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Clockwork Toys

Tipp & Co Clockwork Motorcycle With Rider & Pillion Passenger
Tipp & Co Clockwork Motorcycle With Rider & Pillion Passenger

Tipp & Co Clockwork Motorcycle With Rider & Pillion Passenger

Located in Oxfordshire, GB

Tipp & Co. Toy Clockwork Tinplate Motorcycle. A rare, desirable, tinplate wind-up motorcycle by the renowned German manufacturer, Tipp & Co or TippCo.

Category

Vintage 1920s German Sporting Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

"Bobby The Monkey On A Tricycle" Clockwork Wind-Up Tin Toy; Germany Circa 1947
"Bobby The Monkey On A Tricycle" Clockwork Wind-Up Tin Toy; Germany Circa 1947

"Bobby The Monkey On A Tricycle" Clockwork Wind-Up Tin Toy; Germany Circa 1947

Located in Incline Village, NV

This is a fine quality German tin clockwork toy made by the well known toy maker The Karl Arnold Toy Company established in Nuremburg, Germany in 1906.

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

"Circus Monkey With Ball" Clockwork WindUp Tin Toy by Kohler, Germany Circa 1947
"Circus Monkey With Ball" Clockwork WindUp Tin Toy by Kohler, Germany Circa 1947

"Circus Monkey With Ball" Clockwork WindUp Tin Toy by Kohler, Germany Circa 1947

Located in Incline Village, NV

Wonderful well made fine quality clockwork wind up toy made by Georg Kohler in Nuremberg, Germany right after World War II in U.S Zone occupied Germany circa 1947.

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

"Jo The Acrobat" Mechanical Monkey Clockwork Wind-Up Toy France Circa 1950's
"Jo The Acrobat" Mechanical Monkey Clockwork Wind-Up Toy France Circa 1950's

"Jo The Acrobat" Mechanical Monkey Clockwork Wind-Up Toy France Circa 1950's

Located in Incline Village, NV

This is an all tin vintage wind up toy and a very strong example of "L' Acrobate" by the "Joustra Toy Company, Paris, France; manufactured circa 1950's. Quite remarkably, it includes...

Category

Vintage 1950s French Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy by the Lehman Co. "Balky Mule" Circa 1909
German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy by the Lehman Co. "Balky Mule" Circa 1909

German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy by the Lehman Co. "Balky Mule" Circa 1909

By E.P. Lehman Co.

Located in Incline Village, NV

To operate the toy; wind up the attached clockwork key on the underneath of the carriage and place the toy on the floor.

Category

Antique Early 1900s German Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

Rustic Vintage Roaster Convertible in Tinplate - Clockwork
Rustic Vintage Roaster Convertible in Tinplate - Clockwork

Rustic Vintage Roaster Convertible in Tinplate - Clockwork

Located in Esbjerg, DK

An early to mid 20th century large tinplate toy car. Unknown European/US/Uk maker in the style of Bing, Meier, Structo etc.

Category

20th Century Victorian Toys and Dolls

Materials

Metal

Antique Chinese Tin Toy Chinese MS 705 Trolley Bus Shanghai-Rare, 1950/1960
Antique Chinese Tin Toy Chinese MS 705 Trolley Bus Shanghai-Rare, 1950/1960

Antique Chinese Tin Toy Chinese MS 705 Trolley Bus Shanghai-Rare, 1950/1960

Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland

One of the absolute rarest antique Chinese toys made. Antique Red China Tin Toy clockwork. Chinese MS 705 Trolley Bus Shanghai-Rare!

Category

20th Century Chinese Toys and Dolls

Materials

Porcelain

"Boy Riding An Alligator" Vintage Wind-Up Toy by J. Chein Co., N.J., Circa 1935
"Boy Riding An Alligator" Vintage Wind-Up Toy by J. Chein Co., N.J., Circa 1935

"Boy Riding An Alligator" Vintage Wind-Up Toy by J. Chein Co., N.J., Circa 1935

By J. Chein & Co.

