"Man, those are some Hot Wheels!"

Welcome to our second post about the exciting world of die cast cars!  Here's the scoop on those hot rods we all know and love - Hot Wheels!



Elliot and Ruth Handler



Hot Wheels were the brainchild of Elliot and Ruth Handler (co-founders of Mattel). They wanted to develop a die-cast car for their Hawthorne, California plant that would also capitalize on the success of Matchbox cars. When Elliot saw designer Harry Bradley’s classic Southern California Hot Rod in the parking lot he said, “Man, those are some hot wheels!” - the rest, as they say, is history. The hot rod theme with new suspension and wheel designs along with exciting paint jobs, body detailing, and “mag” wheels became the hallmark of the Hot Wheels brand. They were an instant success.



Original 16

Mattel introduced the first 16 cars in 1968 for 59 cents each! They had redline tires (the older models are called red lines because they had red sidewall tires - they were replaced with black wall tires by 1977), spectra flame paint, a metal collector button, and some had black painted roofs to resemble vinyl. The Chevrolet Camero was the first car and it was quickly followed by the Corvette (the most popular car in the history of Hot Wheels sales). Fun fact: the Hot Wheels Corvette was actually released before GM released the actual car!



Real Riders





1970 was also an important year for Hot Wheels. It saw the introduction of the Snake and Mongoose cars as well as Mattel’s first promotional cars for Jack in the Box restaurants. The Hot Wheels Saturday morning show premiered as well. The Chopcycles were featured in 1973 with the Mighty Zork, Blown Torch, Speed Steed, and Bruiser Cruiser ($35 loose, $75 MIB). The 2^nd series was introduced in 1974 with the Ghost Rider, Rage Coach, Riptide Sourkraut and Triking Viking - this series is harder to find and worth more ($400-$900 MIB). Hot Wheels started putting the name of the car on car bottoms in 1980 and from 1983-1987 a special line of cars was introduced that featured Goodyear tires call Real Riders. 1989-1990 saw the California Customs that had Real Rider tires but without the Goodyear lettering.

Today, several of the original 16 are considered very collectible and very rare - valued at almost $1000.00! Since 1968, over 2 billion Hot Wheels cars have been sold and every model has had little variations and kept up with trends in the car industry, including: futuristic cars, muscle cars, trucks, racers, and even military vehicles. In general, if you find cars in near mint condition (no package) they are worth 50%-60% less than mint/in box. Excellent condition are worth 65%-75% less.

The above information was compiled from the following sources:

Huxford, Sharon and Bob, eds. Shroeder's Collectible Toys: Antique to Modern Price Guide. 7th ed. Paducah: Collector Books, 2001.

www.hot-wheels.mlmoments.com/History.htm

Matchbox Cars: Diecast Toys with a Long History

You might think that Matchbox cars and Hot Wheels are interchangeable, but you would be sorely mistaken. Both lines of diecast toy cars have very different histories and paths to greatness. It’s a long story - so hang in there and enjoy !

Matchbox cars grew out of a company that began in 1947 by two former Navy friends in London - Leslie and Rodney Smith (no relation). They combined their names to form "Lesney Products" and decided to start die-casting from a vacant pub that had been burned out during World War II.  After they purchased the building, the two friends began making die cast zinc alloy components for the industry and military uses.



Lesney "Rag and Bone" Cart



 However, they soon joined the die cast toy craze. The tin wind-up “Jumbo the Elephant” and the marionette “Muffin the Mule” were some of their first toys. They also created a hard-to-find “rag and bone” cart - essentially a junk cart that came with a driver, bike frame, washtub, part of a bed frame, a bucket, a crate, and kitchen sink accessories.

Aveling Barford Road Roller

The first Lesney diecut vehicle was released in 1948 - a 4 ½ inch Aveling Barford Road Roller. It was so popular that they introduced 3 new pieces later that year with a Caterpillar Bulldozer, Tractor, and a Cement Mixer. The toys were packaged in a “matchbox-type” box and became known as Matchbox cars. Lesney first marketed its cars in the United States in 1958.

The first cars had metal wheels but were quickly changed to plastic (known as “regular wheels”). Slight color and style variations are common due to paint or part shortages - these cars with the slight differences are now highly collectible. Matchbox cars continued to grow in popularity with the 1956 release of the “Models of Yesteryear” series and the Kingsize line (1957 - marketed as “Major Packs”).

