Don't Throw Away That Box!!

Saturday, October 13, 2018
Overcast with Clouds
8C  46F

Don't Throw Away That Box !!

Please click here to visit this exceptional fine American auctioneer

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions on Liveauctioneers.com

   It's now the (autumn) fall season, and many auctions have auctions at this time. Bertoia Auctions is the first no exception.  Bertoia Auctions is  one of the first company that allowed me to use their excellently-photographed images for my blog. They're located in New Jersey, and as many other auctioneers have modernized their company. One of the ways that they have done this is to use Liveauctioneers to show their photographs and descriptions, and to allow buyers to bid there. The date for this current auction is November 9-11, 2018.

  The reason for my blog title is that most everyone throws away the box that a toy came with. Of course, if you like to do puzzles, you naturally keep the box for storage. But everything else, you usually throw away the box. Keeping the box with the toy enhances its' value, and also provides information about the toy, in terms of who manufactured the toy, and sometimes the date.

  I didn't provide information for the toys today, as you can readily see the name of the toy maker on the box. Most of the toys have winding mechanisms, and all of the toys are manufactured from pressed steel, except for Henry and the Swan, which is made from celluloid, except for the wheels and the small wagon, which are also made from pressed steel.

   I've only selected a small group of boxed toys for this auction, buy there in total fine groupings of many different types of toys for sale. 

In Bertoia Auctions Own Words:

"This is certain to be “A Sale for Everybody” with impressive highlights throughout all categories.

Just in time for the Holiday season, we present our two day annual fall auction with a bonus third day event. Highlighting the Pressed Steel & Pedals Cars will be the Tiny Moyer and Eugene DeGraw Collections. An added bonus is a outstanding Kingsbury collection from the midwest with many scarce variations purchased in the Kaufman auctions. Collectors of cast iron will be delighted with the line-up of autos, cycles, and horse-drawn toys. A special offering of a series of Vindex farming toys which had been boxed up in a Michigan barn for over two decades will be sure to draw interest. Doorstops and mechanical banks in quality condition will be offered on the Saturday section.

The Christmas section is sure to impress the most advanced of collectors with candy containers, nodders, nice kugels, and belsnickles leading the category. A decades old Halloween collection from a Pennsylvania farmhouse will be debuted in the November auction with an exciting variety from masks to lanterns to display figures. Very clean tinplate wind-ups will be presented with a range from boxed Comic Characters examples like Mickey Mouse to scarce Lehmanns and unique European obscurities. Autos, cycles, airplanes, and trains will cover the European transportation toy category. Approximately fifty penny toys will be sure to capture attention with nice motorcycles, whimsical figures, and more. Advertising and country store memorabilia will be well represented with signage, trade stimulators, gasoline globes, and more."

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

Gunthermann Mechanical Characters

Sunday, January 21, 2018
Overcast
-1 C  30.2 F

Gunthermann Mechanical Characters

Please click here to visit this exceptional American toy auctioneer

When you visit  liveauctioneers, you are able not only to go to the latest auction, but you are

capable of visiting their past auctions. I'm writing about Bertoia Auctions' June 3, 2017 auction today. There, I found many Gunthermann tin wind-up toys , with some being able to produce music.  I was surprised, because I don't ever think that I wrote about these toys. So I looked through this auction, and decided to write about them for today. All of today's toys are either hand-painted or lithographed on tin.  They also have mechanical wind-up movements that allow them to move the characters, and in some cases to even play music.  Most of these toys were in high demand  at this auction, and all were in fact sold in the 4-digit prices! 

Gunthermann Clown See-Saw Toy (Germany)

Hand-painted clockwork tin toy featuring the centre toy being able to 

roll back and forth on his small cart, with music emitted from the box

on the platform base.

L x W:  14" x 4"   (365mm x 102 mm)

Gunthermann Whimsical Animals Swing Toy

Very charming German tin toy, hand painted and clockwork driven, features a dressed standing dog who appears to rock his friend the dressed frog in a swing, all the while a performing poodle spins on a disc table, a very unusual tin toy. 10" (254 mm) width

Gunthermann Jiggs Bumper Car

Extremely rare example, c. 1926, 

lithographed tin amusement style toy ride, 

seated Jiggs character, clockwork driven, 5" (127 mm) width

Gunthermann Dog Trainer

Wonderful early hand painted toy of dog trainer and dog, plink-plank mechanism, when activated dog trainer raises his arms which hold a training stick and the dog with spring tail jumps up, nice form and movement. 8" ( 202 mm) height

Gunthermann Mutt and Jeff Clockwork Toy

Litho tin wind up toy, working, c. 1925, made in Germany, great form. 

At one time considered almost rare but a few have surfaced in the last 20 years and now considered hard to find. 6" (152 mm) length.

