Antique Toys

"TWAS THE TOY BEFORE CHRISTMAS"

by Wayne Mattox

On December 22, 1822, the distinguished scholar, Clement Clarke Moore, recited to his children a poem he wrote for them as a gift.

Luckily, a house guest copied down "A Visit From Saint Nicholas" and sent it to a New York Newspaper, the "Troy Sentinel," where it was published anonymously a year later. Moore's description of St. Nicholas bore and uncanny resemblance to the family's plump, long-whiskered, pipe-chewing, merry caretaker, Jay Duyckinck. The portrait of the jolly old elf descending chimneys and filling fireplace stockings from a bundle of toys flung on his back, changed Christmas forever.

The author finally allowed it to be published in book form in 1844. A few years later, coincidence or not, a great worldwide industry emerged. Today, toys comprise one the strongest arms of the antiques' market. Old tin toys are amongst the highest prized.

In 1848, the "Philadelphia Tin Toy Manufactory" began producing one of the first of many lines of commercial tin toys. Thin, tin-plated sheet steel was hammered into molds, forming blank toy sections and parts. The toys were assembled by clamping the parts together with metal tabs or soldering.

Finally, the toy was hand-painted and stenciled. Ingenious moving clock mechanisms were introduced to tin and other toys in the 1850's by a Connecticut clock-maker turned toy-maker, George Brown.

Brown not only invented many of the his toy's internal mechanisms, but he also did most of the design work as well. The beautiful tin toys: riverboats, horse-drawn wagons, locomotives, fire-fighting wagons, made by Brown and his contemporaries such as "Charles Ives" of Bridgeport, CT, or "Hull and Stafford" of Clinton, CT, and even German guildsmen remained popular until the end of the 19th century.

Then, affordable "lithograph" (printed) decorated German import toys captured the market. But that's just one class of toys. Old rocking horses, French china dolls, marbles, miniature tea sets, German penny toys, Japanese spring driven toys, "Steiff" teddy bears, trains, plastic "Star Wars" spaceships-all are among the thousands of hotly collected categories. Becoming familiar with old toys can take a lifetime. Here's a few general tips.

Toys need not have age to have collector value. Remember the soaring prices when the "Cabbage Patch Doll" craze hit a few years ago?

Condition is usually key. An early 1960's boxed "Flintstones" game can be worth $200 in pristine condition, or $2 in poor shape.

Beware of fakes and reproductions, especially in cast iron toys.

Toys made in their pioneer early years usually have premium value. For example, a 1959 "Barbie Doll" or a 1952 "Mr. Potato Head" set, when Mr. Potato Head really had a potato head.

Toys with movement; mechanical clock, spring, even battery operated, can have premium value.

Appeal counts. Baseball, African American, cartoon, celebrity, and other types of toys are coveted. As are toys made by collectible manufacturers such as "Hubley," "Ives," and "Lionel."

Early toys, especially those that were costly in their day, can have great value. For instance, a sophisticated tine hose-reel fire-wagon in pristine condition made by George Brown in 1875 brought $231,000 at auction a few years back.

Time is 'tiquing away, so have a happy holiday season!

by AntiqueTalk.com

Reprinted with permission
Copyright by Wayne Mattox ©