SuperFast

In the 1970s, Matchbox was producing 5 million cars a week (today, its dropped to about 75 million a year). This was also when they started putting dates on the bottom of the cars. To compete with the popularity of the flashy Hot Wheels by Mattel (to be discussed later, keep reading!), Matchbox converted most of its models to a line called SuperFast (introduced in 1969) with thinner, low-friction axels and wheels (these are much easier to find than those produced prior to 1969). In 1998, Matchbox issued a 40^th Anniversary set of 5 models that were replicas of the 5 originals. This set was repackaged in 1991 as the Matchbox Originals (a 2^nd series was released in 1993).

40th Anniversary Collection

The last Matchbox car to carry the “Lesney” mark was produced in 1982 when Lesney sold the Matchbox line to Universal Holding Co. of Hong Kong, headed by David Yeh. In 1987, Yeh purchased the Dinky brand of England and incorporated the 2 lines into “Matchbox Toys International” (this mark replaced “Lesney” on the bottom of the cars). In 1992, the Matchbox line was again sold - this time to Tyco Toys. Then, during the Fall of 1996 through May 1997 Matchbox and Tyco Toys was sold to its former die-cast car rival - Mattel. The new Mattel Matchbox toys started appearing on the market after the New York Toy Fair in February 1998.

The average mint price of a Matchbox car is $33.46 (as of 1997).

Our next post will give you the low-down on Hot Wheels - so sit back, buckle up, and stay tuned!


The above information was compiled from the following sources:

Huxford, Sharon and Bob, eds. Shroeder's Collectible Toys: Antique to Modern Price Guide. 7th ed. Paducah: Collector Books, 2001.

Johnson, Dana. Matchbox Toys 1947-1998: Identification and Value Guide. 3rd ed. Paducah: Collector Books, 1999.

McManus, Mark. "The Making of a Household Name" in Collecting Toys: Identification and Value Guide by Richard O'Brien. 8th ed. Iola: Krause Publications, 1997.















How Well Do You Know Your Hazel Atlas?





Red Candy Stripe



Hazel Glass Company was started in 1885. Over the next 78 years they produced a variety of glassware and kitchenware items. Hazel Atlas products are, for the most part, very affordable collectibles. They are easy to find and usually for reasonable prices. In this post I have featured some of the more commonly collected patters along with the rare pieces of each. The values listed are from The Hazel-Atlas Glass Identification and Value Guide by Gene and Cathy Florence.

Yellow Candy Stripe

Candy Stripe 



Red is the most commonly found color in this pattern. It also comes in turquoise, yellow, green, and orange.
Pitcher, 80oz - $95
Ice tub - $65
Plate, 9” - $25

                                     Cloverleaf

Cloverleaf

Colors: pink, green, yellow, black
Green bowl, 8” - $100
Green tumbler, 4” - $70
Black salt & pepper, pair - $100
Black ashtray w/ match holder in center, 5 ¾” - $95
Yellow candy dish w/ cover - $125
Yellow salt & pepper, pair - $135
Yellow salad bowl, 7” - $90

Criss Cross



Criss Cross



Colors: crystal, pink, ritz blue, green
Cobalt, crystal, or pink round refrigerator dish w/ lid, 5 ½” - $300
Crystal pitcher, 54 oz - $150
Cobalt or pink reamer - $300
Cobalt butter, 1 lb or ¼ lb - $135
Green water bottle, 64 oz or 32 oz - $150
Pink reamer w/ tab handle - $325

Frosted Crystal w/ Blue Willow

Syrup pitcher - $50
Batter pitcher - $75

Kitchen Utensils

Colors: red, orange, turquoise, brown
Mixing bowl, 8” - $25
Mug - $12

Measuring Cup & Reamer Set

Colors: yellow, cobalt, pink, green
Yellow - $350
Cobalt - $325
Pink - $155
                                               Modertone


Moderntone



Colors: amethyst, cobalt, crystal, pink, platonite w/ stripes, fired-on colors (yellow, pink, blue, green, chartreuse, gray, orange, gold, turquoise, burgundy)
Rare: butter dish, cheese plate, covered sugar *all these have extremely hard-to-find metal lids and the cheese also has a little wooden cutting board
Crystal platter, 12” - $45
Amethyst tumbler, 12 oz - $90
cobalt soup bowl, 7 ½” - $100
Blue Willow oval platter, 12” - $50



"Art Deco"



Ovide “Art Deco"

Cup - $100
Tumber - $100
Creamer or Sugar - $125

Pink Elephant

Pink Elephant



Ripple



Ice tub, 5 ½” diameter - $45
Cocktail shaker - $65
Pilsner, 10 oz - $80

Ripple

Colors: white, pink, blue
Shallow berry bowl, 5” - $15
*note that the cup, sugar, and creamer were made with both plain and beaded handles

