Miller & Miller’s Online Auctions Sept. 11-12 will Feature Toys, Nostalgia, Breweriana, Advertising

New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, August 28, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. will hold back-to-back auctions the weekend of September 11th -12th. The Saturday, September 11th event will be a Toys & Nostalgia sale, featuring the Bryan Beatty collection. The Sunday, September 12th sale will be an Advertising & Historic Objects auction, featuring the Scott Vanner breweriana collection.

Both auctions are online-only and will have a start time of 9 am Eastern time. The Bryan Beatty collection of toys and communication-related memorabilia includes a well-rounded offering of cast iron and tin litho toys from the Victorian to the Atomic era. Mr. Beatty’s collection also includes many radios, microphones and typewriters, with examples spanning the 20th century.

“The Bryan Beatty collection is a brand that will outlive this auction,” predicted Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. “His guiding principle can be summed up in these three words – condition, condition and condition. Unlike most university professors, Bryan used the breaks between lectures to search for toys and nostalgia. He collected like he taught – academically.”

Scott Vanner’s collection of Canadian breweriana includes a large assortment of beer trays and assorted advertising from the 1890s to the 1940s. A generous offering of live steam models will also be sold, the highlight being a finely engineered 7 ¼ inch gauge steam locomotive. Other categories in the collection that will be sold include advertising signs, bicycles and comic books.

The items in Mr. Vanner’s collection are “just the way collectors like them,” Mr. Miller said – “one hundred percent fresh to the market.” The 7 ¼ inch gauge steam locomotive could easily end up being the top lot of the two days, as it carries a stout pre-sale estimate of $15,000-$20,000 (all prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars). It previously sold at Christie’s in 1985.

The steam locomotive is a well presented 7 ¼ inch gauge model of the Great Western Railway 4-6-0 locomotive and tender No. 1011 (“County of Chester”). It was rebuilt and reboilered by F. West and Lee Green and comes with a brazed superheated copper boiler with fittings, including water and pressure gauges, safety, blower, twin injector, whistle, clack and blowdown valves.

Two Canadian steam engine models from very different eras carry identical estimates of $2,000-$3,000. One is a model of a ‘Southern’ heavy-duty rocking valve mill engine, with continuous rope belts, designed and built by H.A. Sharrar in 1971. It was a “Best Steam Display” winner at the Milton steam show. The other is a highly detailed scale model of the steam engine that ran machinery for the Dominion Organ & Piano Co. (Bowman, Ont.), built by R. Fishleigh in 1890.

Other noteworthy Day 2 offerings include a Worth and Martin (Toronto) one-cent bull’s head perfume dispenser (“Take the bull by the horns!”), made in 1902, solid brass with a glass mirror and able to accept large Canadian cents (estimate: $6,000-$9,000); and a Wayne Model 60 American made Chevrolet gas pump dating to the 1940s, 92 inches tall and professionally restored to Chevrolet, including paint and reproduction globe lenses (estimate: $6,000-$9,000).

A Wurlitzer Model 1015 jukebox, made in America in 1946, has an estimate of $6,000-$8,000. The Model 1015 is one of the most iconic jukeboxes ever made. This one is a fine, functioning example and comes with 24 period rock ‘n’ roll records. Also, an 1869 French style Boneshaker bicycle with a painted iron frame, wood rims and professionally restored wheels, is expected to speed away for $3,000-$3,500. The rear brake is activated by twisting the handlebars forward.

A Molson’s Beer clock, made for the French-Canadian market in the 1930s, porcelain with a screened metal clock dial marked “Made in Germany”, should bring $4,000-$6,000. Very few porcelain advertising signs were appointed with high quality mechanical clocks. Also, a Black Cat Shoe Polish lithographed tin clock, made in Canada in the early 20th century, marked “MacDonald Mfg. Co. Limited, Toronto”, non-functioning, has an estimate of $2,000-$3,000.

