Old Antique Toys

This blog discusses old toys from the early 1920's to the end of the 1950's. All kinds of topics are discussed. The time span was the greatest period for "hands-on" toys, where a young child could actually go outside and play for hours at a time. You can see the elegance but simple design of these toys. It was a time when huge machines, and people made and finished toys by hand. The era has long passed, but many of the toys are still around, and that is what I would like to share.

Monday, April 27, 2020

AHA - So That's Where my Photos Are!

Monday, April 27, 2020
Sunny and Cloudy Periods
7 C 45 F

Aha - So That's Where my Photos Are!

When I first started to use Blogger, I decided to save my photos (people's photos) on a website titled Picasa. The photos were there up April about 2016, when they "disappeared. I must not have read a notice, but what happened was that Picasa was bought up by Google, and Picasa was closed down in 2016. I don't know!! I don't ever think I received a notice from Google as to what would be happening!

Anyway, today, I was browsing the Net, when I came across the name "Picasa". It seemed familiar to me, but I completely forgot that that was where my Blogger Photos were stored! The next step was to search for Picasa on Google Search, and lo and behold I was redirected by Google to where I could find everyones(and mine) photos! Whoa, was I happy. This was most certainly a "Eureka Moment"!

I did a search for "Picasa", and the screen-capture below appeared". I then clicked on "Go to Google Photos", and there were everyone's and my photos!

Courtesy of Google

When I clicked on "Go to Google Photos", there were some of the photos that I had originally uploaded way back in December 2009! I'm not sure as to how you store Photos on Google now in terms of do you pay for added storage or what? I'll do some investigation and get back to everyone when I edit this post. It's important to have a place to store your photos, besides your hard drives, or memory sticks!

I'll tell you why. In September of last year, my internal hard drive on my 2011 hard drive broke down, and my IMac wouldn't work. I contacted someone who I knew;A computer "techie". He replaced the internal hard drive (he left it inside), and used a replacement 1 GB SSD (Solid State Drive) externally. My computer lasted 3 months, then crashed again. My computer died! Not only that but my second backup hard drive crashed as well. Everything that I had on those 2 hard rives were lost foreever! My fishing trip with my brother to the Queen Charlotte Islands in British Columbia (Canada), my trip to Hawaii with my wife on the occasion of my niece's wedding were gone, and of course all of my Blog photos!

Below are images from Feb, 21, 2016

Please do not copy without their written permission

Below are images from June 19, 2012

Please do not copy without my

written permission

Below are images from June 19, 2012 & ››January & February 2012

Please do not copy without my

written permission

What's also interesting is that some of my own photos and

I'm sure those of others were larger-sized, and were saved as such.

Below are 2 more examples.

Please do not copy without my

written permission

The photos or back-ups have stopped since 2018.

I'm sure if I wanted to save my photos from 2010-2020 and from now on,

I would have to now buy (lease) additional spave for additional costs.

So what does one do now?

1. If you use Photoshop from Adobe or any other Adobe program,

you have their "Creative Cloud" that you rent by the month, to store your photos.

2. You use (rent) space from Google.

3. Buy 2 (moving parts) external hard drives or SSD drives

4. Buy Memory Sticks (prices keep coming down)

5.Keep your photos on your camera memory cards and store them safely.

6. For added safety, store # 4 & 5 in your safety deposit box) at the bank, if you have one.

6. Keep up with the times!

Memory storage devices and camera memory cards keep changing Keep up with the times

so that obsolescent! ( Remember what happened to tapes with video cameras?).

I hope that this post has enlightened you about storing your cherished images (photos)

and that for a minimum amount of investment, you will be able to always have your photos A(and eventually pass them on) with you safely, and with peace of mind.

So that's it for today,

Thanks for dropping by,

And have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

And take care of yourself and your family during these trying times!

You can always reach me at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Sunday, April 26, 2020

A Book by Pim Piët

Wednesday, April 28, 2020
Sun with cloud
10 C 50 F

A Book by Pim Piët

I've often thought of "making" a book. There are several companies that you can make your book. You go to their website, use the tools available, upload photos, write, and after a few hours, you press the button - "make the book".

The publishing company that Pim used was Blurb

Please click here to see Pim's book and Blurb

The book shows much better on the link above than they do on this post!

Please do not copy without his written permission

As you can see, that the design is well done, in terms

of how the written description and photos are laid out and positioned

So that's it for today.

Thanks for visiting, and

have a great part of the day or night

wherever you may be.

