Pull Toys

Sunday, November 20, 2016
Overcast and raining
5 Celsius 39 Fahrenheit

Pull Toys

A "pull toy" is a toy that has small wheels and is moved by pulling 

the toy with a string (cord) attached to the front of the unit. This toy was popular from the mid-1800's-1940's, and lessened off later  on. The toy could be made of wood or tin or natural material s,

and would be mounted on wooden platform with the wheels underneath.

Please click here to visit this well-established American Auctioneer

Two Cast Iron Circus Toys

late 19th century, a red-painted circus wagon marked "OVERLAND CIRCUS" holding six musicians and a driver, pulled by two white horses with red riders; and a yellow elephant cart with pulley-activated performer that spins and rings a bell, (some repaint).

LArgest is 15 1/2" (393 mm) long

Steiff Embroidered Flannel Elephant Pull-toy

early 20th century, 

height x length: 9" x 10" (228mm x 253 mm)

Three Painted Tin Toys

a "GLEAM" engine and car, and a horse and carriage, 

Largest length: 15" 392 mm

Horse-drawn Covered Carriage Pull Toy 

19th century, black horse with fabric hair mounted on a red-painted platform 

pulling a blue-painted carriage with yellow wheels, (minor paint and fabric loss), 

Height x Length:  10 1/2" x 26"  (267 mm x 660 mm)

Tinned Sheet Iron Toy Goat and Cart

America, late 19th century, 

L x H x Width 9 1/4" x 3 3/4" x 2 1/2"  (235mm x 121 mm x 63 mm)

Tinned Sheet Iron Toy Horse and Wagon 

possibly Clinton, Connecticut, late 19th century,

L x H x Width: 10 1/4" x 4" x 3"  (260 mm x 101 mm x 76 mm)

Two Polychrome Cast Iron Toys 

early 20th century an a Kenton "Overland Circus" wagon 

with horses and a polar bear, and a mechanical fire wagon 

with three horses, (imperfections), 

H x Width:  6 1/2: x 20" (165 mm  508 mm)

Six Pull Toys

19th/20th century, four horses: one with saddle, reigns, 

and remnants of a hide exterior; a Boston terrier, and a steer, (imperfections), 

Height: Largest 14 1/" (368 mm)

Four Horse Pull Toys 

19th/early 20th century, each horse mounted on a wood base 

with metal wheels, the two larger horses have cloth covered bodies,

 the two smaller horses have paint on gesso on carved wood bodies, (imperfections), 

Height: Largest 24" 610 mm)

Moxie Lithographed Tin "Horsemobile" Pull-toy 

patented February 27, 1917, by the Moxie Company, blue car with bright double-sided colour, 

white horse, rider in advertising coat and hat, 

Length x Height: 8 1/2" x 6 1/4 "

Painted Cast Iron Mechanical "Trick Elephant Bell Ringer/No. 40" Pull Toy

Gong Bell Manufacturing Company, East Hampton, Connecticut, late 19th century, 

when the vehicle moves forward, the elephant turns and taps the bell; 

polychrome-painted elephant figure on a stand and pierced platform 

with raised lettering "Trick Elephant Bell Ringer/No. 40," cast iron wheels 

with heart-shaped spokes, (minor paint loss), 

Height  x Width x Length:  5 3/8" x 3 1/4 x 7 7/8 in.  (137mm x 83 mm x 200 mm)

As you can see, there certainly were a diverse lot of pull toys back then. A famous manufacturer in the 1880's was  George Brown, while the 1940's saw Fisher-Price making lots of toys for young children.The Steiff elephant toy is from the famous Steiff "teddy bear" manufacturer that had been in business for nearly 100 years, and is still going strong. The toy above was manufacture red by the Gong Bell Manufacturing Company. They were famous for their bell toys, which is what they manufactured exclusively and only these type of toys. All pull toys are still in demand to collectors even today.

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

Looking in Other Places for Toys

Saturday, January 30, 2016
Overcast with some snow and mild temperatures

Looking in Other Places for Toys

(Skinner)

   I've been returning to old friends and companies that have helped me out in the post. One of these fine companies is Skinner Auctioneers (Skinner Inc.). Skinner is not known for its toy sales, but for its renowned and well-establishjed auction company in many other areas of collecting and antiques.

 However, just because a successful company specializes in international art  and antiques, doesn't mean that they will not sell toys. Periodically, Skinner Auctioneers (Skinner Inc.) have sold old and antique toys.  The reason that I selected to revisit Skinner Auctioneers is that their photography is excellent, and they present large-sized images that are larger than most auctioneers.

Please click here too visit this outstanding American auction Company

I didn't add any descriptions to the photos below. The photography is quite nice and I thought that everyone would just like to look at the photos. If you venture over to Skinner, you can do a search for antique toys or cast iron toys. Plenty of search results will come up, along with the descriptions of the toys.

I decided to "copy and paste" Skinner's "about page rather than write my own narrative. Who better to tell their own story than the company itself!

About

Skinner attracts top consignments and commands record-breaking prices 

in the international auction marketplace. With renowned expertise and 

extraordinary service, Skinner is the place for people looking to buy and 

sell fine objects of value.

