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Antiques! => Antique Questions Forum => Topic started by: Mpardue on March 16, 2010, 12:32:50 pm
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I recently acquired a small collection of antique cast iron toys. The person told me that these toys along with the guns in the lot were from the middle to late 1800's. Can someone please help me verify this story and give me some idea of the history or worth?
(http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac29/LTPardue/antique%20tractor/DSC_0075.jpg)
(http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac29/LTPardue/Circus%20Wagon/DSC_0083.jpg)
(http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac29/LTPardue/Circus%20Wagon/DSC_0088.jpg)
(http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac29/LTPardue/Fire%20Engine/DSC_0081.jpg)
(http://i882.photobucket.com/albums/ac29/LTPardue/DSC_0089.jpg)
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Can you please look on their undersides (or other out of the way spots) for the name of the manufacturer and/or any numbers? Photographs of any manufacturing info would also be very helpful. Thanks! They look terrific and hopefully any makers info will turn up that they are as old as the person they came from believes them to be!
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I haven't been able to find any markings anywhere. That is what has me baffled. There are no manufacturing marks or words on any of them except the circus carriage. Should I be looking somewhere else?
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Mpardue please post how long each toy is as this is crucial to identifying each piece. are there wheels under the horses on your 2 horse drawn pieces and do the horses move? Will be happy to help with info needed, I can do some research.
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I found the circus wagon, it is made by a company called Kenton. However it looks like you are missing the wagon driver, an animal (Lion?) that went in the cage and another person that rode on the back of the horses. With all those pieces and in "excellent" condition, the auction estimate was $300 - $400:
http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7013884 (http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/7013884)
(http://archive.liveauctioneers.com/archive4/morphyauctions/20518/1913_1_lg.jpg)
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Correction- Not a lion. The auction listing says there are two rhino figures.
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I am throwing in my 2 cents but I am not a toy collector. The tractor looks real good (I think it is a Fordson). Oh, Fordson, is not the maker but the model of tractor. The circus wagon looks good also. The fire pumper I have some reservations about. It needs to be looked at closely. Parts look good and parts look rough. May or may not be a repro. The train looks to be really a rough casting and looks to be a repro. Cast iron toys have been reproduced for years so these should be looked at in person by an expert just to be sure.
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Just from the pictures the first two look to be original and the other two look to be repro. Very hard to tell from pics.
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The fire engine is 9 inches long and the horses and the front part of the carriage come apart.
The tractor is 5 inches and the driver comes off.
The circus wagon appears to be the same in the picture. There is a place for the wheels under the front legs but they are missing.
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Per the 'experts' on the Antique Road Show, the original toy pieces fit like a glove while the repros are rougher. Iron toys have been reproduced quite a lot over the years. If yours are originals, they are very good property.
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I have found your steam pumper (fire engine ) to be made by Rich Toys founded 1921 by E.M. & M.E. Rich. Its toy line was added about 1923. Toys were first manufactured in Morrison, Illinois, and later in Clinton, Illinois. Rich moved to Tupelo, Mississippi in 1953 , About 1962 a flood put an end to the business. Good condition $100.00 very good $150.00 Mint $250.00.
Your overland circus bear wagon was produced by Kenton of Ohio (good call tales!!) but it is supposed to contain 1 cast iron bear with driver.
produced 1940 good $235.00 very good $352.00 mint $470.00 Kenton did not produce an overland circus wagon with rhino figures.
Waywardangler I believe you are correct the tractor is a fordson produced by Arcade manufacturing company foundry in Freeport, Illinois. They produced 4 diffrent versions from 1923-1934 2 are close in measurement so would need exact to distinguish.
Your train has got me stumped (sorry)
If more information is needed on these companies I will be happy to supply what I know.
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No rhinos huh? The auction house must have mistaken the bears for rhinos I guess!! ???
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Nice work by the forum members !
In the words of ironlord1963 , you guys (& gals) Rock !
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This one describes it as a polar bear talesof! It even has a closeup of the animal!
http://cgi.ebay.com/KENTON-CAST-IRON-OVERLAND-CIRCUS-WAGON-VERY-NICE-SHAPE_W0QQitemZ290413452265QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439dfd9be9 (http://cgi.ebay.com/KENTON-CAST-IRON-OVERLAND-CIRCUS-WAGON-VERY-NICE-SHAPE_W0QQitemZ290413452265QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item439dfd9be9)
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Sure looks like a bear to me, kind of hard to mistake that for a rhino! And the one at your link has two riders on the horses. Makes me want to sit down on my grandparents living room rug again and play with it! :)
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You guys do Rock :D, and those are wonderful looking toys Mpardue.
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The tractor I like, the others look like repo's to me.
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Authenticating Cast Iron
http://blog.rubylane.com/node/60 (http://blog.rubylane.com/node/60)
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Thanks a lot. Your help has been tremendous.
The tractor is exactly 5 inches from the front wheel to the to the back of the rear wheel.