A Unique One-of-a-Kind Bowlers Automaton

Monday, September 30 , 2013
     Still more clear sky, warm and sunny!

A Unique One-of-a-Kind

Bowlers Automaton 

THE BOWLERS AUTOMATON
Patented in 1907 by Otto Eichenburger of Switzerland and assigned one half to Leon Brock of N.Y., this extraordinary example was once displayed at the AMF Corp., the leading American Bowling Industry Co.; the multi-actions are indeed intricate involving bowling motions, pin re-setting and amusing movements by one of the three bisque head figures. Three copies of drawings are included and clearly demonstrate the apparent complexity of the toy and the engineering difficulties it must have presented for practical production. It has been offered to our knowledge only once at public auction, with no other ever surfacing for sale! 

 (Exc. Cond) for age, levers intact and works sporadically, lid is removable.

22" h. x 42" l

(.558M x 1.067M)*

(* Description Courtesy of Bertoia Auctions)

This item will be auctioned at Bertoia Auctions annual special Christmas Auction titled 

"Christmas Wishes Auction".  It caught my eye weeks ago,, but I didn't quite know how to present it. So finally this morning, I decided to present it by itself. And that's appropriate, because any one-of-a-kind item should have it's own post! For those who don't know, an automaton is a toy that when wound undergoes a series of automatic movements. I've written about these very interesting machines, and their complexity is awesome!

This fantastic showpiece is made of wood, metal,and glass. I would assume that the 3 figures are bisque with hand  sewn clothing. I can;t even imagine how many hours it took to develop this item.

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctiona fine website

It's the last day of September  already, and if you're a regular reader, you'll know that the weather here in Montreal (Quebec,canada) has been exceptional for the last 3 weeks. What a way to finish off  the month of September with such a marvellous and special display item.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Teamed Toys of Gebruder Einfalt

Sunday, September 29, 2013
    Sunny and Clear Skies Again - Great!

The Teamed Toys of Einfalt Gebruder

    Yesterday, I came across a toy made by Gebruder Einfalt, a German manufacturer from the early 19th century to the 1970's. I can't find much information about the company, but I'll keep searching. Of course, with a name like that, I know I had never heard of the company, nor ever posted. Of course, living in North America, we don't often see many old and antique toys,except for the "big names" of the time. Today, I'm sure the story is different, especially with trvsl being available for many, and the Net being available to most.

    I found a few Einfalt toys that were not teamed up,but decided to just write about the "teams", which in many cases is more a pair pair of "fighters". The toys are often bi-symmetrical , meaning that the both halves are identical (except for a different paint scheme).  All of the toys presented today are lithographed tin, which was common in Germany in the later 19th  and early 20th centuries As well, the toys all have key-mound mechanism for movement.

Please click here to visit the wonderful site of Bertoia Auctions

When I did some Photoshop on this toy, I noticed that the matador was lithographed with different colours on each side. I had started to try and remove the yellow/green colour of the bottom bull, but stopped, having realized noticed the two sides of the matador.

If anyone has more information about the Gebruder Einfalt company, and has photos as well, by all means please write. I'm always happy and willing to add a post about you and your toys, or to add a supplement to a past post.

Thanks for dropping by.

and as always, have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

An Interesting 1928 Arcade Sand Loader

Saturday, September 28, 2013
       Yet another fantastic Autumn day. 
                  Warm and Sunny!

An Interesting 1928

Arcade Sand Loader

    I was on Liveauctioneers yesterday, when I came across an interesting Arcade cast iron toy. I checked my Arcade catalogues (1936 and 1940), but this particular toy was not there. This sand loader must have been discontinued by the time the 1936 catalogue and production had started. What's interesting is the design, which is different. It's more square-shaped than rectangular, and it's made both of cast iron and pressed steel. On a rare occasion, one can fine a composite-metal  toy, but it's rare. cast iron toys are 99.9% cast iron, and pressed steel toys are the same.

   I decided to simply present the 5 past listings from Bertoia Auctions, and let you visit their website to see which of the 6 sold for the  highest prices. Of course,the condition will tell. I've left out the descriptions, save for the first.

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions fine website

When you go to the Bertoia website, type in" Arcade Sand Loader", and the 5 past Arcade listings will appear. You can then see if you selected correctly in terms of the highest to lowest pieces at the final hammer of the auction gavel.

Here's a clue for the listing above - It was repainted!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

An Excellent E-Bay Seller Answers an Old Question

Friday, September 27, 2013
  Yet another fantastic early autumn day!

