Bertoia Auctions – The Weart Collection
September 8 & 9
2141 Demarco Drive Vineland, NJ 08360
www.bertoiaauctions.com
856-692-1881

VINELAND, N.J. — On September 8-9, Bertoia’s will auction the antique toy collection of the late Bill and Stevie Weart, a couple whose contributions to the toy hobby were immense. Anyone who ever had the privilege of visiting the Wearts at their home in Allentown, Penn., was left with the impression that they had witnessed something exceptional for these times. Their gracious three-story residence, which was situated in a tranquil parklike setting, visually reflected what was most important to them in a home: fine architecture, tasteful furnishings, a garden that beckoned wild birds, and most of all, an interior design plan that prioritized the display of their toy collection.

In every room on every floor, there were custom-built showcases. Bill, a former executive engineer with Ford Motor Company, designed them solely to accommodate their precious toys. He also designed and crafted scale models of historical residences, furnishing and outfitting each of them so they functioned just as real houses would.

Bill and Stevie appreciated all sorts of antique playthings: European and American tin, automotive toys, Marklin boats, airplanes, trains, banks, dollhouses, candy containers and especially cast iron toys. They had an eye for whimsy and would incorporate toys into their decor with a subtlety that was delightful, for example, placing a George Brown toy atop the opened pages of a George Brown Sketchbook where that very model of toy was illustrated.

The Wearts, themselves, left a literary legacy in the form of a book they co-authored in 2000. Titled Cast Iron Automotive Toys, it is still regarded as the go-to reference by cast-iron toy collectors.

The American cast iron category is amply represented in the auction lineup, with selections by Arcade, Dent, Hubley, Kenton, Wilkins and Pratt & Letchworth; and even rarities of unknown manufacture.

Seldom seen in such a high condition, an Arcade International Harvester Yellow Baby truck, graded pristine to near mint, is the actual one shown in the Wearts’ book ($1,5/2,500). Another book example is an all-original, Hubley “Say It With Flowers” motorcycle ($15/25,000). Other toys depicted in the Wearts’ book include a 19-inch-long Dent Battleship New York, which has hopes of sailing to a new home for $2/3,000; a Hubley “Parcel Post” motorcycle, $2/3,000; an Arcade Mack side dump truck, $3/5,000; a large Hubley “Panama” steam shovel, $2,5/3,500; and a rare circa 1895 Wilkins horse-drawn hay rake from the manufacturer’s farming series, $2,5/3,500.

The long list of cast iron automotive highlights straight from the pages of Bill and Stevie’s book continues with a Dent “Public Service” bus, $2/3,000; a Hubley “Auto Express” truck, $2/3,000; a boxed 8-inch-long Dent Road Sweeper, $1,5/2,500; and an Arcade 1929 Buick Coupe, $2/3,000. A Kenton “City Service” truck is entered with a $3/5,000 estimate, while the largest-size Kenton “Speed Truck,” 15 inches in length, could reach $3/5,000. Two Arcade banks that are Weart book examples are a flat-top Yellow Cab, $2/4,000; and a brown and white taxi still bank, $1,2/1,800.

An all-original 22-inch-long Hubley horse-drawn Royal Circus Bandwagon displays bright paint and excellent detail ($7/12,000). Also in the Hubley toy menagerie, a reduced-size (11½-inch) Lion circus wagon is estimated at $2,5/4,500.

Two oversized Dent firefighting toys are sure to inspire multiple bids: a 32-inch-long Hook & Ladder, $3/5,000, and an all-original 25-inch-long Fire Pumper ($4/6,000). Of the same genre, a 16-inch-long Harris (Toledo, Ohio) Fire Hose Reel, with strong paint condition and excellent casting effects throughout could race to $3/5,000. Also in the spotlight is one of few known examples of a Kenton Moran Crane, which is shown in the manufacturer’s 1932 catalog ($5/7,500).

Early European toys cross a broad spectrum of manufacturers, including Distler, Fisher, Stock and Lehmann. Characters from the latter manufacturer include Paddy and the Pig, and Mikado Family. Each retains its original box and has an estimate of $1,2/1,800. Also, the lineup includes a Doll et Cie., 18-inch live-steam touring car, $2,5/4,500; and a hand painted, “plunking” Gunthermann Monkey Training Goat Rider, $2/4,000. Several productions by the German manufacturer Gottschalk will be auctioned, including a 22-inch three-story warehouse, a horse stable/barn and a red-roof dollhouse with porch. German railroad lots include a Marklin 1-gauge passenger train set with a 14-inch locomotive, $3/5,000; and an early Marklin trackside crane, $2/3,000.

Bertoia’s gallery is at 2141 DeMarco Drive. For information, www.bertoiaauctions.com or 856-692-1881.