"Angel Fish" - Sportsman Series

Ritz Blue “Sportsman Series”

Most from this line had “manly” patterns like ship flags, sailboats, dogs, and hunt scenes. The shakers came with a red Bakelite stopper which are very hard to come by these days.
“Angel Fish” shaker - $45
“Hunt Scene” shaker - $50
“Fancy Ships” shaker - $70


Shirley Temple



Cereal bowl w/ hexagons - $50
Mug* w/ 4-angle handle, 3 11/16” - $50
Cream pitcher* w/ 4-angle handle, 4 3/16” - $30
Cream pitcher from “Colonial Block” mold - $1,000
*beware of reproductions!

c. 1938 (aka crinoline, petticoat, pie crust, lasagna)1934-1942 1950’s 1940’s-1950’s 1930-1936 1950’s

Roseville - The Most Collectible Art Pottery in the World



Rozane

 Roseville made a wide range of pottery from 1890 to 1954. It was advertised in magazines such as “Better Homes and Gardens” and sold in department stores across America. Today Roseville pieces are the most collectible art pottery in the world.

Timeline: Marks:

• Early pieces were often marked with nothing more than the initials of the artist. There are fourteen factory artists’ initials that we known of.
• “RV” - Used on the bottom of some early stoneware lines such as Venetian. Also found on the bottom of Rozane pieces.
• “Roseville” - The familiar cursive, imprinted signature (without the “U.S.A.“) was first introduced in 1931. It was only used 1931-1937 and only as an impressed mark.
• “Roseville U.S.A.” - The most commonly seen mark.

Numbers:
There are numbers on the bottom of many later pieces. The first number identifies the type of piece it is, such as a wall pocket. The second number is the size. For example, the mark to the right indicates an 8" plate or bowl.

• 100’s and 200’s - cornucopias and double bud vases
• 300’s - bowls and plates
• 400’s - jardinières
• 500’s - pedestals
• 600’s - cuspidors
• 700’s - umbrella stands
• 800’s and 900’s - ewers and vases
• 1100’s - candleholders
• 1200’s - wall pockets
• 1300’s - pitchers
• 7000’s - lamps
• January 4, 1892 - Roseville Pottery Company was incorporated in Roseville, Ohio. They produced simple utilitarian pieces such as umbrella stands, flowerpots, spittoons, etc. 1898 - Roseville relocated to Zanesville, Ohio and increased production scale.

Aztec

• 1900 - Rozane became Roseville’s first art pottery line. The Art Nouveau inspired Rozane line looks very different from what is considered to be the typical Roseville style. It consists of glossy browns and blues with hand painted nature scenes, Indians, animals, and portraits. Most Rozane pieces are marked “RV.” The pieces sold for about $0.50 each.
• 1904 - Frederick Rhead became the art director for Roseville. He was

  

  Wisteria

  responsible for many of there rare early lines such as Della Robbia, Aztec, Fudji, and Crystalis. (Fun Fact: Frederick Rhead later designed the molds for much of the original Fiestaware line.)
• 1910’s - Demand for expensive, hand-crafted pottery declined and Roseville shifted their concentration to more commercially produced pottery.
• 1919 - Frank Ferrel took over as art director and is responsible for much of today’s most popular patterns including Wisteria, Cherry Blossom, Dahlrose,and Sunflower. 



Pinecone

• 1931 - Struggling to recover from the stock market crash, Roseville introduced the Pinecone line. This line is considered to be the introduction of the classic Roseville look. Pinecone went on to be Roseville’s most successful pattern with over 75 different shapes in blue, brown, and green.
• 1952 - Despite Roseville’s enormous success throughout the 30’s and 40’s, its popularity began to wane post-WWII. The introduction of the Raymor line was Roseville’s final attempt to compete in a market that now favored the high gloss Fiestaware and hard plastic Melamine.

• 1954 - Roseville Pottery Company ceased production.

BEWARE! Sadly, Roseville’s popularity has resulted in a flood of reproductions. Don’t make any big purchases without the aid of a Roseville expert or thorough research. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

We have lots of beautiful Roseville pieces in the store right now. Come take a look!

















Collectible Character Glasses

Pepsi Warner Brothers

Many people enjoy collecting glasses featuring various cartoon, movie, and TV characters. Many of the older and/or rarer ones can bring $50 or more. Some can even be worth upwards of $500!

