A Hi-Way Henry Toy

Friday, December 9, 2016
Overcast
2 C  36 F

A Hi-Way Henry Toy
and other toys

Please click here to visit this fine ebay seller

"Fisher Tin Windup Hi-Way Henry Touring Car. The German based Fisher, Heinrich & Co. had an easily recognized mark, a fish swimming through the letter A, but not all toys were so marked, especially those for the American market. The George Brogfeldt store of New York purchased many of the toys produced by Fischer for the American market. George Brogfeldt Corp. was among the first companies to acquire rights to produce toys attached to specific cartoon characters. It is believed that Brogfeldt first had the Hi-Way Henry produced by Fisher, hence the early Hi-Way Henry had spoke wheels also used by Fisher for all their other tin toys. Brogfeldt later had the Hi-Way Henry produced by Fisher under the Nifty brand owned by Brogfeldt producing other cartoon characters like the Nifty Speedy Felix and the Toonerville Trolley. 

Being offered, I believe, is a rare early version with the spoke wheels. Different on this one is the Made in Germany location on each door below Oscar Hit where the later productions have Made in Germany on the front just below the hand crank. The windup works but is a little weak. Missing is the lift plate underneath with the two small wheels and the small rear guide wheel also underneath. Everything else is complete showing age as expected on a piece like this one. An unusual and rare tin wind up toy at nearly 10" long and 8 1/2" tall to the tip of the straw hat on the clothes line."

 I tried to find information on the cartoon character, Hi-Way Henry, but I couldn't find any.

What's interesting in the photo with the wind-up mechanism (second from bottom) is that my city Montreal is added just above they key. That's interesting, because I didn't think that Montreal was so recognized internationally in the 1920's-1930's, go figure!

Lehmann 590 Autobus

Lithographed tin with wind-up key for motion

Length:  8"  202 mm

Not only does the toy bus moves, but the bus driver is also attached to

the same mechanism for movement. As such, the driver 

can steer the bus to the left and right.

Wyandotte Cadillac Toytown Delivery Truck

Lithographed pressed steel with rubber tires

Circa: 1941

L x W x H:  21" x 6 1/2" x 7"   533 mm x 165 mm x 178 mm

At the time, the Wyandotte company made several toy cars and truck (s) 

that were similar in shape and colour theme. This truck is in very good condition 

considering that is 75 years old.

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

Two Old Ice Trucks

Thursday, December 1, 2016
Overcast and Raining
7 C 43 F

Two Old Ice Trucks

Lately, I've been seeing a fair amount of restored toys on ebay. I always though that "restored" toys go for less money than restored toys. However, the sellers whose toys I've been seeing are asking a fair amount of money for these toys. There is a "classification" hierarchy for toy restorations. There is the higher-valued one from which the toy was "professionally" restored, and there is the restoration that was done by someone who owned the toy at some time in its history. The latter classification may go for less money for the asking price, assuming that the toys are identical in the type of toy, and the name brand.

If you visit each of these fine ebay sellers, you will see the actual prices that they are asking for their toys. However, as you can see, these are two totally different toys. One thing that might interest you is the ice. Ice used to be cut from rivers and stored in large warehouses that were protected from the sun. The ice would last all year long, until the next season, when ice would again be cut from rivers.
THe ice would be delivered by horse and wagon, then by a vehicular wagon to homes that would have an "icebox". The icebox was where you put the ice so that the food would stay fresh.

I can personally vouch for ice that lasted a long time in storage, because I once went rising at a place called Dorval Lodge in a wildlife refuge called La Verendrye Park here in Quebec. A huge man-made lake was made in the park from a dam  for hydro-electricity that was constructed in the 1940's.

I caught pike and walleye the first day, and when  the guide dropped them off in an old large supply building, I went to see where the first would be after they were gutted. Sure enough, there was no refrigeration or freezers, but there was ice. The ice had sawdust on it that must have acted to preserve the could and insulate the ice from heat. And this was in August! This ice was cut from the lake in winter, and managed to stay all winter and summer. 
That was a truly amazing discovery for me!

What was also interesting is another story. I came up by bus to Dorval Lodge, and the trip lasted 3 hours. I accidentally left some of my fishing rods on the bus. 5 days later, when I get on the bus to go back to Montreal where I live, I see the same bus driver, and he hands me the fishing rods. 

Another amazing story for an 18019 year old to experience. 

Of course I was 18 or 19 at the time, and  lots of things amazed me at that time!

Personally, I like most of the toys I write about because they are usually very old, but have survived over time.  But I especially like these old toys. They were modelled on the trucks of the day, and they are also BIG! These toys must have certainly fun for children to play with. However, not all children could have them. These toys cost a good amount of money compared to other toys, and not all parents coil;d afford to pay a week's salary for a toy for their children.