An Excellent E-Bay Seller Answers an Old Question

    I visit my mailboxes daily, since I never know what mail I'll have. Yesterday, I was surprised to find an answer to a question that I had asked on my June 25, 2013 post about Harley-Davidson and Indian motorcycles.

I got the answer below:

You said:  The story behind the above toy is quite interesting. I'm a bit confused by the written description, so perhaps some export might help me out.   The toy above was made after Hubley had stopped using the "Indian" and Harley-Davidson names. My confusion lies in the fact that the decal "Harley" was still on the side of the toy.

The decal on the side of the later toy does not say Harley Davidson but HUBLEY TOYS on the side of the tank.  Also Champion was an entirely different company and I see this mistake frequently but they were not Hubley.  Champion also made vehicles.  I've attached a couple pictures. 

Note the larger gas and stake trucks on the left side of my picture.  They are Champion Brand Toys.  Also included is a Hubley Indian with Rider.  The police rider is a replacement but this came both with Driver and rider and Driver without the rider so either way it would be complete.

Feel free to use any pictures.  

Thanks,

Cliff

GOTHAMCITYTOYS.COM*

* Courtesy of Mr. Clifford Olsen

Please click here to visit Clifford Olsen's website

I did some very minor clean-up in Photoshop, but Cliff takes nice photos and lots of them when he sells toys. He also mentioned that he tries to find toys in very nice condition, and of course rarer examples.

Another item that he has sold and sells are fine  writing pens. For a while, while I was teaching, I purchased inexpensive fountain pens on E-Bay. My writing is not very legible,and so I would write my comments to students with a fountain pen. You have to write slower, and being a left-handed person I tend to smudge the wet ink. Of course, my hand-writing never improved. However, his very intricate and expensive pens maybe might help!

  I immediately wrote back to Mr. Clifford Olsen and thanked him. I then asked if he might send some photos and if I could also used some of his current listings on ebay so that I might add a post about him. After all,if I just added his answer to the Harley post,  that wouldn't be enough of a thank you from me. He sent some nice photos, and then another older sold listing which interestingly enough I was able to find. Usually on  ebay, you can;t bring up the photos of a past auction after 90 days, but fortunately, I was for the old French toy,which you'll see below.

I'd written a post once about the Triang toy company. It's most interesting and was founded in  England. However, the interesting part was that the company had a manufacturing plant in Quebec (Canada), and sold toys in North America!.

Please read the description of this toy. For a toy that's at least 100 years old, it certainly was very complex in terms of its movement.  Finally below is a Marx  "Mighty Kong" Gorilla. I don't usually include any toys after 1940, but in this case I did. The Marx toy is in excellent condition, but for missing a wind-up key. I'm sure it can be found or a replacement found on ebay.

Please click here to see a Youtube video

I'm now off to walk our dog Buddy, and to go outdoors.With this unbelievable weather up here, you have to to enjoy it while it lasts. They say that we have 4 seasons, and some people say we have 3.

For me there's 2 - hot and cold. The ice and snow start to melt in late March, and by early May the snow is gone (although it has snowed in May). By the end of August, the days are very short, and the nights get cold. Of course, since I'm not moving anywhere, I live with the weather,and the changes are enjoyed nevertheless. Of course my trip to Hawaii made me think - beautiful weather all the time, and warm!

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you msy be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

McLoughlin Brothers- An Early American Puzzle Legend

Thursday, September 26, 2013
   (Another Exceptional Early Autumn Day)

McLoughlin Brosthers
(An Early American Puzzle Legend)

    I have about 10 web sources that list and describe toy companies. I hardly ever go top visit them, but yesterday I did.  The name of the McLoughlin Bros., Inc. caught my interest, and that started the process for today's post.  My biggest surprise was that the fact  that I never heard of them, when in fact they were one of the largest manufacturers of early American board games in the late 1800's and early 1900's. The company was later acquired by Milton-Bradly, another "giant" at the time, and today is still around.