An English 1913 J. Smith & Sons tower clock having a cast iron frame with steel components, rescued and restored after the post office building it served in the town of Bowmanville from 1912-1965 was torn down, should achieve $3,000-$5,000. Also from England, a 1950s-era Austin Junior J-40 pedal car, restored, featuring a functioning horn and headlights, is estimated to bring $2,000-$3,000. Nearly 32,000 of the J-40 pedal cars were produced from 1950 to 1971.

A Miller High Life Beer two-sided porcelain hanging sign, made in the 1930s and originally designed to accommodate bands of neon surrounding the perimeter, 35 ½ inches by 46 inches, is expected to reach $3,000-$5,000; while a circa 1920s mechanical commercial cigar humidor showcase, made in America of quarter sawn oak with etched plate glass panels and nickel-plated trim, tagged “The Loudon Cigar Case” with various patent dates, should realize $3,500-$6,000.

Back to Day 1. One item certain to be a hit with bidders (but not part of the Beatty collection) is a Hillerich & Bradsby Louisville Slugger baseball bat signed in blue sharpie marker by Hall of Fame legend Mickey Mantle (estimate: $2,000-$2,500). Included is an official 1992 MLB photo of Mantle and a 2001 letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA that’s signed by James J. Spence, Jr.

From the Beatty collection, a 1950s-era American RCA Type 77 DX ribbon microphone made from brushed steel and chrome, in the rare and iconic “pill” design, mounted to a contemporary powder coated base, should command $2,000-$3,000. Also, a circa 1940s/‘50s RCA Type 91B microphone and an MI4092 desk stand, having a powder coated and brushed chrome base and mounted to a rare, correct base, 9 inches tall (mike on stand) has an estimate of $800-$1,200.

Internet bidding for the 875-lot auctions will be facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com, as well as the Miller & Miller website: www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com. Bidders can tune in to the live webcast on both days to watch lots close in real time. Phone and absentee bids will be accepted.

Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. has two more auctions lined up for fall: a Firearms, Sporting & Canadiana auction on October 9th (deadline to consign: Sept. 10); and a Watches & Jewels auction on November 20th (deadline to consign: Oct. 15). Both auctions will be online-only.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the back-to-back auctions scheduled for September 11th and 12th, at 9 am Eastern time both days, visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com. Updates are posted frequently.

About Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd.:
Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is Canada’s trusted seller of high-value collections and is always accepting quality consignments. The firm specializes in watches and jewelry, art, antiques and high-value collectibles. Its mission is to provide collectors with a trusted place to buy and sell. To consign a single piece, an estate or a collection, you may call them at (519) 573-3710; or, you can e-mail them at info@millerandmillerauctions.com. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., please visit www.MillerandMillerAuctions.com.

Rare American Flyer G. Fox & Co. S Gauge Toy Boxcar Train Chugs off for $18,975 in Weiss Auctions’ Toy & Train Auction

Lynbrook, NY, USA, August 21, 2021 -/DailyVoice/- An exceedingly rare American Flyer G. Fox & Co. S gauge toy boxcar train, from a very limited production set made in 1946, chugged off for $18,975 in Day 2 of a two-day, online-only Toy & Train auction held August 11th and 12th by Weiss Auctions, based in Lynbrook. The boxcar was the top lot in an auction that grossed $400,000 and set record prices.

“What is normally an off-month for us turned into a two-day gangbuster sale, with record prices realized in all areas of toy trains,” said Philip Weiss, the owner of Weiss Auctions. “There were 498 lots of trains in total, and all 498 sold, most for above estimate and some even multiple times the estimate. Toys did well, too, but trains right now are so hot we have more auctions planned.”

The American Flyer G. Fox & Co. boxcar is one of the most desired trains a collector can own. The price realized for the one sold was a new record. “It’s the Holy Grail for American Flyer collectors for sure, and the winning bidder had been trying to get one for the last thirty years,” Weiss said. “It was a respectable example, Tuscan painted on white mold with nice lettering.”

