A Fabulous Grouping of Dent Airplanes

Monday, May 15, 2017
Cloudy with Sunny Periods
12 C    54 F

A Fabulous Collection of Dent Airplanes

     I was browsing some of my helpful auctioneers, when I came across  a great grouping of cast iron toys. One of the sub-groups happened to be a group of 6 Dent cast iron airplanes from the 1930's-1940's. You don't often see such groupings, so I decided to screen capture the group of these fine airplanes and post them today.If you venture forth to the web address below the Pook & Pook logo, you will be redirected to the Pook & Pook website.

Please click here to be redirected to the Pook & Pook Website

Below is the grouping of 6 Dent airplanes. They're photographed excellently by the Pook & Pook photographers. When you go their website, and redirect to "past auctions", you will be able to view these airplanes.  When you click on the above link, you will read about the history of the 

Pook & Pook company. I was lucky to have visited their website, and found this rarer group of airplanes. The auction also went very well, judging by the prices that these airplanes (And other cast iron toys) received at the auction.

There was only 1 photo of each airplane. However, Pook & Pook offers a magnification 

feature that allows you to enlarge different parts of the airplane.

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propellers

12 1/2" ( 315 mm) wingspan

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propellers

12 1/2" ( 315 mm) wingspan

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propeller

10" (254 mm) wingspan

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propellers

12 1/2" ( 315 mm) wingspan

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propellers

12 3/4" ( 315 mm) wingspan

Figural Pilot

3" 75 mm) high

I've never seen a cast iron airplane with a pilot before!

Nickel-Plated Engine & Propellers

10" ( 254 mm) wingspan 

It looks like the weather is chaining to more sun than cloud. 

As well, the temperature forecast is going to be 21 C ( 70 F).

I'll be going for a 2 hour walk in order to get back

into shape for cycling. I need to strengthen my muscles so that 

I can then start to cycle again, as well as walk.

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

The Carpenter Three Storey Burning Building - Model III

Tuesday October 28, 2014
Later afternoon-overcast and no rain

The Carpenter Company Three Storey Burning Building 

Model III

   Eureka! 

  I found the third model of the Carpenter Burning Building that James D. Julia Inc. had described in his sale of the second model (model II) of the Carpenter Burning Building description. James D. Julia had mentioned that there were in fact three (3) models of this 1890's exceptional toy,but I had only known initially of one,. With the currently scheduled Bertoia Auction of the Max Berry Collection being presented on November 14-14, 2014, I discovered the second model - a two ladder, two story burning building. 

  Todays post # 3  completes the series of three of the 1890's Carpenter Company cast iron "Burning Building" triad of 3 models. This model was sold by Pook & Pook, another exceptional American Auction Company. I've left their identifying photo characteristic in the photo, rather than go with my white background/white foundation modification. They photograph their items in different ways, but this nice material easily identifies them whenever you see an item from their company on the Net.

   As with all three of these fine auctioneers,Bertoia Auctions, James D.Julia Inc.,and Pook and Pook Inc., you will always see the most interesting items, superb photography,and well-written descriptions.

Please click here to visit this very fine American Auction Company

Pook  & Pook's  model completes the beautiful entry of the Carpenter Company's

Burning Building Series. Their entry is a three story, one ladder toy.

Carpenter cast iron and wood burning three-story

Carpenter cast iron and wood burning three-story building with firemen and rescue women.

Height:  22 3/4"   578  mm*

* Description Courtesy of Pook & Pook Inc.

Once again, this Carpenter toy was built from wood and cast iron.  There was no mention of weight, but I'm sure it must be another "heavyweight". In this model, it appears that the hero firemen are able to save two women. The latter is attached via a horizontal bar and can move from left to right and vice versa. 

If you haven't read the previous posts, the way the foreman saves the lady is by climbing the ladder. When his raised right hand gets to the lady in yellow, he will be able to hook his hand in her arranged circle of her two clasped hands and arms.

Pook & Pook Inc. took an excellent illustrative photo 

to explain how the fireman would save the lady.

Once again, you can see how the patina is so smooth and the figures were addled by small hands and probably large ones (adults) over time. The paint is smooth, lustrous, and in some places simply fell off.

I like the ornate pattern of the building and of course the "horrendous" fire

 that is coming out form the apartment. It's a good thing that these firemen came prepared with a three-0story ladder and not a two-story one - otherwise there wouldn't a happy ending for all of the years that this toy has existed - almost 115 years x 365 days, plus leap years, weekends,after homework evenings, holidays…. You get the picture!

Thanks for visiting,and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Do You Believe What We Just Saw?

Friday, September 5, 2014
              Sunny and very warm

Do You Believe What We Just Saw?

  Several years ago, my sister and brother-in-law visited us. One morning, my sitter woken up early and decided to walk our dog Buddy. As she's walking Buddy, she cannot believe her eyes. In from of her, in the middle of the street is a chicken. A lady on a bicycle soon peddles close to my sister, and she too see the chicken. Soon the single chicken is followed by 3 more chickens! 

  It turned out that a distant neighbour from a distant different country was raising chickens in his back yard for eating., and the chickens escaped from the coop. Needless to say, some other neighbour complained to the city, the city sent the security guard, and informed the chicken grower that there was a bylaw with which people could not grow chickens in their back yard.