McLoughlin Bros., Inc. was a New York publishing firm active between 1828^[1] and 1920. The company was a pioneer in color printing technologies in children's books.^[2] The company specialized in retellings or bowdlerizations of classic stories for children. The artistic and commercial roots of the McLoughlin firm were first developed by John McLoughlin, Jr. (1827–1905) who made his younger brother Edmund McLoughlin (1833 or 4-1889) a partner in 1855. By 1886, the firm published a wide range of items, including cheap chapbooks, large folio picture books, linen books, puzzles, games and paper dolls. Many of the earliest and most valuable board games in America were produced by McLoughlin Brothers of New York. In 1920 the corporation was sold to Milton Bradley & Company. McLoughlin ceased game production at this time, but continued publishing their picture books.*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McLoughlin_Brothers    (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

Please click here to be redirected to Bertoia Auctions fine website

What fascinated me about old magazines, posters, or in this case, games and puzzles is the exceptional quality of art work from the many artists that would have worked for McLoughlin Bros., Inc. at the time.  When I studied pro photography in Providence,Rhode Island (USA), I was fortunate enough to come across a collection of old magazines from the 1920's.  If you ever wanted to know about people and styles from a long time ago, this is a great way to go. As for the fine works of the McLoughlin Brothers, their puzzles, games, and books are still plentiful, and price-wise, they're still within reach of most people.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hubley Articulated Racer

Wednesday, September 25, 2013
     (another exceptional fall day in Montreal)

The Hubley Articulated Racer

   When I first started to post on my blog, I was buying toys on ebay. . 2 years ago, ebay would "generously" give you 1 "free" photo upload,and the rest cost 45 cents or a package of 6 for less. At the time, I would combine 4 photos into 1, and ebay didn't seem to mind.  So when I resold the toy that I'll talk about today, I was able to both describe (in writing) and to present photos. Nowadays, ebay not only allow you 12 free photos,but also gives you free magnification capabilities for viewers. The funny thing though was that most sellers wouldn't show you the underneath feature of the "articulated pistons". Even today, many auctioneers will describe something without showing you a photo.  (e.f a friction drive hill climber).

    When I sold  the toy that I'm presenting today, I took photos of the underside to best illustrate the "articulating pistons". Basically, there is an s'shaped axle attached to 2 moveable rods underneath the car. Above the car are small projections meant to show "fire" from the pistons as the car moves.

Of course, as the expression goes, "a picture is worth a thousand words". So for today, Im resenting 5 of my photos (with my maple seedlings logo), and 5 very nice Bertoia Auctions items.

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions fine website

(When you go to the Bertoia website enter the words "Hubley Racer" rather than Hubley articulated racer

I hope that my photos help you to understand the nature of this toy.

The above pull toy is the most sought after, and will yield the highest prices at auction.

It also happens to be the largest of the articulated cars.  

You might have noticed that the above models had 12 cylinders. The smaller ones below have a "mere" 8 cylinders. However, even these "little guys" are nice to look at.

These toys were made in the 1930's and 1940's

You might have also noticed the variations in the tires and wheels.

Details, details, details!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hans Eberl Toy Company

Tuesday, September 24, 2013
    (Continued Fabulous Fall Weather)

The Hans Eberl Toy Company

     It's about 20:00 P.M. EST (Canada Time) and I'll be posting in about 20 minutes from now.  I didn't have time to add the descriptions for the individual toys. It's been another nice day, and the weather forecast is sunny and in the mid 20's Celsius (mid 70's Fahrenheit) for the rest of the week. We have to start getting ready to winter (ugh! I hate dislike the season!). Today, I decided to redesign a framed wooden structure that we have to protect out swimming pool heat pump and sand filter from snow and ice.  For the past 15 years I've used just screws. I set up the structure in the fall, then dismantle it in the spring. The "problem" was that evert time I had to reassemble it, it never came together in the same way. So I figured this year that I'd buy those metal brackets that you use for fences or decks. This worked well in terms of how the structure looks, but some of the brackets did not give good support and the whole structure tilted. I had to use a brace to keep it firmly planted on the ground! So much for my carpentry skills! 

    Tomorrow is clean the garage day, as we need a new motor to close the garage door properly. My wife procrastinates, but when we had a few mice scurry under the improperly sealed door that can't be opened remotely anymore, that was the last straw! I trapped one, and was able to save one. It's not their fault that they ran into the garage and ate my grass seed - what does nature know?  So cleaning the garage is for the garage door man who aptly goes by the name of "Dor Doctor". Cleaning the garage and moving all of the summer stuff( leaf blower, lawn mower, rakes, shovels, weed snipper, etc., etc.,) will save the "Dor Doctor" time in installing a new system!

History 

The Hans Eberl toy company existed in Nuremburg Germany from about 1910 - 1920.  The toys were colour lithographed on tin and many of them came with wind-up mechanisms. Their designs and construction were quite ornate and complex compared with American toys of the time. Today, these fine antique toys yield high prices at auction.  

Magnify these images.The face on this particular toy is exceptional in the tonality, the expression, and the realism of the human face!

The clear windows in the above toy are made of glass. One of the windows is cracked,but the rest are intact after almost 100 years!

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

(toysearcher@gmail.com)