Toy Auction

September 15th, 2017

Pook & Pook Inc./Noel Barrett, Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Photos courtesy Pook & Pook/Noel Barrett

“These days you have to add a fourth ‘D’ to the reasons for an auction; in addition to death, debt, divorce, add downsizing,” said Noel Barrett at the September 15 toy sale he masterminded in partnership with Pook & Pook in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. “Not as many people have room for big toys these days. Older collectors are downsizing, and the new collectors are not upsizing,” Barrett complained.

Apparently the current crop of collectors can’t find room for big dollhouses and kitchen room boxes that kids used to love to play with at grandma’s house. Big dollhouses and kitchen boxes were largely ignored at the sale. A late 19th-century Christian Hacker kitchen room box sold with buyer’s premium for $396.50 (est. $600/900), but a large German lithographed double-room kitchen (est. $1500/2500), paper on wood, circa 1920, 17" high x 58" wide x 23" deep, and a larger German lithographed paper over wood fully stocked toy kitchen (est. $2000/3000), 36" wide, were passed. One of the largest items in the sale was an elaborate German town diorama celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of Frederick I, Grand Duke of Baden, and Princess Louise of Prussia, Grand Duchess of Baden, in 1906. It sold for $2440, well below the $3000/5000 estimate.

One very large item brought a big price. A painted linen store banner that reads “Headquarters for Christmas Toys,” by Saalfield Publishing Co., Akron, Ohio, with an image of Santa Claus, sold for $4636 (est. $300/500) online. The 35¼" x 59¼" sign had 12 bids on LiveAuctioneers before the auction began. A Rutherford, New Jersey, collector who came to the sale to buy it was the underbidder.

This painted linen store banner by Saalfield Publishing Co., Akron, Ohio, “Headquarters for Christmas Toys,” with an image of Santa Claus, 35¼" x 59¼", got more bids on LiveAuctioneers than any other lot. It was framed and in excellent condition. It sold on the Internet for $4636 (est. $300/500), underbid in the salesroom by a collector who said he came from Rutherford, New Jersey, to buy it. He thought the price was crazy but the condition very good.

Exceptional Lehmann lithographed tin windup Mandarin, with original box, consigned by the original owner, who never played with it, accompanied by colorfully labeled box with two background scenery panels, 5½" high x 7" wide, excellent condition, sold for $10,370 (est. $3000/4000).

The sale preview looked similar to an overstocked toy shop with toys in every category. Puppets brought respectable prices. An original production Howdy Doody marionette sold for $15,860 (est. $12,000/16,000). William Britton “Bil” Baird marionettes sold well above estimates. One with a flop of yellow hair and a big grin sold online for $2928 (est. $300/400), and a gangster stick puppet holding a Tommy gun sold to a different online bidder for $1037 (est. $300/400). Baird was a renowned puppeteer who is well remembered for his production and performance of “The Lonely Goatherd” puppet scenefor the 1965 The Sound of Music movie.

Bil Baird gangster character stick puppet, carved head, cloth hands, wearing an original zoot suit, holding a Tommy gun, 20" high, excellent condition, some evidence of use, sold for $1037 (est. $300/400).

Bil Baird marionette with carved wood head and yellow felt hair, 28½" high, in excellent condition, sold online for $2928 (est. $300/400).

This original production-made Howdy Doody marionette, not seen on screen but associated with the original television production, was originally consigned to an auction by an electrical engineer who worked for the show in the 1950s. It is identical to those used on screen, built by the show’s prop man Scott Brinker, with the hands and boots likely fashioned by Velma Dawson. The remaining clothing is from the 1970s when the puppet was used on a tour of college campuses. The neck has a more recent repair. The engineer was given the puppet to experiment with having the marionette electrically wired so that its movements could be manipulated with radio controls. It is in good condition, with some wear to the gloves and minor paint loss to the head. It sold for $15,860 (est. $12,000/16,000).

There was interest in animated store displays made by Baranger studios in the 1950s. One with marching soldiers in red, white, and blue uniforms sold for $5124, and another of diamond cutters working on a giant diamond ring, made for a jewelry store window, sold for $12,200 (est. $5000/6000).

This Baranger studios electric animated diamond ring store display is titled “Diamond Cleaners,” model M-178, in John Daniels’s book Baranger: Window Displays in Motion. The six individual workers are polishing, cleaning, and repairing a large diamond ring resting on a circular base, which rotates back and forth. It retains its original fitted cardboard shipping crate. It is 18" high x 14" wide with minor surface abrasions and is in working condition. It sold for $12,200 (est. $5000/6000).

