Mr. Ezra Walker Writes me Again

Thursday, May 5, 2017
Cloud with Rain
8 C  46 F

Mr. Ezra Walker Writes me Again

    Two days ago, I wrote a post about Mr. Ezra Walker.  In that post, Ezra had a small cast iron bus that needed identification, but I couldn't help him out. Today's post is about an anomaly (deviation).

The toy below is a cast iron Hubley truck from the 1940's. It originally came with a van for hauling cargo. I've seen these toys before, and I would estimate that the length of the toy is between 5"- 6"

(102 mm - 133 mm).

If you look closely at the writing on the undercarriage of the toy, you'll notice that the letter "L" 

of Hubley is either upside down or the letter is an "I". Also, the letters "S" and "A" of

U.S.A. are also upside down.

The question that Ezra asked me is whether or not I had noticed this before. I answered "no. When I was buying toys from ebay, I never purchased this particular Hubley truck, so I couldn't answer him.

If anyone reading this post has the same toy truck, could you please send me photos, as well as close-up photos of the lettering on the underside. I don't know if this toy that came from a particular casting was unique, or perhaps all of the same toy tucks had this upside down writing. However, it would be good to have someone provide an answer to Ezra's question!

Thanks for dropping by,

And as always, 

Have a great part of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

toysearcher@gmail.com

Stacey Bindman

Collectors Weekly - A Collectors Resource

Wednesday, November 2, 2015
Overcast and Cool
7 Celcius 43 Fahrenheit

Collectors Resource

A Collectors Resource

Please click here to visit this interesting antique & collectors resource

I recently posted about "Collectors Weekly", but decided to expand on a post about their website.
Collectors Weekly is an interesting website that offers readers a chance to read about all kinds of antiques and collectibles. When you do a search, you can even find what you are looking for and also a short narrative about the subject.


The above is a screen-capture for  a search that I did for "model cars".
Notice that there are 4 categories of toys. I chose cast iron for a further search.

The above screen-capture illustrates what I found for cast iron model toys.

I've only represented 2 paragraphs that describe cast iron toys. There were 4 paragraphs in total.

Interestingly,  Collectors Weekly uses live-auction ebay as a link from their website.

The red arrows are pointing to one merchant on ebay by the name of Walnutts.

The blue arrow is pointing to a toy seller on ebay by the name of Toyclaus.

I've had the pleasure to write about both of these fine ebay merchants (sellers).

Walnutts is a family-owned business. The above logo is for their website that is apart from ebay.

On ebay , the family simply goes by walnutts.

When you click on a photo from the Collectors Weekly website, you are redirected to the seller's ebay account. Below is a 1930 Hubley Huber cast iron road steamroller construction toy.

The above screen-capture shows you the other toys that Walnutts is currently selling on ebay.

The above images are from Walnutts ebay  page for the Hubley steamroller.

Toyclaus is another ebay  seller, and that Kenton blue cast iron car is one of their listings.

THe image below is a screen-capture from Collectors Weekly. When you hover your mouse over the photo, the written information appears. And if you press on the blue car photo, you're redirected to ebay .

The toys above are from Toyclaus that currently list on ebay.

The 2 previous photos are from ebay .

If you have a question, you will be redirected to the above page.Once on that page, you have the option to "Show & Tell". That simply means that you can post your own photos of a toy that you might have, or you can write an article, along with your toy photos.

 When you are redirected to "Show & Tell", this is what you get below.

There are 65 people who are either showing their toys, or who have written articles on cast iron toys.

The example below is a "Show & Tell". However, in this case, the presenter simply posted his Hubley cast iron "Hillclimber" with a brief description of his fine toy.

As you can see,  both ebay and Collectors Weekly each benefit from the other. I assume that 

Collectors Weekly is remunerated (paid) for presenting ebay listings, and ebay  benefits by having potential readers of Collectors Weekly being redirected to ebay.

That makes "good business sense"!

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always,

Have a great time of the day or night,

Wherever you may be.

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Blog search Results for Vindex Toys

Monday, October10, 2016
Sunny and Clear Skies
13 Celsius / 56 Fahrenheit

 Blog Search  Results

for Vindex Toys

Please click here to visit this fine American toy auctioneer

My last post happened to deal with showing my readers how to do a search within their blog. Today's post has to deal with the results of a search for "Vindex Toys". 

In my search, I was able to find 12 entry posts on Vindex toys. Of course,the most interesting information is the actual number of different toys that the company manufactured. Vindex was most famous for their farm machinery toys, but like other manufacturers of the time,they manufactured all kinds of toys for the marketplace.

What always interests me is the fact that different manufacturers were make very similar toys. 

Although to the expert, he/she could identify different manufacturers, or identify the toy from its' label. But the interesting part, that unlike today where companies will sue each other for the tiniest infringement of similar features of a product, way back in the 1920's-1930's this didn't  happen. 

Of course, it would be most difficult to do a search for 

 "toy lawsuit patent infringements" from that era.

As an example, that fine Vindex motorcycle below, 

could easily pass as a Hubley to the untrained eye.

