:A German-made clown car from 1909 brought a record $103,500 at Bertoia's March 19–21 auction of the Donald Kaufman Collection of antique and vintage toys. The collection of the KB Toys Inc founder has fueled the fantasies of many a toy enthusiast over the past five decades.
This sale, a nearly 1,500-lot offering that totaled $4.2 million — just edging out the previous record sale for the 20-year-old auction firm, the 1998 Stan Sax bank collection — was only the first installment of Kaufman's 7,000-piece collection. More than three dozen lots at the March 19–21 auction went out at more than $20,000.
Made by Marklin, the rare Fidelitas clown car train features seated clowns with a variety of props in their hands — a hoop, a flower carrier, a sign that reads "Fidelitas." Finely hand painted, the 37½-inch toy has been little seen outside reference books. Estimated $30/40,000, it is retuning to Europe with an anonymous buyer.
Kaufman's grandfather was a Hungarian immigrant who arrived in the United States sometime between 1890 to 1895. He settled in western Massachusetts in a town that was on the train line. Klein Brothers general store grew and prospered as America moved into the Machine Age and it eventually was the springboard for Kay-Bee, or K-B (for Kaufman Brothers), Toys. Kaufman sold his stake in the company in 1981.
Kaufman, now age 78, has been collecting toys for 50 years and believed it was time to part with his collection. On the way to sale, he is reported to have said, "I really hope everyone leaves with the toy they want." He and his wife Sally attended the sale, where in a special section in the gallery they autographed copies of the sale catalog.
Other sale highlights included a very rare Monkey Cage, ex-Perelman Museum, circa 1920s, that sold for $97,750. A complete review of the sale will appear in a future issue. —WD
