Wonderful Tin Toys from Milestone Auctions

Sunday, May 17, 2020
Sunny with Clouds
19 C 66 F

Wonderful Tin Toys

from

Milestone Auctions

Milestone Auctions is located in Willoughby, Ohio, USA. The company offers multiple services such as organization, photography, and descriptions and information about many different of categories of merchandise that they auction. They are also affiliated with Liveauctioneers.

"Tinplate was used in the manufacture of toys beginning in the mid-19th century. The invention of sheet metal stamping machines in 1815 allowed for the mass production of inexpensive toys. Tin toys were made from thin sheets of steel plated with tin, hence the name tinplate.  Tin toys were a cheap and durable substitute for wooden toys. The toys were originally assembled and painted by hand. Spring activated tin toys originated in Germany in the 1850s.  In the late 1880s offset lithography was used to print designs on tinplate. After the colorful designs were printed on the metal, they were formed by dies and assembled with small tabs. The lightweight nature of the toys allowed them to be shipped less expensively and easier than the heavier cast iron toys.

Germany was the major producer of tin toys in the world in the early 20th century. The most famous German manufacturer of tin toys was Ernst Paul Lehmann who is said to have exported 90% of his toys. France and England joined the fray and it wasn't long before hundreds of thousands of these penny toys were being manufactured."*

Please click here to read more about tin toys in the early 20th century

Hans Eberl

Tin Windup Roll Over Car

Length:  10" 254 mm

Hand painted tin windup Birds on Swing

Birds are weighted and swing around when the toy is operated.

Height:  15" 381 mm

Tin windup Lila Hansome Cab with driver, 2 passengers, 

and a small dog

Height:  6"  152 mm

Lehmann Tin Flywheel "Going to the Fair"

Made in Germany

Length:  6 1/2" 165 mm

Tin Windup that works and plays music

Height:  6 1/2" 165 mm

Lehmann Tin Windup Amphibious Car

Windup Mechanism

Length:  9 1/2"  242 mm

Before today, I hadn't realized that tin toys 

could be so large or in some case so "complicated. 

There's still more learning to be done.

Have a great day or evening.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com