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424 - Rhyme Time |
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Vintage Toys |
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If you want to put your kids to bed, read them a nursery rhyme. If you want to really charge them up let them play with some vintage wind-up toys. Brian Jones, vintage toy collector, has been collecting toys with his wife for 20 years. He has accumulated a massive selection, and they are a true source of joy in his life.
Wind-ups are popular vintage toys, such as Brian's Ernst Paul Lehman car in which a man blows a horn. Made in Germany in about 1904, it is one of Brian's older ones. It is named "Tut! Tut!" because of the honking sound that occurs when you wind it up.
Another great find of Brian's is his "Sledging Play" toy, and Brian still has the art-deco style box for it. Brian points out that if you have the original box, it is a great thing in terms of value. According to Brian, it should add 50% to the value of the toy. As well, the graphics are often wonderful on the original box.
Another interesting fact about vintage toys is that they were made of the lightweight, fragile celluloid. The fact that this material is highly flammable is most likely the reason why they don't make toys with it anymore.
Nowadays, wind-up robots seem to be very popular vintage finds. Battery operated, they have captured the imagination of collectors. They sell for thousands of dollars.
Given the fragility of these precious treasures, parents are faced with a bit of a dilemma: if you purchase such toys for your kids when they are young, do you actually let them play with them? Or do you save them until they're older and more responsible?
When looking to purchase vintage toys, Brian suggests you go to antique toy shows, as they are where he discovers his great finds. You meet a lot of other collectors that way as well. Any way you look at them, vintage toys are wonderful to collect.
Special Thanks: Brian Jones, Antique Toy Collector, Toronto, ON
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