Toys of Times Past Revisited

Sunday, March 20, 2020
Sunny and Clear skies
-1 C / 30 F

Toys of Times Past

Their Most Current Auction

        I haven't been blogging much of last year, or for this matter, this year.  I just got tired. However, I still search out auctions from people that have granted me their permission to use their photos. One of these great resources is  Toys of Times Past. 

      I was checking my e-mail the other day, when I was surprised to see a notice from Toys of Times Past. I pressed the link, and the first thing that caught my eye was a fantastic collection of Greyhound busses. Wow, is this collection interesting, so naturally I had to write a post on it. I figured that just writing this brief post, would have people meander to the fine auction on Invaluable, an internet auctioneer.

                                     

          I would be amiss if I didn't give you a short story about one of my bus adventures. 

I'm a fisherman (fish-person), and so when I was young (19 years old), I finished my second year at University, and decided to go fishing up North. I live in Quebec, and this province of Canada has one of the finest fishing in the world (of course I have to select Quebec! I rode up north by bus, and got off 3 hours later at the resort - a place called Dorval Lodge. I went fishing for 5 days, and caught about 8 good-sized pike and walleye (called also dories). I waited for the bus, and when I got on the bus, the driver gave me several fishing rods, that I had totally forgotten that I had brought with me. Now that's service and honesty for you. I wanted to give the driver some money, but he wasn't allowed to take it, and he was very humble!

          I have one more fish story for you. At that time (about 1968), at the same Dorval Lodge, I mentioned that I went up by myself. I had used a guide the day before. and decided for the next day (due to costs) to go fishing by myself. OK, all was going fine, and I was within viewing distance of the lodge. The fish weren't biting, so I decided to venture out farther away from a viewing distance from Dorval Lodge. To be smart, I had a white rag, and I placed it on a tree that was on the lake. (Dorval Lodge is situated on a big reservoir that was created to provide water for a hydro-electric dam). I ventured farther and farther away from the white rag, and still saw it. I ventured further and further away and caught a good-sized pike. I put the fish in the boat, and settled down. I completely had forgotten to keep an eye on the white rag, and now I didn't know where I was. It was still light out, so I decided to return to camp. 

      When you are  in a huge reservoir, everything looks the same. Water and tree stumps, ad tree stumps and water. It took me 3 hours to finally see the white rag, and another 10 minutes to have the camp come into view. Phew, was I relieved!  Of course, I had matches, and would have beached the boat to stay on land overnight! Of course when I got back , the guides said to me that I should have told them where I was going. 

       Those were great times back then, but I must of course write about this terrible Corona Virus! These are very scary times. The stock market has basically dropped terribly, but the worst of these times is that people are dying! 

      I volunteer 2 times a week at a food back, preparing meals to be delivered to those in need, or for whom getting out of their house in not an option. Last week, I purchased N95 face masks for the volunteers. The N95 is much better than your average face mask, but there are differences of opinion as to just how safe it is against the micro-sized droplets that float in the air, when someone coughs or sneezes, and who has the virus. My wife has  "suggested" that I do not go to the food bank for now. I'm 71 years old ( I act like 16, and I still feel young). But as I have read, this disease in most contagious and dangerous to those who are "older".

Below are the 2 web address of the auction by

Toys of Times Past

https://www.toysoftimespast.com/

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-house/toys-of-times-past-auctions-hglf4smevq

     If you decide to have a look, you'll see a great collection of these fine Greyhound busses which most certainly reflect the name of this excellent auctioneer - Toys of Times Past.

In closing, I would  like to wish everyone good health and happiness, and above all please take care of yourself, and your loved ones. This is a dangerous pandemic, and it's not the time to not listne to the doctors and your local city, state, or federal officials.

Have a great day,

Stacey

A revisit to the Belgianmonk at ebay

Tuesday, January 30, 2018
Overcast
-1 C  30.2 F

A Revisit to the belgianmonk

Please click here to visit this seller with exceptional toys

I've been returning to people and auction companies whom I've written about before. For today, it's the belgianmonk, whose fine store on ebay. When I ventured over to ebay and Toys of Times Past, I wasn't disappointed.  There were  lots of fine toys for sale, and when I looked at toys that had been sold, I wasn't disappointed. However, most of the toys sold recently were of modern vintage. For today, I selected two old toys that I have never seen before. The belgianmonk, always has very interesting toys that everyone likes, since there are so many people bidding on his fine array of toys.