The farm machinery below  are certainly are certainly great collectibles. 

What's even better for me personally is to have the excellent photography of Bertoia Auctions to work with! The photography is always well done, but placing the toys on white seamless paper makes it easy for me to do minor touch-ups in Photoshop. This usually consists in adjusting the exposure, and the contrast, so that the toy stands out more against the white.

Once again, it would be difficult for most of us to identify the 2 motorcycles as Vindex,

 compared to those of Hubley.

Below are a group of Vindex toys that are more rare 

in the sense that you don't see them too often.

Finally, in closing, here are another nice grouping of farm machinery.

Most of the photos came from Bertoia Auctions, except for 1 image that came from Mr.Bob Walden.

The reason for visiting an excellent auctioneer such as Bertoia Auctions is that they  exclusively  deal with only old and antique toys. Of course, as I mentioned before, the excellent photography, written descriptions, and consistency of placing toys on a white background, always makes my work so much easier.

If you ever happen to come across a Vindex toy, then check it out, and if the price is right, by all means buy it. Just make sure that the seller or auctioneer can put in writing on the receipt that the toy is in fact a Vindex!.

Thanks for visiting,

and as always have a great part

 of the day or night

Wherever you may be,

Stacey Bindman

toysearcher@gmail.com

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who's the Rarest of Them All?

Tuesday, January 19, 2016
Partly sunny and seasonally cold

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall,

Who's the Rarest of Them All?

   I like to get up early every day. I find that I can go to my regular "haunt" for toast and a coffee then return home by 07:00 A.M. If I have time, I can then prepare future posts for the upcoming period. I found some time this past Sunday, and ventured over to Bertoia Auctions. 

   For those who don't know, Bertoia Auctions is one of the most prominent antique toy auctioneers in the world. The company was established by the late Mr. Bill Bertoia, and is now owned and operated by the family. 

   The 4 toys presented today were from a 2013 auction, and were owned by Mr. Bertoia himself. They aren't the "rarest, rarest", but are rare enough for Mr. Bertoia to have seen the value in these toys. When they went to auction, they are received handsome bids. All 4 are from the great cast iron era of the United States, which lasted from approximately 1890-early 1940's. By then ,transportation of such heavy toys was costly by train, and the public was more interested in more complicated and better-made toys such as the pressed steel toys or pressed tin lithographed toys.

Please click here to visit this fine May 2013 auction by Bertoia Auctions

Cast iron toys were still popular in the 1930's, even though more complex and more advanced toys were starting to appear from Europe. As well,  American pressed steel toys were starting to become more and more popular.

The cast iron toys of the 1930's also were more complex than their early brethren in that they too were more complex and had more moving parts that the earlier decades of toys.  

The "Oh Boy Tractor" below is not as valued so much for its' complexity as its' rarity. The rubber treads are sat ill original  - imagine 85 years later!

Cast iron toys 

Steam engines were more popular in Europe than in America. You see these toys being manufactured by a company like Carette in the early 1900's, but time wise, America is manufacturing cast iron toys. 

So what makes this particular toy so valuable is that it is a rarity in the sense of being a "steam engine". I placed the words "steam engine" in quotation marks as this was simply a hand-cranked copy of a live steam engine with many moving parts. It's rarity lies also in the fact that it still works and has all of its original parts.

The Vindex company made many fine toys, and are sought after today for their beauty, functionality, and of course, their rarity. THe toy is probably late 1920's or early 1930's and as you can see, it has lots of moving parts, allowing a clild to play with it.  There is a turret that allows the base and cabin to rotate in a 360 degree circle, and the crank allows for an up and down movement of the bucket.

And finally, another rare Vindex toy. As a footnote, the 1920's and 1930's in the United States were a major boom to the country. Millions of immigrants continued to arrive to the United States, and the country started to build major cities from one end of the country to the other.

As such, "toys mimic reality", and a lot of new toys replaced the horse and wagon toys of the earlier decades (1890's-1910's). Cars became more and more common, so were trucks, and heavy-duty machinery such as the steam shovel, cement trucks, and of course, the portable and location utility- the cement mixer.

What's also interesting is that many toys of these 2 decades had parts that were nickel-plated. The cranks and levers are nickel-plated, and were meant to last and not rust.

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

The Carpenter Single Ladder Burning Building - Model II

Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Partly cloudy with normal temperatures

The Carpenter Single Ladder Burning Building

Model II

  Earlier today, I posted a fine and very rare toy from the Carpenter toy company. It was a two ladder burning building cast iron toy. There were three slightly different models made, and I wasn't sure if I'd fine all three. I did find the third one. This particular model  is the second one with two stories and one ladder.

  I found this one from the James D. Julia Inc. company which is one of my many friendly companies who allow me to use their photos. Not only are they one of the finest auctioneers in North America, but I first discovered that they regularly sold what are called salesman's models. These are exact small-sized (scaled down) models of actual machinery and other items. You have to visit their site to see these most fascinating items.  If I could ever afford them , these definitely would be my type of toys!