169

Founded over four decades ago, Skinner offers more than 60 auctions annually. Skinner auctions reach an international audience and showcase the unique, rare, and beautiful in dozens of categories, including the fine and decorative arts, jewelry, modern design, musical instruments, science and technology, wine, and many others.
Drawing on the expertise of its specialists and its personalized service, Skinner works with individuals, institutions, and estate settlement professionals to attract outstanding items from across New England, the United States, and the world. Important sales include a Qing Dynasty vase that set the record for Chinese art sold in the U.S., works by Fitz Henry Lane and Aldro Thompson Hibbard, folk art portraiture, and Kashmir textiles. Skinner regularly sees strong results for items ranging from fine Italian violins to Cartier diamond jewelry.
Skinner is located in Boston and Marlborough, Massachusetts, Coral Gables, Florida, and New York, NY and offers its customers worldwide, “anywhere” access to its sales through the SkinnerLive! real-time, online bidding service.

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

Liveauctioneers and Skinner Inc.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Liveauctioneers and Skinner Inc.

   During the past weekend, I noticed that Liveauctioneers had updated their fine website. For those who don't know, Liveauctioneers is a Host site for live auctions around the world. What they do is to present the auctions from many different auctioneers on their site, and of course, the photographs and information pertaining to each item.

   I've used Liveauctioneers as a valuable "stepping stone" from which to search out toy photos from the fine auction houses and auctioneers who have most graciously allowed me the permission to use their fine photos. 

  As I mentioned, on the weekend, Liveauctioneers had updated their website. It's brighter and cleaner than before, and of course still has the millions of photos of past, present, and future auctions. It will take myself some getting used to, but I'm sure, in time I will familiarize myself with this fine site. 

  I had written to Kathryn Gargolinski of Liveauctioneers to ask for permission to use photos from their site. Kathryn helped me out by suggesting that it would be easier to focus on 1 auction house, rather than the 4 whom I had mentioned. And of course, I received her permission.  Kathryn Gargolinski's title is Web Marketing Specialist. That sounds quite awesome, and must require lots of hard work to maintain their site. As well, she most likely has to be able to speak several langauges for the international auction houses located around the world.

Please click this sentence to be redirected to Liveauctioneer's fine website

Please click to be redirected to Skinner Inc.'s fine website

The "Home Page" for Skinner Inc. on Live Auctioneers

There is a description of the auction hose, the location, past auctions, and a contact address

  The above screen capture is a sample from Liveauctioneers.

1. Location

This allows the viewer to select from which country he/she would like to go to. 

As well, the many different companies will be listed.

2. Search for Item

This is where you enter what you are looking for.

3. Auctioneer

All of the auction houses and auctioneers are here. You can select just one, or do your search let's say for France,and then see which French auction houses are listed.

4. The Date

This is where the present and future auction dates are listed.

Some auctions have already been prepared months in advance, and you can actually see listied auctions for the month of June.

The screen  capture above illustrate the following:

1. Live

This is for the current listed auctions, as well as future upcoming auctions

2. Sold

This area allows you to venture back in time. Depending upon the auction house, and how long they've been with Liveauctioneers, you may be able to go back a few years or as far as 10 years!

3. The Search Entry

I entered only the single word "Zeppelin". However, that single word may have not been descriptive enough. In other words, I might get photos, paintings, parts, ticket stubs, and all other items aside from "toys".

The above search was unrestrictive for any specific auctioneer. A a result, 3,833 entries were located. However, as I only have 4 fine auctions houses that so far have allowed me to use their photos, I normally would limit the search to one of the 4 auction houses at a time.

However, it's a good idea of you're interested in a specific item, or are wishing to bid on an item, to allow the search to be non-specific. In this way, you will get to see lots and lots of the same item and be abetter able to judge such criteria as:

1. Past final winning bid prices

2. What parts the actual item should come with -e.g. pull rope, flags, spare tires etc. (for toys)

3. Original colour or repainted  

By narrowing my search just for Skinner Inc., I can now see that Skinner Inc. had sold 18 "zeppelin" items in their past auctions.

A screen capture of the 18 listed "Zeppelin" items that were sold by Skinner Inc.

Although the photos may not present an actual Zeppelin, the written description would.

However, as you can see, my search was too broad - having used only the single word "Zeppelin".

I made a decision to select the first image in the upper left corner
Coincidentally, this selection is similar to what I wrote about yesterday - the A.C.Williams cast iron banks.These banks on the Skinner Inc. website are not identified as to their manufacturer, but they might be A.C. Williams.

Please click to be redirected to Skinner Inc.'s fine website

The enlargement of the particular image

How I have been presenting the images that I find on auction house sites

What I do is:

1.Adjust the exposure, colour-balance, and shadow detail

2.Enhance the focus because I'm presenting small-sized photos

3. Add an "inner glow" in Photoshop to both enhance the image and to remove any background that I didn't isolate through the selection process in Photoshop

4. Add the text:

i. Description

ii. Copyright notification

iii. Watermark of the Auction Houses's name

    I have presented a brief explanation of  these 2 excellent websites. Liverauctioneesr allows the viewer to have an entire library, figuratively speaking of course, at the touch of a computer key. Skinner Inc. then allows the reader to focus in on his or her particular toy. Skinner Auctioneers has an outstanding staff of specialists - all experts in their respective fields. When you read about their auction listings, you can get a well-written and researched short narrative about any particular item. 

   The combination of such marvelous resources as Liveauctioneers and Skinner Inc.have certainly made writing my work of writing this blog much easier. At the same time, I have learned a lot about a topic that until several years ago, I knew very little about. 

   What else could you ask for?

Thanks for dropping by to read,

and as always,

have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Stacey