December 4, 2020 - Christmas Antique Toy Auction with Noel Barrett at Pook & Pook, Inc., Downingtown, PA

Pook & Pook’s Downingtown, Pennsylvania auction gallery teamed up with acclaimed antique toy expert Noel Barrett on December 4th for a fun Christmas Antique Toy Auction. Helping Santa and his elves again this holiday season is always a treat for the staff at Pook & Pook. Many passionate toy collectors attended the preview during the week leading up to the sale. While there was no live audience in the gallery, that didn’t stop bidders from actively pursuing their picks for the holiday season on the phones, via absentee in-house bidding, or online via Bidsquare. Friday’s sale came in above the high estimated total with a 97% sell through rate. The anticipated high interest in the pre-holiday sale came to fruition - a last minute decision to eliminate in-house live bidding for safety reasons didn’t deter bidders one bit. 

Lot 2, German painted Santa Claus candy container; Sold for $2,440

The diverse offerings typical of a Pook-Barrett auction were a tradition continued with this sale. The highlight of the sale was the holiday specific offerings including a wide variety of Christmas décor that started off the sale. Numerous German composition Belsnickel candy containers, German Father Christmas toys, Christmas trees, and ornaments were scattered throughout the first third of the auction. One stern faced German composition Belsnickle candy container almost doubled its high estimate bringing $2,318. A large German painted composition Santa Claus candy container measuring 18 ½” h., which was originally purchased from the toy giant FAO Schwarz over a century ago, ho ho ho’d its way to $2,440, four times its high estimate. Waving past all expectations was a special Dresden American Flag Christmas ornament bringing $6,710, a record for a Dresden ornament? It was one of numerous Dresden decorations offered, all of which did ornamentally well. A top Yuletide piece that crossed the block was a figural milk glass Santa Claus miniature oil lamp from the late 19th c. This unusual find came in at $2,318. For buyers who didn’t want the trouble of decorating their own tree this holiday season, several fully adorned feather trees were up for auction, the top examples bringing $3,416, $2,318, and $2,196. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and all of the other reindeer were pulling a sleigh of great prices. Eight composition reindeer candy containers came in at $2,440, over four times the high estimate, and five large Dresden reindeer Christmas ornaments came in at $1,464, well over its high estimate also. And finally a Hubley cast iron Santa with double reindeer pull toy dashed all the way to $1,464.

Lot 45, Five large Dresden reindeer Christmas ornaments; Sold for $1,464

The iconic toy for under the Christmas tree has got to be a fire truck, and the Pook-Barrett team brought an incredible one to the auction block this time around. A mechanical model of a Knox fire truck from the turn of the century came in right at the higher end of its estimate at $7,930. A striding French Roulett & Decamps clockwork leopard measuring a fearsome 26” long with key-wind and nodding head action also realized within estimate at $3,416. A real surprise in the sale was a Reason Manufacturing Company The Flying Witches game. This unique item had no comparable examples to be found so it was given a conservative estimate of $400-600. Still in its original box, this sole example sported two crepe paper and painted tin witches riding brooms revolving around a pole topped with a crescent moon. The floor bidding started at $550, but in less than two minutes had climbed to realize $3,660. A group of miniature dollhouse accessories with exquisite detail came in at six times the high estimate at $3,172. One “shocker” according to Mr. Barrett was the Bliss paper lithograph alphabet chair that sung its way past what he believed to be a generous $200-300 estimate to $2,250. Some of the bidders apparently knew their ABC’s a bit better than expected. A Marx tin lithograph Flash Gordon Signal Pistol, with the original box that was in excellent condition, shot its way to over the top estimate bringing $1,250.

The highlight of the aeronautical toy collection of the late Harry Nowak was a Kenton Flying Boat with “FOKKER” lettering on the wings and nickel-plated wing-tip pontoons. This exciting one-of-a-kind piece was bid on 23 times before it finished at $6,100. A second plane also blew the top off its estimate. A brightly colored red and teal Hubley cast iron DO-X seaplane came in at $3,500, over four times the high estimate. The cast iron automotive toys kept coming down the chimney, including a number of excellent examples also from the Bill and Stevie Weart Collection, among them a group of colorful taxicabs and a nice example of a Hubley armored motorcycle. A highlight of the Weart Collection was a scarce Hubley cast iron Truk Mixer cement truck, with revolving drum, nickel plated tank, and an integral driver, which, even restored, still brought $4,148. A boxed Fred Thompson Smith Miller diecast Mack Auto Transport car carrier, no. C131/350, with six display vehicles in original boxes brought $2,000, which, according to Mr. Barrett, is $1,000 more than the one that sold last year, sans box. Those original boxes can really drive the price up! Additional iron automotive pieces included a group of colorful and finely crafted car models by Tom Selhoff. Even more iron in the sale comes from a small group of mechanical banks highlighted by a Darktown Battery Base Ball Bank in its original box, which brought $3,904. 

Lot 152, Baranger Studios animated lovebird window display; Sold for $8,540

As popular as ever at the Pook-Barrett auctions are Baranger motions, colorful and cleverly electric animated window displays that were rented to small-town jewelry stores from the 1940s to ’60s. Five of them crossed the auction block on December 4th! The highlight, an incredible lovebird carnival display featuring a central Ferris wheel, a carousel, and a burger stand, all with lovebird couples and a placard that reads “You can be her Love Bird - Buy that Diamond Now,” realized $8,540. In total, five of these intricate displays crossed the auction block. 

Toys for well-behaved little boys and girls permeated the auction and continued to bring strong prices across the board throughout the day. Pook & Pook with Noel Barrett is currently searching for toys made between 1850 and 1950, as well as all manner of unusual objects including advertising signs, salesman samples, unique models, coin operated devices, and early store fixtures. To consign, email photos to toys@noelbarrett.com or toys@pookandpook.com or call 610-269-4040 to speak with an appraiser. More information about this and other sales can be found online at www.pookandpook.com. Pook & Pook is located at 463 E. Lancaster Avenue, Downingtown, PA 19335.