Another Reader Needs Help to Identify Her Toy

Saturday, June 23, 2018
Overcast with potential rain
23 C  74 F

Another Reader Needs Help

in Identifying Her Toy

   In the last several weeks, I've received inquiries from readers asking if I could identify or authenticate their toys. Today's interesting acrobat toy is from Carol Caraher. The toy is rusted, and has the writing "Made in Germany" on it. So if you can help identify this toy, please feel free to write.

   The toy is made from tin, and has a wind-up mechanism for the acrobat to do turns on the metal "traspeze". There is what I think is a logo, of a clown in a circle (4th photo down).

My e-mail address is:

toysearcher@gmail.com

Carol Caraher

So please have a look, and if you can help Carol identify her toy, that would be helpful.

Thanks as always for visiting,

and have a nice day or night.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

A 1900's Leymann (German) Wind-up Toy

Thursday, February 25, 2016

A 1900's Lehman (Germany)

Wind-up Toy

Please click here to visit the Copake Auction website

There were plenty of new immigrants that were arriving on a daily basis into the United States. As such, the country was getting larger and larger in terms of its population.aThe June 10, 1910 census

determined the US population to be 76, 212,168 people, which was an increase of 21.1% over the 1890 census. 

With such a larger population already, the country easily surpassed the populations of older established (e.g. European) countries of the world. With immigration, there were new jobs, and a booming economy, which naturally would lead to an increase in commerce with countries around the world.

Although the USA did have toy companies, trading with other countries allowed imports, and thus we come to today's 1900's Lehmann truck, a wind-up toy with a length of 5 1/2" (140 mm).

What makes the Lehmann toy interesting is both the wind-up mechanism, as well as the sophistication of the printing process (lithography) of the toy. Toys in the USa were mostly painted and were pressed steel or even the cast iron "heavies". But a toy from France or Germany would be printed lithography, years ahead of most American toys.

Below:

A photo illustrating the patents in years 1903, 1904, & 1906

The wind-up knob on the left side of the toy allowed the coil to get tense and build up energy. THe energy would be released when the toy was placed on the ground. A series of gears increased the sped of the toy, allowing it to be self-propelled. The front wheels had some leeway allowing the toy to turn.

Below:

The steering wheel allowed the front wheels to be turned 

to allow the truck to move to the left or right.

 Below:

A nice side view of the truck. Notice how Copake Auction likes to place an employ Coca-Cola can in the photo as a reference to the relative size of the toy. For a toy that's almost 110 years old, it's not too bad in its condition.

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

Give Me a Squeeze!

Tuesday, August 12, 2014
        Cloudy and chance of rain

Give Me a Squeeze!

I came across these toys by chance and decided to investigate. They're called "squeeze toys" and  usually cost a penny or were also describes as penny toys. They're most often made of lithographed tin, and work by squeezing the  u-shaped handle that joins 2 figures. The figures move by tilting back and forth by a pin at the bottom of their base. As the 2 characters tilt, their arms will move back and forth and create more movement. These toys were popular in the 1920's and usually came from Germany.

Please click here to visit this fine American auction company

What's noteworthy about the above toy is the fact that is was produced "shadily" without a license from the owners of the cartoon characters!. These 2 cartoon characters were Maggie and Jiggs - a husband and wife couple who were always fighting. They were very popular in the comics of the 1920's-1930's.

Thanks for visiting,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

A Superbly Engineered Bing Mobile Crane of 1920

Wednesday, May 14, 2014
               Cool and cloudy, 
         changing to rain and hot

A Superbly Engineered Bing Mobile Crane

of 1920

   I always like to visit Opamerica's fine store on ebay. I never know what I'll see,but I always know there will be some rare and exciting toy to marvel at. And I wasn't disappointed when I saw today's Bing crane.

Rare 1920's Large Bing Steel Tower Crane Germany 22x33

---

I am pleased to offer this Antique 1920's Bing Large Pressed Steel Metal Toy Tower Crane that features a maroon exterior throughout, a four-wheeled base, turn crank (s), horizontal jib with lock lever, and claw piece marked by Bing, Bavaria. Two cranks turn to either rotate the crane or move the jib back and forth; base wheels roll well across flat surfaces. There is another rope type crank in the middle (no rope present). May show paint wear, marks, patina, and oxidation from use and age overall. Slight dent present on one end of the crane from previous use. Sturdy condition.

A fantastic and rare antique toy!

Measurements: approx. base 14-1/2" inches long x 10-1/2" inches wide; 22" inches tall x 33" inches wide. 

* Description Courtesy of Opamerica

Please click here to visit this excellent merchant on ebay (USA)

   I used Opamerica's written description because  the amount of writing would be too much in proportion to the size of the first photo. AS well, I decided to leave the photos show without any distractions,except for m usual copyright and company logo placement.

  For my European readers, the size of this toy is:

Base:     368 mm (length) x 268 mm (width)

Height:      559 mm

Width:     838 mm

This certainly is a large toy, and I can;t even imagine the lifting power of such a machine.

Children of the time much have had lots of fun - for sure! I tried to find illustrations of this crane in my 1912 Bing catalogue, but couldn't. By the way, this particular toy was produced in 1920.

 There are several several wheels that are used to lift and turn the bucket, but as the description describes, one set of ropes is missing. This could easily be added and restrung. 

I like how the design of the boom  looks quite similar to today's  immobile location building

cranes. In modern Europe, these building crane as we see today in North America was used much earlier on before it came to North America.

A close-up of the Bing name and logo on the side of the bucket.

I especially like this link chain that looks like brass.

The top lever has a lock to keep the bucket fixed in one position.

In the unlocked position, I assume that the bucket moved back and forth along 

the horizontal crane boom.

I'm unsure what the bottom wheel is for.

The lower handle on the left, has an auger-syle gearing that  connects to a circular gearing wheel. This allows for the entire crane  tower and crane to rotate in a 360 degree circle.

As you can see, this toy has certainly stood the test of time, having been made in 1920 - 

Wunderbar 

(Wonderful in English)

It's time for me to do some more spring chores - gardening and mowing. I hope that it rains as fore case, because the lawn (my task) is my responsibility. The garden flowers are my wife Heidi's "exclusivity".

Thanks for dropping by,

and , as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Some Other Fine Tippco Toy Cars

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Some Other Fine Tippco Cars

   By the 1930's the automobile had evolved quite nicely. People who could afford cars could afford extremes of luxury for the time. Needless to say, both the real cars and the toys were there. Although toys were not as expensive to real cars relative to the 1930's, salaries for the "common" person were low. As such, not every child would have such nice toys as are presented here today. The Tippco toy cars are exceptional in terms of detailing, electric lights (battery), and wind-up (key) clockwork driven movement.

Please click here to visit Bertoia Auctions fine website

Oc course, for most people a bus would have to do,unless

you could "splurge" and ride in a taxi. That would have been a nice "luxury" for someone used to riding the train or bus in the 1930's.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com