Masudaya (Japan) 15in battery-operated Target Robot from the famed Gang of Five series. All original toy with correct dart gun and two darts. Accompanied by original box. Sold for $34,440 against an estimate of $20,000-$25,000
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Many hundreds of absentee bids were already on the books by the time Milestone Auctions’ co-owner and principal auctioneer Miles King stepped up to the podium to officially open the Ohio company’s May 27 Spring Premier Toy Auction. The 835-lot event, which featured virtually every popular category in the antique-toy realm, was on many a collector’s radar and had been closely monitored online, especially after word got out about a stellar collection of rare Japanese robots and space toys featured in the sale.
Fantastic Nomura (Japan) battery-operated Walking Batman. All original, complete, and appears never to have been played with. All functions in working order when tested. Clean original box with great graphics of Batman, Robin and Batmobile. Estimate $6,000-$8,000
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Today, many nations and private companies are engaged in the Space Race, but there’s no contest as to who the winner is when it comes to space toys. Japan has been the clear and unchallenged leader in the manufacture of robots and space toys since the end of World War II. The imaginative designs of Masudaya, Yonezawa, Nomura and scores of other Japanese firms of the 1950s-1970s are revered by collectors who love the toys’ fanciful looks and quirky actions, not to mention the wild artwork on their boxes. Milestone Auctions, the home of great toy collections, will offer a treasure trove of sought-after robots, space toys and dozens of other types of vintage playthings at their big May 27th Spring Premier Toy Sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
American National Deluxe Coupe pedal car, luxury version with opening doors, sliding windows, interior upholstery and curtains. Length: 68 inches. Sold for $66,000 against an estimate of $20,000-$40,000
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Milestone Auctions gave collectors what they wanted on September 24th, rolling out a diverse offering of antique and vintage toys from the Mark Smith collection along with high-quality additions from several other consignors. The 755-lot sale was active from start to finish, with many international bidders taking part. After a long but rewarding day at the podium, auctioneer and company co-founder Miles King closed the books at $505,200 (inclusive of buyer’s premium).
Kingsbury pressed-steel clockwork wrecker truck, 13in long, all original, very hard-to-find toy. Excellent condition. Estimate $1,000-$1,500
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – If anyone wondered whether new collectors were still entering the antique toy hobby or not, they got their answer last spring when Milestone Auctions closed the books on their headline-making Antique Toy Spectacular. Toy fans worldwide are still buzzing about the Popeye and Olive Oyl Tank that brought a record $105,000 at that sale. On September 24, Milestone will roll out a fresh offering of outstanding vintage toys from the Mark Smith Collection, with high-quality additions from other consignors.
Circa-1932 Tippco (Germany) Mickey and Minnie Mouse motorcycle, tin wind-up, 9in long. Provenance: Donald Kaufman collection, Doug and Pat Wengel collection. Sold for $222,000, a world auction record for any Disney toy, against an estimate of $25,000-$45,000
VINELAND, N.J. – One of the most exciting events ever to be held at Bertoia Auctions’ New Jersey gallery took place on March 11-12 with the sale of the spectacular Monique Knowlton antique toy collection. The globally publicized auction of mostly 20th-century European, American and Japanese toys kept collectors riveted as examples with stellar provenance commanded unheard-of prices. After the hammer fell on the last of 628 lots, Bertoia’s president and principal auctioneer Michael Bertoia confirmed to the media that the single-owner collection had achieved a grand total of $2.16 million, inclusive of 20% buyer’s premium. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.
L to R: Louis Marx & Co. (USA), prototype tin windup Speedboy 4 military motorcycle with spring-loaded military cannon and ammo box on back. Hand-painted details to soldier and cannon; and Louis Marx & Co. (USA), prototype tin windup Speedboy 4 military motorcycle with camouflage-patterned cargo box. Hand-painted details to soldier and cannon. They tied as top lot of the sale, selling for $22,800 each against an estimate of $6,000-$8,000.
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Antique toy enthusiasts love nothing more than to discover the earliest iterations of whatever specialty they collect, and on October 2nd at Milestone Auctions in suburban Cleveland it was both Marx and motorcycle fans who hit the jackpot. The 704-lot auction, which was almost exclusively devoted to a single-owner collection, featured 138 super-clean bikes, including two American Marx prototypes that tied for top-lot honors at $22,800 apiece. Each had been estimated at $6,000-$8,000.
Intense competition pushed Marx prototype motorcycles to top of prices realized
A throng of determined bidders competed from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond, pushing the sale total to $768,000. It was the highest-grossing toy auction in Milestone’s history.
“There was huge interest in many categories, but most especially the motorcycles, which represented scores of manufacturers from Germany, Spain, Japan, Italy, Russia and the USA. Absentee and opening bids were insane, right off the bat,” said Milestone Auctions co-owner Chris Sammet. “The Marx prototype bikes were Speedboy 4 military-themed windups, finished in the distinctive colors of early Marx toys and with hand-painted details. One had a rear-mounted cannon and the other had a camouflage-patterned box on the back. We started getting calls about them a good month before the sale. There was no doubt they were going to fly.”
