Toys-Part 1 (Tin Plate)

Monday, December 19, 2016
Overcast 
-19 C   -2.2 F

Part 1-Toys

The Tinplate Toy

Please click here to visit this fine ebay seller

I've written very many posts, but I haven't written posts about what the toys are made from, so I have decided to add a post about each of the 3 major toy materials - Tin or tinplate, cast iron, and pressed steel. As I hardly write about modern-era toys, plastic toys are not included.

A tin toy, or tin lithograph toy, is a mechanical toy made out of  tinplate and colorfully painted by chromolithography to resemble primarily a character or vehicle.

History

Tinplate was used in the manufacture of toys beginning in the mid-19th century. The toys were made from thin sheets of steel plated with tin, hence the name tinplate. They 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. Production of tin toys in the United States started earlier, but began in earnest when tin ore mines were opened in Illinois providing easily available and cheap raw materials. A number of manufactures scrambled to catch up in the beginning of the 20th century, but it wasn't until after World War I, with anti-German sentiment high, that they began to make real gains. There was a growing demand for American produced products and by the 1920s American firms had overtaken the competition. The largest and most successful firm from the 1920s to the 1960s was Louis Marx and Company. Marx produced a huge number of designs and depended on large sales volumes to keep prices down.

The production of tin toys was discontinued during World War II because of the need for raw materials in the war effort. After the war, tin toys were produced in large numbers in Japan. Under occupation and the Marshall Plan, manufacturers in Japan were granted the right to resume production. The idea was to give Japan all of the low profit; high labor manufacturing and the US companies could sell the imported product. It worked better than they had expected and Japan became a tin toy manufacturing force until the end of the 1950s. In the 1960s cheaper plastic and new government safety regulations ended the reign of tin toys. Presently, China has taken over the role of the leading tin toy manufacturing country.*

* Reference: https://en.wiki2.org/wiki/Tin_toy

Scarce 1930's JML France Pre War Triporteur Wind Up Motorcycle Trike Toy

Very large scale. The rear half of the toy uses the JML Motorcycle "Tag-0158. The

toy is designed as a Delivery Trike, as the hood can be opened to

reveal a storage compartment. The motorcycle half is brightly detailed and colourful.

Thanks for dropping by,

and have a great part of the day or night.

Stacey Bindman

Toysearcher@gmail.com

The Gordon Bennet Racers

Sunday, December 18, 2016
Overcast, rain & snow
2 C  36 F

The Gordon Bennet 

Racers

Please click here to visit this fine American toy auctioneer

James Gordon Bennett, Jr., was the millionaire owner of the New York Herald. He created 3 Gordon Bennett Cups that were award to automobile race winners. The first cup was awarded inn 1900 in France. The Gordon Bennett Cup auto races attracted competitors from around the world to the race. To read more about the races, please click on the web address below. The history of the cup and the corresponding races are quite interesting.

Please click here to read more about the Gordon Bennett Cup and the auto races

Gunthermann Gordon Bennet Race Car

Germany, extremely rare example, reportedly only known example as of 2000.

lithographed tin racer features two hand-painted seated figured,both posed as

streamlined advantage, very unusual flat frame, clockwork driven, spoke wheels.

Length: 6 3/4"  172 mm

Issmayer "Gordon Bennet" Racer

Germany, very rare example, lithographed tin, familiar styling done in white

and mounted with red frame, features two posed drivers, gold finished

spoke wheels, clockwork mechanism.

Length:  7 1/2"  190 mm

Gordon Bennet Racer

Germany, very rare example, front wheel activated clockwork, tin embossed bonnet

contains four-leaf clover, hand painted driver, gold finished spoke wheels, nicely detailed boat tail fin, solo dummy head lamp.

Length:  6 3/4"  172 mm 

Gunthermann "Gordon Bennet" Racer

Germany, a very elusive and desirable example, crouched pose seated drivers, classic

aerodynamic bonnet, squealer nbox in undercarriage, fitted with balloon wheels.

