The sale will open with German painted spelter banks, a category that RSL has brought to prominence over the past few years. A top highlight is a circa-1905 Grandpa Cat bank, 7 inches tall and loaded with charm. It’s expected to make $5,000-$7,000. The group will be followed by unpainted spelter, silvered-lead and other still banks.
Some wonderful 19th-century American toys have been gathered together for the auction. Automatic Toy Works’ circa-1865 Maypole Dancers is one of only five known examples. In near-mint condition, the Connecticut-made toy is estimated at $7,000-$9,000.
A Pratt & Letchworth (Buffalo, N.Y.) 4-seat cast-iron brake, measuring 26 inches long, was made around 1890 and would have been a very expensive toy in its day. At auction it could make $12,000-$16,000.
With provenance from the distinguished Hegarty collection, a circa-1890 Ives Blakeslee cast-iron Three-Wheel Horse is one of possibly 15 known to exist. In pristine-plus condition, it is entered in the sale with a $3,000-$5,000 estimate.
The selection of European toys contains beautiful examples of early wind-ups. A coveted circa-1895 Ernst Paul Lehmann clockwork Pretzel Vendor is a prized example of German painted tin of that era. It carries an estimate of $3,500-$5,500.
Cast-iron mechanical banks continue their meteoric rise in the marketplace, and this sale features a number of exceptional examples at various price points. One of the key lots in this category is a Kyser & Rex (Philadelphia) Butting Buffalo, patented March 20, 1988. Estimate: $15,000-$22,000. A J. & E. Stevens circa-1901 Magician bank in pristine-plus condition might conjure a winning bid of $8,000-$12,000; while a Feed the Kitty bank, whose patent was issued around 1925 to Thomas Buel, could realize $4,500-$6,500.
There’s much more to bid on in this sale, including trains, boats, tin vending banks, American bell toys and automotive toys. For additional information, call 908-236-7474 or 412-343-8733 or 212-729-0011; or e-mail geminitoys@earthlink.net or raytoys@aol.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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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