Please click here to visit the fine American auctioneer's website

Today's post is about pull carts, but my sister's short story fits in well with these carts. I have seen photos of ostrich carts, donkey, and horse carts, and even a photo of a Bernese (German large dog) mountain dog cart.

I'm not so sure about the chicken,rabbit and rooster carts though!

There's a term in writing called "poetic license". The term simply means a deviation from the normal or conventional manner of writing in order to create the story. With toy carts, there appears to have been lots of "creative license" in order to manufacture carts. 

I doubt if a lion would enjoy pulling a cart!

I like the use of "creative license" especially in the area of "exaggeration".

IN the 2 photos below we see a very small donkey and a super-sized duck!

Of course, best of all is Santa delivering his toys with his reindeer. I have seen reindeer being used to pull sleds. And in keeping with the "spirit" of Christmas, I'm sure that all children would have been happy to receive any toy cart and it's puller!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Zoomify!

Monday, July 8, 2014
              Overcast and rain

Zoomify!

I was playing around with a feature on Pook & Pook Inc. last week. For those who don;t know, Zoomify is a software that allows merchants to have their viewers enlarge parts of their items that are up for sale or auction. Where I came to "play around", was what I had been thinking. What if I enlarged my screen on my computer (a 27" iMac) and at the same time used Zoomify at the same time? So I decided to try this out early this morning and see what the results would be.

Please click here to visit this fine antique auctioneer's website

This is the normal view when looking at an auction item on the Pook & Pook Inc. website

Here's a screen-capture of the Zoomify software being used.

The size of the screen-capture is 6.39 MB, which is quite large.My normal screen capture for any image is usually about 600 KB. What I then do is resize the image to 144 dpi, which is better when viewing in the magnified mode of Blogger.

Because the Zoomify  enlarges so much, you only get to see small parts of the whole picture.

HWhat I did below was to show you 2 parts of the donkey that I screen captured, then attached them together.

Here are the combined 2 images. 

When you examine the photo in the slide mode of Blogger, you will see the beauty of the small details of this fine wood toy.

By the way, the toy is called a "pull toy". It was meant to have a string or cord attached to it, and to be pulled along behind the child.

 The image above is at its maximum enlargement in Zoomify.

The # 1 arrow illustrates the actual magnification area being enlarged.

The # 2 arrow are the functions to move, rotate, enlarge or reduce the size of the image.

You can;t see the whole image enlarged, because the image would not fit on your computer screen.

What I did was to take 2 screen-captures and join them together.

Now you have an enlarged view idea of the coach.

Here's a partial enlargement of the largest magnification possible in Zoomify.

Just look at the wonderful braided tails on these 2 horses.

Don't forget that you can view this image in the Blogger slide mode.

It's amazing how toys like this were once made by hand!

The age of the toy was not mentioned in the description of this toy. I am assuming that it us in fact "old".  But if you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that I like detail, and the ability too see the detail.

Notice the long coat of the driver, his hat with the red band, and those white boot coverings.

The small child next to him is also interesting.

Notice the large-sized white shirt collar around the boy's neck,and the long hair. 

The child reminds me of William Shakespeare portraits.

I assume that this couple are passengers and perhaps the parents of the child next to the driver of the coach. Look at the wrinkles in the left arm of the  the male passenger! 

Love that detail!

I decided to leave this image straightforward (no white background effect).

The hand painted detail with the human touch shows! 

The black rings of the large wheels are not 100%, and I like the brush strokes on the stagecoach doors!

Sometimes, as that famous expression goes, "you have to stop and small the roses",

That simple means to slow down and take in the scenery and the beauty around you.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Exceptional "Les-Paul" Modern Era Toy Reproductions

   Monday, June 30, 2014
Overcast with very high temperatures & humidity

Les-Paul Toys

  A few days ago, I was on the Pook & Pook Inc. website selecting nice cast iron toy and salesman sample ovens for yesterday's post. At the same time, I notices a few contemporary (modern) reproductions of old trucks. These were made by a company called Les-Paul. I tried to research the name, but forgot to bookmark the little information that I could find.  What I do remember is that 2 brothers created the company. I don't think that it's in business anymore, but they made a nice collection of reproductions based on the pressed steel toys of the 1920's-1930's. Also, the major problem when searching for a toy company by the name of Les-Paul is that you keep getting results for the famous American electric guitar by of course Les Paul!

Please click here to visit this fine auction company

Every Les Paul toy has a riveted nameplate on the side. 

That's a reproduction of 1920's Mack Truck logo

It's hard to see what the logo is, but it's a bulldog shredding a newspaper in its mouth.

 This is a beautiful Richfield twin tanker that measures a massive 49 1/2" ( 1.257m).

I'm 100% sure these items are collectables rather than being used as toys.

I like the old-fashioned  brass-coloured spout or spigot that you see above.

Pook & Pook Inc. usually present just 1 image for each auction listing. However they have an excellent feature that allows you to zoom in and examine details close-up. I did a screen-capture to illustrate this.

I'll be presenting more of these fine contemporary Les-Paul toys in the near future. When I see restored toys or modern-era reproductions, I try to visualize what a child in 1920-1930 must have felt when he received such wonderful toys for his/her birthday or Christmas!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey 

toysearcher@gmail.com