“There’s good, solid merchandise in this sale, including wonderful antique toys from two major single-owner collections, plus other quality consignments,” said Keith Spurgeon, owner of Mosby & Co. “One of the collections is so massive, it will take three auctions to liquidate it all. Part I includes fine examples of German, American and Japanese toys.”

Trains also feature prominently. A strong candidate for top-lot honors is an original Lionel gouache painting depicting a Santa Fe Super Streamliner train roaring through the desert. The work is from the estate of a former Lionel executive and was created as catalog art in 1952. In its wood frame, it measures 29½ inches by 10 inches.

Also in the train section is an impressive collection of American Flyer examples, many of them in their original boxes; and a large selection of 1950s-60s Plasticville toy buildings for train layouts. Plasticville train accessories were introduced in 1946 by Bachmann Industries of Philadelphia, but in 1984 the company was taken over by Kader Industries in China.

Antique toys will feature several German-made Gunthermann toys, 20 battery-operated toys (all original in the box), a nice selection of boxed American and Japanese toys, 1950s-60s Marx playsets and a group of animals and bears by Germany’s premier soft toy manufacturer, Steiff. Another highlight is a 24-inch-long Fleischmann ocean liner made circa 1930-1935.

Toys expected to attract keen bidder interest include an American National pressed steel tandem pedal car (front and rear seating), made around 1930 and professionally restored; and a very rare, fresh-to-the-market Gendron Columbia pressed steel bi-plane pull toy, 30 inches in length and all original. The names American National and Gendron are actually connected. The Gendron Iron Wheel Company was founded in 1872 in Toledo, Ohio, and starting in 1890 the firm produced die-cast toy replica pedal cars and other children’s items up until World War II. In 1927, Gendron became a subsidiary of American National, which sold its assets in 1941.

Two full-size cars will cross the auction block. The first is a white 1962 Ford Thunderbird hardtop with 77,000 original miles. The car has been in the same family since being purchased new. It has been repainted once. The other auto is a 1995 cherry red Dodge Viper, the rare roadster version, with less than 6,000 miles. A Viper that age with so few miles is quite unusual.

Several extremely rare, if not unique, neon signs from automobile dealerships of the 1950s are in tested, working order and accompanied by their transformers. Three were displayed in Hudson showroom windows and come from the collection of a man who used to own a car dealership in Maryland. The largest measures 50 by 30 inches. Another neon rarity advertises Willys Aero-Lark, a sedan built in the 1950.

Although of later manufacture, a neon sign made in 1997 for Jeep Wranger may be the one of its type in existence. “Chrysler sent out a brochure to Jeep dealers that year soliciting them to order this sign for their showrooms, but they didn’t get enough orders to warrant a production run, so only a few prototypes were made. We think this may be the only surviving sign of its type, but it’s impossible to know,” said Spurgeon.

Coin-ops include a Jennings Standard Chief 25-cent slot machine from the first half of the 20th century, all original and unrestored. Music will be provided by an all-original AMI model D-40 jukebox from the early 1950s. In good working order, it plays 45 rpm records. “AMI is a company with a long history,” said Spurgeon. “It began in 1909 as a manufacturer of automatic player pianos. They started making jukeboxes in 1927 and produce them to this day under the name Rowe International.”

An original and unrestored circa-1950 Vendo Model 44 Coca-Cola vending machine, with a nickel slot, will be offered, as will a Merchantman Novelty Crane (a skill machine also known as a digger or claw machine). The crane was made in the 1930s by Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago, which supplied such machines to upscale hotels. Hence, they were known as hotel or floor model coin-ops. Their modern counterparts are often seen in cinema and restaurant lobbies.

Also being offered is a Bimbo 3-Ring Circus puppet machine, made in the 1950s by the United Billiards Company. Players insert a quarter and try to get the clown to dance while music is being played. In addition, pinball machines and other coin-ops will also be sold. The advertising category will feature Coca-Cola signs, promotional thermometers and other collectible items.

The preview for Mosby & Co.’s June 7 auction will be held on Friday, June 6, from 4-7 p.m.; and on auction day from 8-10 a.m. (or by appointment). The gallery is located at 5714-A Industry Lane in Frederick, Maryland, near the juncture of I-70 and I-270 and an easy drive from both Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

For additional information on any item in the sale, call Keith Spurgeon on 240-629-8139 or email keith@mosbyauctions.com.

View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

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View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE