Two fine Arcade Toys Come up for Sale at Z & K Antiques

Please click on this sentence to redirect to this Excellent Antique SellerSaturday, May 23, 2020
Sunny
23 C 74 F

Two fine Arcade Toys Come up 

for Sale at  Z & k ANTIQUES

I've been returning to the websites of many of my contributors to see how they are doing. 
Several years ago, I discovered this fine seller by having done a search. What I like about  this website is the excellent photography that they have of their merchandise, and the research that they use to carefully describe each the items that are for sale.

Please click here to visit this fine American Merchant

The scanned pages for the 2 toys come from a nice

small booklet for Arcade Toys circa the 1920's. The booklet of 76 pages was

reproduced by the publisher Noble House in 1988.

Dimensions:

L x W x H: 

 8 1/2" x 3 3/8" x 3 3/4"

215 mm x 86 mm x 95 mm

I was able to find the patent of the toy on the Internet.

Thanks for dropping by.

and have a great part of the day

or night wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

An Exceptional Set of 1920's Buddy L vehicles comes to auction

Sunday, April 7, 2019
Sunny with clouds
9 C  48 F

An Exceptional Set of 1920's Buddy L vehicles comes to auction

      I'm always elated  when readers write to me. And so it was with Mr. Myron Frank.  Myron had inherited a set of 10 Buddy L cars and trucks, and was asking for advise as to what these fine early 1920's Buddy L toys would garner at auction.

"Hi, I have a small collection of Buddy L trucks.  They were my Dad's and he passed.  I know these have value, but not sure the actual retail.  

There is a local toy auction house that will put them up in April, but with no certainty on sale price, and there is also a lot of "trust" involved in the auction process.  e.g. we will sell them but you just trust us on what they sell for.  

I am attaching photos of the ten trucks we are considering selling.  Any estimate of value appreciated.  Also, if you would like to make an offer on the lot, let me know.  The trucks are located in Central Indiana.  

Thanks, Phil F. " 

      I'm not an expert on the value of toys, so I didn't want to give  any incorrect information to Myron. What I did suggest however, was to do a search on the Bertoia Auctions website, a very famous and successful toy auctioneer.  I also suggested for Myron to visit the  Liveauctioneers  website.

    There are innumerable factors that determine the price of what a toy (or anything else) will sell for at auction. The time of year, a local auction or an Internet auction, the number of people bidding on the toy. As well, sometimes you'll find a toy at one time will sell for more than at another time.

Please click here to visit the Bertoia Auctions website

Please click here to visit the Liveauctioneers website

Please click here to visit the ebay website

Interestingly, the ebay website was the one website that offered the most number of these Buddy L Flivver cars and trucks.

          Myron's collection most certainly is a fine collection. I especially like the "dust" that has collected on these toys over the years.  I wish Myron great success as his collection goes to auction

A Reader Asks for Help with a Nice Cor-Cor Train

Friday, February 10, 2017
Sunny and Very Cold
-12 C  10.4 F

A Reader asks for Help with a Cor-Cor Train

Periodically, I get inquiries from readers about what the value of their toys are. And so, that was the case when Debbie Dean write to me about 3 weeks ago. Debbie has a nice Cor-Cor train, but up until today, I couldn't find any results for the value. However, I did find 1 result when I did a Google search  for "Cor-Cor Train". The result was  $ 80.00 US, but the result on iCollector wasn't as nice as Debbie's.

The reason for today's post is to ask you (my readers), if you have one of these 1920's-1930's train sets, and if you might know the value of it. I was surprised at the low value on iCollector because Cor-Cor cars achieve nice dollar values. If you do a search on Bertoia Auctions website, you'll see what I mean.

Below are the nice photos that Debbie Dean sent me. I had to ask Debbie to make the photos larger in size so I could work with them in Photoshop, and present them online. If you ever plan on asking me or anyone on the Net for the value of your toy, a good idea is to also include the sizes of the toys. Also, when sending photos, present nice photos without distractions, and their sizes should be at least 4" x 6" (100 mm x 130 mm) in size @ 300 dpi.

Update:

If you send photos of a toy to me, please give the dimensions (size) to me.

Manufacturers sometimes make toys in different sizes, 

so knowing the exact size of any toy is important

I like how Debbie presented her toys on an almost single coloured carpet. The texture of the carpet also enhances the photo.

So, if anyone out there has one of these nice Cor-Cor train sets, would you be so kind as to send me any information of their value, and I'll pass on the information to Debbie Dean.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

A New ebay Seller from Portugal

Sunday, November 13, 2016
Cloudy with sunny breaks
9 Celsius  48 Fahrenheit

A New ebay seller

from Portugal

Please click here to visit this fine ebay seller

I was very surprised when I found the Odiabogosta store on ebay. Here was a store that had very fine, very old and rare European manufacturers of pressed steel toys. Many of the toys had battery-operated headlights, and one bus had headlights, and an inner ceiling light as well.

Naturrally, I wrote to the Odiabogosta storeowners, and in a few days received a ver nice reply.

The stores are worldwide, and are owned by 

Mr. Jorge Santos and his grandson Mr. Gonçalo Rueda.

In Their Own Words:

Hello Mr. Bindman, good day,

Congratulations on your very nice blog. Always happy to confirm the passion for these little treasures is alive and well.Feel free to use our pictures for your project. I only ask that you let me know whenever you post an article with any of them.We are a small family business and work in several areas of the collectibles world. This part focused on quality antique toys is run by me and my godson (Jorge Santos & Gonçalo Rueda). Always on the lookout for antique toys, we get them from wherever we can, whether it be from private estates, flea-markets, toy fairs, and even collectors themselves by trading.

All my best, and warm greetings from sunny Portugal,
Jorge Santos

If you've a regular reader to my blog, you know that lately,I like to take a toy photo and present it against a white background and foundation (what the toy rests on). When I first saw Mr. Santos' photographs, I was so excited that I was ready to work on them immediately. However, it wasn't going to be easy. It's a lot of work to remove a toy from its' foundation and background.  Also, I found the background and foundation a bit distracting from the fine and rare toys. I  decided to experiment with how the toy would best be presented.First I left the photo alone, then I did some colour-balance exposure corrections, and better shadow detail. I then tried removing all the colour in the photo, except for the toys. Lastly, I decided to remove everything, and leave the toy against white.

Details, details!

In the end, I liked the velvet-looking red curtains in the back, and the fine leather and gold embossed table mat that the toy rested on. This projected the toys with a  majestic quality. The toys presented themselves regally, and the background and foundation complimented the fine toys, but didn't detract from the toys themselves. So I worked out a solution. I would remove the colour from the surrounding, but leave the toy intact, except for some photoshop correction, and present some toys in their entirety but with some Photoshop correction.

Up for sale, an exceedingly scarce example of a beautiful GAMA #43/5 tin wind-up Fireman with wheeled extendable ladder, rarest variation with the lithographed wheeled ladder instead of the plain red one. Near impossible to find in any condition. An incredible piece with striking colors and amusing mechanics. In a luscious near mint condition, has minimal wear and performs flawlessly.

Length:  8 5/8" ladder 21 1/4" fully extended

22 cm / ladder 54 cm when fully extended

When the fireman is secured to the ladder, and the wind-up is wound, he will start to climb up the ladder.

An exceedingly rare example of an amazing 1908 Hess tin flywheel Avanti Peking-Paris race car. Celebrating the crazed race of 10th June 1907 from Peking to Paris, this is an incredible historical piece with striking artwork and details. 

Length: 5 1/8" 130 mm

1920's Distler JDN 3704 Tin Wind-up Large Bus Coach w/ Opening Roof Doors Lights

 Up for sale, an exceedingly rare example of a most spectacular 1920's Distler 3704 tin wind-up large deluxe bus. Has steerable front wheels, opening side doors, electrical headlights, electrical interior lighting, and opening roof to decorate the interior with additional figures. Only two known examples in private collections. 

Length:  15 3/4" 400 mm

Extr Rare 50cm Original 1930s PAYA Tin Wind-up Horch Gran Sedan Oldtimer with Light

Up for sale, an exceedingly rare example of an incredible original Paya Gran Sedan, in its most elusive and desired color scheme cream/chocolate brown/orange, deep blue interior. Huge and heavy high quality construction, measuring 50cm long. Has steerable wheels, electrical lighting system, opening doors/trunk and folding seats. In a stunning condition, has minimal wear and performs flawlessly, especially considering its age, and state of disarray in which they usually show up, when they show up.  Small touch-ups to body. 

Length:  19 5/8"  500 mm

Extr Rare 1930s Tippco (Tipp & Co) TCO Tin Wind-up Pullman Horch Closed Sport Coupe

Up for sale, an extremely rare example of a most elegant 1930's Tipp & Co. tin wind-up sport closed cabriolet coupe with driver, electrical lighting system and opening trunk. In excellent condition, has minimal wear and performs flawlessly. See pictures for details. Roughly 31cm long. A scarce high grade collectors piece that will display magnificently in any tin toy anthology.

Length: 12 1/4" 31 cm approximately

Extr. Rare 1930's Tippco Tipp&Co TCO Salmon Tin Wind-up Horch Coupe Oldtimer

An extremely rare example of a most elegant 1930's Tipp & Co. tin wind-up sport coupe with driver and electrical lighting system, rarest of this series with the salmon colored variation. In excellent condition, has little wear and performs flawlessly. See pictures for details. Small rust spots underneath. 

Length:  Approximately 11 3/8"  29cm  

What I find most interesting is that not only are the toys very old,  but they are in very good condition considering how old they are. Also, they still work with regards to their battery-operated headlights, and wind-up mechanisms. Of course, these exemplary toys also come with their high prices. When the toys are at this level of collecting, there are people who will gladly bid on them!