Length:  8 3/4"  222 mm

Gunthermann Gordon Bennet (Largest Size)

Classic styling and most desirable in series.

To drivers posed in racing air flow ride, rubber spare tire on boat tail,

chain driven on side activated by clockwork action.

Length:  12"  305 mm

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

Some of Bing's 1920's Limousines

Monday, June 23, 2014
    Sunny and seasonally cooler

Some of Bing's 1920's Limousines

  I'd written about Bing toys in the past. One of my favourite Bing post was when I was able to match up actual catalogue drawings and written descriptions with the original toys. The Bing toy company (Germany) was one of the most successful toy companies in the world at the beginning of the 20th century. The company had a huge catalogue of toys, and made all kinds of toys. German engineering teamed up with excellent skilled workers helped in the success of the company.

   I decided to simply select 5 limousines of the 1920's and present them to you. Several of these toys came from the Bertoia Auction of the celebrated toy collector - the late Donald Kaufman. If you ever want to see superb toy collections, then you must venture over to the Bertoia website. Over a period of 3 sessions, the collection was sold, and garnered praise, as well as final auction bids.

Please click here to visit this fine website

I always an enraptured (amazed) by the fact that such old toys nearing the century mark could be kept for so long in such great shape. If only these toys could talk! I'm sure the stories that they could tell would be even more wonderful to listen to than the toys themselves.

I haven't been posting as much lately since I've been busy. My sister and brother-in-law came in from Toronto for a wedding here in Montreal.  I've also started to cycle again and teamed up with a fellow retired phys-ed teacher from Dawson College. He's in great shape,and we cycled about 50 kilometres this past Sunday - I'm still recovering! 

I also signed up with my city to use a lot of land 8' x 16'  ( 2.44 M x 4.88M) for growing vegetables.

It's a daily minor chore to check out the vegetables and water. It's also a learning experience. So far, my lettuce are having trouble. I think a groundhog decided to eat some of the long-leafed purple lettuce variety, and some of the other purple lettuce varieties are suffering from heat stroke. Everything else, including the green lettuce, cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, and herbs are all doing fine. It's too bad the growing season up here is so short, but it's enjoying. 

I'll kep you informed as to how the garden is growing.

Thanks for dropping by

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey 

toysearcher@gmail.com

The Fantastic Early Automobiles of Gunthermann

Monday, September  16, 2013

The Fantastic Early Automobiles of Gunthermann

   Even though I'm writing a blog in my leisure time, you begin to realize how fast time goes by. I checked as to when I last wrote about the Gunthermann company, and that was on December 6, 2012, when I first introduced the company or I first discovered Gunthermann. European toy companies had already been well-established, and their toys were well-crafted and much more ornate, complex, and   designed that American toys.  Of course, Europe had already been populated for nearly two millenia, while "New" America had only been around since the early 1500's  - a mere 400 years or so, up to 1900. WHen I say "New" I am only referring to eh new immigrants and  arrivals. Of course, the Native American Peoples were in North America for millenia. THeir style of life was certainly much more different.

A Brief History of Gunthermann

   The Gunterhmann toy company was founded in 1826 in Nurenberg Germany. Coincidentally, the world's largest toy fair happens every year there.  In its time, it was one of the most respected and long established manufacturers.  he company crafted beautifully-designed toys, and would use new manufacturing processes as they began to appear.  (e.g. lithographed colour on tin) for their toys.

When the automobile and airplane arrived on the scene, Gunthermann began to produce these toys in very accurate detail, with beautiful colours, and mechanical clockwork driven mechanisms. The company sometimes used the SG logo. In WWII, the company factory was destroyed.

    Please take some time to read the written descriptions. You'll find details such as glass, mechanical wind-up mechanism, hand-painted figures, lithographed tin, replacement figures and parts, and so forth. Even with replacement parts, these true antiques and toys yielded strong final auction prices. Many of the toys presented today were from the collection of Mr. Donald Kaufmann, who was one of America's most renowned and respected toy collectors in the  middle and latter 20th century. Fortunately for myself, I am able to find so many beautiful Examples of Gunthermann automobiles in one location.

