When the fish is pulled from the mouth of the "Whale" (which is in
fact more of a Giant Goldfish than anything else) to the extent of the almost
invisible thread and released on a smooth surface, the Whale appears to chase,
catch and gobble it up. Particularly entertaining as the small fish rarely runs
in a straight line.
The Zebra gallops in erratic circles, throwing the driver about in the seat
of his cart. A copy of an old Lehman design. Clockwork, 21cm.
The welcome return of a popular line which has been unavailable for some
time. As the seal runs in a circle, the ball and propeller revolve. Clockwork,
15cm.
As the line proceeds in a large circle, drawn by the parent, the babies spin
round and round as the result of an ingenious cogged plate turned by their
wheels. Clockwork, 30cm.
Rare, maybe unique, low-geared motor produces a slow and ponderous action
with body rocking gently from side to side and antennae shaking. Clockwork,
8cm tall.
High quality friction drive car. Robust and detailed. 30cm in length.
Runs in a circle. Clockwork, 19cm.
ICE CREAM VENDOR
(right)
Legs pedal furiously as he goes. Soft rubber-like head. Clockwork, 10cm.
ROLLING
BUTTERFLY
All metal except wheels and antennae. Its wings flap up and down as it moves,
stopping from time to time to perform backwards somersaults. Clockwork with
18cm wings.
Tinplate clockwork toys for collectors
WARNING. The clockwork toys on this page are not children's
playthings and do not comply with Toy Safety legislation.
CZECH
REPUBLIC
TURNING
CLOCKWORK
LADYBIRD
Moves in a circle, and cleverly will not fall off the table. The keyhole is
subtly disguised as one of the spots. Clockwork, 10cm.
TRACTOR
AND TRAILER
Long-run motor with three forward gears, reverse, brake and steering-wheel
operated steering. Heavy-duty, robust and well finished. The remarkable, in fact
perhaps unique, feature is the gearing. The tractor can reverse, of course, and
not only does it travel at different speeds in each of the three forward gears,
but its load-pulling ability also really changes. This must be by far the most
ingenious piece of precision engineering in any tin-plate toy in current
production. Clockwork, 33cm overall.
Josef
Wagner / Germany
Josef Wagner operates in a village near Nuremberg, the original clockwork toy-making
centre of Europe. It's a real family business: two generations, both living on
the premises. From outside it looks like the smithy, and perhaps was. Inside,
improbable machines clank and whirr. One cannot believe that anything complies
with current regulations concerning Health and Safety, but the staff seem happy
enough, with all their limbs in place, as does the cat. "All is how it
was," says Herr Wagner, and we believe him.
CLOCKWORK 
CATCHING
ELEPHANT
The long-running motor spins the propeller on the elephant's head and turns
the augur which carries the balls upward. At the top they roll down the chute,
drop through the elephant's basket, and run down the slope back into
circulation. It is particularly colourful and interestingly-printed, a
decorative ornament even for non-collectors. Clockwork, 9" tall.
DUCK
ON TRICYCLE
This is a re-make of an old German original and is of the same high quality
as the rest of the range. Although use of plastic for its legs is regrettable,
the mechanism is exceptionally efficient allowing several revolutions.
Clockwork, 20cm.
TINPLATE
GLOBE
CAROUSEL
The Globe Carousel is a good example of one of the few high-quality tin toys
being made in Germany. The powerful pull-and-release mechanism gives a long,
quiet run making the boats fly out horizontally as in the real thing. Sturdy
with excellent print detail and finish, they are an attractive ornament even
when not in motion. 18cm tall.
RUSSIA
There is a tradition of tin toy making in several parts of the former Soviet
Union, and their products are distinctively old-fashioned in both design and
construction (and therefore often passed off as 'antiques'). Recent political
and economic reform make this a precarious source, and many fine models are no
longer obtainable.
DANCING
DOLL
The Dancing Doll is some 6" tall, made in Russia, well finished and
finely printed. Propelled by an unusual and long-running motor, she glides
gracefully on hidden wheels, doing pirouettes in both directions and moving her
head gently from side to side as she goes, all very pretty. Clockwork.
Now also available in two different colours!
A predominately green version (TX552), and the 'Ice Maiden' (TX551) pictured
right.
MINI BUS TRACK
The raised tray has two revolving circles on each of which travel three
miniature buses which spin round passing in and out of the tunnels. Delightfully
old-fashioned with evocative and detailed printing. Well-finished and solid. A
small lever controls the starting and stopping of the mechanism. Clockwork,
23x10cm.
Tinplate clockwork toys for collectors
WARNING. The tinplate clockwork toys on this page are not children's
playthings but collectors items and do not comply with Toy Safety legislation.
INDIA
There are several small factories in India which make fascinating clockwork
tinplate toys from
time to time. Production is always spasmodic, though, and at present the range
is very limited.
CLOCKWORK
POLICE
PATROL
The small patrol vehicle races round the bends and in and out of the tunnel
completing at least three laps when fully wound. Clockwork, 38 x 17cm.