Thanks for dropping by,
and as always,
Have a great part of the day or night,
Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman
toysearcher@gmail.com

A Kenton 1920's Firetruck

Thursday, February 4, 2016
Cloudy and seasonal temperatures

A Kenton 1920's Firetruck

Please click here too visit OpAmerica's ebay website

   Of all the ebay sellers, OpAmerica Toy and Bank Museum (OpAmerica) is one of my favourites. They always have interesting merchandise for sale, but its' their written descriptions in depth, as well as excellent photography that makes them so outstanding. Not only that, but they always add plenty of photos for discerning potential buyers to carefully look at the merchandise.

1920's KENTON Cast Iron Toy Fire Pumper 14-1/2" Long

---

I am pleased to offer this Antique Kenton Cast Iron Red Toy Fire Pumper Truck that comes with two cast iron firemen figures. Appears as the 1920's model marked KENTON TOYS KENTON, OHIO; may be missing string hoses. Visible paint chip wear present on vehicle and firemen figures from play throughout; red color is visible yet faded throughout. Light spot marks present on frame of vehicle. Oxidation present on metal parts. Some dust and/or dirt throughout. Wheels function well. 

A great antique fire pumper!

Measurements: approx. 14-1/2" inches long x 3" inches wide x 7-1/2" inches in height.

(368 mm x 76 mm x 190 mm)

What's interesting about the toy is the fact that it is a replica of actual fire trucks that were around at the time. Interestingly, there were no fire hydrants or underground piped water supplies at the time in most cities in America. As such, the firetrucks had to have their own supply of water and/or use the boiler to pump up the water pressure in order to extinguish the fires. 

Even in 1920's there were still horse-drawn fire carts with boilers, and interestingly one could still buy toys based on the horse and wagon style fire wagon!

This particular toy is actually quite large.At the time most cast iron companies would make the same toy but in different sizes. As such, people with different budgets would be able to purchase toys for their children.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Exceptional 1920's Buddy 'L' Construction Toys

Monday, August 5, 2014
           Cloudy, hot and humid

The Exceptional 1920's Buddy 'L'

Construction Toys

  I recently wrote about the the WWII (1939-45) wooden Buddy 'L' toys. However, their earlier 1920 and later toys were also magnificent, especially if you liked toys with lots of movement. I'd written about 1 or 2 of these toys, but with the upcoming Bertoia AUctions September 19-20, 2014 auction, I had the opportunity to use 4 of the Buddy 'L' construction toys. When I was buying and selling toys, the closest that I came to construction toys were the Doepke sand movers - the truck version and the stand alone version. If I was 4-8 and had been given one of these, I'd have been in the sandbox for the day! But looking at the Buddy 'L' construction toys of the 1920's , my patents would have wondered where I disappeared to !

Please click here to visit the is exceptional American auctioneer

The toys would appear to have been modelled after 'real construction toys of the era. I'm assuming that the boiler was use to power this mobile concrete mixer.  There's a water tank with a brass (?) tap above a bucket that would pour the mixture into the tumbler. A crank would then turn the mixture and the cement would be able to be poured out. There's even a small door to the boiler to add fuel.

The main theme that is prevalent to all of these Buddy 'L" toys is movement. With this Buddy 'L" trench (below), there is enough movement to keep you hypnotized to all of the action. the bucker "diggers" or scoops, would dig up sand or small pebbles, lift them up to the top where there is a protected red hood. Thee kept the sand or pebbles from being thrown all over. The hood would guide the stone on to the coverer belt, which ten moved the material to an awaiting truck!

Please have a look at the treads of both the concrete mixer and the trencher. There is a small spring and guide that would move the tracks up and down as the toy moved along an irregular surface - just the the "real" machine! This is a great feature, that as you can see, the company took great lengths to create a very real "toy".

I'd never seen this Buddy 'L' toy until when I'd been screen-capturing the images for today's post. It's similar to the Doepke earth mover. Small trowels or buckets scoop up the materials which would be a mixture of different-sized sand and stone mixtures.  The buckets move by a hand-cranked chain to the top of the machine, and turn over into a deep v-shaped container. I "think" then that the smaller material falls down to the ground  through the holes in the mesh, while the good material is moved to the large bucket that is in the vertical position. It would be tilted down to receive the material.

I've written about the Buddy 'L' steam shovel, but once again again, like the  sand screen, I had never seen the "improved" double piston version. I'm "assuming" again that the brass-coloured metal is bras. Notice the similar features on the steam shovel as some of the previous toys.  The boiler with the small opening to throw in coal to fuel the boiler to power the steam shovel. Then there are the tread guides with the respective spring-action as the toy would move. But the "piece-de resistance" is, of course, the bucket (scoop). The scoop, like most similarly-made toys would scoop up a pile of material, be raised, then be able to have it's trap door at the bottom open either to dump the load somewhere else or to load it on to a truck. 

I can imagine having 4 children playing in a sandbox, with each of them having a different Buddy 'L' toy. Those times that these kids played must have been  exciting and unbelievable.

Now did I just read somewhere that scientists are close to perfecting time travel? I'm just wondering if I travel back in time, will I also become younger?  I don't think a 65 year old would fit well in a sandbox in 1925 with a group of children, and their toys!


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