Thursday, February, 22, 2024

2°  Celsius  35° Fahrenheit

Cloud with Rain

What Did You Say That Toy Type Was Called?

I was searching for toys on LiveAuctioneers, when I found an interesting toy being auctioned by Bertoia Auctions. I decided have a look at a toy with a very interesting adjective (descriptive word) titled "perambulate". 

What? I never heard that word before! So I did a search on the Internet, and found this explanation of the word from the Oxford dictionary:

"Walk or travel through or around a place or area, especially for pleasure 

and in a leisurely way"

What also caught my attention was the description of the "Uncle Sam Perambulator"

plus the rarity of the toy.

Below is the Bertoia description for this very rare toy.

"UNCLE SAM PERAMBULATOR | Extremely rare piece, circa 1880, this is believed to be one of only two examples of this early American clockwork toy in existence, until recently this example was the only one known as pictured on page 131 in Blair Whitton's book "American Clockwork Toys" and hailing from the legendary Barenholtz Collection, also pictured in Barenholtz's book "American Tin Toys" page 71. Uncle Sam figure dressed in original red and white striped pants and a blue jacket with long coattails (one coattail is torn), this is as much a toy as a piece of historical Americana. | The Curtis & Linda Smith Collection. | 10" h. | Working, the brim of hat is replaced, (Excellent Condition) | $40,000 - $60,000"*

* in US Dollars

"Circa 1880"

The above caught my eye. 2024 - 1880 = 144 years old! You certainly don't see such an old toy and this type of toy being auctioned off everyday! The bidding on this toy should be interesting. When the auction is finished, you should be able to visit either the Bertoia Auctions website or LiveAuctioneers, and see what the final sold price was.

So that's it for today.

As always,

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

I can always be reached at 

toysearcher@gmail.com

(Mr.) Stacey Bindman

A Very Rare and Historic Antique Toy Comes to Market

Sunday, April 30, 2018
Cloudy and raining
7 C   48.6 F

A Very Rare and Historic 

AntiqueToy Comes to Market

www.bertoiaauctions.com

Manufactured by Jerome B. Sercor

Bridgeport Connecticut, U.S.A.

Circa 1880

"Less than known examples still exist in what has come to be considered one of the 

best known historically important banks ever made.The front panel of this exceptional 

museum quality piece reads "Freedman's Bank", which gains its inspiration from

the Freedman's Bank for newly freed slaves as established by the U.S. Congress.

The added detail of the seated black man able to thumb his nose and give a jeering look

at all depositors when the clockwork is activated is so amazing in concept, it must

be seen to be appreciated. The provenance is just amazing. It was discovered in a market in 

Mexico and sold to an antiquities dealer who was diligent enough to distinguished collector, Andrew Emerine's wanted ad, and the rest is history, and here documented with the 

actual letters of this bank's incredible journey.

Provenance: Andrew Emerine to Edwin H. Mosler Jr. to Stanley Sax

to Max Berry Collection.

Minor repair repair to head, and redressed using original cloth material.

(Excellent Condition)

                              Estimated:  $ 100,000.00 - $ 200,000.00 USD

History of the Freedman's Bank

At the end of the American Civil War, the poor economic conditions of the formerly enslaved freedmen was aggravated by the economic devastation of the Southern states. The newly freed African Americans had few economic resources or capital and even less exposure to private enterprise. Many soon turned to sharecropping and forced labor in the South. To help alleviate their socio-economic conditions, the Republican-controlled U. S. Congress established the Freedmen's Bureau, passing an act of incorporation and a charter for the Freedman's Saving and Trust Company, which was signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln on March 3, 1865. Originally headquartered in New York City, the first branch of the company opened in Baltimore, Maryland. By 1866, the bank had established 19 branches in 12 states, mainly in the South. The national headquarters was moved to Washington, D.C. the following year.^]*

The company had been created specifically as a depository for African-American veterans, as well  as former slaves and their families to build their savings. However, it also enabled numerous community organizations to increase their financial strength and expand their activities. The company attracted a large number of societies, churches, charities, and other private organizations that opened accounts and established trusts with the company. With the assistance of the company, numerous hospitals, schools and institutions, such as the St. Elizabeth Home for Colored Children and the St. Francis Xavier Church's Orphan Aid Society, were established. Noted community leaders and civil rights activists served as the management of several trusts and held other important positions in the bank. A large number of African American soldiers and veterans of the war opened savings accounts in the banks; the management of their funds was organized through an allotment system supervised by the officers of the various army regiments.*

*Courtesy of Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedman%27s_Savings_Bank

 (The above web address will redirect you to Wikipedia for further reading 

on the Freedman's Bank)

A Rare Marklin Ship Comes to Auction

Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Cloudy with Sun
26 Celsius / 79 Fahrenheit

A Very Rare Marklin Ship Comes to Auction

    If you've never been to the Bertoia Auctions website, you should venture over there. Bertoia Auction is one of the premium and best toy auction companies in the USA. It's family-owned, and they always have great auctions. Sometimes an entire collection form one collector will go to Bertoia's facilities for exclusive auction.

Please click here to visit this particular auction (May 20-21, 2016)

   The auction had plenty of fine old and antique toys. Sometimes I'll search for toys by price, with the highest price beginning, and descending to lesser values after. I happened to catch this fantastic 

early 1900's Marklin Oceanliner in "pristine condition". You might want to check the final auction bid for this particular.  For something so rare, and in such condition, it truly garnered a very high final price.

Description

MARKLIN OCEANLINER "AMERIKA"
Germany, circa early 1900's, as found, an all original museum quality example that represents the finest of its kind ever offered at public auction. This four funnel, clockwork powered toy vessel, is a startling visual of world's finest in craftsmanship, scale and overall detail. Dry docked and ready for a new port of call, its lifeboats, masts, upper deck appointments, extraordinary color coordinating paint scheme and sea worthy hull proudly await this May's auction. 38" Overall length. One lifeboat repainted, overall (Pristine Condition)

As you can plainly see, for such a rare toy, Bertoia's photographer took plenty of photographs.

These toys, in this case an Oceanliner, were actually played with in small lakes in parks.

The toy is a windup with clockwork mechanism.  I assume that if the boat did not come back to shore, then perhaps a park attendant would go into the lake and retrieve the toy.

I decided not to write too much because the photographs speak volumes for such a unique toy.

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)