It's Always a Nice Feeling to Visit Z & k Antiques

Saturday, January 4, 2024

-11° C / 12° F

Overcast and Cold

It's Always a Nice Feeling 

to 

Visit Z & k Antiques

I always enjoy revisiting people and their website. Visiting the

Z & k antiques website is great. They always have interesting toys 

or sale,  their photography is excellent, and there are always lots

of photo to see. Their descriptions are also well-researched.

Please click on this sentence to visit this exceptional toy

Bob Zordani and Heidi Kellner are the owners of this 

superb antiques store (gallery). They always have high-quality toys

as well as many other categories of antiques tor purchase. If I had more time, 

I would be writing about antiques as well!

Below:

A Screen-capture shows you all of the different merchandise

that Bob & Heidi have at their gallery.

I selected this nice toy because it still works after so many years.

It's truly something"special" to see, and I wonder how many owners there 

were, over time, in 150++ years!

Below:

This is the description of the 

Ives Clockwork Circus Rider (Clown Dancer Variation)

When you visit Bob & Heidi's website, there is a video that shows you how the

rider dances on top of the horse. It's quite interesting to see, considering that this toy was for sale in the 1870's, which is 155 years ago!

           

          

I hope you enjoyed this post. 

Don't forget to visit their website to see the circus clown

dancing on top of the horse. Imagine, the toy still is in 

working condition after all those years.

Thanks for dropping by to visit, 

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

My name is (Mr.) Stacey Bindman,

and I can always be reached at

toysearcher@gmail.com

Introducing DWL Toys. - A Fine ebay Store

Friday, January 3, 2025
-6° C / 21° F

Partly Sunny with Clouds

Introducing DWL Toys

One of the sites that I often visit is ebay. There are lots of toy sellers with lots

of many different kinds of toys with a wide range of prices. A few days ago,

I did a fast search and found DWL Toys. I was ecstatic because this store not only had lots of toys to select from, but there were lots of photos. 

For today's post, I'm presenting a nice

Please click on this sentence to visit the DWL Toys ebay store

 If you look closely at the store photo, you'll see that DWL Toys

has an excellent positive feedback from its' customers, and lots of feedback.

For today's post, I selected only one photo to introduce you to

DWL Toys. I never have seen this toy before, so that's why

I chose this particular toy for today.

I wanted to show you how many photos were taken to 

present the toy with all its' features and to have viewers see the toy

from every different angle. I only selected 10 photos, and yet there were 

still more photos for the viewer to look at.

Vintage Skippy Xpress

Wood Wagon Pull Toy

with Celluloid Skippy-

Extremely Rare

below:

A certificate of authentication. The toy most-likely came with the certificate. Nevertheless, the authentication ensures that this toy is real . 

You might not know this, but if you click on any photo,

the picture will enlarge, and you will be able to see all the

photos better and with small detail easier to see.

When you're finished looking at the larger-sized photos, simply press escape on your Apple keyboard ( I don't know what command to do on a PC keyboard)

 

So that's it for today. I hope everyone who came to my blog 

had a nice Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks for visiting my blog.

I'm always looking for people to write me and send toys for a post.

If you do, please send larger-sized photos such as 

 5" x 7"  width x height

12.7 cm   x 17.8 cm 

My name is (Mr.) Stacey Bindman, and I can always be reached at

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hopewell Valley History Project - Part II

Thursday, January 2, 2025

-2° C / 28° F

Overcast and Damp

The Hopewell Valley History Project

Part II

The Hopocro Toy Company was located in Hopewell, New Jersey,USA.

The company manufactured very few toys, but they were quite nice.

Sadly, the company did not stay in business for too long. The company was in business from 1923-1929 and manufactured only five toys. 

I was very fortunate to write to Mr. Douglas Dixon. I believe

he works with area known as Hopewell Valley Borough of Hopewell (population 2035), the Borough of Pennington (2,696), and the unincorporated census-designated place Titusville:(which is within Hopeful Township).

Hopeful Valley is in the State of New Jersey,USA

and was incorporated on April 14, 1891.

Below:

The History of the Toy Company Hoproco

Below:

A nice composite photo of the few toys that

Hoproco company manufactured.

It's hard to comprehend how such a nice

toy cost only 59 cents. 

Below are links to different topics about these nice toys:

Please click on the sentence to redirect to each sentence

The main discussion of Hoproco, with photos and product sheets.

This is the best single link, with references to the others at the end:


Some more context on Hoproco, with photos and product sheets -- This the best single best link to the history project"

The full "History Brief" research paper with more detail (PDF)

The Image Gallery, with 48 images of the Hoproco toys, boxes, and product sheets

The YouTube video of Mr. Doug Dixon discussing the Hoproco toy company

This post is the most-informative of all the posts that I have written. I want to especially thank Mr. Doug Dixon,  for his very helpful reply to my writing to the township of Hopewell Valley. This is the most information that I have ever found

on this fine toy company. 

