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Tether Cars

Toy Hot Rod Roadster Tether Car
By All American Co.
Located in Ferndale, MI
part of the tether car craze. Sometimes cut up with gas engines installed. This piece is in original
Category

Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal

Toy Hot Rod Roadster Tether Car
Toy Hot Rod Roadster Tether Car
$850 Sale Price
22% Off
H 3.5 in W 5 in D 9 in
Red Metal Body Track Rail Race Car, Circa 1952
Located in London, GB
miniature combustion engines started in California in the 1930s. Whilst ’tether’ cars were raced
Category

Vintage 1950s British Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

Red Metal Body Track Rail Race Car, Circa 1952
Red Metal Body Track Rail Race Car, Circa 1952
$9,896
H 3.75 in W 29 in D 5.13 in
Large 1940s Magnesium Bodied Indianapolis style Tether Race Car
Located in Ferndale, MI
Large 1940s magnesium bodied tether race car. Speed chief.
Category

Vintage 1940s American Art Deco Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum, Other

Recent Sales

Ohlsson & Rice Rare Streamline American Art Deco Tether Race Car Model No. 88 with Trailer circa 1950
By Ohlsson & Rice
Located in New York, NY
OHLSSON & RICE (founded 1941) Los Angeles, CA Tether Race Red car Model No. 88 Gas powered
Category

Vintage 1940s American Models and Miniatures

Materials

Steel

Nylint Thimble Drome
Located in Stamford, CT
Circa late 20th century vintage thimble drone Nylint tether midget race car in original, unopened
Category

20th Century American Figurative Sculptures

Materials

Metal

Nylint Thimble Drome
Nylint Thimble Drome
H 3.5 in W 9 in D 4 in
Bugatti Tether Car
Located in London, GB
The Wasp was a tether car model produced by M&E Models of Exmouth with a C-class capacity engine
Category

Vintage 1940s British Toys and Dolls

Bugatti Tether Car
Bugatti Tether Car
H 6 in W 14.5 in D 6.5 in
1950s 'Maserati' Tether Car
Located in London, GB
A wonderful tether car model produced by E & M (The Experimental and Model Co.) of Coventry with
Category

Vintage 1950s English Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum

1950s 'Maserati' Tether Car
1950s 'Maserati' Tether Car
H 6.75 in W 19 in D 8 in
Electra ‘Buck 2A’ Tether Car, circa 1947
Located in London, GB
(height) Tether Cars are model racing cars powered by miniature internal combustion engines. The cars are
Category

Vintage 1940s British Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum

Electra ‘Buck 2A’ Tether Car, circa 1947
Electra ‘Buck 2A’ Tether Car, circa 1947
H 6.25 in W 18.75 in D 8.63 in
M&E 'Wasp' Bugatti-style Tether Car
Located in London, GB
The Wasp was a tether car model produced by M&E Models of Exmouth with a C-class capacity
Category

Mid-20th Century British Models and Miniatures

M&E 'Wasp' Bugatti-style Tether Car
M&E 'Wasp' Bugatti-style Tether Car
H 5 in W 14.25 in D 6.25 in
M&E Models Wasp Tether Car, circa 1940s
Located in London, GB
The Wasp was a tether car model produced by M&E Models of Exmouth from the late 1940s with 'Bugatti
Category

Vintage 1940s British Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal

M&E Models Wasp Tether Car, circa 1940s
M&E Models Wasp Tether Car, circa 1940s
H 5 in W 14.25 in D 6.25 in
ERA Tether Car Model by M&E, circa 1948
Located in London, GB
A rare ERA (English Racing Automobiles) 'Tether Car' model produced by M&E Models of Exmouth, circa
Category

Vintage 1940s British Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

ERA Tether Car Model by M&E, circa 1948
ERA Tether Car Model by M&E, circa 1948
H 6.5 in W 19 in D 8.25 in
Dooling 'Mercury Front Drive' Rail Track Tether Car, circa 1940
Located in London, GB
(height). The Dooling Brothers of California are arguably the most well known of the American tether car
Category

Vintage 1940s American Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum

Streamlined Wood Race Car
Located in Peekskill, NY
a large and early tether car. There is still an inside cable to work the steering and some type of
Category

