My Tin Toys

This is one of my favorite toys. This is a Schuco Fire Truck made in Western Germany. It’s a Windup, but also has electric lights. This was an expensive toy when new, and are extremely rare today.

Here’s another view:

The body is diecast zinc, and the ladders are stamped tin, and the firemen are cast out of sawdust. This is the best example I have ever seen. These are RARE. I saw a picture of one that had a silver painted cab, but I’m not sure if that was original or had been repainted.

Most of the Schuco firetrucks like this I’ve seen are missing the men or other parts. The ladder is manually operated or can be run by remote control. The outriggers are manually operated.

The key goes in the hole on the hood. The white button in front of the windshield sounds the mechanical siren. The controller goes into the hole on the roof.

Here’s a bottom view showing the differential and the programmable cog.

Warning: Reissues of many Schuco toys, but not this Firetruck to my knowledge, have been made. Reproductions are marked “Classic” or “Reissue” on the bottoms.

I have other Schuco toys. Here’s a Schuco Micro Racer.

Here’s a link to Schuco items on eBay.

A reader sent me scans of the original instructions for this toy. I’ve uploaded them here.

Here’s some Schuco items on eBay:

Vintage SCHUCO 1250 Wind-Up Toy Car - US Zone - Germany

US $49.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 16:16:54 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $19.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 16:23:08 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $19.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 16:30:27 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $75.00 (1 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 16:45:06 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $102.00 (10 Bids) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 16:57:38 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

This is a neat tin toy. Made by J. Chein in the 1950s. Many different versions were made. The difference is in the lithography.

This example is a carnival roller coaster. Chein item number 2752. Catalog number 2-P3269. These were also made with Disneyland graphics, and clown graphics. The Disney example is more desirable and more expensive. The clown graphics - mostly yellow are worth about the same as this one.

The toy car is pulled up the incline and then rolls back down to the bottom. At the bottom it’s pulled back up. Two cars come with the set.

This one is missing the cloth strap with attached hook that pulls the car up. Replacement cars and straps are available from parts suppliers and on eBay.

Here’s another picture of this Chein rollercoaster:

Here’s a link to see these roller coasters on eBay.

Vintage Chein Roller Coaster, Tin Litho Wind-Up 1960s

US $31.00 (6 Bids) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 18:48:18 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $305.00 (13 Bids) End Date: Thursday Dec-04-2008 19:00:00 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $35.00 (4 Bids) End Date: Saturday Dec-06-2008 17:20:04 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Dec-07-2008 18:24:12 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $13.50 (2 Bids) End Date: Sunday Dec-07-2008 19:24:26 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

This was made by Gebruder Bing (means Bing Brothers) in Germany. Probably late 1920s early 1930s.

It’s a windup, all tin unlike the Marx and Lionel handcars of the 1930s. While it is O gauge size, it’s probably a floor toy.

Here’s another picture of this fragile handcar:

This is one of my favorite tin toys. Great action. The men pump their arms up and down making the toy look more realistic.

Here’s a link to see Bing Trains for sale on eBay

BING RAILROAD TRAIN CROSSING SIGN 4 SMITH MILLER TONKA

US $19.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 18:45:46 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $250.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Dec-02-2008 16:41:21 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $49.99 (1 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Dec-02-2008 18:51:31 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $14.58 (5 Bids) End Date: Wednesday Dec-03-2008 13:20:53 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $119.95 End Date: Wednesday Dec-03-2008 23:01:28 PST Buy It Now for only: US $119.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

This is a wonderful toy. Sky Rangers by Unique Art. I think it’s from the late 1940s or early 1950s, but might be a bit earlier. I know the German firm Bing made a similar toy in the early 1930s, and Lionel made an electric version in the mid 1930s.

Here’s another picture:

The operation of this Unique Art toy is pretty simple. The plane goes on one end of the wire, the blimp goes on the other. The blimp is a counter weight. Then the lithographed plane is wound up. The two airships then move around the tower.

Here’s the Sky Ranger’s plane up close:

Here’s a close up of the Sky Ranger blimp:

Here’s a link to see Unique Art Sky Rangers on eBay

I found a video on Youtube of one of these running. Here it is:

This is a wind up Honeymoon Express toy by Marx. The train runs around in a circle. The bridge and tunnels hold the outer ring on. A very simple lithographed toy.

Marx made many different versions of the Honeymoon Express. This version has a Union Pacific City of Portland M10,000 passenger train on it. This one dates this to 1934-37 because that’s when the M10,000 was popular.

The Union Pacific’s M10,000 was the first diesel powered streamlined train. The cars were permanently coupled together, and the train was futuristic. The real train went on a multi city tour, and received lots of publicity. Almost all the toy companies in the 1930s made City Of Portland toys. Marx also made Windup and Electric O gauge models of the UP M10,000.

Here’s a link to Honeymoon Express toys on eBay

NEW YORK EXPRESS HONEYMOON EXPRESS TIN WIND-UP TRAIN NM

US $39.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 17:49:18 PST Buy It Now for only: US $49.99 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $74.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 18:08:34 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $279.99 End Date: Monday Dec-01-2008 23:01:32 PST Buy It Now for only: US $279.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $40.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Dec-02-2008 16:25:55 PST Bid now | Add to watch list

US $7.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Dec-02-2008 17:50:11 PST Bid now | Add to watch list