An Interesting Roundabout That Runs on Hot Air

Friday, August 4, 2017
Overcast with Thundershowers
79 F   26 C

An Interesting Roundabout 

That Runs on Air

     I was visiting the spring auction of Bertoia Auctions, when I came across the toy below.

It's a "runabout", or what I think it's also called a merry-go-round. What caught my attention, other than the beauty of the toy was how it was operated. It could run by crank (wind-up) or hot air. It was the hot air part that caught my attention. Perhaps it was a steam engine  that could operate this toy.

Exquisite early roundabout monoplane, ballon, dirigible, an elegant toy 

that ran either by crank or hot air motor. 13 1/2" h. Professionally restored.

Winning Bid: $ 2,040.00 US

Please click here to visit this Exceptional American Toy Auctioneer

     Naturally, I was inquisitive, so I decided to do a search for "hot air engine", and came across the American Stirling Company.  I went to their website, and sure enough found all kinds of hot air engines. But what caught my attention most was an engine that could from the heat of your hands. I don't know if the American Stirling  Engine below could run the above toy, but it certainly was most interesting! This engine can also run with sunlight or the heat from a stove (do not place the engine directly on the oven!). What I don't see on the large engine gear  (like the one on the toy)is an indentation for a cord that could connect directly to the circular gear of the toy.

If you visit their website, they have a small video of watching how the engine runs by the heat of your hands. This was surely quite novel and interesting!

Please click here to visit the fine American Stirling Engine Website

I was very happy to have found the American Stirling Engine website, 

and I hope you venture over there to peak your curiosity.

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 Girard Airplanes - Part I

Tuesday, June 17, 2014
   Sunny, clear, hot and humid

The Girard Airplanes

   I decided to post today about the Girard airplanes. The Girard toy company produced toys starting in 1906.  The company was founded by Mr. C.G. Wood in 1906, in Pennsylvania.  With his son Frank, the name changed to Wood's Mechanical Toys. By 1931, with financial difficulties during the great depression, , Louis Marx had purchased the company.Their more famous toy is the fire chief coupe that you see below.  If you ever do a search anywhere on toy auction sites or on ebay, the #1 toy that will come up when doing "Girard Toy" is the fire chief coupe. However, Girard also produced nice toy busses and  airplanes.

  If you search, you'll also see a similar car that was made by the Marx toy company. As I mentioned earlier, Mr. Louis Marx had purchased the company in 1931, and produced the very popular fire chief coupe, but under his own label.

  So for today, I decided earlier on the weekend to search for the fine Girard airplanes.

Please click here to visit the fine website of Morphy Auctions

What's interesting about the value of these 90 year old toys is that they can be purchased at auction for a lower price than many other toys of the same era. I don't know why, but they certainly are nice to collect.  What's also interesting to note is how fast the airplane developed in 20 years from when the Wright brothers first flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 7, 1903.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey.

toysearcher@gmail.com