I can always be reached at my e-mail address below:

Toysearcher@gmail.com

Stacey

Friday, April 24, 2020

A Reconnect with a Friend from The Netherlands

Friday, April 24, 2020
Sun with Cloud
12 C 54 F

A Reconnect with a Friend

from the Netherlands

If you read my blog regularly, you'll have noticed that I've written 5 instalments about Bill Buttaggi and his fine collection of slush (diecast) toys. While writing about Bill I found a nice website about slush cars. The author of the website is Mr. Pim Piët. Hmmm! That name certainly sounded familiar but I couldn't figure out how I might have known Mr. Piet. I did a search on my blog, but found nothing, so I decided to search for slush toys. Sure enough, a post came up, and the person about whom I had written was Pim Piët!. I just hadn't place his name In the blog section titled "labels". I've since added Pim's name for that post. That post was written on March 19, 2012. I couldn't believe it ; that was more than 8 years ago. How the time goes by so fast!

Below is the redirect to that post.

Please click here to redirect to Pim Piët's Original Post

I wrote Pim an e-mail, and he remembered me form that long ago. I was happy to reconnect, and he of course let me have his permission to write about his collection of slush toys, and his narrative.

In Pim's own words

Dear Stacey,

It’s nice that you want to write about my website. As you also should know, is that I have made a book about slush mold cars in 2010. Long before some other collectors did make there book.

Slush Mold Toy cars 1920-1940: https://www.amazon.com/dp/132063561X/ref=pd_rhf_se_p_img_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=B8XS0N1W271GRVBB2V20

I believe that Bill Buttaggi did make a beautiful and great book about the Lincoln White Metal Works and his history. And Rodney Hopson of the Kansas Toy & Novelty Co.Both were inspired by my book of an None-American collector. And I’m glad that they made their books on the subject. Because the cars and items deserve a good research of American history.

In the 90th I found my old Dinky Toys racing cars. The cars I was playing with as a child.Because I’m interesting in toy racing cars, I start looking for other ones. And on a certain moment I found the book of Richard O’Briens: Collecting Toy cars and trucks. In the book I found the photo’s of some racing cars, made of slush mold, which looked very interesting to me.Through the internet I met a guy who was selling some of these cars and I bought my first slush mold car.

Then I discovered the Ebay auction site and start looking for some of these racing toy cars. First only racing cars, which were not so easy to find for a reasonable price.And during this discovering journey, I saw all kind of slush mold cars coming by and got interested in some other models.When I started collecting these toys it was very difficult to get information about it. And even a lot of sellers couldn’t tell me a lot about these cars.

The O’Brien book was the only one that could give me some information. Later I met a few collectors who knew more about it and my collecting was slowly growing. Not only racing cars, but also other cars and items of the slush mold toy industry.

After about ten years of collecting 1998 - 2007, I had a small collecting of cars and because there was no good book about the cars I decided to make one of my own collecting. I start to make photo’s of the cars with a little description and made a small book of the collection, which was nice. (more for myself than to distribute)

My collection was still growing and I search for more information, to describe the cars and where they were coming from. (Who made and designed them?) I also had decided to concentrate my collection on slush mold cars and other items, like ships, planes, coaches etc.

In 2010 I decided to make a real book of the cars and photographed the whole collection and make the book you have the link from. In the book there were the cars and I also make pictures of the bottom of the cars and the wheels. The book I made for the starting collector to recognize the cars and where they were made.This book I offered through Blurb.com and later through Amazon.com.

I believe that Kansas, Lincoln and CAW have made the most beautiful toys and castings. With sometimes beautiful designs: Art Deco/Streamline. What interest me the most about these toys is that it are not real copy of an existing car, but an interpretation or fantasy of a car. That gives them their charm.

Maybe it’s good to know that I’m an artist (painter) www.pmptwork.com.

I’m still collecting cars and my collection exist about 300-400 models. And I should make a new book of the collection if I can find the time.It has become more and more difficult to get a good original for a reasonable price. But we are still looking for some models…….

Hope this will help you.

If you have more questions, just ask.

I’m looking forwards to your article….

Have a good day,

Best Pim

Below is a screen-capture of an exhibition show that Pim had in 2015

Please do not copy without his written permission

That screen-capture was certainly a long one, but it certainly illustrates

Pim's talent as an artist in terms how he arranged his collection of toy.

Pim also happens to be a very accomplished artist.

I've added a screen-capture below from an exhibition.

Please go to the link below to see a very nice selection of his part work.

Please click here to redirect to Pin's website on his art

I'll be continuing in the next instalment with Pim

and his exceptional collection of this bygone-era toys.