Early 20th Century American Futurist Models and Miniatures

Streamlined Wood Race Car
Streamlined Wood Race Car
H 9.5 in W 14 in D 36 in
Streamlined Wood Race Car
Located in Peekskill, NY
a large and early tether car. There is still an inside cable to work the steering and some type of
Category

Early 20th Century American Futurist Models and Miniatures

Streamlined Wood Race Car
Streamlined Wood Race Car
H 9.5 in W 14 in D 36 in
Scratch Built Tether Car, Circa 1950
Located in London, GB
. Tether Cars are model racing cars powered by miniature internal combustion engines. The cars are attached
Category

Vintage 1950s British Models and Miniatures

Materials

Metal

Scratch Built Tether Car, Circa 1950
Scratch Built Tether Car, Circa 1950
H 5.13 in W 14.75 in D 7.25 in
Maserati Tether Car
Located in New York, NY
A rare and superb Maserati petrol-powered aluminum tether car borrows elements from both the
Category

Vintage 1950s Italian Decorative Objects

Materials

Aluminum

Rare Teardrop shape Gas powered tether Car
Located in New York, NY
These Gas powered cars are extremely hard to find and very collectable. They have actual working
Category

Vintage 1950s American Toys

Materials

Aluminum

Classic American "air Car" Tether Racer
Located in New York, NY
Made from carved and painted balsa wood, this delightful tether car is distinguished by its unique
Category

Vintage 1940s American Models and Miniatures

Materials

Steel

Original Aluminum Tethered Racing Car by Mc Coy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fantastic futuristic car was made in the 1930's. It was raced around a track on a tether
Category

20th Century American Models and Miniatures

Materials

Aluminum

Machine Age Gas Powered Aluminum Tethered Racing Car
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This great original tethered racing car was actually raced on a track back in the 1930's. It is
Category

20th Century American More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

1930's Original Streamline Aluminum Tethered Racing Car
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This great car was manufactured by Dooling Brothers in the 1930's. It retains it's original Dooling
Category

20th Century American More Furniture and Collectibles

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

Dooling Gas Powered 1946 Tether Racer Toy Car
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a great looking racing car in a gorgeous blue. It is 6 1/8"h x 16.3/4"l x 8.1/2"w
Category

Vintage 1930s American Toys

Materials

Metal

Original 1930's Dooling Bros. Streamline Tethered Racing Car
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This aluminum racing car was manufactured by Dooling Brothers in the 1930's. It even retains it's
Category

20th Century American Toys and Dolls

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

‘Ferrari 500 F2' Cast Aluminium Pylon or 'Tether' Racing Car Toy by Vega, 1952
Located in London, GB
Vega: ‘Ferrari 500 F2’ An all cast, heavy aluminium pylon racer, with exhaust and hubcap detailing, with side mirrors, steering wheel and stylized ‘windshield’, powered by a rear-...
Category

Vintage 1950s French Other Toys and Dolls

Materials

Aluminum

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A German 19th Century Louis XVI Style Burr Walnut Bechstein Concert Grand Piano
By Bechstein Piano Company
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Very Fine German 19th Century Louis XVI Style Burr Walnut Bechstein Concert Grand Piano, Serial No. 5655. The beautifully crafted Grand piano, raised on three tapered barrel shaped...
Category

Antique 19th Century German Louis XVI Musical Instruments

Materials

Bronze

Paul McCobb Wall-Mounted Floating Console
By Paul McCobb
Located in Culver City, CA
Introducing an extraordinary mid-century wall-mounted floating three-tier console, a sought-after piece designed by the esteemed Paul McCobb for Bryce Originals in the 1950s. With it...
Category

Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Shelves and Wall Cabinets

Materials

Steel, Cut Steel

Paul McCobb Wall-Mounted Floating Console
Paul McCobb Wall-Mounted Floating Console
$4,000
H 19 in W 38 in D 10 in
1930s French Large Tow Truck Toy in Red Metal
Located in Sofia, BG
Large toy tow truck made in red lacquered metal with nice details and opening compartments. France, circa 1930.
Category