Japanese friction-powered tin ‘Romance’ motorcycle, 12in large version, bright colors, all original and in working order. Sold for $5,640 against an estimate of $2,000-$3,000
The high quality of post-WWII Japanese motorcycles was evident in the sharp-looking 12-inch-long friction-powered motorcycle known as “Romance.” Lithographed in a rainbow of pleasing colors with an image of the planet Saturn on the gas tank, the bike is operated by a helmeted and goggled male driver, with a female passenger also along for the ride. In working order and all original, it sold for $5,640 against an estimate of $2,000-$3,000.
Japanese tin friction ‘Hunter-Motor Cycle,’ all original, retains gun and fowl in net on back. Appears never to have been played with. Sold for $3,840, more than six times the high estimate.
Perhaps the “sleeper” of the section was a much smaller Japanese tin friction production identified on its box label as “Hunter-Motor Cycle.” Although only 4½ inches long, the bike is amazingly well detailed and was complete, down to its attached rifle and the fowl enclosed in a net at the back. In like-new condition with its excellent factory box, the diminutive bike zipped off to a new owner for $3,840, more than six times the high estimate.
Louis Marx & Co. (USA), prototype windup Blondie and Dagwood Family Car, 14in long, all hand-painted, never saw production. Sold for $16,200 against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000
Following closely behind the Marx prototype motorcycles at the top of prices realized was a good-looking Marx (USA) Blondie and Dagwood Family Car that never made it into production. Finished in a rich blue with red, yellow and gold accents, the windup open car included figures of Dagwood at the wheel with Blondie and their son Alexander sharing the passenger seat. This coveted prototype commanded $16,200 against an estimate of $4,000-$6,000.
Peerless example of Japanese tin friction Atom-Car #153, 15½ inches, accompanied by seldom-seen original box. Original driver figure and rubber tires. Sold for $5,400 against an estimate of $2,000-$3,000
Transportation toys held their own throughout the sale, no matter what type of transportation they happened to depict. A terrific example of a Japanese tin friction Atom-Car #153, 15½ inches long, retained its original driver figure and rare box. It easily swept pasts its estimate range to settle at $5,400.
Ferdinand Strauss (USA) 11in tin windup ‘Santee Claus’ toy with Santa driver and two belled reindeer pulling his sleigh. Original illustrated box in excellent condition. Sold for $6,000, four times the high estimate
On the other hand, there was a Strauss (USA) tin windup “Santee Claus,” with the holiday gift-giver looking jaunty in his decorative sleigh pulled by a pair of belled, leaping reindeer. Measuring 11 inches long and offered with its excellent Christmas-themed box, it dashed away for $6,000 – four times the high estimate.
Distler (Germany) tin windup ‘Pinched!’ set with wonderfully illustrated box. Police motorcycle chases automobile around platform amid depictions of gas station, mountains, farmland, etc. Sold above estimate for $6,900
A visual extravaganza, a Distler (Germany) tin windup set known as “Pinched!” re-enacts a police chase in the countryside. When activated, a motorcycle cop pursues a speeding automobile around a platform amid scenery that includes mountains, farmland, railroad trestles and more. The setting is also illustrated on the box that accompanied the toy, which sold above estimate for $6,900.
Lehmann (Germany) tin windup Boxer Rebellion toy inspired by Boxer secret society active during Chinese rebellion of 1899-1901. Rarest of all Lehmann toys. All original, complete and in excellent working order. Sold above estimate for $17,400
An extensive 86-lot array of Lehmann (Germany) windup and flywheel toys crossed the auction block, many of them retaining their original boxes. A fine example of the tin windup “Boxer Rebellion” toy – inspired by the Boxer secret society that was active during the Chinese rebellion of 1899-1901 – was offered with an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.
Lehmann (Germany) tin windup Halloh motorcycle in exceptionally fine, never-played-with condition. Comes with original box and instructions. Sold above estimate for $6,900
All original, complete and in excellent working order, it rose to $17,400. Also selling above estimate was a handsome Lehmann tin windup Halloh motorcycle that appeared seldom, if ever, to have been taken out of its original pictorial box. It crossed the finish line at $6,900.
Of unknown German manufacture, a 17-inch-long hand-painted composition cat skittles set consisted of a large striped-cat vessel in which seven smaller cat skittles were housed. Rolling along on cast-iron wheels, the fabulous feline pounced on a winning bid of $16,200 against an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.
Large and colorful German hand-painted composition cat skittles set, 17in-long main cat holds 7 cat skittles in various styles of dress. Cast-iron wheels (not shown). Sold for $16,200 against an estimate of $1,000-$1,500
The 713-lot auction attracted so many absentee, phone and Internet bids that it ran nearly 12 hours from start to finish. The great success it achieved was not without its challenges, however. The day before the auction, the hosting company Milestone uses for its own online bidding platform was hit by a ransomware attack that affected many industries, from aerospace to transportation, agriculture to publishing.
“The timing was bad, but in our business, you learn to have a contingency plan in place, which we always do,” said Milestone co-owner and auctioneer Miles King. “Fortunately, we always use two other bidding platforms — including LiveAuctioneers — in addition to our own, so Internet bidders were not left out. The biggest challenge was in notifying bidders about the situation, on short notice. Just about everyone who wanted to bid was able to do so, and we were grateful for that. The bottom line is, collectors were not going to sit back and miss out on a collection as great as the one we were selling just because of a technology problem. They wanted those toys.”