As always,

thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

And please take very careful care of you and your family.

These are very critical times!

You can always reach me at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Stacey Bindman

Thursday, April 23, 2020

Hey Ma! Christopher is making more toys!!!

Saturday, April 23, 2020
Sunny with clouds
1 C 34 F

Hey Ma!

Christopher is Making More Toys

A few days ago, I had seen. one of my posts of Christopher Ferrone. The blog post

came up because I was searching for something. I hadn't written Chris in several years, and so this was one of those "eureka moments"! I wrote to Christopher and asked how everything was, including his family. All was well. Wouldn't you know it, that about 20 minutes later, he had sent me photos of one of his latest projects. I resized his photos, added the copyright notice to them, and then created a blog post.

So? What happened today? I get 3 e-mails from Chris for one of his next projects. It's to be a fire engine. This time, he has 2 different toys that he will dismantle and reconstruct for a brand new toy of an old large firetruck with its' long with its' long "rear mount". That's what that long part of the firetruck is called directly behind the truck itself. What impressed me most was the large file sizes that I received.The photos were taken with his cell phone. I dislike telling anyone that I don't have a cellphone. She says I need one, and I think she thinks I'm a dinosaur!

The photo below is of a 1940's-early 1950's truck and rear mount.

A New Fire Engine Under Construction

Part 1

In this stage, Chris is going to use 2 different toys. He's going to dismantle them and then make the newer toy from the parts of the original 2 toys. You can see the progress from the image below. They are positioned (top to bottom) in the stages of the dismantlement.

Part II

In this stage, Christopher is priming the toys with grey primer. Notice how he carefully places the parts, so that he will be able to assemble them easily. I don't think that Chris draws up plans for his new designs. I'm sure with the experience that Chris has, he can imagine in his head how the truck will look.

In the picture above, you can see that he's starting to assemble the new truck and

rear mount from parts of both toys.

Below, the new truck portion of the toy is getting a priming job.

I've stopped here for now because Chris still has

more work to do on this latest toy. I'll wait

until he sends me more photos,

so please stay tuned.

So have a great part of the day or night,

and please watch out, there's a horrific disease out there,

and you want to be healthy.

Stacey Bindman

Contact me anytime at:

Toysearcher@gmail.com

Pim Piët Continued

Sunday, April 26, 2020
Sunny with Clouds
1 C 34 F

Pim Piët Continued

One of the sections on Pim's website has to do with restoration.

I screen-captured the image, but it's even better if you go to his website.

You'll be able to read the writing much better.

Screen-capturing from the Internet diminishes the quality of the images as well.

Please click here to visit Pim's website

Please do not copy without his written permission

Pim is certainly most-skilled in being able to restore these slush toys.

So that's it for today.

Take good care of yourself and your family,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

I can always be reached at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Stacey Bindman

Tuesday, April 21, 2020

Bill Buttaggi's Kansas Toys

Friday, April 24, 2020
Sun with cloudy periods
11 C 52 F

Bill Buttaggi's Kansas Toys

This is the third instalment of Bill Buttaggi's

Kansas toy collection

"Kansas Toy and Novelty" was started in 1923 by Arthus Haynes in Clifton, Kansas. He believed that it was he who invented the slush cast toy when he accidentally dropped a recently poured mold.

Beginning with toy #8, a coupe, the stock number was cast into the side of the car. This may have been done so that salesmen could peddle them without needing to carry boxes of catalogs. All toys had metal wheels and many had a metallic lacquer finish. Unless there were several parts, bodies were all one color with black painted wheels."*

* Description Courtesy of HobbyDB

Please click here to visit this wonderful and informative website

There's a website by the name of Blurb, that allows people to write a book and add photographs. Below is the author's Blurb page where you can peruse the book, and purchase a copy from him. His name is Rodney Hopson, and there is a lot of history about the Kansas Toy and Novelty Company there.

Please click here to view Rodney's Blurb book

Many of the Kansas Toy and Novelty Company's toys had a lustrous paint added to the toy.

Several examples below illustrate this.

Below is the patent for a slush casting device. A reverse mould was made for the toy

from a higher-melting point metal. The liquid and molten "slush" metal alloy was poured through the top opening of the casting device. Once the metal cooled down enough, the casting machine would open (the bottom drawing), and the new toy would be removed. At this stage, the toy was "rough, and would have some additional metal attached to the basic car. This "extra" metal would be cut off, and the remaining surface would be smoothed down with sanding.