A Reader Asks for Names of Repair Shops

Saturday, October 6, 2018
Overcast with Rain
12 C  54 F

A Reader Asks for

Names of Repair Shops

     From time-to-time, I get requests for recommendations  for toy repairs or restorations.  I've only used a repair shop once, and this person was mostly a repair person for painting and clocks. He also did repairs for electronics. Sadly, he closed his business as people began to through out their old toasters and radios and buy new ones, rather than repair old ones. The cost of a new replacement was less expensive than repairing the old one. In the past, I used to keep "old" toasters for a long time. I found them better than the newer plasticized ones!

     Anyway, I recently received an e-mail from Mr. Greg Niederwerder asking me if I could help him out in recommending to him a toy repair person. I sent him 2 names. One that I am familiar with, and one that I wasn't familiar with.  I try to suggest more than one person or repair shop, so that the owner of a toy can ask questions, and then make a choice. I also add a caveat, that I do not really know the people and that the toy owner should ask questions to get a sense as to the person who would be selected for the repair. Another point is that any repair of anything can cost a lot. A repair even for an old toy might cost more than the toy itself. Of course, if the toy is of sentimental value, it's worth the cost, especially if its' your grandparents or parents legacy.  Greg's toy happens to be from his father. 

I just remembered that I did one repair at a local repair shop. I had purchased a Teddy bear at a garage sale and had it cleaned. The arm came off, so I went to a local porcelain and art work repair and restorer to see if he could do the repair. He did, and I think the repair cost more than the garage sale purchase. But it was worth it to me  for sentimental reasons!

What is needed for this smaller-sized toy are a wheel replacement and a repair to the wind-up mechanism. When I finish with this blog post, I'll ask Greg what has happened since I wrote him back, in order to see if he has chosen someone to go ahead with the repairs, and then I can write about it on my blog, by adding the new information to this post. When I finish with this blog post, I'll ask Greg what has happened since I wrote him back, in order to see if he has chosen someone to go ahead with the repairs, and then I can write about it on my blog, by adding the new information to this post.

"Ferdinand Strauss Co. was founded in New York City. Strauss specialized in importing tin mechanical toys and produced toys from 1914 to 1927.Strauss hired Louis Marx, whom later founded the Marx toy company.Strauss produced (wind-up) toys for the Abraham & Strauss Department Stores and was a pioneer in the friction tin toy industry." (Citation www.fabtintoys.com/strauss/)

     One other thing - Can anyone tell myself and Greg when this Ferdinand Strauss toy might have been made, and what the value might also be?

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a nice day.

Stacey Bindman

 One other thing - Can anyone tell myself and Greg when this Ferdinand Strauss toy might have been made, and what the value might also be?