Please click here to visit this exceptional American auction company

"Originally found in a Massachusetts attic many years ago and until recently resided in a private collection. Perhaps this is one of the greatest and most amusing toys ever manufactured. The Carpenter firm (Port Chester, New York) modeled this toy after the brownstones of NYC. The elaborate cast iron facade is mounted on a wooden base with a cast iron sidewalk. There are three documented versions of this toy, this is the two-story version having a damsel on a fiery balcony awaiting the fireman below to ascend the ladder and bring her down to safety. Down below is a second fireman with a fire hose attached to the hydrant, attempting to extinguish the fiery blaze. A most uncommon feature of this toy is an open side door with cast iron jamb. A toy that appeals not only to the serious toy collector but for anyone who appreciates the rare and unusual. SIZE: 16-1/2″ h x 6″ d x 7-1/2″. CONDITION: Overall near excellent original condition. Original ladder has old inpainting (50+ years?) with original yellow paint visible in spots with original climbing fireman. Woman in balcony and fireman tending hose are old replacements. These slight drawbacks are insignificant compared to the importance of this scarce and desirable piece"*

* Description Courtesy of James D. Julia Inc. 

This particular model is in exemplary condition as you can see.

The figures in the cast of characters in this scene are beautiful moulded in cast iron. The lady has her  arms and hands in a circle allowing for her rescuer to catch her with his right hand.

He's the fireman climbing the ladder. 

You can see how much these figures were handled from the beautiful patina

 that has polished and smoothed out  the paint over the years. 

I believe that the string to have the firman move up the ladder is missing. You can look at the previous post to get an understanding as to how the action of saving the lady would have worked. 

So this is a "short and sweet" post, apart of a triad (3) that I decided to door these wonderful  Carpenter Company toys.

Thanks for dropping by, and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

A Cast Iron Wilkens Tetter

Wednesday, October 22, 
Overcast, cool, with possibility of rain

A Cast Iron Wilkens Tetter

   Yesterday, I added a post about a Kenton toy catalogue from 1902.  I had written that I'm having trouble identifying all of the different "vehicles" that were horse-drawn. In the late 1800's and early 1900's many American toys were made of cast iron, and the toys were modelled after horse-drawn, people carrying wagons. There were drays, phaetons, carts, wagons,stand hope gigs,traps,  and surreys,

  I was just getting used to trying and to identify the names with the "vehicles",when today's item caught my attention - a "tetter". OK, I said to myself, I think I'll start to add a dictionary definition of these items to refer to the next time I come across another one of these items.

The definition of a Tetter

"A tedder (also called hay tedder) is a machine used in haymaking. It is used after cutting and before windrowing, and uses moving forks to aerate or "wuffle" the hay and thus speed-up the process of hay-making. The use of a tedder allows the hay to dry ("cure") better, which results in improved aroma and colour"*

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tedder_(machine)

Of course if you read the definition, you'd come across winrowing, which means 

'a row or line of hay raked together to dry before being raked into heaps'.*

*http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/windrowing

  Of course,most of these words and terms are no longer used, unless  you write historic novels or are  a person of a religious group such as the Mennonites, or Amish. Language is always evoking with the times, and words are lost and words are gained. 

Please click here to visit this fine American auction company website

I've been adding several posts from the upcoming Max Berry Collection that Bertoia Auctions will be offering on  November 15, 2014. Mr. Berry is a world- renowned and successful  international trade lawyer.However,he has managed to find time to collect a exceptional collection of antique and old toys. I've been fortunate to be allowed to present toys from Bertoia Auctions, and this collection is most interesting and sometimes certain pieces are very rare.

The photo below is an excellent photo in terms of composition and technique. But for me, it's also great because it helps illustrate what a tetter is,once you read the definition that I presented above.

After the hay was cut and winrowed (I have to start using these newfound words!), the tetter would

 move up and down the cut hay and sort it into rows.  You can see how this would have worked by examining the clever mechanism of this toy.

As the cart moved forward, the rotating silver-toned (probably nickel-plated)  rods that are irregularly shaped, would cause the tuned (fork like) prongs to pile the loose hay into rows. You may need to enlarge this photo in the slide view mode and study the image for a while.

This is a great toy that Max Berry found, And I'll have to remember to search out for more tetters.

I once remember in a language book that you had to practise using new worlds otherwise you'll forget them.

This is another great photo that works well with the one above to help you understand the mechanism and function of this toy.

And still yet another great photo!

This is a superb toy, and if I ever found one that I could actually afford, I'd buy it.

I wouldn't be buying it for collecting, but to play with.I'd be curious to see how it works, and of course, I'd have to use try dried grass rather than hay. I'd eventually sell it, to try and collect another toy.

Of course, I'd play with this tetter alone, or maybe with Buddy my dog.

You don't want to be "caught" playing with antique toys at 65 years of age - it's just not done, and of course, dogs do not know that this human behaviour (men playing with toys) is not often done!

Thanks for dropping by to visit,

and as always,

have a great part of the day or night,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com