Located in Incline Village, NV

To operate: wind up the attached clockwork key; place the toy on the floor. The alligator races across the surface, as the boy riding him bounces up and down, while holding the origi...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

Recent Sales

Blomer and Schuler "Jumbo" Tinplate Clockwork Elephant, US Zone, Germany
Blomer and Schuler "Jumbo" Tinplate Clockwork Elephant, US Zone, Germany

Blomer and Schuler "Jumbo" Tinplate Clockwork Elephant, US Zone, Germany

Located in Lugano, Ticino

Blomer e Schuler "Jumbo" di latta Elephant - realizzato nella zona USA della Germania, questo è il giocattolo che è stato copiato da Lesney per il loro modello Moko, string tail. Pe...

Category

Vintage 1930s German Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

Antique City Hall Park Union Depot Wind Up Tin Street Trolley Car & Box c1900
Antique City Hall Park Union Depot Wind Up Tin Street Trolley Car & Box c1900

Antique City Hall Park Union Depot Wind Up Tin Street Trolley Car & Box c1900

Located in Big Flats, NY

Antique City Hall Park 175, Union Depot Wind Up Painted Pressed Steel Summer Trolley Clockwork Toy Trolley Car by the Morton E. Converse Co.

Category

Early 20th Century North American Toys and Dolls

Materials

Steel, Tin

Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Boat
Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Boat

Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Boat

Located in London, GB

Early 20th century scratch-built clockwork boat A brilliant example of an early 20th century scratch-built clockwork tugboat. Hand crafted from found objects, this charming object b...

Category

Vintage 1930s British Folk Art Toys

Materials

Wood

Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Tugboat
Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Tugboat

Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Clockwork Tugboat

Located in London, GB

Early 20th century scratch-built clockwork tugboat We are proud to offer a unique example of a hand-crafted scratch-built clockwork tugboat. Carved from sectioned wood, a fully po...

Category

Vintage 1920s British Folk Art Toys

Materials

Pine

Double Loader Clockwork Truck and Trailer, German, circa 1920
Double Loader Clockwork Truck and Trailer, German, circa 1920

Double Loader Clockwork Truck and Trailer, German, circa 1920

Located in Incline Village, NV

Hand-painted in original yellow and black paint with grey spoked wheels, this toy has had no restoration and is in very good condition.

Category

Vintage 1920s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

Creepy clockwork musical automaton figure
Creepy clockwork musical automaton figure

Creepy clockwork musical automaton figure

Located in London, GB

Creepy clockwork musical automaton figure Creepy comes to mind when you turn the clockwork mechanism and pull the start switch on this figure. As the tinny music plays, the arms of t...

Category

Antique Early 1900s French Early Victorian Toys and Dolls

Materials

Composition

"Walking Popeye" With Parrots Vintage Windup Toy by Marx Toy Co.
"Walking Popeye" With Parrots Vintage Windup Toy by Marx Toy Co.

"Walking Popeye" With Parrots Vintage Windup Toy by Marx Toy Co.

By Louis Marx and Company

Located in Incline Village, NV

Dimensions: 8 1/2" high x 3" deep x 2 3/4" wide See my other listings of vintage toys. Provenance: From a fine quality California collection of American and German tin clockwork a...

Category

Vintage 1930s Art Deco Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

German World War I Sniper Soldier Windup Tin Toy. German, Circa 1920
German World War I Sniper Soldier Windup Tin Toy. German, Circa 1920

German World War I Sniper Soldier Windup Tin Toy. German, Circa 1920

Located in Incline Village, NV

The clockwork key is an unusual metric size and, once missing, the toy would have been rendered unusable, thus this was another reason accounting for this particular toy's rarity.