This Baranger studios electric animated wooden soldier store display is one of the storybook motions introduced in 1950. It is numbered M-175 in John Daniels’s book Baranger: Window Displays in Motion (2001)and described: “There is lots of action as these toy soldiers move to a different beat. This motion is an absolute delight with action that surprises. The nine bandsmen and two drum majors march in one direction and then reverse themselves once and then twice before turning to face forward for a beat then go back to their reversing—all this movement amplified by the mirror background which magically turns the nine into eighteen.” It came with its original shipping crate. It is 13" high x 16" wide and in excellent condition other than some wear to the box. It sold for $5124 (est. $5000/6000).

There were plenty of classic toys popular with collectors and dealers who have competed for two generations. When in fine condition, they sold well. For example, an exceptional German Lehmann lithographed tin windup Mandarin being carried in a sedan chair, with its original box, was consigned by the original owner, who had never played with it. It sold for $10,370 (est. $3000/4000). An exceptional Märklin painted tin clockwork Jolanda riverboat, 15½" high x 29" long, all original, consigned by its first owner’s family, had its original anchor, wheeled cradle, American flag, and rigging. It sold for $51,240 (est. $15,000/20,000) in the salesroom to Lititz, Pennsylvania, dealer Rich Garthoeffner, bidding for a client, and underbid by Allentown, Pennsylvania, dealer Tom Sage. “It’s magnificent,” said Garthoeffner. He was also thrilled to get a Carette #2350 O-gauge passenger train set with an English-style locomotive, matching tender, postal baggage car, and passenger coach that was offered with a 1907 George Carette & Cie. toy, train, and steam catalog. He paid $15,860 (est. $15,000/18,000) for it and said he was prepared to go higher. Garthoeffner’s bid of $13,000 broke the $12,000 tied bids that had been left with the auctioneer; the buyer’s premium brought the bill to $15,860.

Exceptional Märklin Jolanda painted tin clockwork riverboat, an all-original, uncleaned example consigned by the first owner’s family, retaining its original anchor, wheeled cradle, and American flag, and with rigging that appears to be original, 15½" high x 29" long, sold for $51,240 (est. $15,000/20,000) to dealer Rich Garthoeffner in the salesroom.

Rare Carette #2350 clockwork O-gauge passenger train set, English profile 4-4-0 locomotive, with correct matching tender, a postal baggage car, and a passenger coach engine, 10¾" long engine, offered with a 1907 George Carette & Cie. toy, train, and steam catalog (not shown). In excellent condition, with little play wear, this smaller example has a few condition problems: the mechanism sticks; the cars have edge wear; the passenger coach lacks a door handle and most of the interior seats; and the baggage car is missing one hinge pin; and the catalog is lacking the cover and has edge tears. The lot sold in the salesroom for $15,860 (est. $15,000/18,000) to dealer Rich Garthoeffner.

Sage and Garthoeffner also battled for a Carette lithographed tin clockwork touring car with its original driver and passengers, 12¼" long, and Garthoeffner prevailed again, paying $4636 (est. $1500/2000) for it. A scarce Duesenberg gas-powered tethered racer that cost $39 when new in the 1930s sold to a collector in the salesroom for $5368 (est. $1500/2000), underbid on the phone. Few of these survived the scrap metal drives during World War II.

Carette lithographed tin clockwork touring car with a leatherette tonneau cover over the rear seat, carriage and driving lamps, and original driver and passenger, 12¼" long, sold for $4636 (est. $1500/2000) to dealer Rich Garthoeffner, underbid by dealer Tom Sage.

The first 250 lots were cast-iron toys, and a group of nearly 50 bidders filled the salesroom, with some coming as far away as Minnesota, Florida, and Ohio to compete with the usual Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York regulars. The cast-iron toys in the best condition came from the collection of the late Bill Weart and his wife, Stevie. Stevie came to the sale and said she thought it went well. Their collections are well known to members of the Antique Toy Collectors club and to others familiar with their book Cast Iron Automotive Toys, published by Schiffer in 2000.

