Tag Archive for: toys

Caroline Weldon (Swiss/American, 1844-1921), oil-on-canvas portrait of Lakota Sioux leader Sitting Bull (1831-1890), painted from life in 1890. Artist-signed and dated LR, identified at LL corner as ‘Sitting Bull.’ Size: 27 x 22in (sight), 35½ x 30½ in (framed). Provenance: Railroad engineer William Lafayette Darling, thence by descent to consignor. Estimate $40,000-$80,000

Teddy Roosevelt’s silver watch, Sitting Bull portrait lead Blackwell’s March 18 auction

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Theodore Roosevelt’s American Waltham pocket watch in a coin-silver case. Gifted to him in 1898 by his sister Corinne Roosevelt Robinson and engraved inside cover: ‘THEODORE ROOSEVELT’ and ‘From D.R. and C.R.R.’ Watch is referenced in detail in a thank-you letter published in Corinne Roosevelt Robinson’s 1924 book ‘My Brother Theodore Roosevelt.’ Estimate $100,000-$200,000

CLEARWATER, Fla. – America’s rich cultural history is laced with heroes and scalawags, blue-blooded entrepreneurs and immigrant achievers who rose from the humblest beginnings. All who contributed to the colorful tapestry of our 246-year-old nation – whether saintly or scurrilous – are part of our nation’s story, which serves as the backdrop for Blackwell Auctions’ March 18 event titled “The American Sale.” Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Not just for kids: Toymakers aim more products at grown-ups

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Build-a-Bear is one among several toymakers that have found success by targeting customers who are age 18 and up. Image courtesy of Build-a-Bear

Build-a-Bear is one among several toymakers that have found success by targeting customers who are age 18 and up. Image courtesy of Build-a-Bear

NEW YORK (AP) – Since the pandemic, Elizabeth Hulanick has turned to toys from her childhood to relieve stress. She and her co-workers chip in to buy Legos at Target and play at their desks. She also started playing with Silly Putty again, noting she felt comforted by the bouncy rubbery stuff that changes colors.

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Antique pedals cars took the lead at Milestone’s $500K toy auction

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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).

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Meet Ozzie Bilotta, whose vintage toys are off to a new Florida museum

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Super-collector Ozzie Bilotta with some of his prized robots, space toys and movie posters, which will be on display at The Bilotta Collection, a soon-to-be-opened museum in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Image courtesy of Ozzie Bilotta

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Ozzie Bilotta collects rare vintage toys and is set to open a museum of vintage toys, arcade machines and related memorabilia called The Bilotta Collection. It will open this fall from a purpose-designed venue in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.

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

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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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Milestone Auctions

Popeye And Olive Oyl Tank rolls to world-record $105K at Milestone toy auction

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Linemar Japan battery-operated Popeye and Olive Oyl Tank, 11 inches, with extremely rare original box. Very clean and bright, by far the finest example known. Excellent/Near Mint. Sold for a world record auction price of $105,000 against its pre-sale estimate of $30,000-$40,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Popeye toys haven’t seen an appreciable downturn in the collector marketplace at any point in the past 25 years. In keeping with that trend, vintage toys depicting the punchy sailor were “strong to the finich” at Milestone Auctions’ April 9 Antique Toy Spectacular, which grossed $650,000. Powering its way to the top of prices realized, a Linemar Popeye And Olive Oyl Tank with its original pictorial box sold for an astonishing $105,000, a new world auction record for a Popeye toy.

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Marx tin litho wind-up Jumpin Jeep, est. $500-$1,000

SJ Auctioneers Dec. 26 sale musters vintage toys and trains

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Marx tin litho wind-up Jumpin Jeep, est. $500-$1,000

Marx tin litho wind-up Jumpin Jeep, est. $500-$1,000

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – SJ Auctioneers‘ next sale, titled Trains, Toys, Collectibles and Designer Scarves, takes place Sunday, December 26, starting at 4 pm Eastern time. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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Milestone to auction sensational collection of rare antique toys, Oct. 2

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Paya tin windup motorcycle with sidecar, 11in long, Spanish. Rare all-original and complete example with working bellows. Estimate $3,000-$5,000

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Collectors of rare antique and vintage toys – whether manufactured in Europe, Japan or the USA – are in for a treat on Saturday, October 2nd. That’s when Milestone Auctions of suburban Cleveland, Ohio, will present its Fall Antique Toy Spectacular starring one of the most diverse collections of fine toys ever amassed. With the exception of a few select additions from other consignors, the 704-lot auction is devoted exclusively to the marquee collection, whose superlative holdings are a testament to decades of searching and networking within the toy hobby. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Featured: 138 rare toy motorcycles, 117 Lehmann & Gunthermann windups, George Brown masterpiece + museum-quality Ives toys, Marx prototypes, character toys

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1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle, est. CA$3,000-$3,500

Toys, vintage advertising dominate Miller & Miller’s Sept. 11-12 sales

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1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle, est. CA$3,000-$3,500

1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle, est. CA$3,000-$3,500

NEW HAMBURG, Canada – Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. will hold back-to-back auctions the weekend of September 11 -12. The Saturday, September 11 event will be a Toys & Nostalgia sale, featuring the Bryan Beatty collection. The Sunday, September 12 sale will be an Advertising & Historic Objects auction, featuring the Scott Vanner breweriana collection. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers. All estimates quoted are in Canadian dollars.

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European antique toys ruled the playing field at Milestone’s June 26 auction

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Late-19th-century German tin clockwork ‘Woman Blowing Bubbles,’ in working order, sold for $9,900 against an estimate of $1,000-$1,500

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Even the best-connected toy buyers in Europe surely would have been surprised by the contents of the Margaret and Joel Weissman antique toy collection, which was offered by Milestone Auctions on June 26. The couple’s beautiful assemblage of German, French and English toys included examples of clockwork and hand-painted toys; automobiles, boats, airplanes, go-rounds and penny toys that are seldom seen on either side of the Atlantic. Absentee and Internet live bidding was available through LiveAuctioneers.

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