Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Overcast, windy, and more snow to come!
Overcast, windy, and more snow to come!
The Choicest Tootsietoys
for Collectors
Recently, I decided to add many posts about Tootsietoys - those small-sized American diecast toys that were made from the 1920's-early 1960's. They were to America what Dinky toys were and still are to Great Britain. I was very fortunate to find Mr. Marvin Kraut on ebay. His specialty is selling small-sized old toys that just so happen to be both Tootsietoy and Dinky. What's even better, is that he allowed me to present his items differently than I usually do. If you go back to the last several post entries you'll see what I mean. I added a thin line to the photo composition to create a continuity from photo to photo and add more impact to the photo (as if the excellent photos of Marvin needed any!)
Marvin has been selling on ebay for 15 years, which says a lot about both his success and reputation. What's more, like many people who sell , collect, or auction over a long period of time, they become very knowledgeable about their merchandise.
I was very surprised 2 days ago, when Marvin sent me a large group of Tootsietoy photos that were sold as sets or kits. These sets and kits are the "choicest" because as collectibles, people want these to come with their original boxes and their original tops. Furthermore, they also want them to be in excellent condition! For myself, anytime I ever received a toy, the first thing to be thrown out was the box. Of course, my Lionel train sets, Meccano building sets, and Minibrix all needed boxes to store the parts, but my Daisy BB gun, my cowboy holster with bullets that you added round caps into, and so forth all had the boxes thrown out right away!
What I like about the boxes that old toys originally came in is the "old" graphic design and artwork that came with the box. Design changes over time, but part of the history of anything, especially collectibles, is the boxes, the instructions, and of course the reproduction of toys through actual real items of the time.
I always like the way children are so formally dressed on boxes and boxtops for toys from the 1920's-1930's. I'd be willing to wager that most children who were fortunate enough to be able to receive a Tootsietoy from their parents did not dress like this. well, on second though maybe those who received the kits! The kits were relatively expensive compared to single Tootsietoys.
What was great about the kit, in this case the "Bild-A-Car", was that the children could assemble and dissemble the toys. The 5 lower chassis parts are different colours, and thus could be changed with the 5 different upper car parts.
The set above is called the "Tootsietoy Deluxe Motors" set.
These particular cars look like Grahams, which by themselves are always in high demand. This kit came with a wrecker or tow truck (white), and a brown-themed delivery truck (lower left) corner.
Marvin certainly spent a lot of time and careful positioning to present all of these items. These competed toys that came pre-assembles, are in excellent condition. However, there are immunerable places on the Net and on ebay where you can find replacement parts.
This kit must be very rare. The set are characters modelled after famous newspaper comic characters of the time. What I especially like, is how the toys fit into specially-designed spaces of the inside box.
This is another photo that is closer to the toys. Not only are these toys rare, but their condition is excellent!
And hee is yet another photo to show you the different cars and boat that came with this kit.
I'm not sure if Marvin sold this set or still has it, but either person certainly must be very happy!
Marvinn sent me the Taxi set photos a day after I had posted . He asked me to take a look at the words "Taxi" that I assume a child had written on the sides of the cars. Now why wouldn't Tootsietoy have done that?
I haven't been posting in the last couple of days. I came down with what I assume is a head sinus infection or something like that, and haven't been feeling that well. I think the worst is over, and I'l be back to normal by this Friday at the latest. Of course, tonight we're getting another snow storm!
Thanks for visiting,
and as always,
and have a great part of the day or night,
wherever you may be,
Stacey
Please feel free to write to me anytime at:
toysearcher@gmail.com
The Tootsie toy Funnies would not work out for me. I would spend the whole day just looking at it. Love the old funnies!! Not sure Kayo is in a safe position on the box cover! That's the thing with the old funnies. People knew what they were and didn't consider them real life! What a wonderful box set!
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteMy favourite is the dog (Is that Kayo?) running towards the grass?
Thanks for the comment.
Stacey
Kayo was Moon Mullen's younger brother. Don't recall ever knowing the dogs name. Kayo was also a popular chocolate soft drink. Came in a cool bottle, if I remember correctly.
ReplyDeleteHi Bob,
ReplyDeleteSorry to get back to you so late. You reminded me of that Kayo chocolate drink that I have never thought about since when I first drank it in the late 1950's-early 1960's as kids. We'd vacation in Mississquoi Bay near Venise, Quebec, Canada) and in the early 1960's in Saint Alban's Bay, Vermont. Those chocolate drinks were great. What I also remember is the chocolate IGA cupcakes with icing. THey came 3 to a package and were the best, next to the Kayo chocolate drink. Of course, sometimes, you had to get the drink out of those Coca-Coca coolers. You have to move the neck and cap of the bottle through a meandering and winding channel until the end, whereupon the neck lock opened up on 2 sides of the bottle. Boy, I haven;t though about this is more than 50 years!
Stacey