with his brother David. By 1922, he was a millionaire. 

    Like Henry Ford, he used the concept of mass production, to make toys by the shipload, and at  in the 1950's, his company was the largest toy manufacturer in the world. He eventually sold the company to Quaker Oats in 1972 after having just retired. He was a dedicated patriotic man, who helped consult on the rebuilding toy factories in Europe after WWII to help with the redevelopment of Europe. As well, he would often donate lots of toys to various charities for poor children.

The Toys

     When you look at toy auction companies, E-Bay, toy collectors, you can't help but notice how many Marx toys are still around, and in such abundance.  Also, when you look at the licensing of famous cartoon characters (e.g. Popeye) to toy companies, Marx by far stands out. whereas, the "other" companies might have 1 or 2 examples of a character (e.g. Popeye), Marx would have 6-8 different toys of Popeye, Popeye and Olive 'Oyl, and so forth. 

 

     I normally present 10 toy photos on a post. However, with Mr. Marx, I presented a bit more. He wouldn't have wanted any less, and I know he deserved the small effort on my part. If I ever figure out how the U.S.Patent Office  works, I will return with more of Louis Marx. His name always seems to appear on those patent pages, and I like that!

Thanks as always for visiting,

and have a great part of the day or night, 

wherever you may be.

Stacey