Category

Vintage 1920s German Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

"Clown Drummer" Clockwork Toy Schuco, German, circa 1940
"Clown Drummer" Clockwork Toy Schuco, German, circa 1940

"Clown Drummer" Clockwork Toy Schuco, German, circa 1940

Located in Incline Village, NV

When wound up this charming German Schuco toy clown dances around, while raising his arms up and down playing the drum. In excellent all original condition, he has a tin face and dru...

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

"Dandy" Walking Clown Clockwork Toy, Japan, circa 1950s
"Dandy" Walking Clown Clockwork Toy, Japan, circa 1950s

"Dandy" Walking Clown Clockwork Toy, Japan, circa 1950s

Located in Incline Village, NV

This wonderful, charming and pleasing action wind up toy was manufactured by HTC Mikuni Company of Japan, circa 1950s. It is made completely of tin, and is colorfully lithographed in...

Category

Vintage 1950s Japanese Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

Early 20th Century German Clockwork Toy Reindeer
Early 20th Century German Clockwork Toy Reindeer

Early 20th Century German Clockwork Toy Reindeer

Sold

H 17.25 in W 12.5 in D 5.5 in

Early 20th Century German Clockwork Toy Reindeer

Located in Hamilton, Ontario

The wind-up mechanism works well and the head nods when the clockwork mechanism is activated with a key.

Category

Early 20th Century German Toys and Dolls

"Cat with Two Mice" German Clockwork Toy, circa 1950s
"Cat with Two Mice" German Clockwork Toy, circa 1950s

"Cat with Two Mice" German Clockwork Toy, circa 1950s

Located in Incline Village, NV

A particularly rare German clockwork tinplate toy, this “Cat with Two Mice" is much sought after by collectors today, both because of it’s incredible unique action and it’s scarcity....

Category

Vintage 1950s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

"Flying Santa" Clockwork Toy/Ornament by Guntherman, Germany, circa 1905, Rare
"Flying Santa" Clockwork Toy/Ornament by Guntherman, Germany, circa 1905, Rare

"Flying Santa" Clockwork Toy/Ornament by Guntherman, Germany, circa 1905, Rare

By Guntherman

Located in Incline Village, NV

The Guntherman toy company was founded in 1826 and was located in Nuremberg, Germany They were well respected in the toy industry, and manufactured high quality toys for over a centu...

Category

Antique Early 1900s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

"Bear Reading A Book" Japanese Clockwork Toy with Original Box, circa 1950s
"Bear Reading A Book" Japanese Clockwork Toy with Original Box, circa 1950s

"Bear Reading A Book" Japanese Clockwork Toy with Original Box, circa 1950s

Located in Incline Village, NV

From my own collection is this "Bear Reading a Book" known as "Cubby" and "Made in Japan" wind-up toy. This is a great learning and teaching device for children; in excellent and nea...

Category

Vintage 1950s Japanese Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

Schuco Clockwork Clown Violinist, German, circa 1940
Schuco Clockwork Clown Violinist, German, circa 1940

Schuco Clockwork Clown Violinist, German, circa 1940

Located in Incline Village, NV

Entertaining clockwork toy that when wound up starts the clown playing his violin in a realistic motion while dancing around at the same time.

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Metal

Schuco Clockwork Dancing Boy with a Beer Mug, German, circa 1940
Schuco Clockwork Dancing Boy with a Beer Mug, German, circa 1940

Schuco Clockwork Dancing Boy with a Beer Mug, German, circa 1940

Located in Incline Village, NV

Entertaining clockwork toy that when wound up starts young German boy dancing and drinking from his beer mug.

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Porcelain, Felt

Clockwork "Walking Rabbit with Basket", circa 1890
Clockwork "Walking Rabbit with Basket", circa 1890

Clockwork "Walking Rabbit with Basket", circa 1890

Located in Incline Village, NV

This rare walking rabbit clockwork toy was manufactured in circa 1890 and is probably of French manufacture, due to the lead feet, which was typical of French toy makers in that peri...

