A Visit to American Antique Auctions

Monday, November 4, 2024

4°C / 37.2 ° F

Overcast with rain later

A Return Visit to 

American Antique Auctions

I hadn't written a blog post for American Antique Auctions in a long time. So I wrote to them to ask for permission to write a blog post for them. I received a fast reply from Mr.Vince Sarchese, one of the 2 owners of this excellent auction company. He gave me the permission, but took the time to write a small biography of the company and how the auction toy industry is at this point in time. His writing and description were excellent, and  I  replied that he should be writing a blog. Of course, he's busy enough with his company.

You're probably wondering why I included the guitar below.

The answer was that it was a beautiful guitar that was photographed

so simple, yet it made the Guild Starfire IV Guitar #1357 stand out so majestically.

Of course, I did gather a nice grouping of toys from this auctioneer.

Description

1920's Sturditoy's America LaFrance Water Tower Fire Engine No. 9

Large pressed steel fire truck with working crank tower, 

32 inches ( 81.28 cm) long

Description Above

Bing hook and ladder tin litho garage 

 and fire trucks in composition with 

firemen figures

Description Above:

Tootsietoy travel Trailer and car, 

wind-up streamlined cars

and wrecker, and Kansas race car lot

Description Above:

German tin wind-up beetles. Stock & Co.

and other German toy beetles.

As I checked my e-mail 2 days after I posted this post, I received a surprise

e-mail from Mr. Vince Sarches, one of the owners of

American Antique Auctions.

It was the trio of excellently-photographed 

images of a Ferdinand Strauss Santa Claus with a pair of reindeers.

And so, even it is only the beginning of November,

I would like to wish each and everyone who visits 

and sees this post, a Merry Christmas,

and a Healthy and Happy New Year.

Please click on this sentence to redirect to the 

American Antique Auctions site on Liveauctioneers

The Buddy "L" Museum

Monday, December 5, 2016
Overcast with flurries
2 Celsius 36 Fahrenheit

The Buddy "L"Museum

Please click here to visit this most interesting toy museum

The Buddy "L" museum is an actual museum and has an informative website on the Internet.  Not only do they have Buddy "L"toys, but they have Sturditoy, Keystone, Steelcraft, and other  brand of toys. I wrote to the Museum, and received a reply from Mr. Jeff Richards who wrote to say that I have their permission to use their photos. The Museum not only collects toys, but buys and appraises toys as well. Many of the toys that are presented on their website have been donated to the museum, which is a non-profit organization. The site has information on the companies of the toys they have.

They also happens to be consultants to American Pickers, the TV show about antiques and collectibles.

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

Sturditoys

Wednesday, November 23, 2016
Cloud with some sun
1 Celsius 41 Fahrenheit

Sturditoys

"Sturditoy, the Pressed Metal Company, brought the introduction in 1926 of nine marvelous pressed steel toy trucks and a steam shovel from a company in Pawtucket, Rhode Island under the trade name "Sturditoy". Manufactured by The Pressed Metal Company, these trucks featured solid disc wheels, hard rubber "Firestone" tires and heavy steel bumpers. Sturditoys were advertised as "True Lines of Modern Motor Fire Apparatus and Modern Business Trucks" which duplicated real trucks found on the highways of America in 1926. The most noted items produced that first year were the highly acclaimed "Pumper" and "Chemical Fire Auto Truck" and the "Water Auto Tower". Each of these toy fire fighting vehicles were equipped with a real water tank and hand-operated pump which could propel a stream of water 25 feet. Both fire trucks were reported to be copies of American-LaFrance Company. By the end of 1927, a total of 14 Sturditoy trucks and one steam shovel were being offered by The Pressed Metal Company. In 1929 the Sturditoy Company announced the addition of 5 new trucks, bringing the total to 25. Sturditoys were committed to history in 1933 when they ceased to be produced."*

Citation: http://www.pressedsteelmetaltoys.com/sturditoy_toys.htm

Please click here to visit this exceptional toy auctioneer

STURDITOY U.S. MAIL TRUCK
C. 1920's, pressed steel painted in blue color overall with black fenders, mesh side body, rubber tires, red disc wheels, full decals, opening rear door with missing latch, this appears to be one of the finest quality dark blue U.S. mail trucks known; condition is unbelievable. 

