COMPLIMENTARY COPY TM
The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East VOL. 46, NO. 27 FRIDAY JULY 3, 2015
Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
RSL To Auction William And Elaine Werbell’s Antique Toys And Banks On July 11 And 12 he prestigious William and Elaine Werbell antique toy and bank collection will step into the auction spotlight on Saturday and Sunday, July 11 and 12. Located in Whitehouse Station, N.J., halfway between Manhattan and Philadelphia, RSL Auction Company will offer the collection of pristine wind-up toys and mechanical and still banks at a live gallery auction. All additional forms of bidding will be available, including absentee, phone or live via the Internet through LiveAuctioneers. “This is an old and very fine collection that was started in 1955,” said RSL partner Leon Weiss. “Very few people have ever seen the collection, which was displayed very discreetly in the Werbells’ New York
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This “Magic Man” cast-iron mechanical bank is the only known example.
City residence. Bill Werbell attended a lot of shows but seldom invited people to his home. We know of one collector who has known Bill for 30 years, and even he never saw the collection. It’s as fresh to the market as a collection could possibly be.” Those who were privileged to view the Werbell collection in situ would have found the toys and banks arranged in handsome cabinets equipped with blinds that could be drawn to repel sunlight. “Because Bill and Elaine were so careful about the way they stored their collection, the pieces have remained vibrant and beautiful over the years,” said Weiss. The Werbell collection comprises at least 50 percent of RSL’s July 11 and 12 sale, which features 550 lots in the Saturday session and 725 lots in the Sunday session. There will be 600 lots of still banks and 150 mechanical banks from which to choose over the two-day period, as well as hundreds of superiorquality German and American toys. The bumper crop of top-notch still banks is given an additional
Pictured (left to right) is an extremely rare “Indiana Paddle Wheeler,” “Boy and Bulldog,” and “Safety Locomotive” bank, all in near-mint condition.
boost by the inclusion of a famous single-owner collection from Europe. Topping the “still” highlights is a large-version “Old South Church” that is all but unknown to collectors. Only the fourth one to be discovered by the collecting community, it is expected to make $25,000-$30,000 on auction day. A mint-condition “House with Bay Window” in the very rare medium size is estimated at $6,000-$8,000, as is a “Tammany Tiger” still bank, only the fifth one ever to have surfaced. A “Peters Weatherbird” bank in excellentplus condition and a St. Louis World’s Fair “Globe on Hand” still bank, one of two or three known, carry individual pre-sale estimates of $4,000-$6,000. Also, the only known original pattern for a “Palace” still bank is entered with a $9,000-$12,000 estimate and is in good company alongside such enviable rarities as an “Old Volunteer F.D. Fire Plug” bank and baseball-themed “Mascot” bank. An appealing selection of some 100 German spelter banks, a category for which RSL has developed a strong and loyal following over the past decade, is led by the only known example of a “Dinner for My Kitten” bank, near mint and estimated at $8,000-$10,000. Other important spelter still banks include a pristine “Boy with Cane,” the first one RSL’s partners have ever seen, estimate $3,000-$5,000, and a “Snowflake” bank, $4,000$6,000. Opportunities don’t come along very often to acquire mechanical banks of the condition seen in RSL’s July 11 and 12 auction lineup. One of the very few “Picture Gallery” banks known to exist, this one in pristine condition, is estimated at $45,000-$55,000, while a “Germania Exchange” in excellent condition could command $30,000-$40,000. A coveted greendress version of a “Mammy bank” in near mint condition and possibly the finest of all known examples is
cataloged with a $25,000-$30,000 estimate. The near-mint “Boy and Bulldog” mechanical bank estimated at $7,000-$9,000 was described by Weiss as having the best paint he has ever seen. “It’s a rare
variation,” he said. “Usually this bank is japanned overall, but this one is painted black and has a distinctive copper-plated dog figure.” Other prized mechanicals (Continued on page 2)
Here are some of the nearly 100 Marx and Strauss toys that will cross the auction block.
These are early handpainted German toys.
These five spelter banks are from a 100-piece selection to be auctioned. Among the many near-mint mechanical banks to be auctioned will be (left to right) “Boy on Trapeze,” “Acrobats,” and “Punch and Judy” with large-size lettering.
Across the board, condition is king in RSL’s July 11 and 12 auction featuring the William and Elaine Werbell antique toy and bank collection plus select additional properties.
This “Cat and Mouse” bank has outstanding paint.
Vibrant and colorful German lithographed-tin toys will be offered.