Date: Fri 20-Nov-1998

Publication: Ant

Author: SHANNO

Quick Words:

Toy-Show-Allentown-Friz

Full Text:

Allentown Toy Show

(with 12 cuts

By Dick Friz

ALLENTOWN, PENN. -- At 9 pm on November 8, lines of eager collectors extended

almost to the entrance gate of Allentown Fairgrounds, then quickened their

pace and snake-danced through the turnstiles, clogging the cavernous aisles of

Agricultural Hall. One could almost hear the stirring strains of Victor

Herbert's "March of the Toys." The major allure? The 20th Annual Allentown Toy

Show, long hailed as one of the hobby's show of shows.

The charity event for The Good Shepherd Home and Rehabilitation Center in

Allentown featured this year over 350 dealers who plied their waves over 500

tables. It was an extraordinary array of toys, dolls, trains, games, books,

banks, lunchboxes, militaria and holiday memorabilia.

Through the years, the Allentown show has always been synonymous with top

shelf Nineteenth Century tin, lithograph, paper on wood, cast iron

transportation vehicles and mechanical banks. Let's face it, however -- and

this isn't all bad -- today one can find a magpie's mix of toys in all price

ranges, although co-promoters Dave Bausch and Ray Holland make every effort to

monitor the show, keeping contemporary so-called limited edition replications

to a minimum, and seeking out quality dealers.

In strolling the aisles at Allentown, the following entries rated high among

the gathered specialists. Among the Nineteenth Century tinplate toys the

Gemini twins, Steve and Leon Weiss, offered a classic General U.S. Grant

smoking automaton by Ives and an Althof Bergmann Lady Cyclist on circular

track.

A small carousel, possibly by Doll, $2,800, and horse on wheels, 1890s, maker

unknown, $1,350, beckoned from the display of Mimi and Paul Ingersoll, Bryn

Mawr, Penn. Nan and Bill Bopp, who grew weary of shoveling snow in New

Hampshire and recently moved to Dataw Island, S.C., showed a Fallows "Fancy

Goods" horse-drawn wagon for $16,500, an Ives "Victory" locomotive at $2,900,

and a Fallows Express Wagon, $7,500.

Quite possibly the most riveting array of toys focused on cloth, papier mache

and lithographed paper on wood entries. Bob and Marianne Schneider of

Lancaster, Penn., are well-known for their wide assortment of late Nineteenth

Century papier mache skittles games. This time it was a large hollow

polychrome rooster with set of small chicken skittle nine pines nesting

inside, all for $3,500.

Another gem was the classic Reed lithograph paper on wood boat on wheels,

"Pull for the Shore," with five jolly minstrel players aboard, $6,800.

(Several other Schneider treasures are pictured on these pages.)

Another super skittles game was displayed across the aisle, at Alan Green's

American Jazz, Stanfordville, N.Y. The set was a Steiff felt and wood animal

nine pins (two dogs, a cat, rabbit, bear, etc), with five jolly minstrel

players aboard, for $16,000.

Robert De Cenzo of Framingham, Mass., had a price tag of $1,275 on an Ives

1890s lithographed paper on wood "Goblin Bowling Set" with interchangeable

heads of a black, a Chinaman, policeman, etc. There were at least two elusive

"George Washington on Horseback" German candy containers in papier mache, both

from Pennsylvania dealers -- the Ingersolls from Bryn Mawr and the Olsens from

Radnor. Both entries were priced in the $2/2,500 range.

Usually at Allentown, one will find more mechanical banks that will probably

be found in a year at all the shows and auctions combined. This time the

choices proved more limited and some dealers, as is typical these days, danced

around the subject of price.

Bill Bertoia of Vineland, N.J., the auction impresario, made no bones about

his J&E Stevens "Calamity," originally sold as the "Football Bank." Though not

gifted with great paint, the exceptional rarity sill justified its $24,000

offering price.

Pennsylvanians Don and Betty Jo Heim displayed a popular Shepard "Punch &

Judy," a smaller later version, at $4,750, and an archetypical "Darktown

Battery" or "Baseball Bank" could be had for $3,975.

Gary Cenname of Pittsburgh highlighted a spiffy black and red Tipp tinplate

Rolls-Royce limousine at $4,250. There were two powder blue Kingsbury pressed

steel busses on the floor. Bill Hill of Temperance, Mich., showed off his at

$1,500, while Don Kaufman was asking $2,200 for his impeccable piece. Hill

also showed an all original Buddy-L rubber tired steak truck at $9,500.

A scarce Japanese 1930s Santa in sedan in tinplate literally topped the booth

of the Sadagurskys, Centerport, N.Y., who specialize in comic/character toys.

The vividly graphic original box complemented a Marx motorcycle delivery 1940s

tinplate toy at $1,450 shown by Don Bryant, Gastonia, N.C.

Andy Ourant, a Lancaster, Penn., dealer and a prominent Bertoia auctioneer,

featured a red-black pressed steel Buddy-L wrecker for $3,200. Jim Miller of

St. Paul, Minn., featured as his show special a flaming red with gleaming

chrome 1938 Lincoln Zephyr pedal car by Garton. It had been restored.

Don and Sally Kaufman of West Stockbridge, Mass., who may well own the

consummate collection of transportation toys, said they had an excellent show

from both a buying and selling perspective. Two of their transportation

vehicles that moved quickly were a Kenton cast iron cement mixer truck at

$2,000 and a large Chein tinplate wind-up ice truck for $2,000.