What's interesting to read are the written descriptions and words, as well as the  techniques (e.g.hand-painted). There are terms and words used for the automobiles (not cars in those days), that we  don't come across any more in North America. Headlamps, vis-a-vis, lanterns, bonnet, and buckboard are just a few to name. 

Of course, when learning about toys , as I still am and will be for a long time, you will always be learning old words that have long since been placed in "storage". Fortunately, there will always be collectors to keep these toys and the language of toys alive.  And that for sure is a great thing!

I hope you all have a fine day to start this week.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, have  agreat part fo the day or nioght,

wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

(Please feel free to write to me anytime - I'm always looking for new stories and old toys)

Old Lithographed Tin Motorcycles

Wednesday. March 13, 2013

Old Lithographed Tin Motorcycles

Some Information about Montreal

Spring is coming! Today was a rainy day but with the temperature at about 43 F  (6 C). So what better topic to talk about that motorcycles. Montreal is renowned as the "world capital of potholes". 

A suburb of Montreal called Dorval used to have a contest to see who could find the largest pothole, and the mayor of Dorval used to promise that by the end of April, he challenged anyone to find a pothole. Sadly, the province of Quebec, at the insistence of the Mayor of Montreal, decided to amalgamate the whole island ofMontreal and all of its suburbs into one. There was plenty of agitation, and I even went to a demonstration downtown with about another 20,000 citizens. In the end, some suburbs de-amalgamated, but the "dastardly deed" was done! So now, my city (a suburb) pays 43% of its taxes to the big city,  the quality of services is down, and the potholes are the worst ever.  2 people fell into a pothole and have not been found yet (just kidding)! The city of Montreal also passed a law so nobody could sue them for broken car axles, struts, burst tires, and everything else.

    However, as I said, spring is coming. I'm sure, this Saturday, on a street near me called Saint-Jacques, the largest motorcycle dealership near me will buzz with all those motorcyclists eager to see what the latest models are. Oh, and I forgot to mention 1 more "great tax grab" by the province - they increased the cost of a motorcyclist's driving license by 100% a few years ago, even though our motorcycle season is about 7 months. The blame was on too many motorcyclists having accidents. However, and there's always a "however" here in this province, we have no fault insurance. That means that whether you're a motorcyclist  or a car driver, a  poor or rich person, a doctor, or a grocery clerk, you will not get any more in insurance benefits if (heavens forbid) you have an accident.

Tin Motorcycles

    I've written in the past about motorcycles, but mostly about cast iron and American motorcycles. Cast iron toys are one of my favourite toys! However, I decided to check out motorcycles on  Live Auctioneers and came across a plethora (a vast amount) of motorcycles, and especially tin motorcycles. Unlike the cast iron USA motorcycles that are faithfully reproduced to the motorcycles of the day (1920's-1930's), tin motorcycle manufacturers liked to take "poetic license" (make their own design) with their motorcycles. So what you're going to see is lots of creativity and interesting colours, some exaggerations, and detail. I was surprised that in some cases there was lots of detail that was hand-painted!

http://bertoiaauctions.com

 

     I usually create different-sized images for display on a blog. However, I started out that way, but all of these images and motorcycles were so good, I decided to present them at their original size. All of these images here were at the high end of price at their respective auctions. I think I'm going to look at the lower end of bidding. The lesser reason for this is because I could never afford the higher-priced items.  The other reason is like my taste in art or wine. If I like  either, the price does not matter. I've found plenty of wines that I like (the taste) , and I've spent a lot at certain times for special occasions, and found the more expensive wine did not always make for the better taste. If you are wondering about the art - I let my wife buy that - hey she's my wife, and as far as art goes, she has the better taste and knowledge- she's an interior designer, by the way!

Thanks for dropping by, 

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

Have a great part of the day, wherever you may be.

Stacey