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The Most Widely Read Collector's Newspaper In The East Published Weekly By Joel Sater Publications www.antiquesandauctionnews.net
VOL. 46, NO. 28 FRIDAY JULY 10, 2015
Spirited Gathering Of Collectors Turns Out For Bertoia’s Toy, Train And Bank Auction Automotive Toys And German Railway Rarities Achieve Strong Prices At $1.57 Million Sale
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here was something special to view with every turn of the page in Bertoia’s “In May We Play” auction catalog. The especially diverse 1,521-lot sale crossed the entire panorama of antique toys and banks, a factor that kept the level of interest and bidding lively from start to finish. By the end of the second session, the event had tallied a healthy $1.57 million, inclusive of buyer’s premium. The two-day sale was held May 8 and 9. Trains, trolleys and automobiles led the auction parade, with strong prices paid for both German and American-made rarities. Finishing in the top slot was a circa 1910 Voltamp No. 2116 “Edna” interurban tram. An early version with an olive-green painted tin body and wood floor, the 16.5-inch long toy rushed past its $10,000-$12,000 estimate to settle at $21,240. The premier name in German
toy manufacturing, Marklin, took its well-deserved place in the spotlight, claiming three out of the top five prices realized. A circa
A Voltamp No. 2116 “Edna” interurban tram sold for $21,240.
1909-15 “Lorraine” steam-powered ocean liner, 28 inches long and extensively appointed with lifeboats, stairs, and multiple observation decks with planked floors, dropped its anchor at $17,700. Two early
This Buddy “L” pressed-steel tugboat realized $11,800.
This tin side paddle wheeler “Adeline,” attributed to Hull & Stafford, sold for $9,440.
This Huntley & Palmers “Breakfast Biscuits” tin motor van with original box sold for $5,900.
20th-century Marklin O gauge trains secured identical winning bids of $15,340. One was an incline engine with cars modeled after those seen in Swiss mountain railways, while the other was a “Crocodile” locomotive, ex. Borowski collection. The pace car for the auction’s stately fleet of toy automobiles was an 11.5-inch Hubley castiron Packard straighteight sedan. Depicting a classic luxury car of the 1920s and executed in a handsome Kelly green and black motif, the toy even retained its original Hubley factory decal on its bonnet. Pursued by a number of bidders, it sold for $16,520 against a pre-sale estimate of $1,500-$2,000. One of the most talked-about lots was a Hispano-Suiza demonstration model that enabled a view of the full interior of the car’s body frame. One of only a few made and a prized entry from a collection of several HispanoSuizas consigned by a European source, the model nearly doubled its high estimate in selling for $12,980. A huge selection of pressed-steel toys attracted collectors in droves. “And what a nice group of people they are,” said Bertoia Auctions associate Rich Bertoia. “I don’t know why, but pressed steel collectors share a great camaraderie. They have a lot of fun with their hobby, and they’re always excited to know what’s in our next sale.” Among the pressed steel highlights was a rare red-painted version of a 27.5-inch long Buddy “L” Tugboat that sailed off to a new owner for $11,800. “We know of only one other example of this toy. They’re thought to have been salesmen’s samples,” said Bertoia. Fine, early toys from both sides of the Atlantic kept bidders engaged. A Martin (French) “Fisherman in Boat” made its debut at Bertoia’s alongside an array of amusing contemporaries from both the Martin and Lehmann (German) factories. Estimated at $4,000-$6,000, it was the catch of the day in its category, landing a winning bid of $11,210. From the last of the late Frank Loveland’s revered toy collection, a George Brown handpainted and stenciled horse-drawn omnibus in extraordinarily beautiful condition trotted down the road at $10,620. Another American beauty, a circa1875 Ives “Perambulator” that Bertoia said had “walked through the gallery door,” made $10,030. “The consignor was very happy.” One of the most popular categories over the two days of focused bidding was comic character toys. “There were some very nice pieces from several excellent private collections. Many were boxed, and whenever you find boxed comic
The Hubley Packard straight-eight sedan is cast iron and realized $16,520.
characters of a certain level of rarity, the auction interest increases,” said Bertoia. “The mentality of collecting is to look backwards, never f o r wards. For
interested in prewar Disney. That’s always how it works.” An exceptionally rare original box with primitive depictions of Batman, Robin and the Batmobile was the “X” factor that led to the $10,030 price paid for a Yanoman (Japanese) Batman car. The lithographedtin friction car with a half-body depiction of the caped crusader in the driver’s seat had been estimated at $4,000$5,000, “but prior to the auction, we had been tipped This Marklin “Steeple Cab V 1020” by a couple of very interested sold for $10,030. bidders that it might double that price,” said Bertoia. “Batman has instance, if you collect postwar held very strong in the marketDisney toys, eventually you’ll place for decades now.” become more curious and (Continued on page 2)
A rare dealer display replicating a Hispano-Suiza sedan with visible interior sold for $12,980.
A Metalcraft “Meadow Gold Butter” truck, pressed steel, with original box, sold for $2,950.