A very popular and collectible line of Pepsi glasses feature Warner Brothers characters. First produced in 1974, they released them in three promotional sets of six. A restaurant would sign on to participate in the first promotion set and then would sign up for the two subsequent promotions separately.  Significantly less restaurants signed up for the second and third promotions; which is why the glasses from the first set of six are much easier to find than the second or third.
Due to the popularity of this line of eighteen glasses, Pepsi decided to produce more.

Pepsi Warner Brothers

On the second line of glasses, the characters are doing something aka “interactive” rather than standing still aka “static” as in the first line. For example, Porky the Pig is fishing. This second line consists of two sets of twelve glasses. The interactive glasses are usually valued higher than the static glasses.
In addition to the Loony Tunes characters, Pepsi has also released glass sets featuring Caterpillar tractors, The Ringling Brothers & Barnum & Bailey Circus, sports teams, comic book characters, movies characters,  seasonal promotions, Normal Rockwell art, and more.

1977 Mighty Mouse

Welch’s produced another very popular line of collectible glasses. It all began with Howdy Doody in 1953 and since then has expanded into twenty-six different sets. Some popular lines have included: the Flintstones, Archie, Dr. Seuss, Peanuts, Davy Crockett, and Warner Brothers. Over the years they have also released lines of glasses featuring dinosaurs, endangered species, and AFC and NFC football teams.

While Pepsi and Welch’s are two of the most well known producers of cartoon glasses, many other companies made collectible glasses as well. Some of the more collectible include: Coca-Cola’s Holly Hobbie, Warner Brothers, NASCAR, and Olympics glasses; Pizza Hut’s Happy Days,

Cowboy Tweety

NFL, and TV characters glasses; and Hard Rock Café’s location specific glasses.

While a lots of collectors collect purely for nostalgia, some of the glasses can be worth quite a bit. Keep an eye out for:

Chas Addams

• Mighty Mouse by Terrytoons - sold only in California Pizza Hut chains in 1977 and can bring over $500.
• Hopalong Cassidy
• Lone Ranger
• “Chas Addams” - an Addams Family glass featuring a baby carriage in the park
• Little Lulu
• Wizard of Oz by Duncan Donuts
• Gulliver’s Travels
• Dick Tracy
• Dennis the Menace
• Tweety Bird wearing a cowboy hat and boots playing a guitar - extremely rare
• Dr. Seuss by Welch’s
• Flintstones  by Hanna Barbera Productions
• Yogi Bear  by Hanna Barbera Productions
• Sourpuss and Gandy Goose by Terrytoons
• Bullwinkle and Rocky by P.A.T. Ward Productions
• Marvel Superheroes

  

  1957 Kentucky Derby

• Casper the Friendly Ghost and Friends by Harvey Famous Cartoons

Derby Glasses are another highly collectible category of glassware. At the first Kentucky Derby, in 1938, they gave out commemorative water glasses. Two years later, they were the mint julep glasses we are familiar with today. An early Kentucky Derby glass in excellent condition can bring thousands of dollars.

We always have an abundance of character glasses at the store. Come down and see what favorite characters from your childhood you can find!

Presidential Ephemera: Find or Fake?

Ephemera is not some dreaded disease found in equatorial Africa.  Ephemera refers to items of collectible memorabilia, typically written or printed ones, that were originally expected to have only short-term usefulness or popularity. Collectors really covet documents with a U.S. Presidential signature. Good examples are greeting cards, photographs, military appointments, deeds, and land grants.

The Grover Cleveland Caper

       Recently a couple came into Appalachian Antique Mall with a wood box filled with ephemera.  They said they thought the lot was worth around $1500.  Among the papers were some old land grant documents, some of which they stated had the Presidential signatures of Grover Cleveland and James Buchanan.  One land grant in very good condition was an 1893 Oregon Land Grant signed by Grover Cleveland. As a quick check to determine what something like that might be worth, we went on eBay.

      To our surprise, we found that an identical 1893 Oregon Land Grant signed by Cleveland had just sold!!!  For $15.  Upon closer inspection, we noticed that it was the same land grant the couple brought into our store, right down to the folds in the paper and document numbers. How could this be?  The one that sold on eBay went to a buyer in a different part of the country.

     The simple answer is one or both were fakes.  With computers, copiers, digital cameras etc., the copying of old documents is easy and rampant.  In some cases, people are getting old blank paper or pages out of old books and copying onto it.  Land grants are one of the most popular documents to counterfeit.  Those with authentic Presidential signatures can have real value, BUT the trick is determining if they are forgeries or not.  Here is a good way to start.

