Wednesday, August 27, 2014

But Can They Float?

Thursday, August 28, 2014
     Partly sunny with chance of rain


   We've had quite nice weather this past week, as students have returned to school. For those of us who are retired (somewhat), there's always things to do with sunny weather. I mowed the lawn, cycled a few times, and tended to my small city garden. The week before the weather was cooler and there was a good amount of rain. This week with the sun, and cooler weather, I've been water in every day, ad "harvesting" mostly tomatoes. Italian, cherry, and medium-sized tomatoes. I also took a few cucumbers. Cucumbers like to "hide" among the leaves and you have to search hard to find them!

   On the topic of toys, I've written a "bit" about today's Hubley cast iron boats. I sent one to my brother one year for wither his birthday or just like that. We grew up with our father who liked to fish, so we have the "itch" in our blood.  Even when we were young, when I was 13, and Michael 10, we'd take a small raft and go fishing. Later, when we were older we'd take a motorized boar and motor and go fishing. That was certainly better and less effort to move rowing and fishing at the same time.


Hubley made several versions of boats with outboard motors. The one below has "waves" at the bottom of the toy. THe outboard motor is modelled after the famous Johnson Seahorse. THe Johnson logo had an actual  ocean seahorse as its logo, and was an excellent motor of the time, and later on. 


The "wave model" of the Hubley  speed boat came in three (3) different colour variation - yellow, green, and red.

The red/yellow combination below is my favourite. 
The bold colours certainly attract the most attention!



Below is a similar version, but without the "waves". I'm not sure why the toy is called "static". This particular toy is called a "pull toy", since a child would pull it behind him /her with the wooden ball and cord attached to the front of the boat. This model had three (3) rear wheels and one (1) front one. As the toy was pulled, a clicking sound would be emitted to simulate the" roar "of an outboard.


Below is the red/yellow colour combination without the waves. However, it might have been a boat with the waves that somehow got lost. If you look at the "waveless"boat above, the motor fits into a recess at the back of the boat, where the "wave" variation rests flat against the back of the boat!
THat'smy photographer's eye" looking at the differences at the "blink of an eye"!


Hubley also made the two (2) blue boats below.  I purchased a similar "baby" Speed Boat for my brother. My budget is "limited", and the above toys are way out of my budget!
I also like the boat to the left that appears to read "Weed Boat", although I 
can't be sure of the last letter. I like the pronounced front part runner under the boat.


The "true story" about this boat probably made the toy all the more valuable. 
I'll let you read the "story" yourself. I like how the front light has the green and red colours that would appear on real boats. These help other boats at night know which was the boar is going. I think airplanes also have similar colour themes on their wings - details, details!


And one more small detail. Most cast iron toys had a steel smooth shaft that joined the two halves of of the toy. A left and right side were made and then attached together. A peen hammer (rounded head) would be used to hammer flat the end if the shaft, so that the two parts of the toy would  stay together forever. This in one of the ways to identify a "true" antique cast iron toy. However, as in the case of the Hubley boats - there can sometimes be an "exception to the rule".


Thanks for dropping by,
and as always,
have a great part of the day or night,
whereer you may be.
Stacey
toysearcher@gmail.com


No comments:

Post a Comment