Mid-20th Century French Toys and Dolls

Materials

Metal

1930s French Large Tow Truck Toy in Red Metal
1930s French Large Tow Truck Toy in Red Metal
$738 Sale Price
30% Off
H 13.39 in W 26.78 in D 10.24 in
Lehman Auto "Ito" Sedan, Germany, circa 1913
By E.P. Lehman Co.
Located in Incline Village, NV
This hand-painted German tin toy was manufactured by the "Lehman Toy Company" in Brandenburg, Germany beginning in 1913. It was made for a number of years after that, enjoying about ...
Category

Vintage 1910s German Folk Art Toys

Materials

Tin

1 BANGA space age micro architecture prefab house bungalow by Carlo Zappa, 1971
By Carlo Zappa
Located in Frankfurt am Main, DE
here we offer one of 2 bangas, with black interior. the second one with light grey interior is offered in another listing. a banga shows ways in which we could live more sustainably...
Category

Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Architectural Elements

Materials

Fiberglass

Art Deco Chrome Streamline Sink By Henry Dreyfuss Circa 1936
By Henry Dreyfuss
Located in Bernville, PA
Very rare Art Deco sink by Henry Dreyfuss. The sink was designed for The Crane Company of Chicago in 1936. Called the “Neuvogue” sink with “Futura” faucet handles. Manufactured by Tr...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bathroom Fixtures

Materials

Chrome

Columbus Avenue NYC c. 1920s/30s American Scene Ashcan WPA Modern 20th Century
By Bernard Gussow
Located in New York, NY
Columbus Avenue NYC c. 1920s/30s American Scene Ashcan WPA Modern 20th Century "Late Afternoon, Columbus Avenue, New York", impasto oil on canvas, signed lower left, signed verso (u...
Category

1920s American Realist Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Concord, British Airways Aeroplane Model
Located in Oxfordshire, GB
Rare Vintage 1:36 6' British Airways Concorde Aeroplane Model A very fine and rare vintage fibreglass and resin composite 1:36 scale model of Concorde in full British Airways 'Landor...
Category

1990s British Aviation Objects

Materials

Resin, Fiberglass

Concord, British Airways Aeroplane Model
Concord, British Airways Aeroplane Model
$9,346
H 37.8 in W 66.93 in D 28.75 in
French Style Wrought Iron Greenhouse with Door and Windows in Green Color
Located in Marbella, ES
French style wrought iron greenhouse with doors and windows that open outwards in white color. Ready for glass panels to be installed.  
Category

2010s French Garden Ornaments

Materials

Iron

White Rounded Square Fiberglass Quad Coffee Table by Mike Ruiz-Serra
By Mike Ruiz Serra
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Quad is a low, sculptural coffee table with four hemispherical legs that acts as a quiet yet powerful visual anchor in the room. Cast in fiberglass, it has a unique satin finish ...
Category

2010s American Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables

Materials

Fiberglass

WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA
By Gerrit Beneker
Located in New York, NY
WWI American Scene Ashcan Modern 20th Century Historical Realism Industrial WPA "Constant Driving Will Win the War," 30 x 40 inches. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated 1918 lower right...
Category

1910s Figurative Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

Art Deco Boeing 314 Airplane Pan American 'Clipper', circa 1938
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Art Deco Aviation Model Boeing 314 Airplane Pan-American 'Clipper', circa 1938 A superbly crafted rendering of the legendary transoceanic Boeing 314 Pan-American Clipper, strikingly ...
Category

Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Aviation Objects

Materials

Wood

Customizable Tacchini Julep Sofa by Jonas Wagell
By Jonas Wagell Design & Architecture, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
Soft, enveloping shapes characterize this family of upholstered pieces. Julep is influenced by the 1950s Avant-Garde movement, drawing upon its simplicity and grandeur, refined by a ...
Category

2010s Italian Sofas

Materials

Fabric

Customizable Tacchini Julep Sofa by Jonas Wagell
Customizable Tacchini Julep Sofa by Jonas Wagell
$10,638 / item
H 29.52 in W 94.49 in D 49.61 in
Rare Olympic games prefab Munich 1972 by Peter Hübner
By Another Human
Located in Perpignan, FR
CASANOVA. 1972 by Gallery Clément Cividino Ent. HISTORIQUE A l'occasion des jeux olympiques de Paris 2024 , notre galerie présente en exposition pour son rendez vous estival au d...
Category

