A Collector With the Skills of a Detective-Part II

Thursday, December 31, 2015
Seasonal Temperatures

A Collector With the 

Skills of a Detective

(Part II)

   My first post of the day was about Mr. Bruce Jacobs and his fine pair of DP Clark hill climbers. 

This "follow-up" is about 2 other great discoveries - a Dayton  Trick Duck, 1925 with a Gyro Motor, and a Buddy "L" Scarab in pristine condition.

   I've seen the Buddy "L" Scarab, but never in such excellent condition. Bruce had purchased online (On the Internet), and it was in this superb condition. AS for the Dayton Trick Duck (1925), I'd never seen this toy before. For those who don't know, Dayton (Dayton, Ohio, USA) was a mecca for toy production a long time ago. 

   The Scarab was named after a certain type of bisect beetle, and I assume was meant to look somewhat "futuristic". What I always liked about pressed steel toys, of which the Scarab is one, is that toy designers and engineers had to figure out where the cuts in the sheet of metal would be. In this way, they could design a press and mould to contour the toy with as few steps as possible. You can see  where the cuts are, and how easily the toy would be pressed into it's beetle shape with just one step.

Have a look at the wind-up mechanism. That too is in excellent condition, and will last another 90 years. Buddy "L"certainly knew how to make toys way back then!

The Dayton Trick Duck was not described by Bruce. I'm thinking that it is a pull toy, whereby one attaches a string to it, and simply pulls the toy from behind.

What I like about the duck is its' contours around the neck, and the 2 wings on each side of the duck. Whomever designed the toy decided that adding more dimension (3-D) would add that extra attraction to the toy. That certainly works for me, and I wonder how attractive this feature was for parents purchasing the toy for their children.

Bruce's 2 posts certainly are an eclectic (nice mixed grouping) of collectibles, rather than being focussed on any specify category such as cars or boats. Nevertheless, his detective work and more importantly his patience have paid off. The 4 toys are all very old, and in great condition.

So that's it for 2015, and I wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year for

2016.

As always, thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

A Collector With the Skills of a Detective-Part I

Thursday, December 31, 2015
Seasonal Temperatures with Lots of Snow

A Collector with the Skills of a Detective

(Mr. Bruce Jacobs)

    I have to apologize to all of my readers for not posting, but I've "been in the doldrums". I received several e-mails recently, and that has cheered me up, and I've decided to write a post to end 2015. Since I haven't posted much lately, I thought I'd write a bit more that usual, but try and not detract from Mr. Bruce Jacobs- the focal point of this post.

   We decided to renovate our sunroom in the back of our house. It was poorly built, and freezing cold in winter. My wife Heidi and I live in Montreal,Quebec,Canada. If you've ever been up here in winter, you can appreciate what cold is. If I could package the cold and sell it, you'd know what cold is. Anyway, our 6 month project took 2 years, and as we were doing that project (the sunroom), we had to do another project - plumbing in the garage and downstairs bathroom. I'm sure anyone doing renovations will understand why I could be in the doldrums, especially when 1 project leads to another (lots of expense), and the project takes 2 years to finish!

  But I digress, and so back to the main focus - Mr. Bruce Jacobs. Bruce sent me a fabulous pair of old toy photos, one of them being a #10 D P Clark 1905 antique car with driver and passengers.  That's 110 years old! My large grandmother Lily (on my mother's side) was a mere 5 years old at the time!

  For a toy made of metal and wood, this certainly is a terrific find. What I find interesting is that Bruce knows his toys, judging from his description of the 1905 Hillclimber, and the other one that you'll find below. The  "other" hillclimber is a #2 D P Clark 1903 Hillclimber.  For toys so old, you certainly have to have a strong desire and ardor to know your toys!

For those who don't know, a hill climber is a toy with a self-winding motor. You move the toy along the ground, and a large wheel builds up rotational speed. When you release the toy, the toy has lots of residual power, and will easily go up steep grades (angles) of any sidewalk or road, hence the term "hill-climber".

The excellent photos that Bruce took certainly illustrate the fine condition that this toy is in, and I'm sure the self-winding motor still works.

 I like the 2 small boys with their sailor hats. They remind me of a fairy tale or story about a pair of twin boys. Of course, I can't remember the tale.

Bruce wrote to also say that "he was still searching for the woman passenger for these cars".

You certainly don't get to be a collector at this level, without knowing your toys -  the skills of a detective on a case!

So as the year 2015 ends, I'd like to wish everyone a Healthy and Happy New Year, with only good things to be for the new year.  To date, I've had 342,044 page views for my blog and counting. The numbers certainly won't break any records, but to each and every one who has visited, I'd like to thank you for visiting. 

And to those who have written and volunteered to be on my blog - an extra thanks.

I can tell you that at age 67, the time certainly "flies". It was just yesterday (about 4 years ago) that I started to write this blog.

I don't where where the time has gone!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

have a great time of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com