A Kenton cast-iron Standard Oil tandem tanker truck with a painted cast-iron driver, made for only one year in 1933, 12¾" long, from the Weart collection, sold for $3416 (est. $800/1200), and a Weart collection Kenton cast-iron double-decker bus with four cast-iron passengers and a driver, 6½" long, sold for $1220 (est. $400/600). A larger, 11½" long Kenton cast-iron double-decker city bus, with eight painted and nickel-plated passengers and a painted cast-iron driver, sold for $2928 (est. $600/800).

Scarce Kenton cast-iron Standard Oiltandem tanker truck, with a painted iron driver, made for only one year in 1933, 12¾" long, from the Weart collection, sold for $3416 (est. $800/1200).

 A few cast-iron airplanes sold for more than $1000. A Kilgore cast-iron TAT trimotor plane with a nickel-plated engine and a 13½" wingspan sold for $1342 (est. $800/1200). A Kenton cast-iron Air Mail plane, painted yellow, from the Weart collection, sold for the same price, doubling its $400/600 estimate. A Globe cast-iron policeman motorcycle, 8¾" long, sold for $1037 (est. $300/400), even though it had paint loss throughout. The same price was paid for a Hubley cast-iron Indianfour-cylinder motorcycle with a civilian driver (est. $500/700). A scarce Kenton cast-iron horizontal engine with a hand crank and nickel-plated components, in excellent condition and from the Weart collection, sold for $1464 (est. $1500/2000), and another similar engine but with paint loss and rust sold seven lots later for $671 (est. $800/1200).

 Cast-iron farm equipment was in demand. A Vindex cast-iron John Deere hay loader, 7½" high, in very good condition, sold for $5124 (est. $1200/1600); a Vindex cast-iron John Deere Van Brunt seed drill, in very good condition, sold for $3172 (est. $1000/1500) on the phone; and an Arcade cast-iron hay rake, 7" long, with its original box sold for $1159 (est. $500/700).

Vindex cast-iron John Deere hay loader, 7½" high, Stephen Sachs collection, St. Louis, very good condition, sold for $5124 (est. $1200/1600). The first half of the Sachs collection sold at the last Barrett/Pook sale. Barrett said prices were a little higher this time.

Horse-drawn cast-iron toys are among the most expensive. A Pratt & Letchworth oversize cast-iron horse-drawn water tower, the largest of all horse-drawn toys, with three horses, a long water tube, nozzle, and seated driver, 45" long, sold for $3660 (est. $2000/2500) to a phone bidder. The Weiss twins of Gemini Antiques paid $2440 (est. $2500/3000) for a Hubley cast-iron horse-drawn brake with a driver and footman and two women passengers. It has some paint loss and a repair to the driver’s arm, but it is a charming toy. It is amazing that so many of these cast-iron toys survived. They are breakable when dropped, and many were melted by patriots during the scrap metal drives during World War II.

Although the market is not what it used to be in many categories, and the landmark sales of the 1980s and 1990s still hold the records, there is support in the salesroom for toy collecting. A younger group of passionate collectors/dealers were competing; the crowd was smaller in the salesroom, but the Internet was very active, and so were the phones.

The sale was expected to bring $262,550/380,200 (without buyers’ premiums), and the total with buyers’ premiums was $481,507. The 584 bidders on LiveAuctioneers won 82 lots and spent $86,200 (hammer), and the 186 bidders on Bidsquare won 34 lots and spent $67,575 (hammer). The sale was 99% sold.

Look for another Noel Barrett/Pook & Pook toy sale in March 2018. For more information, go to (www.pookandpook.com).

Painted composition candy container of a rooster dressed in a coat and hat, 7" high, in good condition, interior of collar reinforced, sold for $610 (est. $500/700).

This scarce 22" long Duesenberg gas-powered tethered racer cost $39 when it was first sold in the 1930s. Production was limited, and few survived the scrap metal drives of World War II. It retains the original transmission fitted with an incorrect McCoy engine, and it was offered with an extra motor and miscellaneous components. The hood had been crudely cut to accommodate the exhaust, and the chassis bottom is detached. It sold to a collector in the salesroom for $5368 (est. $1500/2000).

Large German composition Santa and reindeer candy container with Santa holding three feather tree sprigs and a leather pouch filled with putz toys, 11" high, the reindeer with painted spelter antlers and a cloth saddle, 10½" high, sold for $3416 (est. $500/800). Christmas is every day in the toy world.

Originally published in the November 2017 issue of Maine Antique Digest. © 2017 Maine Antique Digest