Musical Gunthermann Clown Toy

Hand painted whimsical toy features large seated clown at center holding leash for the pig, as the clockwork motor is activated, the large wheel rolls causing the small clown riding a pig to run and the entire toy revolves on the floor and plays a tune. 8 1/2" (216 mm) height .

Gunthermann Dancer and Flutist

Germany, early hand painted example, bright colors, clockwork activates twirling motions of dancer as plink-plink sounds emit from shared base, dancer depicted in classic ballerina cloth tutu, clown musician seated on bass drum. 9" ( 228 mm) height

Gunthermann Musician Toy - Violin & Banjo

Germany, hand painted tin toy, clockwork allows plink-plink music, 

depicts two minstrels seated in chairs 

with instruments in hand, a rare and desirable piece. 9" (228 mm) width.

Gunthermann Cat Violinist

Hand painted tin in impressive original conditon, clever plink-plank toy, 

depicts cat playing violin while his tail moves in rhythm, red base has some flaking primarily to one side, otherwise in uncommonly strong condition and bright colors. 7 1/2" (191 mm) height.

That's it for another post.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great day or night.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hess Toy Company

2016-14-2016
Sunny with clear skies
13 Celsius / 65 Fahrenheit

The Hess Toy Company

I copied the images below from the James D. Julia  website. Before Mr.Julia sold this toy division to Mr. Dan Morphy (Morphy Auctions), this division was a very successful division. I'm still fortunate that Mr. Julia still has toy content on his website. Before the sale, this website was one of the best for toys and of course, his other divisions. It has great and detailed information about toys, as well as excellent photography.

Pair Of Hess Automobiles

This pair of Hess automobiles, one an open touring car and the second an enclosed limousine are in virtually near mint unplayed with condition. To engage the mechanism, one would turn the crank extending from the radiator on each car in a counterclockwise method in order for the car to move forward. The wheels show minimal wear where either toy was run on the floor but the lithography on the side of each vehicle is extremely vibrant, almost as though these toys were made just yesterday! One cannot say enough about these vehicles or their overall condition considering they are probably 80+ years old. SIZE: Approx 10″ and 9″  (254mm and 229 mm)  length respectively

 PROVENANCE: The Estate of Carol and Jerry Soling. 

                                                             HESSMOBIL RUNABOUT.

Classic toy manufactured by John Hess circa teens/1920s. This runabout roadster has the typical crank wind mechanism that would engage a flywheel and let the car run in a forward or reverse motion. Car is in pristine original condition with black lithographed running boards and a maroon body. Typical Hess logo on trunk of car with the normal chauffeur with goggles driving. An interesting feature is how often toy companies borrowed/copies one another. The following lot is a Japanese version which is virtually identical in many respects. The questions is which came first – the chicken or the egg? Or in this case, the Hess version or the Japanese version. SIZE: Approx 8″ (203 mm) length.

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Carol and Jerry Soling. 

                                           HESSMOBILE OPEN TOURING CAR WITH OB.

Similar to the early Hess touring car but smaller in size, but virtually in very fine to near mint condition. The litho is vibrant & bright and the cardboard box has no markings other than 1021 stamped on the lid, which is the same number stamped on the radiator of this vehicle. Again, toy is activated by a crank on the front of the vehicle. Mechanics appear to be in functional operational condition. SIZE: Approx 8-1/2″ (216 mm) length

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Carol and Jerry Soling. 

HESS RACER 

Brightly lithographed racer. Lithographed “Hess Mobile” on hood. Has red wheels, a racer with goggles and a charming woman by his side. Also, has a flywheel mechanism. 

SIZE: 6″  (152 mm) length

Grouping of Three Hess Automobiles & Two Hess Boys on Sleds

Three friction lithographed Hess automobiles, two being 4-passenger vehicles and the third being a Bowtailed roadster. All three vehicles marked on their front radiators, fine lithography, and again these toys show very little play use. The two boys on sleds, one is clockwork and the second is friction. Both toys marked with the Hess logo and are virtually in very fine to near mint original condition. SIZE: Approx 5-1/2″, 5-1/4″, 6″ and 6″ lengths  respectively. 

PROVENANCE: The Estate of Carol and Jerry Soling.

Hess toys are easily identifiable. In the image above on the side of the touring automobile, you will see the Hess logo. In the other photos, you can see the word Hessmobile on the from of the automobiles.

I couldn't find any history about the Hess Company.  

All the search engine showed were modern-era toys of the Hess oil company trucks.

If anyone reading this has the information, would you please forward it to me, either in writing, or if there is a website, then the website. My e-mail address is below my name in cyan (light blue) below.

Thanks for dropping by,

and always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com