BY R. T. CLAUS Next year will be the 103rd anniversary of two quite unusual Marklin ships. Neither are to be found among the more prestigious and collectable boats seen in the “Schiffe” section of the 1909 catalog, but rather tucked away, one under “Landfahrzeuge,” and the other in the steam driven toy section under “Baggermaschinen.” I would wager to [...]
FAIRFIELD, MAINE, November 30, 2011. Over the past 40 years, James D. Julia Auctioneers have established themselves as one of the leading auction houses the world over. During that time, their company has evolved into four separate divisions, each of which has established their prowess. Their firearms division is unquestionably by far the leader in the world today for rare [...]
When ever I came across Bill Powell’s booth at an antique show I knew I was going to see some of the most exciting things in the show – Bill has one of the great “eyes” in the business – whether it is a great trade or tin sign, a fabulous store fixture, or a lithographed paper-on-wood toy – it [...]
BY R. T. CLAUS The Graf Zeppelin was the world’s most successful airship. In spite of having only an 80 mph cruising speed this huge craft was able, during 9 years of service beginning in 1928, to circle the globe, make 590 flights, and travel over one million miles. The Luftschiff had truly mind boggling statistics. It was 776 ft. [...]
BY JACK HERBERT INTRODUCED IN England in 1935 by Tri-Ang, a frabjous (yes, that’s a real word!) line of small, tinplate vehicles called Minics filled an obvious need in the toy world. The cars, lorries, and commercial vehicles were just a tad larger than the prevalent diecast vehicles of that time. They were from 4″ to 7″, but had the [...]
VINELAND, N.J. – A pressed-steel collection with deep provenance and an eclectic West Coast collection whose owner lives by the motto “preserve and protect” have merged to form the heart of Bertoia’s big Sept. 23-24 antique toy auction. “This sale represents the journey of two great collectors – the late Fred Castan of Nebraska and Ralph Tomlinson, who lives in [...]
BY RICHARD T. CLAUS Having given his oft quoted order, Commodore Dewey’s flagship Olympia’s 8 inch guns began to rake the anchored Spanish fleet with deadly fire. The Battle of Manila Bay had begun. This ship was to become one of the most famous in American History. Launched at San Francisco’s Union Iron Works in 1892, the protected cruiser was [...]
BY JIM ENGELAGE, PhD THE CLOWN ARTIST, also known as the Drawing Clown, is one of the centerpieces of rare and ingenious lithographed tin toys and is now well over 100 years old. A black silhouette of the Clown Artist appeared on the mailing address insert card of all Antique Toy World magazines near the return address until a few [...]
FOLLOWING ON THE SUCCESS of their sale on 28th May 2011, Auction Team Breker in Cologne, Germany, will be offering a fine selection of toys and vintage technology on November 19, 2011. Four early consignments deserve a particular mention. The first is a remarkable trade catalogue from the German retailer Rau & Co. of Nuremberg, dated 1 June 1850! The [...]
ANN ARBOR, MICH.– The lifetime country store, advertising and toy collection of Mike and Colleen Empey will headline a major auction slated for the weekend of Sept. 30-Oct. 2 by Showtime Auctions. The event will be held at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor. Hundreds of additional, fresh-to-the-market items from other consignors will also be sold. The list [...]
