This is a neat little toy made in Japan by TPS. The train is attached to a wire with a counterweight on it. As the can is moved the train goes around the track. This is a toy for very young children. Ages six and below. A seven year old would be quickly bored by [...]

Good thing I have the box for this toy. Without the box I wouldn’t be able to tell you who made it. This is a Tiny Giant Antique Bus by SSS International of Japan. It’s a friction powered bus. That means you rev it up by rolling on the floor or table and then letting go [...]

This is a friction toy car. I think it’s a Rolls Royce. I’ve seen these cars in green with “Rolls Royce” and “LineMar Made In Japan” rubber stamped on the bottom. This has a friction movement and is just under 7 inches long. LineMar is Marx Lines Backwards. In the early 1950’s Louis Marx started [...]

These little tin litho toy cable cars are common as dirt. I think they were sold in gift shops in San Francisco. They are about O scale size at 7.5 inches long and 3.5 inches tall. They are letter for Bay and Taylor Streets on one side - note odd placement of “Sts.” before Taylor [...]

This is a neat little toy jeep made in Japan by Modern Toys. Sold as the Desert Patrol Jeep. Runs on two D cell batteries and dates to the 1960s. All metal construction with a plastic GI driver. The driver reminds me of General Patton. This is missing a machine gun and army figure [...]

This is one of my favorite toys. This is a Schuco Fire Truck made in Western Germany. It’s a Windup, but also has electric lights. This was an expensive toy when new, and are extremely rare today. Here’s another view: The body is diecast zinc, and the ladders are stamped tin, and the firemen are cast out [...]

In 1935 Lionel introduced the Hiawatha Streamliner. The new 250E Hiawatha loco was the top of the line O gauge engine until the 700E Hudson was introduced in 1937. The Hiawatha came in both passenger and freight sets, and was the first Lionel loco with a die cast shell. Prior locos had cast frames cabs [...]

This tin buildings were made by Skyline manufacturing in Philadelphia Pennsylvania in the late 1940s early 1950s. Shown above is the Middleton train station. Here’s another picture showing the other side of the station: Skyline is the descendant of the A. Schoenhut Company. Schoenhut is famous for their Dolls and Circus Figures, but they also [...]

This is a neat tin toy. Made by J. Chein in the 1950s. Many different versions were made. The difference is in the lithography. This example is a carnival roller coaster. Chein item number 2752. Catalog number 2-P3269. These were also made with Disneyland graphics, and clown graphics. The Disney example is more desirable and [...]

This is a neat little toy. Made by the toy king Louis Marx in the late 1930s through the early 1950s. This suitcase bank has a coin slot in the top under the handle. The bank is lithographed so it looks like a leather suitcase with stickers from travel destinations. Here’s another picture of the suitcase [...]

This was made by Gebruder Bing (means Bing Brothers) in Germany. Probably late 1920s early 1930s. It’s a windup, all tin unlike the Marx and Lionel handcars of the 1930s. While it is O gauge size, it’s probably a floor toy. Here’s another picture of this fragile handcar: This is one of my favorite tin toys. [...]

Although Buddy L is famous for the pressed steel toys made in the 1920s and 30s, this isn’t an old toy. It’s from 1976. What’s neat about it is the condition. It’s brand new in the original box. Here’s a picture with the box lid removed: I got this with some toy trains, and I [...]

This is a neat toy. Mobo red and yellow tin plate turtle. Made in England in the late 1940s or early 1950s, this Mobo turtle moves forward when the handle is squeezed. My dad found this somewhere and thought it was neat - or it was cheap - probably both, so he brought it home. I [...]

This is a beach or sandbox toy made by Ohio Art. The pails and shovels are highly collectible, but these pumps are usually ignored. This toy pump works. You put water in the base, and pumping the handle causes water to come out of the spot. This dates from the late 1950s. The image above shows a close [...]

This is a Wolverine Snap N Score from the late 1940s. This was my fathers and was at my grandmother’s house when I was growing up. I spent many hours lying on the floor while my grandparents watched TV shooting marbles. This is more challenging than it looks. This was made before carpal tunnel syndrome [...]

This is one of the first tin toys I purchased. I found this at a flea market in Lambertville NJ back when I was in Jr High school. I think I have most of the box, but it’s packed away. This basketball game was made by Ranger Steel Products of Brookllyn NY in the late 1940s [...]

Tom Thumb trains were made in the early 1930s. These are just junk. Cheaply made to sell for a few dollars during the depression few survived long. One innovation of the Tom Thumb trains was the transformer inside a station. I’ll add a picture of the transformer after I dig it out. The set shown above has [...]

This is a wonderful toy. Sky Rangers by Unique Art. I think it’s from the late 1940s or early 1950s, but might be a bit earlier. I know the German firm Bing made a similar toy in the early 1930s, and Lionel made an electric version in the mid 1930s. Here’s another picture: The operation of this [...]

This is a wind up Honeymoon Express toy by Marx. The train runs around in a circle. The bridge and tunnels hold the outer ring on. A very simple lithographed toy. Marx made many different versions of the Honeymoon Express. This version has a Union Pacific City of Portland M10,000 passenger train on it. This one [...]

This is a wonderful set of trains. I just bought this a few days ago. I think this is from the mid 1930s. I’ve seen other versions of these cars that appear earlier. My dad has a similar engine that is a bit more detailed. This is a Marklin RV 12890 steeple cab electric loco. The [...]