A Tale of Two Tow Trucks

  Thursday, May 8, 2014
Sunny and warm , but seasonally cool.

A Tale of Two Tow Trucks

  I saw two nice tow trucks that Ron Michaud from Maine had sold  and decided to compare the two. Ron always seems to have very nice old toys up for sale, and like all the people that help me out, I really appreciate his help. I decided to compare the 2 toys because Mr. Marx had at one time worked for Ferdinand Strauss.

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

I don't have the dates of manufacture of these 2 toys, but they look similar as to the type of tow truck that they were modelled from. What I'd like to comment on, is the nature of the construction and lithography of the toys. I had once read that the Marx company once had used discard metal from other companies to make their toys. As such, perhaps there was either a shortage of materials or they could save money in this manner. Of course the paint or printing was on the inside.

When you start to compare the 2 toys, you can see (in my opinion) that more money would have been spent on the Ferdinand Strauss toy.

1. There is more lithography on the Strauss as compared with more solid colour painting.

2. The Strauss toy is painted all over and more thoroughly. look at the underside photos to compare.

The Marx toy has extensive surface rust.

3. The wind-up mechanism is covered on the Strauss toy, compared with the Marx toy.

I don't know if that was for safety or cosmetic appearance, but this would of course cost more in labour and materials.

4. The Marx toy  has 6 wheels, while the Strauss toy has 4.

However, the Strauss toy  had the better lithography (more colours)and is finished on the inside. 

5. The Marx toy has small hubcaps on the wheels.

6. The Strauss toy is larger in size.

7. The Strauss toy has more extensive design which would have required more cutting and shaping on the large presses of the time.

I don't know what the original costs of the toys were at the time. And both companies were quite successful. In the end, the Marx company outlasted the Ferdinad Struass company, and at one time Mr. Marx even made the time magazine cover. His company at one time was making almost 1 in 4 toys made in the U.S.A. So although the Marx toy company toys might have been less costly both in production and at the marketplace, the company certainly would have been on the top 50 toy manufacturers of the last century.

Thanks for dropping by,

and as always, 

have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be.

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com

Ferdinand Strauss

Thursday, January 3, 2012

Ferdinand Strauss

    Yesterday, I wrote about the Louis Marx Toy Company. As it turned out, Louis Marx had started out working for the Ferdinand Strauss Company. However,  Mr. Marx was let go after his sales  and business policies were not liked by the board of directors of the company.

A Written Article by Ferdinand Strauss

(Please click on the above link to find an interesting article written by Mr. Strauss)

   Ferdinand Strauss came to the US at the age of 18 years old. He was a university graduate, and as soon as he was in the U.S. began work selling winder clothing. However, he was always fascinated with mechanical things, and was quite a hands-on person. Eventually, he sold of all things, the harmonica, and did a great job popularizing and selling this instrument. He was able to get financing to develop his love of mechanical things, ad created several different types of mechanical toys. However, the company met on hard times, and by 1922, Louis Marx had purchased the company.

    Many of Mr. Struauss' toys still survive , which are a good indication of their durability and collectibility. They were mostly made of sheet metal that was printed in beautiful colours by lithography. What's also interesting is that many of the toys had unique names speficic to the Strauss line of toys.

    I took all of the images below from Bertoia Auctions at the Live Auctioneers site. Clicking onthe address below will get you there.

Please  go to the Bertoia Auctions page at Live Auctioneers

(please click above to be redirected)

The Strauss Toy Company  actually manufactured 3 different variations of mule, driver, and cart. I've just presented 2 of them.

This was a mhimsical and entertaining toy for young children. When wound up, the chicks would move and peck at "food" in the painted metal bowl. I don't know if the train moved or not. 

Of course, like all other companies of the time, the "usual" line of toy cars and trucks were also manufactured, to bolster the complete line of fine toys.

 Notice how Mr.Strauss varied the spelling of Santa Claus to "Santee". What's also always given me a sense of nostalgia and times gone by is the address of many of the manufacturers on their toys.

The Ferdinand Strauss Corp.

New York, U.S.A.

Just New York,  U.S.A.

That address reminded me of the  movie with Natalie Wood, made in 1947, and also the story about the young girl who wrote to Sanata Claus in the USA. She simply address the envelope to:

Santa Claus,

The North Pole

And 1 final entertaining toy. As the porter moves, a small dog jumps up from inside the trunk.

I'm sure lots of children were entertained for long periods of time with such a funny toy.

As always, thanks for dropping by,

and have a  wonderful day, wherever you may be.

Stacey