Please click here to visit this fine ebay merchant

Vintage Steelcraft Mack City Ice Company  with Cover and Ice Blocks

Pressed steel, restored truck, missing 2 rubber tires

Circa: 1920's

Length:  22 1/2"  570 mm

Sometimes, I like to remove the colour in the background of a toy. In this way, 

the black and white that remains does not distract from the coloured toy. I work with Photoshop if you're wondering what software that I use.

Please click here to visit this fine American ebay merchant

1926-1929 Buddy 'L'  Pressed Steel Toy Ice Delivery Truck Restored

A beautifully restored example of the Buddy 'L' ice delivery truck, complete

with a canvas bed cover that slides on bed rails,and three glass "ice" blocks.

An excceptional restoration with clean paint and decals.

Measures (L x W x H)  25 1/2" x 9" x 12 1/2"  647 mm x 228 mm x 317 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

An ebay Seller Revisited

Tuesday, November 29,2016
Cloud with rain and flurries
1 Celsius 34 Fahrenheit

An ebay Seller Revisited

I've been revisiting the people who have helped me with my blog over a period of four years.

One of these is  Mr. Ron Michaud who goes under  hga6969 on ebay. Ron always has nice merchandise for sale, and this time was no different.  Ron has nice old toys, and some had been restored. So that's what I'm presenting today.

Please click here to visit this fine ebay seller

The above toy was sold between 1926-1930.

The Fliver above was sold in the 1930's

The above  Buddy L # 205 Ladder Fire Truck was sold between 1926-1930.

The above climber has a flywheel for movement. You move the toy ion the ground several times to build up the sped of the flywheel, and then let the toy down by itself.  The saved energy of the moving flywheel is then transferred to the wheel of the toy, and it moves forward or can also move backwards.

The Buddy L # 202 Coal Delivery Truck

is a modern-era toy made approximately in the 1980's  by Mr. Les Paul.

The Buddy L # 203 Junior Oil Tanker Truck is interesting because it has front head lights

that were battery-operated.

Judging by the simpler design of this toy, I would think that is was made 

in the 1920's. That big round piece in front of the truck is a horn.

Thanks for visiting,

and as always,

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Where does Ron Michaud Find These Great Toys?

Thursday, March 13, 2014
        Sunny, clearing, and cool 
           More snow tomorrow!

Where Does Ron Michaud 

Discover These Great Toys?

    I've written several times now about Mr. Ron Michaud, a fine ebay seller from Maine. I had to look up what a person from Maine is called, and they're called Mainers. I'm always learning something. I've presented a few of his beautiful toys, and am again posting today. I asked Ron if I could highlight some of his photos to focus on certain features, and he gave me his permission. I've been to Maine a few times, but only to Ogunquit, where you eat fantastic lobsters and go into the ocean. The ocean there has got to be the coldest ever, even in the summer. When I came out (only knee deep), I could swear that everything below my knee was white, and everything above the knees was pink! The good news is that it's too cold even for sharks!

   Ron has several fine very old toys currently for sale on ebay, and I wanted to present them sooner, but I had some kind of sinus or head cold, and wasn't feeling great. I'm getting better.

Please click here to visit Ron Michaud's fine ebay store

Steelcraft Crane Truck Custom Restoration by Watson's Garage. 

Crank operated pulley hoist with several block and tackle pulley's including a couple of hook and chains for those heavy jobs. Unique and a beautiful creation by Watson's Garage marked by a side round brass tag indicating that this is #008 also indicated underneath of the cab section (see pictures). Unfortunately I don't have any information on Watson's Garage or if this is the 8th different custom creation of theirs, or if this is the 8th of the same truck produced by them. The front wheels steer and the GMC letters are notacible at the top front of the radiator. A set of weights sit on the right side but the left side set of weights has gone missing some time ago. There are very few paint chips on some sections of the boom and one on the front right fender, otherwise it is near perfect. At 25" long this is definitely a unique truck perfect for any pressed steel construction collection.*

* description taken from Ron's description on ebay.

 Like Ron,  I tried to find out about Watson's Garage, the person who created this "special" and customized" truck.However, I couldn't find any information. If someone know's about  Watson;s Garage, buy all means please send me an e-mail and I'll share the information with everyone. 

Buddy L 206A Tank Line With 4 Buddy L Cans. 

This nice truck was restored some time ago and shows some paint flaking by the front strap of the tank. Both straps are solid and secure. The rear spigot is rock solid but at a slight angle. Picture #10 also shows some paint lost on the very end left side of the tank shelf as well as a dent. As with most Buddy L of this type the front wheels steer as the steering wheel turns. All 4 cans seem to be original. Overall this is a great truck for its' age and nearly impossible to find in original perfect condition. From front to rear spigot truck measures approximately 25".*

* description taken from Ron's description on ebay.

