It’s that time of year when gift catalogs flood our mailboxes. We opened one up recently and found a “new” vintage tin windup toy made using the original design of a Germany company. Be on the lookout for these reproductions that are far less valuable than originals.

Starting early 1900s, lithographed tin toys, especially those made in Germany, were popular. Many had windup mechanisms and came in the shapes of animals, carousels, and comic book characters. These toys were eventually replaced when Japan started exporting inexpensive battery-operated toys, many with plastic parts.