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Auctions Spotlight

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Bertoia's Sept. 24-25 auction features last of European antique toy vehicles from Donald Kaufman collection

VINELAND, N.J. - If there were a World Cup for antique toys, the name engraved on the trophy quite likely…

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Rare, early Halloween items lead the way in Morphy's Sept. 11 Holiday Auction

DENVER, Pa. - Ask any collector of Halloween, Christmas or other seasonal antiques and they'll tell you that every day…

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Old Toy Soldier Auctions chalks up 'best sale to date' with selections from Thompson, Graham collections

PITTSBURGH - Ray Haradin's Old Toy Soldier Auctions operates in a world of miniature antiques, but prices on top lots…

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Morphy's July Premier auction led by O'Hearn collection tops million-dollar mark

DENVER, Pa. - Worldwide competition for a high-end collection of antique toys resulted in a million-dollar gross at Morphy's on…

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Mechanical banks drew high rate of interest at RSL's $1.8M auction

TIMONIUM, Md. - Interest was keener than ever, and the bidding action was relentless in RSL Auction's sale of antique…

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Upcoming Auctions at LiveAuctioneers.com
Mechanical banks to anchor Harris auction May 14
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First manufactured in 1896, the William Tell bank remained popular for many years. Image courtesy Tom Harris Auctions.

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa – In a time when having cash in hand is considered an advantage, the sentiment of saving money the old-fashioned way puts a cachet on mechanical cast-iron banks. A small collection of these antique mechanical marvels will be sold Thursday, May 14, at Tom Harris Auction Center. LiveAuctioneers.com will provide Internet live bidding. With more than 80 percent of all cast-iron mechanical produced in the late 1800s and early 1900s manufactured by J. & E. Stevens Co., it is no surprise the majority of the banks in the Harris auction are made by the Cromwell, Conn., manufacturer.

Topping the list are the William Tell bank, patented in 1885; the baseball-inspired Darktown Battery bank, circa 1888; the Eagle and Eaglets bank, 1883; and the realistic Owl (turns head) bank. Also highly prized is the Speaking Dog bank, first made by Shepard Hardware in 1885 and later by J. & E. Stevens.

The banks in the Harris auction are in working order with slight to moderate paint loss noted.

More than 400 lots will be auctioned, consisting of toy trucks, including Coca-Cola trucks, Wyandotte, Buddy L, Structo and Tonka; cap guns; toy motorcycles; race cars; Halloween items; Auburn Rubber toys; Tin and plastic toys of all types; a large collection of Big Little Books; still banks and farm toys.   

The sale will be conducted at Tom Harris Auction Center, 203 S. 18th Ave. in Marshalltown. The sale will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. Central. Previews are scheduled for Wednesday, May 13, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on the day of the sale from 8 to 10 a.m.

For more information call Tom Harris Auction Center at 641-754-4890. View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com. View the fully illustrated catalog and register to bid absentee or live via the Internet as the sale is taking place by logging on to www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Click here to view Tom Harris Auction's complete catalog.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Some paint loss is evident on this Eagle and Eaglets bank by J. & E. Stevens. Image courtesy Tom Harris Auctions. The mechanics of the pitcher are flawless, always throwing the coin for a strike to the catcher. J. & E. Stevens manufactured the Darktown Battery bank circa 1888. Image courtesy Tom Harris Auctions. The owl represented on this cast-iron mechanical bank by J. & E. Stevens has a realistic look. Image courtesy Tom Harris Auctions. Two dates are one the bottom of this Speaking Dog mechanical bank: July 14, 1885, and Oct. 20, 1885. Image courtesy Tom Harris Auctions.
 
Morphy's largest-ever auction slated for Aug. 13-15
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Cast-iron Turtle mechanical bank manufactured by Kilgore. Estimate $25,000-$50,000.

