German Toys

Early 20th Century German Folk Art Animated Pull Along Toy A fun, authentic example of an early 20th Century folk art child’s pull along toy. This animated toy works when the wheels turn, the pig jumps forward as the farmers wife chases him with a knife. The women figures arms move up and down of their own accord and are not animated through the mechanism as the pig is. The mechanism is quite simple, as the wheels turn, an angled rod moves forward to push the pig up and down creating a naïve jumping motion. The item is made completely by hand using pine wood. It’s quite naïve in appearance but great fun and a reminder of the long-gone days when toys meant something and were made with love for children...

19th Century Hand Carved Pine Ark Animals Collection This assorted collection of 50 late 19th century hand carved German pine ark animals would make a delightful display. Includin...

Erzgebirge German Noah’s Ark 70. A wonderful example of a 19th century Erzgebirge German Noah’s Ark, With 70 assorted hand carved figures with mixed level...

Edwardian pine building blocks. A rare, oversized set of circa 1910 German pine building blocks. Original pine box with lithograph sliding labelled to...

This early 20th century musical bird automaton is an entertaining wonder of mechanics. Automated singing bird with a strong voice and flamboyant plumage amidst foliage in a gilded br...

This early 20th century musical bird automaton is an entertaining wonder of mechanics. Automated singing bird with a strong voice and flamboyant plumage amidst foliage in a gilded br...

Antique German Stuffed toy in the shape of a French bulldog dog. This antique toy is stuffed with straw, has glass eyes, metal wire in the ears to keep the ears up. This toy dates ci...

Rare Schoenhut Humpty Dumpty Circus Collection We are proud to offer a wonderful collection of early 20th Century Schoenhut German Humpty Dumpty toy collection, handmade from various materials. This collection includes 2 clowns, a ring master, 2 ladders, 6 stools, 2 chairs, a horse, a donkey and a poodle. It’s rare to find such a vast collection in close to untouched condition. Size in inches: Figures: H 9” x W 4” x D 2”, horses: H 9” x W 2.5” x D 2.5”, poodle: H 5” x W 7” x D 2.5” Ladders H 12” x W 2” x D 0.3”, chairs: H 5” x W 3” x D 3”, stools: H 2.5” x W 2.5” x D 2.5” Origin: German Period: 1910-1920 Material: Wood, cotton and fur Condition: These items are completely solid in structure and form if not a bit worn due to its age and natural use. For the age of these items these examples are in close to unused condition and have obviously been very well taken care of. The horses necks are loose in stability but firmly in place. Wear around the stools is also present. With light fading and chips across all the items as you would expect from toys that are over 100 years old. Close up photos have been supplied to illustrate these points so please observe carefully and propose questions to us if needed. History: Albert Schoenhut, a German immigrant, began producing piano toys in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1872. Thereafter, Schoenhut's toy production expanded to include dolls, dollhouses, blocks, and other wooden toys. In 1903, the firm applied for a patent for a clown toy that would become one of the most popular American toys of all time. By 1904, the company was producing the Humpty Dumpty Circus in great numbers. The circus, at that time, included the clown, elephant, white horse, poodle, and hobo. Humpty Dumpty success The Humpty Dumpty Circus was a great hit. The circus personal grew over the years to include a Lady Circus Rider, Lady Acrobat, Ringmaster, Gent Acrobat, Negro Dude (a minstrel), Chinese Acrobat, and a Lion Tamer. Animals included an Alligator, Brown Bear, Polar Bear, Buffalo, Bulldog, Burro, Arabian Camel, Bactrian Camel, Cat, Cow, Deer, Donkey, Elephant, Giraffe, Gazelle, Goat, Goose, Gorilla, Hippopotamus, Brown Horse, White horse, hyena, Kangaroo, Leopard, Lion, Monkey, Ostrich, Pig, Poodle, Rabbit, Rhinoceros, Sea Lion, Sheep, Tiger, Wolf, Zebra, and a Zebu. The 1906 "Everybody's Magazine" ad shown above illustrates some of the performers available at that time. Most early animals had glass eyes which were all changed to a hand painted eye by the 1920s. Even the painted eyes were changed to a decaled eye in many animals as another cost savings measure. Over the years, the Schoenhut company made many other wooden toys including wooden doll houses...

This is an antique building block set. A German, pine 71-piece Froebel toy box, dating to the Edwardian period, circa 1910. A fascinating bu...

Offered is an absolutely stunning toy castle, it is a beautiful example of early 20th century, German handmade craft. The architectural detailing in the cre...

Early 20th century Folk Art pull along horse toy We are proud to offer an early 20th century folk art pull along horse toy. A double-sided hand paint...

This mechanical monkey is an original vintage toy. Vintage mechanical toy representing a climbing dressed monkey. It was made in tin in G...