My Tin Toys

These were my dad’s when he was a kid. I think they date from the late 1940s, or early 1950s. Made by L.M. Cox and called Thimble Drome Racers. I think the name refers to the small gas powered motors and the sound they make.

These Cox cars aren’t gas powered. The black racer is a pull toy. The blue cox racer is a windup. I’ve had a few gas powered versions of these over the years, but never kept one.

These Thimble Drome racers aren’t tin. They are cast out of white metal. Might be aluminum.. Cox later made lots of gas powered racers, but these early ones are still my favorites.

Find out what these Racers are selling for on eBay

Grand Prix Racer (Action-Seeker Han By Michael Cox

US $2.99 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 7:25:00 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $2.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

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US $22.27 (2 Bids) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 19:55:35 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $9.95 End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 8:36:06 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $9.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

George The Drummer Boy by Louis Marx. Marx was the biggest maker of toys in the 1950s and 60s. They made cheap lithographed tin toys. This is a great example of Marx’s work.

George beats the drum, claps the symbols and his eyes move. Not much action by todays standards, but kids back then had imaginations.

From looking on eBay there are two versions of George The Drummer Boy. The one shown here, and a simpler version with a smaller drum, no cymbals, and eyes that don’t roll. the simple version has George hitting the top of a small drum, rather than the side of a big drum.

See the other variations of this Marx toy George, and find out what they sell for with this link to eBay.

George the Drummer Boy NEW by Nathaniel Benchley

US $6.33 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 18:16:49 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $6.33 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $0.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Monday Aug-02-2010 16:36:12 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $19.95 End Date: Tuesday Aug-03-2010 7:06:31 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $19.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

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This is a wonderful toy. Lil Abner Dogpatch Band by Unique Art of Newark New Jersey. It’s based on Al Capp’s comic strip.

The Dogpatch band are characters from the Lil Abner comic strip.It’s a windup toy and each character has a different action.

• Lil Abner does a little dancing.
• Daisy Mae plays the piano.
• Pappy Yokum plays a drum.
• Mammy Yokum conducts.

There is a video of the toy in action below.

You can see what Lil Abner sells for on eBay here

Li'l Abner and his Dogpatch Band Box

US $45.99 (5 Bids) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 15:42:31 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $155.00 (3 Bids) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 17:47:10 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $99.95 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 19:16:19 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $165.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $675.00 End Date: Friday Aug-06-2010 19:42:56 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $675.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $599.95 End Date: Saturday Aug-07-2010 9:37:44 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $599.95 Buy it now | Add to watch list

Schuco toys are wonderful. I’ve got quite a few of them. This is a windup Studio 1050 Micro Racer. Made in US Zone Germany, dates to late 1940s early 1950s.

The wheels come off, and Schuco used a really complicated rear axle. It has settings so you can make it do different things, but I’ve never wound it up so I can’t say what it does. It’s really well made toy.

I think the Micro part of the name describes the size. I have Schuco Varianto cars that are a bit larger, and a much larger firetruck.

I know some of the old Schuco toys have been reproduced by Lilliput, and some have been reproduced by Schuco as collectibles. There is a big difference in value between a reproduction and an original.

Here’s a link to see the Schuco items available on eBay

Schuco- NO. 1043 # 1 Micro Racer 4" Long

US $34.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 11:10:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $34.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:00:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

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US $19.95 (1 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 13:51:04 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $15.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Sunday Aug-01-2010 19:00:08 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $45.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

This is a neat toy based on a comic strip by Fontaine Fox. It’s a German tin Toonerville Trolley from about 1924, but says copyright 1922 on the side.

I like the action of this Toonerville Trolley. When you wind it up it runs across the floor. The wheels are mounted off center on the axles so the body tilts back and forth as it runs. About every four feet the trolley stops and the motorman gives a few jerks on the controller before it starts moving again.

You can see the motorman in the next picture.

Because these are so fragile very few have survived in collector condition, but they do appear on eBay every now and then. Find out what these Trolleys are selling for on eBay

==TOONERVILLE TROLLEY BROCH & BOAT TRIP MI.1966

US $5.99 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 8:57:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $5.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $25.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 9:51:01 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $5.00 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 18:21:01 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $5.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $4.99 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 18:47:32 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $4.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $19.50 End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 22:24:17 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $19.50 Buy it now | Add to watch list