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Major Antique Decoy Collection Heads To Auction Harry D. Wilder Estate To Be Sold On-Site In Elverson, Pa., On Dec. 5 By Karl Pass
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6, 2020 • VOL. 51, NO. 45
Morphy’s Sells Boxed “Machine Man” For New World Auction Record Of $160,000 Cast-Iron Mechanical Banks, Set Of Rare War-Themed Gum Cards Among Other Featured Items In Sale After languishing in an attic for 60 years, an extremely rare batteryoperated “Machine Man” with its original box rolled into the auction spotlight at Morphy’s Sept. 23 and 24 auction and knocked down a world-record auction price for a toy robot. Estimated at $60,000-$90,000, it swiftly made lift-off and swept past expectations to land at $160,000. The boxy, 15-inch- The ca. 1912 J. & E. Stevens “Boy Scout Camp” cast-iron tall robot is one of few mechanical bank, Exc/NM with original flag, sold for $25,900 surviving examples of its against an estimate of $6,000-$10,000. type from Masudaya’s A cast-iron Hubley revered postwar robot “Friendship” pontoon quintet known collecseaplane, with “Fokker” tively as the “Gang of embossed on one side Five.” Its bright red body feaof fuselage, “NX 4204” tures lithographed rivets and embossed on both sides convoluted gears on its of tail fin, realized an chest plate, and its eyes above estimate $6,800. and ears illuminate through colored plastic. When activated, it has a bump-and-go action. The robot itself is the most bidding progress online. sought-after of all space toys, but Unlike the other members of the addition of its original box with Masudaya’s “Gang of Five” such as bizarre graphics put Morphy’s “Lavender Robot,” “Giant Sonic “Machine Man” in another league Robot,” “Radicon Robot” and altogether. By comparison, in March “Target Robot,” “Machine Man” was 2019, Morphy’s auctioned a high- not available for standard retail grade unboxed “Machine Man” for purchase. Tommy Sage Jr., head of $86,100. The boxed, near-mint Morphy’s Toy, Train and Sports example offered in the September Memorabilia Divisions, commented, sale was the ultimate step up for “All of the Gang of Five robots are those seeking an exceptional invest- rare, but ‘Machine Man’ is, by far, ment-grade robot. Prior to the auc- the rarest of them all. It was made tion, many dozens of bidders were for one year only, in 1960, and had watching the robot’s absentee to be specially ordered from an importer. The other four could be ordered from a catalog.” Because of the extra steps required to order “Machine Man,” it was produced in much smaller numbers than the other four “Gang” members. As a result, probably fewer than a The very rare Masudaya (Japan) “Machine Man” robot, litho- dozen exist today. Of graphed tin, battery operated, VG-NM condition with very sel- those, Sage estimates dom-seen original pictorial box, sold for $160,000 against an that only two or three estimate of $60,000-$90,000.
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John Hess, of the Hess Auction Group, will hold an exciting on-site sale on behalf of the Harry D. Wilder estate on Saturday, Dec. 5. The sale location will be 2027 Ridge Road, Elverson, Pa. Harry D. Wilder (1932-2020) had a Ph.D. and was a chemical research engineer in the pulp/paper industry much of his life. He would joke with friends when asked about his work that his job was “to make more toilet paper out of less wood,” which, in fact, he did, and successfully. He discovered and The late Harry D. Wilder’s estate will be sold on-site Saturday, Dec. 5 in Elverson, Pa.
David Ellinger (1913-2003) made and painted this cut-out sheet metal spread-wing eagle.
AAN Current News The historic Knauer Mill was Harry Wilder’s shop. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it will be sold along with the other real estate all as one parcel (31.6 acres) at noon on sale day. patented a process that decreased the amount of wood pulp necessary in the manufacture of paper products. Wilder’s second career was that of an antiques dealer. In the 1980s, he restored the large stone Knauer Mill on his farm, and it served as his shop for H.D. Wilder Antiques. He was also a fixture at several co-ops, including Black Angus in nearby Adamstown. Wilder was beloved by many in the antiques community. His passions
The Morgan Presents “Poetry And Patronage” on page 4
Continued on page 11
Witman Conducts Estate Sale With Antique Cars And Trucks
Portrait By David Burliuk (1882-1967) Sells For $39,100 on page 6
A 1929 Ford Model-A Pickup Sells For $15,400
Locati’s September Sale Proved Robust on page 7
A 1929 Ford Model-A pickup truck sold for $15,400.
By Karl Pass Witman Auctioneers Inc., based in Manheim, Pa., conducted a public auction on Oct. 17 for the Joan Woods estate at 339 Main St., Red Hill, Montgomery County, Pa. The real estate, a brick 2-1/2 story house with A-frame garage, realized $200,000.
Several antique pickup trucks and cars were in the sale. Among them, a 1929 Ford Model-A pick-up brought $15,400. A 1963 Dodge 880 station wagon sold for $11,000, as did a 1964 Dodge Dart convertible. A 1954 International R-130 stake body Continued on page 9
Bitters And Midwestern Bottles And Glass Propel Glass Works Auctions To A $354,600 Payday on page 8
In This Issue SHOPS, SHOWS & MARKETS . . . . . . . . . . starting on page 3 The 1964 Dodge Dart red convertible sold for $11,000.
SHOPS DIRECTORY . . . . . . . . . on page 5 AUCTION SALE BILLS . . . starting on page 6 AUCTIONEER DIRECTORY . . . . . on page 6
FEATURED AUCTION RESULTS: Glass Works Premier Auction #143 - East Greenville, Pennsylvania - Page 8
EVENT & AUCTION CALENDAR
on page 10
CLASSIFIEDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . on page 11