DENVER, Pa. – On Aug. 13-15, Dan Morphy Auctions will conduct the biggest cataloged sale in its history – a 3,000-lot no-reserve absolute auction featuring long-held private collections of Kentucky rifles, fine dolls and toys, mechanical music boxes, decorative art, jewelry and gold coins. All goods will be offered in logically organized categories, selling to the highest bidder regardless of price. Internet live bidding will be provided by www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

The Thursday session features more than 800 dolls apportioned into 350 lots, with 80 percent coming from a single estate. A highly prized, all-original 1918 Maggie Bessie hand-painted cloth doll made by sisters Maggie and Bessie Pfohl of Old Salem, N.C., is expected to make $12,000-$13,000.

“There are quite a few French fashion dolls, as well as Jumeau and Steiner child dolls, and mechanical walking dolls,” said Morphy’s doll specialist Jan Foulke. The selection also includes Swaines, Lencis, Bye-Lo babies, early parians, papier-mache, wax, celluloid and china dolls, and many German bisque girl dolls and character babies. Additionally, there are Heubach dolls, a Simon & Halbig #1488 baby, character babies, Orientals, multiple sets of Dionne quintuplets and several Madame Alexander dolls.

Friday’s session opens with 90+ marble lots, including some of the earliest of hand-decorated china marbles. A complete set of 32 English harlequin china marbles on its original board dates to the 1860s-1870s and is estimated at $6,000-$8,000.

A special inclusion in Morphy’s Summer Sale is the late John and Joanne Holman’s collection of more than 220 Kentucky rifles, 100+ powder horns, Bowie knives, books and other associated items. Morphy’s enlisted the services of Kentucky rifle authority Steve Hench in cataloging the firearms section.

Hench said the collection spans from the American Revolutionary War through the “Golden Age” (circa 1780s through early 19th century), and is “probably the largest collection of Kentucky rifles ever to come to the market at one sale.”

Friday’s session also includes more than 150 lots of mechanical music boxes from the Hy and Rae Friedman estate. A circa-1900 18-inch New Century table model with four combs and 50 original disks is expected to finish among the top lots in its group. Other mechanical music entries of note include two musical grandfather clocks estimated at $18,000-$25,000 each. Additionally, more than 150 phonographs and other cylinder boxes will be auctioned.

Saturday’s session will open with 200+ German hand-painted tin toys with a reptile, bug and animal theme. “This is the second portion of a collection that was a big hit in our spring auction,” said Morphy. The group will be followed by 160 lots of figural cast-iron toys, containing a large sub-section of Hubleys from the Milton Horst collection.

Banks include 180 mechanical and 80 still examples. Most of the mechanicals are from the late Oscar Ryder’s collection, led by a Turtle bank estimated at $40,000-$50,000. Others include a beautiful Butting Buffalo, Confectionary, Circus and Panorama banks, each estimated at $15,000-$20,000. “Mr. Ryder was a condition-only buyer, so they’re all of a high grade,” said Morphy.

The 250+ lots of cast-iron toys feature 170 horse-drawn pieces from the Milton Horst and Ron Seggerman collections. There are vehicles of many types, from 2-seat brakes to cars, trucks and motorcycles. A large and comprehensive grouping of more than 100 Hubley Royal Circus toys is also included.

Dan Morphy summarized: “The cornerstone of this sale is mature, fresh to the market collections. We’re very excited that there is such a high level of quality in literally everything we’ve cataloged for this sale.”

View the fully illustrated catalog and bid absentee or live via the Internet through www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
Two-horse cast-iron Hubley Royal Circus Giraffe Cage toy, 16 inches long, includes two giraffe figures. Estimate $3,000-$4,000.

Dark-green solid-core tri-level swirl marble, 1 7/8-inch diameter. Estimate $5,000-$7,000.

All-original 1918 Maggie Bessie cloth doll with hand-painted face, made by sisters Maggie and Bessie Pfohl of Old Salem, N.C. Estimate $12,000-$13,000.