Clyan Hall Sturdi-Circus

 

Q: I have a two-piece wooden pull toy but I can’t find any information about it. Two horses pull a wagon that says “Sturdi-Circus” on the side. There are six wooden clowns inside the wagon. It’s stamped “Clyan Hall” on the bottom. Can you give me any information about it?

A: Clyan Hall Sturditoys seems to have been in business for only a few years in the 1940s and not many items were made. Clyde H. Hall was born in Illinois in 1894 and moved to California about 1920. He was a high school manual arts teacher in Los Angeles and worked with copper as well as wood. Pieces marked “Clyan Hall Sturditoys” were made in Corona Del Mar, California, in the 1940s and included trays, lazy susans, album and scrapbook covers, children’s desks, chairs, and toys. Hall was mayor of Newport Beach from 1942 to 1946, at the same time he was making Sturditoys pieces. He and his wife moved to Hawaii in 1953 and opened a gift shop there. A Clyan Hall Sturditoys sand toy was offered for sale online for $100, but we haven’t been able to find the circus toy. Don’t confuse this company with Sturditoy, a Rhode Island company that made miniature pressed metal replicas of trucks, tractors and trailers from 1926 to 1933.

Trilby Puzzle Update

A reader writes about the Trilby puzzle, the Kovels Komments Mystery Mark from December 2:

“You had mentioned that if anyone knew about such an item, you would be interested in knowing as well. Jerry Slocum (the puzzle expert) dug through his files and found this advertisement…in an 1896 catalog by C.H.W. Bates, Boston. He is quite sure there are no patents for the Trilby Puzzle, and this is the only ad he ever found for it. The original Trilby was made of brass. The Lilly Library at Indiana University, Bloomington, has two Trilby Puzzles from Jerry's collection, but they are made of cast iron.”

– David Beffa-Negrini, editor of the American Game & Puzzle Collectors Quarterly.

 

 

 

Trilby Puzzle

Q: We found this puzzle in the drawer of an antique sewing machine we bought in 1976. The drawers were filled with the previous owner’s sewing equipment, and we discovered this puzzle in a box in one of the drawers. It’s cast metal and has two parts. The name “TRILBY” is on one side and “PAT. APL’D” is on the other side. The star-shaped piece twists into one side of the cage and is trapped within. If you don't know the secret, it’s quite challenging. but it’s a “lock and key” kind of mechanism, so once you've figured it out, it's much easier. Can you tell me something about the maker and possible age of the puzzle?
 

A: This type of puzzle has been around since 1896. It is sometimes called “Hedgehog in a Cage” and involves trying to remove the “hedgehog” or a star-shaped piece from a cage-like holder. The earliest version was made of wood. Similar puzzles are still being made today. Nothing is known about the maker, although there evidently was a Trilby company in Brooklyn, New York, at one time. If any of you have information about the company, let us know.

Vilas-Harsha Toy Dressing Table

Q: My mother received this toy dressing table as a gift in 1918. It has a label on the back that says "American Toys, Manufactured by Vilas-Harsha Mfg. Co., Chicago." I'd like to know something about the maker and value.

A: Vilas-Harsha Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1919 with the consolidation of A.H. Vilas Co. and L.R. Harsha Manufacturing. Albert H. Vilas founded his company in 1878 and made moldings and picture frames. L.R. Harsha Manufacturing was founded by Leslie R. Harsha before 1893. By 1918, Harsha's company was making moldings, picture frames, gift novelties, and toy furniture. The companies merged in 1919 and became Vilas-Harsha Manufacturing Co. Your toy dressing table is worth about $25 to $50 in very good condition, but since it has paint loss and damage, it will sell for less.

Toy Stove

Q: This toy stove was part of a cousin's collection and as near as I can figure, it could have been given to her around 1907. It is 14 1/2 inches long, 8 3/4 inches wide and 6 1/2 inches high. I've searched through books and inquired at antiques shows and can't find any information about it. The top burners have a cotton-like material in them and the burner is adjustable. The trim on the front is brass. There is a water-heating unit on one side and a trivet, baking sheet, roasting pan, and three cooking pans with brass lids. This logo is on the ends. Can you give me some information on age, origin, and value?

