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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. Reprinted with
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