19th C. Popcorn Maker Figural "Toasty Roasty" American, Circa 1893, Rare
Located in Incline Village, NV
By 1893 he created a small clown and called him "Toasty Roasty"; he was positioned aside the popcorn drum and cranked a tumbler which churned out and dispensed the popcorn (see image...
Iron
Late 19th Century Painted Articulated Figure with Overalls
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Late 19th century articulated figure with a nicely detailed carved face, navy overalls and red-painted shirt, tie, and shoe.
Wire
Late 19th Century Fairground Knock Down Figure
Located in London, GB
Jeu De Massacre Fairground Figure One of the finest examples of a late 19th Century fairground knock down figure we have had the pleasure to obtain, in the form of what resembles...
Wood
19th Century Original Painted Iron Clown Bank
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fun and folky original painted iron penny bank has the original painted surface in working condition. Put a penny in his hand and pull the lever for him to swallow the coin. The...
Iron
Antique French Marionette
Located in Houston, TX
We found this wonderful 19th century French Marionette in Rouen France. The puppet, and its art form, have been a mainstay of French cultural life for hundreds of years and is integr...
Fabric, Wood
$375Sale Price|70% Off
H 10 in W 5 in D 3 in
Antique Hand-Crafted Iron Gnome Sculpture Coin Bank, American, 1930s
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
Gnome hand cast and painted American antique garden sculpture and coin bank/doorstop In good condition considering its age.
Iron
$245
H 9 in W 3.13 in D 3.5 in
"Drummer Boy" Tin-wind-up Toy by Louis Marx, New York City, circa 1940's
By Louis Marx and Company
Located in Incline Village, NV
This 1940's "Drummer Boy" brightly colored lithographed tin wind-up toy capitalizes on the popularity of marching bands, spawned from World War II and the preponderance of patriotism...
Tin
$420
H 8.5 in W 3.38 in D 7.75 in
Antique German Yard or Garden Gnome Statue with Wheelbarrow, 1910s or older
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A gorgeous character ceramic figural gnome statue - attributed to Griebel in Germany, a well known manufacturer of this kind of figures. This character statue has been made in German...
Earthenware, Wood
Antique French Marionette
Located in Houston, TX
We found this wonderful 19th century French marionette in Rouen France. The puppet, and its art form, have been a mainstay of French cultural life for hundreds of years and is integr...
Fabric, Wood
$950Sale Price|24% Off
H 32.25 in W 10 in D 6.5 in
Vintage Folk Art Doll / Oil Can with Articulating Arms
Located in San Diego, CA
Vintage Folk Art doll with tin drum body (oil can) and articulating arms, circa 1950s. The piece is handmade with a doll head and arms and a tin can body. A very unique and cool piec...
Tin
$1,305Sale Price|20% Off
H 13 in W 3.5 in D 2 in
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Jigger Doll Mr Shoes
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Jigger Doll A great example of an early 20th century English hand carved folk art articulated jigger doll. With brilliantly shaped shoes, mou...
Pine
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Jigger Doll
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Jigger Doll A great example of an early 20th century English hand carved folk art articulated jigger doll. With charming hand carved boots, moust...
Pine
$395
H 5.5 in W 3.5 in D 3.25 in
Vintage "Rolly Dolly" Musical Toy "BoBo The Clown". German, Circa 1927
Located in Incline Village, NV
Vintage hard to find "Rolly Dolly" Musical Toy, of German manufacture, circa 1927; depicts a clown by the nickname of "BoBo"; named after a famous clown during that period ----BoBo ...
Composition
$585
H 10 in W 5 in D 4.5 in
Vintage "Happy Hooligan" "Rolly Dolly" By Schoenhut Toy Co. German, Circa 1901
By Schoenhut
Located in Incline Village, NV
Proverbial comic character toy of the era "Happy Hooligan" was recreated by the Schoenhut Toy Company at the turn of the century calling them a "Rolly Dolly" that today we call "Roly...
Composition
$1,299Sale Price|20% Off
H 17 in W 8 in D 4 in
Early 20th Century Hand Carved Pine German Fireman Puppet
Located in London, GB
German Fireman Puppet We are proud to offer a wonderful example of an early 20th century German fireman puppet / Doll. Hand carved with some lovely naïve Folk Art detail including a...
Cotton, Pine
Vintage Wind-Up Toy, Circa 1950 "Smiling Boy Polishing Boots" Rare
Located in Incline Village, NV
This is a very rare toy that I have not seen an example of before, and judging by it's action and appearance, I would venture to say it is post war, probably made in Japan for the Am...
Composition, Tin
$1,359Sale Price|20% Off
H 9 in W 2 in D 1.5 in
Late 19th Century English Folk Art Articulated Jig Doll
Located in London, GB
Late 19th century English Jig Doll A wonderful example of a late 19th century English jig doll called porkpie. A fully articulated hand carved feature. With amazing leather handcraf...
Leather, Pine, Paint
$4,850
H 5.75 in W 12 in D 5 in
Prototype Late 19th Century Hand Carved Toy Horse Drawn Hansom Cab, American
Located in Incline Village, NV
This is a hand carved wood prototype for a toy that would have been the model for a 19th century cast iron or tin horse drawn hansom cab. It precedes the mold and/or the bronze patte...
Wood
"Peg-Leg Beggar" Mechanical Bank, American, circa 1880
By H.L. Judd Manufacturing Company
Located in Incline Village, NV
"Peg-leg Beggar" 19th century cast iron mechanical bank was probably inspired by the many disabled Civil War veterans begging for their subsistence. The bank was manufactured by the ...
Iron
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. Indeed, antique, new and vintage toys 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. 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 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 and vintage toys as well as folk-art toys on 1stDibs.