The toy train auction featured Part 2 of Frank Pisani’s wonderful American Flyer S gauge collection (including the G. Fox boxcar), a six-foot dealer poster, three- and five-digit NP passenger sets, later being boxed, nice five-digit boxcars and reefers and many diesel and steam sets. Also sold were many nice S gauge accessories from the Neil Padron estate.

Following are additional highlights from the trains auction. All prices include the buyer’s premium. Internet bidding was provided by LiveAuctioneers.com and Proxibid.com.

What is believed to be the rare, handmade factory production of Lionel’s 1805 Land, Sea and Air Attack set, used as cover art for the 1959 advanced catalog, made $8,700. Also, a Lionel 6557 reverse number train car, dark chocolate brown with a white smoking stack, just the second one Weiss Auctions has ever seen, the chassis unrun, finished at $4,680.

A scarce, boxed Lionel 9U electric boxcar, standard gauge, second issue kit version, fully assembled and with the original steam-type wheels, plus the remaining pieces to a Bild-A-Loco motor, realized $4,440; and a nicely boxed 1939 Lionel 763E semi-scale Hudson, clean and shiny with strong lettering and a 2263W Vanderbilt oil tender, rose to $3,480.

The Day 1 toys auction featured Part 1 of the Jack and Maurice Manoil collection from the Manoil toy archives; Part 1 of a super collection of 175 Russian St. Petersburg soldiers; and many boxed tin toys, battery ops, and pre-war pressed steel vehicles and trucks by Buddy L, Metal Craft, Keystone and Marx, from the Tony Bifano collection.

Also offered was Part 1 of an incredible Hess truck collection, all in the original boxes; over 50 mint-on-card GI Joes, TMNT, Mego Star Trek and WGSH, Transformers, MASK, He-Man and Silverhawk; and a collection of Marx playsets, in the original boxes.

Other sets included Robin Hood, Alaska, Medieval Castle Fort, Cape Canaveral, Tom Corbett’s Space Academy and others. model kits including a 1950’s Holy Grail space kit “Revell XSL-01 Manned Space Ship”, plus many other Revell aircraft carrier kits, baby boomer toys, games and more. In all, over 400 lots came up for bid in the toys auction.

What would have been one of the star lots of the toys auction actually came up for bid on train day. It was the hard-to-find, boxed AC Gilbert 1951 Atomic Energy Lab, an iconic Cold War-era toy and the first one Weiss Auctions has ever handled. The huge set was packed in a suitcase-style box, all major and minor components appearing intact ($3,600).

A highly coveted by collectors 1982 mint-on-card GI Joe Commando Snake Eyes, 9 Back, series 1 / version 1 action figure by Hasbro, never removed from the card, went for $7,200. Also, a sealed, never-opened, never-played Marx 4658 Battle of the Blue & Gray Civil War-themed playset, including figures for Lincoln, Grant and Lee, garnered $4,080.

Tops among the Hess trucks were a vintage 1969 Hess “Woodbridge” tanker truck with the original box, made by Marx in Hong Kong, battery-operated, with all decals present ($4,200); and a 1966 Hess Tanker Voyager Ship prototype with the original box, super rare, a prototype that would become the second issue piece of the Hess toy line ($3,600).

Weiss Auctions’ next online auction is slated for Wednesday, Sept. 22nd, and will feature Comics, Comic Art, Sports, Disneyana and more. Highlights will include a copy of All American #16 (graded 4.0), plus many graded/ungraded Golden, Silver and Modern Age comic books; and the first Tom Seaver signed team ball and team photo with provenance.

Also featured will be a great selection of graded and ungraded sports cards; more comic art from the estate of Joe Kubert; a just-uncovered Nick Cardy Jimmy Olsen #161 cover, more Golden Age art from the Baily archive; high-end Disney bronzes, porcelains and animation art, with more being added daily. The next sale after this will be held Oct. 6th.

For more information about Weiss Auctions and the firm’s calendar of upcoming auctions, visit www.WeissAuctions.com. Updates are posted often.