Santa On Polar Bear Growler Toy, with a rabbit fur beard on his composition face and wearing a red waistcoat with red fur trim, sits atop a large creamy white polar bear with brown glass eyes and sporting a leather harness. He moves his head as he rolls along on iron wheels. His growler mechanism no longer works and Santa’s boots have small touch ups. In very good condition, this toy at 22 inches in length carried a high estimate of $4,000, but sold for $43,200.
Review by R. Scudder Smith, Photos Courtesy Bertoia Auctions
VINELAND, N.J. – The three-day Annual Fall Sale at Bertoia Auctions had just about something for everyone, including mechanical and still banks, cast iron autos, horse-drawn, doorstops, motorcycles and penny toys, airplanes, European tin toys, character toys, comic figures, trains and steam engines, advertising and country store items, occupational shavings mugs, Halloween items and 112 Christmas lots that added nicely to the grand total of the auction.
When the gavel fell on the last lot, a large woodcutter Santa candy container, 20 inches high, another $1,680 was added to the $2.5 million grand total.
For additional information, www.bertoiaauctions.com or 856-692-1881.
