Milestone beats Santa to the punch with Dec. 10 antique toy auction

Original Yonezawa (Japan) tin windup Diamond Planet Robot, rare variation with blue body and red arms. At 10in high, Diamond Planet is the largest windup robot ever produced. 100% original robot comes with high-quality repro box. Estimate $30,000-$50,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Every antique toy collector dreams of finding something rare and exotic under the Christmas tree, and sometimes those dreams come true. But there is an alternative that offers much better odds. Those who don’t want to risk receiving a clip-on tie or box of stale chocolates can find and bid on hundreds of rare and beautiful toys in Milestone Auctions’ December 10 Winter Toy Extravaganza. The suburban Cleveland company may be known for selling every type of high-end collectible from antique firearms to vintage petroliana, but toys are special to the Milestone crew. It’s one of the categories upon which their brand was founded, and its following amongst collectors is rock solid.

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Bertoia’s to auction Bill and Stevie Weart antique toy collection, Sept. 8-9 

Hubley cast-iron ‘Say It With Flowers’ delivery motorcycle, 10in long, the book example depicted in Bill and Stevie Weart’s ‘Cast Iron Automotive Toys’ (2000) reference book. Rare all-original toy in excellent to pristine condition. Estimate $15,000-$25,000

VINELAND, N.J. – On September 8-9, with absentee and Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers, Bertoia’s will auction the antique toy collection of the late Bill and Stevie Weart, a couple whose contributions to the toy hobby were immense. Anyone who ever had the privilege of visiting the Wearts at their magnificent home in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was left with the impression that they had witnessed something exceptional for these times. Their grand three-story residence, which was situated in a tranquil parklike setting, visually reflected what was most important to them in a home: fine architecture, tasteful furnishings, a garden that beckoned wild birds, and most of all, an interior design plan that prioritized the display of their spectacular toy collection.

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