Thursday, September 13, 2012
This hand-drawn book has many illustrations of old toys.
Learning and Identifying Toys Through Books
Through my blog, a few people have asked me how I've learned about toys. I've replied that I've read about them on the Net, on E-Bay through the descriptions, by asking questions to E-Bay sellers, and by buying books. Also, some readers have helped me out by writing, and even correcting me when I have made mistakes in my writing.
I decided that for today's instalment, I would present the books that I have purchased while I've learned about old toys. The toys that I've purchased on E-Bay are mostly limited to no more than a dozen companies.
Some of the ones that I've bought and sold were from the following companies:
1. Tootsietoy
2. Manoil
3. Arcade
4. Hubley
5. A.C.Williams
6. Barclay
7. Kenton
8. Kilgore
9. Wyandotte
10. Jane Francis
Below are the books that I've purchased. I'm only presenting the covers of the books, as it take too much time to get permission from both the publishers and authors to be able to show you the inside pages.
A few Notes About Old Books and Toy Books
Before I write about the books that I've purchased, I'd like to mention a few thinks.
1. Old books may be musty, Musty is that old smell like old damp towels that have been left in the bathroom and don't dry. When you buy an old book, you might want to "air it out" on a nice sunny and slightly windy day. Just be sure to place something on the book so that it doesn't fly away into your swimming pool. Hopefully, this will "air out" the smell, since some people might be allergic to the musty smell.
2. Most old toys are no longer in production and their respective companies have long since gone out of business. As such, you don't really need to have the lastest edition or the latest book. An old book that was written about toys at the time the toys were actually in production, will do just as well as a 2012 book about the same topic.
1. Old books may be musty, Musty is that old smell like old damp towels that have been left in the bathroom and don't dry. When you buy an old book, you might want to "air it out" on a nice sunny and slightly windy day. Just be sure to place something on the book so that it doesn't fly away into your swimming pool. Hopefully, this will "air out" the smell, since some people might be allergic to the musty smell.
2. Most old toys are no longer in production and their respective companies have long since gone out of business. As such, you don't really need to have the lastest edition or the latest book. An old book that was written about toys at the time the toys were actually in production, will do just as well as a 2012 book about the same topic.
This hand-drawn book has many illustrations of old toys.
The images are small, but are well-drawn, thus helping any collector to easily identify
any toy in his/her possession.
Dictionary
of Toys Sold In America
Volume I
1971
Author:
Ernest A. Long
P.O. Box
272,
Mokelumne,
California, U.S.A. 95245
Self-Published
83 pages
Soft Cover /
8 ¼” x 10 ¾”
This is the sister booklet to the one above
Dictionary
of Toys Sold In America
Volume II
1971
Author:
Ernest A. Long
P.O. Box
272,
Mokelumne,
California, U.S.A. 95245
Self-Published
71 pages
Soft Cover /
8 ¼” x 10 ¾”
This is the "Bible" of toy books.
It has more writing thatn photos, but there is lots and lots of information about all kinds of toys.
If you have trouble falling asleep,then this book will help you. It's the largest book in my collection with an astounding 791 pages.
O’Brien’s
Collecting Toys
12th
edition
2008
Edited by
Karen O’Brien
Krause
Publications,
700 East
State Street,
Iola, WI
54990-0001
791 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/8” x 10 ¾”
This book is a great "coffee table" book.
It's informative, and has lots of easy-t-read narratives.
The photography is super!
The Golden Age of Automotive Toys
1925-1941
Identification & Value Guide
1997
Authors: Ken Hutchison & Greg Johnson
Collectors Books (A Division of Schroeder Publishing Co., Inc.)
P.O. Box 3009
Paducah, KY 42002-3009
159 pages
Hard Cover / 8 5/8” x 11 ¼”
This is a nice book written by actual collectors.
It's well-written, and loaded with lots on information.
The publisher is Schiffer Publishing who produces lots of authoritative books about many different hobbies and collectibles of all kinds.
The company even invites people who might be interested in writing their own books on a topic to write to them.
Cast Iron
Automotive Toys
2000
Authors:
Myra Yellin Outwater & Eric B. Outwater
Schiffer
Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
263 pages
Hard Cover /
8 ¾” x 11 5/16”
This book has well-photographed images, and some narratives about the company.
Its main strength is in the information provided abou the Hubley toys from the period that the author writes about.
The airplane in the upper right corner of the cover is a Hubley P-38. In the book the author identifies the different colour themes of this airplane, as well as the dimensions of the toy.
The various values of the toys are also identified, but of course are only applicable to the time the book was written.
Hubley Toy
Vehicles
Author:
Steve Butler
2001
Schiffer
Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
160 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
This is a much-needed book if you buy and sell rubber toys.
When I started to buy toys, I was only interested in cast iron and die-cast toys. One day, while on E-Bay, I took an interest in a rubber toy, and naturally bid and won the toy. I was amazed that a rubber toy could last so many years and be in the great condition that it was. TGHe Auburn and Sun Rubber COmpany are 2 of the main companies written up in the book.
Rubber Toy
Vehicles
Identification
& Value Guide
Author: Dave
Leopard
2003
Collectors
Books (A Division of Schroeder Publishing Co., Inc.)
P.O. Box
3009
Paducah, KY
42002-3009
144 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
I purchased this book without having read the title. Naturally, when it arrived at my home, I was disappointed, but then realized that I should have read the description more carefully!
The book is well written and has nice photos and descriptions of this "niche" area of the Barclay toys. What I was originally looking for was a book about the older Barclay toys. THese toys are slush mould made, and the older toys are just sper to see hands on. Perhaps, there is a book out there about those Barclays!
Barclay Toys
Transports
& Cars 1932-1971
Authors:
Howard W. Melton & Robert E. Wagner
2004
Schiffer
Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
127 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
This book contains many of the other toys in the author's previous book.
What's interesting is how the toys were advertised in their catalogs, as well as which toys were removed as time advanced.
The book is good for knowing the timespan of when most of these toys were manufactured.
Hubley
Catalogs
1946-1965
2002
Author:
Steve Butler
Schiffer
Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
176 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
This book is a wonderful book about this German toy manufacturer.
One day, while I was looking at the toy listings on E-Bay, I finally decided to bid on a Schuco toy.
I bid, and I won the toy. It wasn't the most-valuable or the oldest toy, but it gave me an appreciation of German toy craftsmanship, like any of Germany's other industries.
Thebook presents the older and newer toys, and is well written and well-photographed.
Schuco
Classic Tin Toys
The
Collector’s Guide
2002
Author:
Chris Knox
Krause
Publications
700 East
State Street,
Iola, WI
54990-0001
127 pages
Hard Cover /
9” x 9”
This is the smallest book that I have.
The book has loads of information, and came with lots of inseets with more information.
The photos inside the book are in black and white, but will easily help you to identify most fo the Tootsietoys.
Tootsie Toys
World’s
First Diecast Models
1980
Authors:
James Wieland & Edward Budney
Motorbooks
International Publishers & Wholesalers Inc.
Osceola,WI,
54020, USA
99 pages
Soft Cover /
6” x 9”
The Kenton Hardware Company made lots of horse and wagon cast iron toys.
However, they also made some very nice cars as well.
Notice that the publisher is again, the Schiffer Company. As I previously mentioned, this company is a great resource for anyone who needs to find a book on many different collectibles.
Kenton (Cast
Iron) Toys
The Real
Thing in Everything But Size
Author:
Charles M. Jacobs
1996
Schiffer
Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
183 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
IThis book by David E. Richter is well-photographed in colour, and had lots of information and data about these toys. THe photos are large enough to show plenty of detail, and hi sbook covers both the older and newer toys.
Collector’s
Guide To Tootsietoys
Second
Edition
1996
Author:
David E. Richter
Collectors
Books
A Division
of: Schiffer Publishing Ltd.,
04880 Lower
Valley Road,
Atglen, PA,
19310
E-Mail Schifferbk@aol.com
270 pages
Soft Cover /
8 1/2” x 11”
I think that I bought this book on Amazon.com through 1 of their affiliate book store partners.
You have to keep searching on Amazon because they have lots and lots of listings that come and go every week. What's interesting about this book is that it was removed from a library and was placed on the market so that the library could buy new books. I even have the library card jacket on the indsdie cover, along with the name of the library printed on the top white pages.
This is another nice coffee-table book with large-sized photos both in black and white and in colour.
It's very well written, and has lots of stores and information both aboutt particular toys, and of course the manufacturers.
American Toy Cars and Trucks
Author: Lillian Gottschalk
1985
New Cavendish Books
Abbey Press, Publishers
New York, New York, 10022
328 pages
Hard Cover / 11 5/8” x 11”
I saved this last book for last. Bertoia is an auction house that sells some of the most sought after toys in the USA and of course, the world. I once e-mailed the company, and got to correspond with, I believe the owner. I was impressed with the fact that he would have the time to write back.
The company has their auction house in New Jersey, and also accepts Internet bidding.
What imprtessed me about Bertoia is that they get to auction off the rarer and better quality toys in the USA! Furthermore, their photography (coming from a photogra[her myself) is A-1.
Their pages are professionally laid out and excellently designed. As well, there are short descriptions about each item that will be auctioned off in their next auction. You can buy an upcoming auction catalog or past catalog directoly from them,or toy can sometimes find thise books on Amazon or on E-Bay.
Their site is the place to go when you want to see what the really rare and interesting toys are
The Ralph
Tomlinson & Fred Castan Collections
September 23
& 24, 2011
Bertoia
Auctions
(Catalog)
189 pages
Hard Cover
/8 ¾” x 11 ¼”
So that's another instalment.
Thanks for dropping by, and as always, have a great morning, afternoon, or evening wherever you may be.
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