Vintage 1970s French Space Age Architectural Elements

Materials

Fiberglass, Polyester, Polystyrene

Rare Olympic games prefab Munich 1972 by Peter Hübner
Rare Olympic games prefab Munich 1972 by Peter Hübner
$95,843
H 110.24 in W 118.12 in D 118.12 in
Jean-Michel Franck Straw Marquetry Box, 1930
By Jean-Michel Frank
Located in Paris, IDF
Beautiful Jean-Michel Frank straw marquetry decorative box from the 1930s. Carved from beech wood fully covered by straw marquetry with radiating patterns. It has been fully restored...
Category

Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Decorative Boxes

Materials

Velvet, Straw, Beech

Jean-Michel Franck Straw Marquetry Box, 1930
Jean-Michel Franck Straw Marquetry Box, 1930
$9,586
H 2.37 in W 5.91 in D 4.34 in
Pair of Arne Norell Easy Chairs Model Sirocco, 1970s
By Arne Norell
Located in Stockholm, SE
Excellent pair of safari chairs model Sirocco in good condition with new seat cushions. Designed by Arne Norell, produced by Arne Norell AB in Aneby, Sweden, 1970s.  
Category

Vintage 1970s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs

Materials

Brass

Pair of Arne Norell Easy Chairs Model Sirocco, 1970s
Pair of Arne Norell Easy Chairs Model Sirocco, 1970s
$8,987 / set
H 28.35 in W 25.99 in D 25.99 in
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Tether Cars For Sale on 1stDibs

There is a range of tether cars for sale on 1stDibs. The range of distinct tether cars — often made from metal, aluminum and plastic — can elevate any home. Tether cars have been made for many years, and versions that date back to the 20th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 20th Century. Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern tether cars are consistently popular styles. Many tether cars are appealing in their simplicity, but All American Co. and Vega produced popular tether cars that are worth a look.

Finding the Right Collectibles And Curiosities for You

Antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities can bring whimsy and wonder to any interior. 

Decorating with old scientific instruments, historical memorabilia and vintage musical instruments, as well as other authentic collectibles and curiosities that can be found on 1stDibs, presents an opportunity to create a unique, natural history museum-like atmosphere in your home that can provoke conversation as often as it pays tribute to how far we’ve come in understanding our world. 

And bringing collectibles and curiosities into your space is actually on trend — Wunderkammern, or curiosity cabinets, were all the rage in Europe during the 1500s and continued to have adherents there and in the U.S. in the following centuries. Today, however, they’re experiencing a real surge in popularity and influencing how many interior designers are furnishing and decorating homes — combining contemporary with antique, scientific with tribal, earthly with extraterrestrial, Les Lalanne tables with Flemish tapestries.

The original Wunderkammern were entire rooms filled with objects demonstrating their owners’ worldly knowledge: A proper one included artificiala or preciosa (objets d’art); naturalia (such as skeletons, shells, minerals); exotica (taxidermy or dried plants); and scientifica (scientific instruments), frequently alongside religious relics and ancient artifacts.

Pay tribute to a history of rich and diverse musical traditions that have taken shape all over the world by decorating your home with a collection of antique and vintage musical instruments — with a little help from strong hanging wire or some wall hooks, vintage brass instruments such as a gong, French horn or trumpet can help elevate a home office or complement the efforts you’ve made to ensure a welcoming vibe in your home’s entryway. Bells or antique wind instruments can add provocative metallic contrasts to dark woods as tabletop decorative objects.  

Create an intriguing focal point with Georgian scientific instruments, such as stick barometers with mahogany cases or lacquered brass telescopes. These items stem from an era named for the monarchies of the four King Georges, who ruled England in succession starting in 1714 (plus King William’s reign, which lasted until 1837). Just as there was beautiful jewelry produced during the period that today is coveted by collectors, there is much to be found in the collectibles and curiosities realm too.

Wanderlust, nostalgia and a shared love of good design are contributing factors to certain trends in decorating — just as vintage trunks and luggage have reappeared as furniture or home accents in a bedroom or foyer, decorating with globes, maps or nautical objects is similarly rooted in the allure of travel and a penchant for the stylish finishing touch that collectibles bring to our homes.

Find a wide range of antique and vintage collectibles and curiosities on 1stDibs.

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