A: The mark was used by Gebruder Marklin & Co. of Goppingen, Germany. Marklin is best known for its production of toy trains and clockwork tin toys, but the company was also one of the major producers of doll-size stoves and accessories. The alcohol burner could be filled with alcohol or methylated spirits and the cotton in the burner acted as a wick when lit. Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Marklin (1817-1866) began making tinplate cooking utensils for dolls in 1859. His wife ran the business after he died. By 1888 his sons were running the company, which traded under the name Gebruder Marklin & Co. beginning in 1908. Your stove's mark was used after the name change. The value of your toy stove could be as high as $1,000.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marx Racer

Q: I have wanted to own this windup tin toy car for a long time. Recently my old friend decided to part with it. It was a Christmas present given to him when he was a child. The front license tag says “50-50” and it’s marked “Mar” on the trunk. It winds up and works nicely. I want to add it to my collection of other toys and want a fair value for insurance coverage. Can you tell me who made it and what it’s worth?

A: The logo on the trunk, the letters “MAR” in a circle with an “X” through it, was used by Louis Marx & Co. The company was founded by Louis and his brother in New York in 1919. Your racing car, called “King Racer,” was first made in 1925. The first version, like yours, was made in yellow with red trim, a green top, and blue wheels. A second version was made in yellow with black outlining, a blue top, and green wheels. Your insurance company may require a report from an appraiser with recognized credentials. If you have a large collection of valuable old toys, you should have an appraiser or dealer who specializes in toys determine value for insurance purposes. You must decide if you want full replacement coverage for each toy or a lower wholesale value. You would probably want to shop carefully for replacements for your collection. This toy in great condition sells for about $300 to $400.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Seesaw

Q: I have a seesaw that has this mark and “Patented June 14, 1921” on the bottom. It is 72 inches long, 14 inches high, and 7 inches wide. Can you tell me who made it?

A: Your seesaw was made by the Mengel Co. of Louisville, Kentucky, founded in the late 1800s by C.C. Mengel. The company made wooden furniture, washing machines, and boxes. Around 1900, Mengel’s sons took over the business and the company name was changed to C.C. Mengel & Brothers Co. It became the largest manufacturer of wooden boxes in the United States. Mengel made a line of wooden toys called “Mengel Playthings” in the 1920s and ’30s. Joseph P. Bodenmiller of St. Louis patented an “original design for a seesaw” on June 14, 1921, and assigned the patent to the Mengel Co. Mengel was bought by Kroehler Manufacturing Co. in 1956.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tin Train

Q: Can you tell me who made this train and how old it is? It’s marked with an “M” in a triangle and the words “Made in Japan.”

A: Your toy train was made by Mitsuhashi & Co. of Tokyo, Japan. The company made lithographed tin mechanical toys and toy cars, trains, trucks, and other vehicles in the 1950s and ’60s. Value of your train set: about $30 a car. The engine is worth more.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Antique Wagon

Q: This wagon came from my husband’s stepfather and I can’t find out much about it. It says “All Novel Features of These Wagons Are Patented, Beware of Imitations” on the front end and “White Wagon Works” on the back end. What is it worth?

A: White Wagon Works, founded by Arthur White in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, in 1901, made wooden wagons for children. Al Bemis and George Riddel, owners of a furniture company, became majority shareholders in 1924 and renamed the wagon company White Coaster Wagon Works. The Wagon Works name has not been used since 1938. Your wagon was made before 1924. Wagons like yours go for $200-$300.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toy Mark (Johann Distler)

You might find this thistle mark on a tin toy made by this Nuremberg, Germany, company before 1914 and for a short time after the end of World War I. The company, founded by Johann Distler c.1900, made lithographed tin penny toys in the early 1900s and larger printed tinplate toy cars in the 1930s. Novelty toys, “crazy” action toys, trains and replicas of real cars were made by Distler. From 1939 until the end of World War II, toy factories were converted to manufacture goods for the war effort, so Distler made no toys. After the war, Distler was in the U.S. Zone and its toys made from 1945 to 1949 were marked U.S. Zone Germany. The factory closed in 1962.