Stepping Back in Time-The Antiques Storehouse

Friday, November 29, 2013
                (My 65th Birthday)

Stepping Back in Time
The Antiques Storehouse

   I've been starting to contact European and British people  in order to be able to write about the fine old and antique toys in that part of the world.  I had seen a few interesting toy items from  The Antiques Storehouse and so decided to investigate further. Super! Not only does this store sell very interting old and antique toys, but they're like a museum in terms of being able to see and purchase all kinds of collectibles. Moreover, although they sell on ebay, they have a nice store in historic Portsmouth, Great Britain.  You can see a photo of their location below.

   I wrote to the store and Mr. Andrew Bennet wrote back and wrote "Please feel free to use my photos as you wish". His message was short and sweet, but his store certainly is not! It's like a museum filled with the most interesting items you'd want to see. If I ever decided to write a second blog on antiques and collectibles, Andrew's store would be post # 1!

Please click here to be redirected to this fine ebay store

Two great photos of the key wind-up mechanism for the Whitanco Truck

In the description, Andrew noted the small cracks in the model. This usually happened with impure castings or a pour to the mould from the last of the boiling metal pot of liquid metal. I had a personal experience with a die cast toy like that.  As long as you don't touch or handle the toy, it will stay in that fragile state intact.

Andrew's descriptions are so interesting that AI decided to copy and paste them verbatim. To retype them in a small-sized font on the photo just wouldn't do justice to the interesting narrative, the item, and of course the work that Andrew did.

~ 'Furness Railway Number 20' Locomotive ~

A wonderful and beautifully engineered steam powered 5 inch gauge locomotive and tender made from steel, bronze and brass. Based on the famous Locomotive 'Furness Railway number 20', the model is of the typical style of industrial shunting locomotives that were used across Britain during the early age of steam.
The metal model is coal fired. We believe this model was made in the 1950's.

~ Furness Railway Number 20 ~

Furness Railway No.20 was the flagship locomotive of the Furness railway trust. It is the oldest working standard gauge steam engine in Britain. The train was built in 1863 by Sharp Stewart & Co of Manchester as one of a batch of eight 0-4-0 tender locomotives supplied between 1863 and 1866.

The train was in service for 90 years before being put to scrap. Instead of being scrapped, though it was saved. The locomotive was returned to action, after its first heavy overhaul in preservation, in July 2008. Every ten years locomotive boilers must be removed and examined by the boiler inspector. The 1863 veteran is back at at Locomotion - the National Railway Museum at Shildon in County Durham, having been on tour for the first half of 2012.

~ Dimensions ~

The locomotive measures 29 inches (74cm) long, 7.5 inches (19cm) wide & 17 inches (43.2cm) tall. The tender measures 19.5 inches (49.5cm) long, 9 inches (22.8cm) wide & 8.5 inches (21.5cm) tall. It weighs a lot, I can lift it just!

~ Condition ~

The locomotive is in very good condition with little paint loss or damage. The tender is in good condition. The train has not been tested. It does not have a boiler certificate. 

What's most interesting about this item is the fact that the soldiers came with a "setting".

~ c1934 Lineol Of Germany Model Nr 5/520 Battalion HQ Bunker ~

This is c1934 Lineol produced (model Nr 5/520) Battalion Unterstand (Battalion HQ Bunker). The set consists of a large bunker with HQ Bunker, a forward trench, telegraph wires/poles & Observation Post. The bunker is constructed from wood & cardboard covered with sculpted composite material & painted in a Green/Brown Scheme. It was modelled on examples from the Siegfried & Maginot lines of the 1930's. The Bunker houses a map table with printed map & gas gong.

Also included are 6 French soldiers: A French infantry Officer with binoculars, a standing officer, two machine gunners & two infantrymen in various combat poses. Figure bases are marked either "ELASTOLIN Germany" or "LINEOL Germany".

For further information refer to Fontana, The War Toys 2, page 141, London 1991).

~ Dimensions ~

The bunker has a width of 16 inches (40.5cm), a depth of 13 inches (33cm) and a height of 6 inches (15.25cm).
Each soldier has a different height, with the tallest measuring 3.3 inches (8.25cm) and the smallest measuring  2.7 inches (7cm).

~ Condition ~

All the soldiers (and the bunker) are in excellent condition.  

Here's a  piece of history that I've never seen before or even knew existed!