Rare Old Marx Prototype Boat Tail Racer
Tin Litho Wind Up Toy Car

 1930's Louis Marx prototype racer.
L x W:  11.5" x 4.25"  292 mm x 118 mm

Antique Pre-war WWII CY Japan Tin Wind Up Toy
Race Car Racer with Celluloid Driver

Rarer find produced by CY of Japan. Tin construction with coloured 
lithography, nickel grill, and wind-up mechanical motor.
 Car can move forward or in circles
Length:  5 1/4"  133 mm

So another week goes by. It seems that the older I get, the faster time moves on.

Fortunately, this winter so far has been hard on everyone. Lots of snow,

followed by rain, with temperatures ranging from -25 C to +7C (-13 C to 44.6 F).

There's only 60 days left to the spring solstice ( March 20), where the days start to get longer. 

However, up here in Quebec, our spring really starts at the end of April!

Thanks for dropping by,

And have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

A New American Toy Company Discovery

Friday, January 11,2014

A New American Toy Company Discovery

Please click here to visit this fine seller's store

   I like to revisit people, auctioneers,sellers and collectors who have helped me with my blog. I already (thank you) have their permission, and  I've selected them because they have excellent reputations, great descriptions of the toys, and nice photography. 

  So for today's post, I decided to revisit Toys of Times Past. This is a very fine store that sells nice toys and usually has a nice collection up for sale.  I saw today's interesting toy, and naturally decided to investigate  further.  The toy was made by the McDowell Mfg. Co. (MAC) that was located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA and  is called  Loop The Loop.

Quoting Toys of times Past:

"Scarce, Original, Antique 1930's McDowell Mfg Co (MAC) Loop the Loop Mechanical Tin Wind Up Stunt Track Toy in the Original Box. McDowell produced only a few toys and they are difficult to find and highly desireable. This toy is all original, complete including car and in excellent condition. When wound and started, the track sways back and forth causing the car to perform a loop-a-loop ride from one side of the track to the other end, continuously repeating the action. Click on the following link to watch this toy on my Youtube channel. Video Clip  Features all tin construction, stunt car and two removable track sections. The toy measures 24" wide. The hand car is 2" long. The original illustrated box is in excellent condition as pictured. The box top features an illustration of the toy and displays wonderfully."

What's also great about the  Toys of Times Past website is that many of the wind-up toys have short videos on Youtube. You can click on the link on the Toys of Times Past page, and it will take you to Youtube, where you'll see how the toy actually works.

Here's the link to Youtube:

Click here to see how the "Loop The Loop" toy works

 

Many toy collectors like to buy items with their original boxes. This elevates the value of the item.

For myself, just the fact that the box has survived so many years intact (almost 93 years) is astounding for me. I never kept my fox boxes unless they had hundreds of pieces to them,in which case I had no other choice.Of course, by the time I was 13, and  we moved to a new home, all of my toys had "mysteriously" disappeared. They were probably given my my mother or grandmother to the Salvation Army for some other children to play with. By that time, I was off to grade 9 in high school. That's how we counted the years in high school, compared with the term sophomore in the USA. Toy by then were out of my life.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Toys of Times Past (A Fine Antique Store)

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Toys of Times Past

(A Fine Antique Toy Store)

   I've been looking for the longest time to find a place where the underside of toys are photographed for most of the presentations. This was more important for myself when it comes to mechanical toys. 

When those specific words are mentioned, the reference is most likely made to old or antique toys move by themselves.  Yesterday, I introduced a nice hill-climber toy from Randy's Toy Shop. 

   Today, thanks to the owner of a new store I have the pleasure and gratitude to write a post that has each and every toy with its mechanics shown.  His Name is Mr. John Pocius and his store is called is called Toys of Times Past.

   John has been buying and selling toys for 15 years.When I telephoned him to gather some background on him, he sounded very young, and he is. H e was was in the airline industry and them moved on to antique toys. He is  most certainly knowledgeable, and  takes many photographs of each and every item he presents for sale on his site. But for me, as I mentioned in my introduction to today's post, the photograph of the toy's underside is what caught my attention the most.

 Being able for me to now present a post with a photo of a "wind-up mechanical movement" description, or a  "flywheel" now will help people see rather than have to imagine what these mechanics are. I'm sure from John's point of view, as well as potential buyers,  presenting any identifiable markings of  an antique toy helps in the sale. However, Toys of Times Past and for sure Jon Pocius (the owner)  are not going to present a toy for sale that is not shown to its full description and what it in fact it is. Their reputation is beyond reproach and as the famous old expression goes - "honesty is the best policy".

* I'll try and find some Youtube sources later for you, the viewer to see how the actual toys operate.

Please click on this sentence to be redirected to this fine store

When John wrote back to my initial letter of introduction, he mentioned this fabulous toy.