Category

Antique 1890s French Folk Art Toys

Materials

Lead

Schuco Clockwork "Dancing Bear with Baby Mouse", German, circa 1940
Schuco Clockwork "Dancing Bear with Baby Mouse", German, circa 1940

Schuco Clockwork "Dancing Bear with Baby Mouse", German, circa 1940

Located in Incline Village, NV

One of the most amusing of the Schuco clockwork toys, this rare windup toy, when wound, starts the bear dancing with his partner, the baby mouse.

Category

Vintage 1940s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Metal

"Santa Claus Walking" Wind-Up Toy, circa 1890
"Santa Claus Walking" Wind-Up Toy, circa 1890

"Santa Claus Walking" Wind-Up Toy, circa 1890

Located in Incline Village, NV

This rare and all original walking Santa Claus clockwork toy was manufactured in about 1890 and is probably of French manufacture, due to the lead feet and hand painted composition h...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Folk Art Toys

Materials

Composition, Lead

American Tin Toy, Clockwork Carousel, circa 1895
American Tin Toy, Clockwork Carousel, circa 1895

American Tin Toy, Clockwork Carousel, circa 1895

Sold

H 10.25 in W 6.25 in D 6.25 in

American Tin Toy, Clockwork Carousel, circa 1895

Located in Incline Village, NV

American clockwork Carousel Toy made of tin; hand-painted in bright colors of reds, green, yellow, and blue.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century American Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

"Turkey" Clockwork German Tin Toy, Georg Kohler, circa 1954
"Turkey" Clockwork German Tin Toy, Georg Kohler, circa 1954

"Turkey" Clockwork German Tin Toy, Georg Kohler, circa 1954

Located in Incline Village, NV

This hard to find clockwork tinplate toy was manufactured by the Georg Kohler company, circa 1954, and is typical of the brightly colored realistic action type toys made by the Nurem...

Category

Vintage 1950s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

CIJ Tin Litho Clockwork Renault Fregate, Rare
CIJ Tin Litho Clockwork Renault Fregate, Rare

CIJ Tin Litho Clockwork Renault Fregate, Rare

Sold

H 4.5 in W 12.5 in D 4.4 in

CIJ Tin Litho Clockwork Renault Fregate, Rare

By Jic

Located in Peekskill, NY

CIJ (France) clockwork Renault Fregate - quality tinplate model is wired for electric head-lights, greyish green, with opening driver’s door, lacks rear seat assembly, steerable fron...

Category

Vintage 1950s French Industrial Toys and Dolls

German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy By Ernest Paul Lehman "Quack Quack" C 1903
German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy By Ernest Paul Lehman "Quack Quack" C 1903

German Tinplate Clockwork Wind Up Toy By Ernest Paul Lehman "Quack Quack" C 1903

By E.P. Lehman Co.

Located in Incline Village, NV

This is a very popular Lehman wind up toy; emblematic of "whimsy" typical of Ernest Paul Lehman whose toy company opened in Brandenburg, Germany in 1881..

Category

Antique Early 1900s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

Lehman "Tut-Tut" Clockwork Car with Driver, German, Patented 1903
Lehman "Tut-Tut" Clockwork Car with Driver, German, Patented 1903

Lehman "Tut-Tut" Clockwork Car with Driver, German, Patented 1903

By E.P. Lehman Co.

Located in Incline Village, NV

All original condition, this popular tin plate child's toy from the early 1900s, when wound up will move forward across the floor in erratic fashion, going back and forth, with "Tut-...

Category

Antique Early 1900s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

Schuco Radio Car #4012 Windup with Clockwork Mechanism 1952 US Zone Germany
Schuco Radio Car #4012 Windup with Clockwork Mechanism 1952 US Zone Germany

Schuco Radio Car #4012 Windup with Clockwork Mechanism 1952 US Zone Germany

Located in Port Jervis, NY

Fabulous working toy Windup with two clockwork mechanics. One is for the car motor the other is for the cars radio which has a working toy music box tune that plays.