Presidential Writer’s Cramp

 Is the signature from a U.S. President on a land grant dated after 1833?  If so, he probably didn’t sign it.  His secretary did.  And this is why:

      In the early days of our country, the President was relatively accessible. Any citizen could shake the President’s hand if he were willing to stand in line long   And one of the President’s more mundane duties in those days was to sign routine documents himself to make them legal.  Early Presidents signed everything from photos to military commissions to ships’ papers to patents for land grants.  The latter, when the federal government was selling the entire frontier in small parcels to individual settlers, became a monumental chore. 

     By the early 1830s, signing land grants had finally gotten out of hand.  In June 1832, the commissioner of the general land office wrote to Congress that there were more than 10,500 completed land patents waiting the signature of President Andrew Jackson.  Congress passed a law in March 1833 to relieve this burden, authorizing the President to appoint a special secretary to sign land patents–in essence to legally forge the President’s signature.  Jackson therefore became the last president to personally sign land grants.  If you see one on eBay from a later president, offered as an “authentic signature,” you now know better.

     Meanwhile, back at our antique mall.  When we started to research another land grant signed by President James Buchanan, our ephemera-peddling couple, they gathered up their documents and quickly exited the mall.  Grover and out!

Which Presidential Autographs are the Real McKinley?

     One last tip on buying anything with an “original” Presidential autograph.  Everyone in the Presidential ephemera collecting circle agrees on one indisputable piece of advice for interested buyers – always buy from a reputable source. This will increase the odds that you are indeed buying an authentic autograph.

Structo, Tonka, and Buddy L

Nostalgia is often the inspiration for a collection. Most toy collectors have fond memories of hours of playtime spent with their Structo, Tonka, or Buddy L trucks. Here are some time lines to help you figure out when your toys may have been made:

STRUCTO

• 1908: Structo Toy Company was formed in Freeport, Illinois



Early Structo

• 1915: Model Building Sets (the original Erector Sets) - These extremely successful engineering kits were designed as an educational toy. Kids could start out making simple structures and work their way up to complicated, intricate bridges and buildings.
• 1918: The Ready Built Line was introduced; it included steel cars, trucks, tractors, and other vehicles.
• 1923: We first see model-kit toy vehicles such as the Model T, which came with shifting gears and a real hand crank.
• 1932: The mechanized toy line was changed over to a stamped steel push toy line - these were more affordable during the hard times of the 30’s.
• 1942: Structo converted to war production and made shells, armor, and storage tanks.
• 1945: Structo built a new production line that produced toys with rubber wheels, opening hoods, and headlight details. These post-WWII toys were usually painted bright, cheerful colors.
• 1975: Structo was purchased by the Ertl Company, best known for their plastic model kits of tractors, plows, and other farm equipment.

Tonka

TONKA

• 1946: Mound Metalcraft started in Mound, Minnesota with the intention of producing garden tools. The former inhabitant of their building had attempted to make miniature metal toy vehicles but had failed and closed. The founders decided to make a little money on the side and started producing a steam shovel and a crane. The first year they sold 37,000 units.
• 1949: The Tonka dump truck is introduced.
• 1955: Mound Metalcraft changed their name to Tonka Toys, Inc. (Tonka is a Dakota-Sioux word meaning “big” or “great”) and moved into a new manufacturing facility to accommodate the increasing demand for their product.
• 1963: The Mini Tonka series was launched.
• 1964: We first see the Mighty Tonka dump truck which launched the very successful Mighty Tonka series. These are extremely collectible - especially the 1964-1972 lines. The original 1964 Mighty Tonka dump (which weighed 11 lbs) has a decal on the nose of the cab that says “Tonka” - this is the only year this decal appeared in this location. 
• 1991: Tonka was purchased by Hasboro.
• 2001: Tonka trucks were inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.

Early Buddy L

BUDDY L

• 1921: The owner of Moline Pressed Steel Company (which primarily manufactured automobile fenders and other metal auto body parts) decided to make a durable toy truck for his son, Buddy L. He made an all-steel miniature truck made from 18 and 20 gauge steel scavenged from the company’s scrap pile.
• 1927: There were almost fifty toys in the Buddy L line including: trucks, dump trucks, trains, fire apparatus, concrete mixers. cranes, dredges, etc.

  

  Wooden Buddy L
  

• WWII: Due to the demand for steel, Buddy L started producing wood toys.
• Post-WWII: Buddy L experimented with plastics but returned to metal, although in a lighter gauge.

The most valuable Buddy L collectibles are the heavy pre-war models. The right piece in the right condition can be worth thousands of dollars.

Come down and check out our dealers’ assortment of Structo, Tonka, and Buddy L toys, you never know what sort of bargains you may find!