1870s Toys

These ark collections were a very popular toy in the 19th century from Erzgebirge in Germany. This particular set is quite substantial with over 120 carved and painted figures and it...

19th century German Noah’s Ark We are proud to offer a wonderful example of a late 19th century Noah’s Ark. Each section of this collection is hand carved from pine and hand painted...

19th Century folk art rocking horse We are proud to offer a highly decorative mid-19th Century example of a European rocking horse. Made from s...

We are proud to offer a rare late 19th Century hand carved linden wood set of 20 figures depicting various farm animals with a farmer and his wife. This unique set comes with its ori...

American high wheel / penny-farthing painted steel bicycle, Circa 1870. The high Wheeler with its large front wheel provided high speeds and was able to travel large distances for ev...

Pair of Folk Art Naïve carved wooden horse and coaches, circa 1870 We are proud to offer a rare example of a matching pair of Folk Art naïve hand carved wooden horse and carts in sup...

I purchased from an estate a few "magic" items that had been wrapped up since the 1940s and were shipped from New York City; home to many famous magicians such as "Herrmann The Great...

I purchased from an estate a few "magic" items that had been wrapped up since the 1940s and were shipped from New York City; home to many famous magicians such as "Herrmann The Great...

Although "Tammany Bank" was patented and initially produced in 1873, it had quite a long run and was manufactured for many years after that, undergoing several variations; initially ...

One of the more rare Automaton pieces, “Ethiopian Flutist” was manufactured circa 1870 and was a signature piece aimed at the wealthy international clientele attending the 1878 Paris...

Toys of this nature would have been made for children to drag around the floor by a string (note the small hole in front of the platform), or pushed along and played with on the floor. This American tin platform horse pull toy (also referred to as a floor toy), is in all original paint and condition save for a very minor solder repair where two of the hoofs meet the platform. It is almost a miracle that it has survived at all due to it's fragility and rough play it likely encountered. It is hand-painted in brown to the horse with an orange saddle and a red band below, with a green hand-painted platform. Note some of the gold stenciling still present to both sides of the upper front body of the horse. No primer was used so the paint, typically did not last very long, especially after a few years of being played with; definitely not expected to last for over 140 years! Toys of this age and rarity are almost always repainted, so when one is found in it's original condition it is usually in a collection. The pinnacle of the American tin toy manufacture was from 1865 through 1890. Very few have maker's marks and only a few "jobber's" catalogues are extant, but this tin toy is most certainly from the premier toy makers and inventors, Althof Bergmann and Company of New York City, New York which was formed in 1867. The unique fancy, original, heart shaped wheels, the flat green platform...

Although "Tammany Bank" was patented and initially produced in 1873, it had quite a long run and was manufactured for many years after that, undergoing several variations; initially being called "Little Fat Man...