Category

Vintage 1950s German Industrial Toys

Materials

Metal

"Joe Penner" Vintage Clockwork Windup Toy by Louis Marx Co American Circa 1930's
"Joe Penner" Vintage Clockwork Windup Toy by Louis Marx Co American Circa 1930's

"Joe Penner" Vintage Clockwork Windup Toy by Louis Marx Co American Circa 1930's

By Louis Marx and Company

Located in Incline Village, NV

Fabulous American vintage all tin wind-up toy with attached key and clockwork mechanism, whereby upon winding it up, the character (Joe Penner) waddles aimlessly across the floor, ha...

Category

Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Tin

Vintage Mechanical Wind Up Tin Toy Motorcycle 1970' Collectible Toy
Vintage Mechanical Wind Up Tin Toy Motorcycle 1970' Collectible Toy

Vintage Mechanical Wind Up Tin Toy Motorcycle 1970' Collectible Toy

Located in Moreno Valley, CA

Vintage mechanical hand-painted wind up tin toy motorcycle 1970's . Vintage motorbike mechanical toy in good working order with the original paint, Wind up tin toy motorcycle mecha...

Category

Late 20th Century Taiwanese Folk Art Toys and Dolls

Materials

Metal

Bugatti clockwork toy.

Bugatti clockwork toy.

Located in London, GB

A mint and boxed example of the tinplate Bugatti racing-car clockwork toy made by Paya of Madrid in limited edition in 1985, a precise replica of the 1925 model made in the same fact...

Category

Late 20th Century Toys and Dolls

Materials

Enamel

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Clockwork Toys For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of clockwork toys for sale on 1stDibs. Each of these unique clockwork toys was constructed with extraordinary care, often using metal, tin and fabric. Clockwork toys have long been popular, with older editions for sale from the 19th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 20th Century. Clockwork toys are generally popular furniture pieces, but Folk Art and Industrial styles are often sought at 1stDibs. Clockwork toys have been a part of the life’s work for many furniture makers, but those produced by E.P. Lehman Co. and Mettoy are consistently popular.

Finding the Right Toys-dolls for You

Antique, new and vintage toys and dolls of years past — handmade folk-art toys such as wooden train sets, dolls, rocking horses and more — can be enjoyed by the young and old alike.

Children as well as nostalgic grown-ups are still finding pleasure in toys and objects designed specifically for playtime that are, in comparison to today’s digital device-oriented distractions, far more modest in nature. In contemporary interiors, gently aging toys are wonderfully uncomplicated decorative objects primed for display in a cabinet or other case piece.

With their romantic appeal and frequent incorporation of natural materials, some vintage toys and folk-art toys are treasured collectibles, showcasing the beauty of handmade craftsmanship. Alongside other works characterized as folk art — in this case, visual art, typically reflective of a community’s culture and usually handmade by craftspeople working within a popular tradition — handcrafted vintage toys are historical works of art worthy of any collector’s mantel. These are toys that tell a story of the time in which they were produced and the people who produced them.

Like any artifact, toys provide a window into the past. The ornamental dolls of the Victorian era, for example, produced in Germany and England, made of ceramics such as porcelain and dressed in textured fabrics, speak to the fashion of the era and will add a pop of color and a decorative flourish to the neutral corners of your home.

Mid-century modern toys and dolls are as sophisticated as the widely cherished furniture of the era. As much as they thought good design for the home should be available for all, iconic American design duo Charles and Ray Eames believed in making durable and interesting products for kids too. Today, their Eames Elephant is available from Vitra and Herman Miller, and it doesn’t even require a digital screen.

Explore a unique collection of antique, new and vintage toys and dolls as well as folk-art toys on 1stDibs.

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