Monday, February 19, 2024
-11° Celsius / 13° Fahrenheit
Clear skies but very cold
An RSL Exceptional American Banks Auction
I've been posting The RSL Auction Company auctions beginning in 2018.
I had contacted the company and wrote to Mr. Ray Haredin by e-mail to ask for his permission to write some posts about him and his company. He replied right away, and thus began my blogging.
I'll be adding a few more exceptional cast iron toy banks in the near future, but for now I chose this fine American cast iron American mechanical toy bank.
If you visit either of the 2 websites that I mentioned, you will notice 2 characteristics of Ray Haredin's website that stand out.
One is excellent photography with a large amount of photographs to have any bidder examine the toy.
The second characteristic is the well-written description of the merchandise. With both toys, there is a well-written and lengthy amount of information for the bidder to read. This is a fine addition to any on-line item that goes to auction.
When you are interested in bidding on any item from any auction company, you want to know as much as possible about the item being auctioned off. This also illustrates that the auction house is knowledgeable about the items going for sale.
"Made by the Shepard Hardware Company. Buffalo, New York - Circa Early 1890's. The Circus Bank is from Shepard Hardware's renowned Excelsior Series of toy banks. When the crank is turned, we watch a clown and his pony circle the sawdust of the center ring. With each turn around the ring, the pony gallops up and down three times. As the clown approaches the penny, his left arm rises up to push the coin into the slot. Once the clown passes the deposit aperture, his arm snaps back down. Very few examples of the Circus Bank retain the original crank and trap, as this one does."
"The second mechanical bank was "Made by the Kyser & Rex Company in Frankford, Pennsylvania - Circa 1880's (USA.) For most children, their first ride on the wooden animals of the carousel represents a highly exhilarating, albeit, frightening experience. To stretch for the brass ring, they must overcome the dizzying forces of physics and conquer all their fears. But the chance of winning a prize certainly provided sufficient motivation for most. Kyser & Rex's Merry-Go_Round bank effectively captures the moment of transformative bliss. The ticket man, wand in hand, takes your penny for admission to the ride. Five children have mounted exotic animals that include a swan, an ostrich, a dog,
a camel and an elephant."
So, as they say in the movies when a scene is finished:
"That's a rap"
I normally read the descriptions of toys going to auction, but whomever wrote these two descriptions, wrote them very well. Not only did I enjoy the excellent photography (I taught pro photography, as well as being a photographer), but the narratives were super!
And the photography was also great!
These 2 fine antique toys are exemplary (exceptional) from their era when they were made more that 100 years ago. If you went to Liveauctioneers, and the RSL Auction Company's listings, you'd see what the price of these 2 mechanical bank toys were selling for at the start of the auction.
You'd be very surprised!
Finally, what I have realized in writing over the last 12 years, is that
it's really great to see these very old toys being passed on from generation to generation!
and as always,
Enjoy the day or night, wherever you may be.
My name is (Mr.) Stacey Bindman
and I can always be reached at:
toysearcher@gmail.com