~ Pre-War 'O’ Gauge German tinplate Model of the 1930 D R Schienenzeppelin (Rail Zeppelin) ~

A rare ‘O’ gauge German tinplate display model of the 1930 Deutsche Reichsbahn Schienenzeppelin (Rail Zeppelin) propeller driven train. The model, a rudimentary example,  is made of folded and cut tin pinned around a wooden base. The windows are cut out with internal support bars with ‘doors’ to front, centre and rear. The piece comes complete with seats and rear propeller.

~ Rail Zeppelin ~

The Schienenzeppelin or rail zeppelin was an experimental railcar which resembled a zeppelin airship in appearance. It was designed and developed by the German aircraft engineer Franz Kruckenberg in 1929. Propulsion was by means of a propeller located at the rear, it accelerated the railcar to 230.2 km/h (143.0 mph) setting the land speed record for a petrol powered rail vehicle. Only a single example was ever built, which due to safety concerns remained out of service and was finally dismantled in 1939.

~ Dimensions ~

The model has a length of 25 inches (63.5cm), a width of 2.6 inches (6.75cm) and a height of 3.5 inches (9cm).

~ Condition ~

The model is in good condition, with only some minor wear from age.  

This is a most beautiful toy stuffed dog! 

There is no manufacturer's name to identify, but it's certainly well crafted. with fine materials of the time.

May I recommend to everyone that you use Blogger's slide view to see all of these toys 

at their full-size!

~ Circa 1920 Toy Stuffed Dog ~ 

The dog is made of a cream hessian backed fur, possibly mohair, and is positioned in a seated pose. It has a jointed head that can be turned with brown glass eyes and a black stitched nose &mouth. In place of a collar the dog has a charming yellow and grey ribbon which appears to be of the same age as the dog.

~ Dimensions ~

The dog has a height of 10 inches (25.4cm), a width of 4 inches (10.2cm) and a depth of 9 inches (22.9cm).

~ Condition ~

Some of the fur is worn, with what appears to be a small burn mark on the right front leg. The toy is in otherwise good order, and just needs a new home. 

Another great discovery!

I never knew that models were made from such thin metal.

Because the description mentions plastic (e.g. the propeller), I having a feeling that this item is more recent ( 1950's or later)

~ Frog Single Seat Fighter Mark V Boxed ~

This is a Frog Single Seat Fighter Mark V, in silver. This item comes with the original box which contains the winding mechanism and winding handle. Both the original bottle of Shell Lubricant and Frog rubber lubricant are also in the box.

~ Dimensions ~

The box measures 11 inches (28cm) in length by 4.5 inches (11.5cm) in width by 3 inches (7.75cm).
The plane measures 9 inches (23cm) in length.
Each wing 5.25 measures inches (13.5cm) in length.

~ Condition ~

The main body and frame is made from light metal sheet.
The wings are made of paper over a plastic frame and has been assembled and used:
The left wing has had the wheel attached, and has a very small tear on the side, which can be seen in the pictures below.
The propeller has been attached to the front of the plane by an elastic band. 

The box also has sign of age on the inside, and a few small tears on the corners on the outside.

There are some minor dents to the body work but otherwise in good condition.

Untested.

This is certainly another item that I had not seen before.For such a smaller-siezed toy,it's certainly well-detailed and beautiful.  What I especially liked was how Andrew added the British period - "Edwardian". That was also unique in my journey through writing about toys.

~ Circa 1920 Edwardian Tinplate Airship And Aeroplane Clockwork Chair-O-Plane Toy ~

This continental made toy of pressed steel has four flying vehicles; 2 Zeppelin airships and 2 monoplanes, all with an orange and white/grey lithographic pattern.

Pulling on the level rotates the top and spins the four around with gusto.

A joy to play with.

~ Dimensions ~

The piece has a height of 8.5 inches (21.5cm) and a diameter of 7 inches (17.75cm). It weighs 330g.

~ Condition ~

There is minimal wear to the enamel and no dents. It has been tested and is in excellent working order.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing today's post and getting to meet Andrew Bennett.

I found a photo from Wikimedia that shows where his fine store is located.

The address is below, and if you're ever in Portsmouth, I would certainly recommend visiting Andrew and his fine store.

Imagine, a fine store full of the most interesting items in a historic building!

The story certainly doesn't get any better than this!

Storehouse 9, Main Road, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, 

HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, PO1 3PX 

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com