I immediately knew that I would present this one first to introduce you to both John and his fine store.

"Scarce, Original, Antique 1895 Lehmann Mechanical Flying Bird Tin Toy with Original Paper Wings. Made in Germany. This is an extremely rare toy as it was made in very low production from only 1895-1896 and has no known EPL number. The mechanism was delicate and easily broken when played with by children. Only a few working specimens are known to have survived. The paper wings are very fragile and there are very few examples left known to still have their original wings. This toy is original and in excellent plus condition. Both wings have been tape repaired from the bottom. The toy works perfectly, when actuated by the drawstring the complicated mechanism achieves an almost life-like flapping of the wings while traveling horizontally on the string. The wings are made of printed pasteboard, are spread & closed by pantograph ribs, while the bird is supported and moved by the chord. Both of the wings are imprinted with the early Lehmann Spindlepress Trademark. The bird's body measures 7.5" long with a wingspan of 11.25" wide. The inventer of the bird was the American author Arthur H. Keller of Durango, CO. Lehmann saw his patent application and got in touch with him immediately. This will make a wonderful rare addition to your collection!"

* WrittenDescription Courtesy of Mr. John Pocius - Toys of Times Past

   When I phoned John, I had a million questions to ask him, but forgot to ask about how this toy actually works. However his photos are so numerous and of high quality, that I'll try and make an "educated guess". Of course,when John reads this, if I am wrong, I asked him to proofread the post. So if I'm wrong, hopefully he will correct me. What I also noticed on his site, is that he posts on Youtube examples of the toys and their movements. I didn't see this particular one, but there are others.

  My "educated guess" goes like this: A child would pull the string through the interior (unseen) of the toy. There some kind of wheels and gears would move the criss-crossed metal parts on the underside of the wings to simulate the bird movement.

A great photo of the mechanical wind-up mechanism.

There are several  irregular rods connected to the gears and wind-up mechanism.  When the spring coil (that stores the energy) is wound and then released, the gears transmit energy to the irregular rods. This then causes the  rear wheel to turn left or right. This then creates the idea that the driver is moving in different directions through "traffic".

That's amazing to me for a toy that was made 110 years ago!

Amos 'n' Andy were a team of famous radio hosts that would do a routine on the radio. Way back then, radio was superbly entertaining, and for everyone, that was the only form of entertainment, especially in rural America. 

If you do a search on the Net for "old radio shows", there is a site or 2 that you can actually download and listen to. These shows were once a source of entertainment, where you would have to listen and use your imagination to project what the story or comedy routine was being transmitted over the "wires".

Just look at all  the detail on this box. The box is almost as interesting as the toy!

I have a funny story. Who ever keeps the box? I was looking at Kijiji  a free posting site to sell things) in Montreal,when I noticed someone looking for an IMac 27" box. I cleaned out my store room in the wintertime, and out went the box. I could have received $ 25.00" for the box!

From this high-camera angle, you can see the  embossed (pressed tin) texture of the black seats.

The wind-up key is located just above the wheel well of the top rear wheel (tire). Notice the large "unwound) spring just below the gears. It's this flat coiled band or wire that will become tight and store the potential energy (stored) before the toy is released to produced movement.

Notice also, that the front wheels turn left or right.

Candice Bergen's father was a famous ventriloquist  live in theatres and on the radio.

For those who don't know, Candice was a fashion model (99% sure) before she got into acting, and even had a successful TV show on American television.

Her father was Edgar Bergen, and I even remember seeing him on TV back in the 1950's and even in the 1960's. He had a range of ventriloquist characters (dummies) that he entertained millions of kids with.

What's of interest here is the fact that the wind-up key is underneath, rather than on the sides as most toys were back then.Also notice the pivotal or swivel wheels at the front. You can also see a bit of the wind-up coil just under the mauve (purple) cover below the key.

This toy was made by the Structo toy company, but should have been named "Indestructo". 

Just take a look at the parts and how this toy was put together! 

 It's 93 years old!

Try buying something long-lasting today!

I can't get over just how well-made this toy is.

They could have used it in those Flash Gorden Sci-Fi moves of the 1930's!

   I like those cotter pins in the brass-coloured covers that hold the wheels on the chassis. Notice that there is also one on the underside to the right.Then look at those chiseled teeth of the gears, and the brass-coloured (might even be brass) unwound coil. They certainly made toys well way back then!

   So that's it for today. I'd like to personally thank Mr. John Pocius, for allowing me the use of his photos and description of the first toy and others today. Finding new people who help me out on my blog is also a warm and heartfelt feeling for me, and I ;m glad to be able to share these peoples stories and their fine antique toys with you.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Stacey