Length: 26"  660 mm  

STURDITOY "AMERICAN LAFRANCE" WATER TOWER TRUCK
C. 1929, pressed steel, painted in red overall, fire truck features water pump, extensive tower detail, bell on frame support, decals on sides and hoods, rubber tires with disc wheels. 

 Amateur restauration.

Length: 34"  863 mm 

STURDITOY U.S. POLICE TRUCK
Fully restored, painted in proper blue color, mesh side body, rubber tires, 

red disc wheels, full decals, opening rear door. 

Length: 26"  660 mm

STURDITOY TRUCKING COMPANY WRECKER
C. 1926, doorless cab has lifting and towing boom mounted in service body with rear step, plated bumper, headlights and license plates, disc wheels with rubber tires. . Original paint, decals, headlights and bumper, wear to paint; a good cleaning would improve full grade.

Length: 27" 685 mm 

STURDITOY COAL TRUCK
C. 1920's, pressed steel, painted orange overall with black fenders, features enclosed, doorless cab, three compartments, open top body, tilt dump lever, rubber tires, disc wheels.

Fully restored.

Length: 25" 635 mm

STURDITOY SIDE DUMP TRUCK
C. 1926, "Sturditoy Construction Co.," black enclosed cab, green side dump, red 

chassis, rubber tires, disc wheels, decal on rear of side dump body. Professionally restored.

Length: 24" 610 mm

STURDITOY STEAM SHOVEL
Pressed steel construction equipment, painted in green housing, two side windows, 

black steam boiler, decals on sides, heavy disc wheels, moveable black shovel and boom. 

Length: 26"  660 mm

STURDITOY DAIRY TRUCK w/TANKER TRAILER

Professional restoration to an all original toy, a very desirable pressed steel toy painted in white overall, extensive molding effects, tandem unit features enclosed doorless cab with tank trailer, rubber tires, disc wheels. 

Length: 34" 876 mm 

Thanks for visiting, 

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

That is the Question

Thursday, September 4, 2014
                       Sunny and hot

That is the Question

   I titled yesterday's post "To Restore or not to Restore", and followed up with today's title "that is the Question". Of course, anyone who took English in the 1960's & 1970's had to read Shakespeare Will's (Shakespeare's given  name was William). I changed his original question of course - "To be , or not to be, that is the question", which can be found in his famous play - Hamlet.

   In yesterday's post, I presented beautifully and professionally restored old toys from the 1920's, hence my follow up with today's post - the same toys, as originally sold at auction, without any restoration or replacement parts. If you research the final gavel prices of these 2 sets of toys, the final prices is different but not as much as you'd expect. However, an untouched old or antique toy will 99.9% of the time receive more that a restored toy.

Please click here to visit this most exceptional American auction company

I didn't want to place restored and unrestored items side-by-side, as Google Blogger's page layout is limiting, and cannot be changed for a single post. If I change the width of this post,  my entire 772 posts to date will be changed also - poor pre-planning on Google's part!

What you can do is open up another browser window, then open up yesterday's post.

That's what I did. The screen-capture below illustrates that point. Please note that the screen-capture was of the 2 posts in the "edit mode" of Blogger,and not the view mode.

I could;n't find an untouched Sturditoy milk truck, so I substituted it for an oil truck. Of course,the final gavel price will be different for the 2 items, as they are totally different truck types.

What you'll notice inn this untouched Sturditoys is their condition. Even after 90 years, they are in very good condition (my  opinion). They certainly have lived up to their name after even 90 years! What I found amazing is the condition of the original  tires!

The left front wheel and tire on the driver's side is bent and was described like that in the description ( I forgot to add that). I like the way the Bertoia Photographer left the wheel that way, instead of placing it perfectly perpendicular to the tabletop.

So as I end this post, we are still left with the same question. Would you buy a professionally-restored very old toy or would you buy the same toy but in the "as found" condition?

I'm not a toy collector but if you asked me personally, I'd buy either, 

since I'd be playing with them!

Of course on a serious note, One of the reasons that I would but the restored one is just to marvel at how a true professional cn bring back a toy to its' original condition. If I ever went back to buying and reselling toys, I'd use one of Marv Silverstein's toys as the standard to which I would want to do my restorations!

Below is a Hubley die cast 1960's bulldozer that I restored.

At the sale on ebay, it had some interest from buyers, 

and  the final winner was very happy with my restoration.

Hubley Bulldozer

Restored die cast with rubber treads and original wooden wheels.

Circa 1960's

Length: about 12"  305 mm

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com