As you can see with this fine toy, I was better able to highlight the features, than in the previous nice Steelcraft Crane Truck. It's easier to create the highlight when the tones or colours are different from each other.

I was born too late to actually see these trucks, although there were houses and triplexes in Montreal (Quebec, canada) that did have oil heaters, and used oil or kerosene. When we moved to Outremont in 1956 or 1958,  our triplex had just changed over from coal to oil. The heating was via hot water with radiators. I actually remember going into the furnace room and picking up a few coal chunks. 

I like the way Ron organizes (in photographic terms that would be called "styling") his photo compositions. My creating that highlighting effect works exceptionally well here. 

Buddy L Hook & Ladder Fire Truck. 

Appears to have never been painted but not sure. Splattered paint from someone's project is evident on the right side. Exterior decals still good with the cab floorboard decal being the older round Buddy L type that seems to be original. Two ladders, hook boom, hose reel, and rear anchor pulley are all intact. I also have pictures showing an old round decal underneath that reads 'Wyoming Red Edge mfd by the Wyoming shove works, Wyoming, PA.' It is quite old and is flaking off as an old decal would. I don't know if there is any significance to it or not. The front rod that spans between both extended frame is bent inwards in a loop. At approximately 25" long, this piece of vintage fire fighting equipment still has much to offer.

* description taken from Ron's description on ebay.

I did a fast search, but couldn't find similar trucks like this, but I 'll look some more. Thus one still has the dust on it!

Once again, I like how Ron has styled this photo. The high camera angle, in combination with the ladders to the side makes for a great photo.

There certainly are lots of features on this  early Buddy 'L' Truck.

I only selected just a few photos from all 3 items. If you venture to ebay, you'll see many more detailed photos of today's 3 fine toys. In the above photo, I like that small brass bell that I'm sure rang out many times when children played with it so many years ago.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, 

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

Please feel free to write to me anytime at:

toysearcher@gmail.com

A Rare and Impressive Arcade Truck

Sunday, March 9, 2014
            Sunny, clear and cold

A Rare and Impressive

Arcade Truck

  I was checking on how many page views I had in the last 2 weeks, and Mr. Ron Michaud's post came up as having had a lot more visitors that other posts within the same time span. Naturally, I went to ebay and found many great toys to write about - talk about "Nirvana"! I wrote Ron and asked him if I might "stylize"some of his fine toys, and he gave men permission. I had sent him 3 of my own images to illustrate what I would do. I was going to do this to today's fantastic toy, but decided to just stylize one image.

   This is a majestic toy, and I felt it should be presented as is, with just adjustments for colour-balance. This toy is cation with rubber tires, and is catalogued as Arcade White Moving Van No. 251.  The van has been beautifully restored, and still retain the original tires, and the driver appears to be original.

"Arcade White Moving Van No. 251 restored with original tires. Absolutely gorgeous truck measuring 13 1/2". All the markings are present as seen in the pictures. Rear doors functions perfectly and the driver appears to be original. This is a true collector piece not seen very often. The O'Brien's Collector book and Schroeder's Collectable Toys book value this truck at $4,000 to $4,500 at a C6 and even more for higher grades. Although not original, this restoration is about the best you will find." *

*Description courtesy of Mr. Ron Michaud

Please click here to visit Ron Michaud's fine ebay listings

 I use a photo-editing software to create the effects above, called "highlights". I first darken the overall image, then use a tool called a "dodging tool" to pass over certain areas and lighten them up. I like the effect, but as I mentioned, this beautiful toy does not need any enhancement. It's beautiful by itself and how Ron photographed it.

This Arcade  WHite Moving Van is very rare,and accordingly it has a high price for potential buyers or "best offers". Ron has taken many photos, and that's great. The reason that I say this, is that often, there are only  4-6 photos on Liveauctioneers or elsewhere for a toy, but Ron has presented a dozen, and I decided to post all of them. This is the first time that I've actually seen so much detail for this particular toy.

Those doors certainly are nice with their hinges and that latch.

What I like about this photo is that outside visor projection over the windshield, the small window in the corner of the door, that small yellow-painted light, and the embossed "White" name.

This is another nice photograph, because I like how the straight-edged lines of the wall and countertop contrast with the round parts of the truck.

 Many cast iron toys usually have the driver positioned into the toy without any screws. In this case a screw is used to firmly keep the driver in his seat.

Another fine photograph. By having a low camera angle , we bend up "looking up" at the toy. The use of a wide-angle for the truck exaggerates the front tires (embossed B.F.Goodrich). This photo is certainly a great image to close today's post.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

Please feel free to write to me anytime at"

toysearcher@gmail.com