I hope you enjoy this post, as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks for dropping by to visit my blog.

As always have a great part of the day or night wherever you may be.

Finally, my name is Mr. Stacey Bindman 

and I can always be reached

at toysearcher@gmail.com

The Hopewell Valley History Project

Thursday, January 2, 2025

-2°C / 28° F

Overcast and Damp

 A few days ago, I "discovered" an interesting site that also

happens to be have a very interesting group of people dedicated

to keeping their borough's history in a project titled: 

The Hopewell History Project 

The Hopewell Valley History Project

Part 1

"The area referred to as Hopewell Valley (2000 census population of 16,105),

the Borough of Hopewell (2,035),the Borough of Pennington (2,696),

and the unincorporated census-designated place Titusville: 

(which is within Hopeful Township)

Expanding the location, Hopewell Valley is in the State of New Jersey, 

in the United States of America and it was incorporate on April 14, 1891. 

The project goal is to collect items from the past for the people of the present 

and the future to see. Hmmm, I thought to myself!  This has got to be my next blog post. I wrote to The Hopewell Valley History Project, and a few days later, I received a nice e-mail from Mr. Douglas Dixon.

Mr. Dixon sent me 4 web addresses to research the post for information and photos that I could use for my post. Today, I've just added the link

to the first address and site of this wonderful project.

Douglas wrote:

"The main discussion of the Hoproco with photos and product sheets " 

This is the best single link, with reference to others at the end.

There was a toy company in the town by the name of Hoproco

that existed in the 1920's in the Borough of Hopewell.

  

Click on this sentence to redirect to the first Hopewell page site

I haven't written too much today because Douglas and the other people 

involved in this project have worked very hard to promote their history project.

However, I will most-certainly  add another post to this wonderful discovery, 

the wonderful place where the toys are located, and of course to

Mr. Douglas Dixon.

So that's it for today, and thanks for visiting my blog.

My name is Mr. Stacey Bindman,

and I can always be contacted at

toysearcher@gmail.com

An Exceptional Bertoia Auction of European Dolls, Steiff Bears, and Wonderful Gottschalt Houses and more

Wednesday, January 1, 2025

Overcast 

1° C / 33° F

An Exceptional Bertoia Auction of European Dolls, 

Steiff Bears, Wonderful Gottschalt Houses and More

One of the first companies that gave me their permission to write about them 

and the wonderful auctions that they had was Bertoia Auctions. I was ecstatic,

because I would now be able to write about wonderful toys that I had not seen before.

The auction that I'm writing about today immediately caught my attention.

The auction will have a myriad of many different toys. However, it's the amazing doll houses that caught my eye. Each of the doll houses that will be presented at the auction has many photographs. Whomever took the photographs, as well as the Bertoia family working alongside, really outdid themselves with the excellent photography. 

For today's post, I decided to select just one dollhouse and let the photographs 

show the  very fine photography, both technically with lighting and focus, but 

mores o in the specific close-ups and details.

Please click on this sentence to redirect to the Bertoia Auction on Liveauctioneers

Please click on this sentence to redirect specifically to the Large Gottschalt House

Item Details

Description:
Auction Number: 148
LARGE GOTTSCHALK HOUSE l No. 3594/4  (referenced on page 64
Moritz Gottschalk 1892-1931? Verlag Marianne Cieslik. One of the largest models
offered by the infamous company. This impressive house has a front opening section to
the center hall with painted walls and closet under the staircase. The two sides open to two large rooms in each, one on the left with a closet in the upper room. The room retain original floor and wall papers with period silk and lace curtains.The exterior is covered with lithographed paper with faux brick, stone and lattice with painted wood detailing including wood window and door trim,porch columns and eaves and of course the trademark blue roof.  |  40" wide, 21.5" deep to base of bay wind  |   The exterior has had some meticulous conservation including some touch up papers, replaced painted arch top glass panels and the addition of some metal flourishes to the front and gilt metal weather vanes to roof as well as a feline | $5,000- $10,000

My favourite photo was the one above of the cat. Whomever

had decided to place a cat on the banister must have been an excellent 

designer of  these fine toy houses. The cat added that "extra" that made 

the house all the more real and enjoyable, even after all those years.

So that's it for today,

Thanks. for visiting my blog.

As always have a great part of the morning, afternoon, or evening,

wherever you may be.

My name is (Mr.) Stacey Bindman, and I an always be reached

at 

toysearcher@gmail.com