* TWO NEW TINPLATE POP-POP BOATS FROM INDIA *
Dirty and smelly with sharp edges! What more could you
ask of a tin toy? An Indian company has recently started producing small
quantities of unusually designed, oil-burning pop-pop boats. The workmanship is
not the world's best, and there are many small scratches and flaws in the
printing. But they are packaged in nicely-dated if not very sturdy packaging,
and include a pipet for injecting water into the pipes, oil tray, wicks, and
they have an adjustable rudder. None of the other pop-pop boats we have found
over the years have been comparable, in size or design, and these boats are
already 'making waves' in the world-tin-toy collectors' market.
POP
POP
TUG
BOAT
Unusual deep-bow design. 16 x 8 x 8cm.
TINPLATE
TITANIC
Huge. Boasted as the world's largest commercially-made
Pop-Pop Boar. 39 x 8 x 7cm. (Waiting list for this item)
Nikko
Kogyo Kitahara From Japan
These are made with the original Nikko Kogyo tools from just-post-war Japan.
Teruhisa Kitah, a Japanese sports-goods dealer, is also a fanatical collector of
clockwork
tin toys, and after obtaining the tooling is now reproducing these clockwork
models. Each edition is strictly limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide and are very
difficult to obtain. They are beautifully lithographed with vivid colours and
contain the most complex and ingenious movements of any of the tin toys we
offer.
CLOCKWORK
NEWS
DOG
The News Dog rapidly rings his bell while gradually turning his head and
swinging the newspaper from left to right. Clockwork, 15cm.
SCHYLLING
USA
The Schylling brothers in the USA design revivals of old tin toys, and have them
made to high standards in China and Korea.
TINPLATE GOLFER
This delightful little thing, 7" long and made entirely of metal, is a
remake of a 1920s favourite. Withdrawing and then releasing the sprung knob
makes the figure putt the steel ball-bearing (three provided) up the slope and,
with luck, or skill, into the recess.
TINPLATE
SAN
FRANCISCO EXPRESS
Last year Schylling produced a strictly limited edition toy called New York
Express. Fortunately, although it is still limited, we have enough of this
superior music box version to offer it in the main catalogue. "I Left My
Heart in San Francisco" plays while the plane flies overhead and the train
proceeds through the tunnels. Large, chunky and extremely unusual. China,
Clockwork, 23cm.
CLOCKWORK
AERODROME
The clockwork mechanism, operated by a pull-and-release lever in the base, makes the
aeroplanes fly rapidly round and round on their wire arms, propellers whirling.
Entirely metal apart from the brightly coloured transparent plastic propellers.
An attractive, unusual and well-finished model. Korea, 18cm.
TINPLATE
FLYING
SAUCER
Schylling have re-made this item based on the 1950's original. It is slightly
larger at 13cm, and with more colourful printing. As you push it along on its
hidden wheels the central globe and springy antennae revolve. China,
Friction.
Tinplate collectors toys from Spain
We are now able to offer the superb hand-assembled clockwork tin toys of
Classicos Paya which are produced from the tools and dies which were used to
make the originals in the early part of the century.
WARNING. These expensive toys are
collected by those who appreciate their authenticity, a feature extending to
their clockwork motors, also made exactly as originally which means that they
are not often very effective by late 20th century standards! They are things of
historic interest, beauty, intricacy and ingenuity rather than high-powered
working models.
These items therefore are intended for adult collectors
only. They are not made as children's playthings, and they do not comply with
current Toy Safety legislation.
All models shown below are very large (all sizes are approximate), and all
have a key-wound clockwork motor. The original year of production is shown by
the products name.
PAYA
/ SPAIN
Paya have been making clockwork tin toys near Alicante
since 1902. At first they produced under contract for the better known German
and French brands, but by the 1920s were enjoying world-wide success with their
own models. General production continued until 1985 when it was decided to
concentrate on remaking all their old classic toys on a limited basis. Only 5000
of each model is made, and a numbering certificate to that effect is provided
with each toy. An attractive feature of Paya's products is the superb boxes in
which they come.
SEDAN
(1934)
Opening doors and boot reveal fine interior printing and moveable front
seats. Steering wheel adjusts the front wheels' angle. Probably one of the
biggest clockwork tin plate cars available. Clockwork, 50 cm long.
TUF TUF MOTORCYCLE (1936)
Clockwork, spectacular, and noisy. The basic noise mechanism placed under the
motorcycle produces a characteristic 'tuf-tuf' sound, giving the motorcycle its
name. Clockwork, 32 cm long.
TRAM (1925)
A black and white tram. It includes both a clockwork motor and
battery-powered lights. Clockwork, 32cm long.
PLEASURE LINER (1931)
One of a range of three boats. It moves in a circle driven by its wheels, the
bow rising and falling to simulate wave-action, the result of an off centre
front wheel axle. Clockwork, 38 cm long.
STUDENT
This delightful figure is held upright by his wheeled cases, but is propelled
by the walking action of his legs. Always erratic, he scurries around, changing
direction at complete random. This is probably the most entertaining of the
reproductions in the Paya range. Clockwork, 7".
ROAD
SWEEPER (1935)
Unusual movement, the arms turning at the shoulders to sweep broadly with the
wood and straw brush. The movement is so powerful that the vibration moves him
if he is not restrained. Clockwork, 10cm.
CARRERA
MOTORCYCLE
Clockwork, 17cm.
COMPLETE
TRAIN SET (1930)
Twelve-piece track, oval track, 77cm at widest; clockwork engine with coaches
39cm. Signals, and telegraph poles included.
