VINELAND, N.J. - The dreams of thousands of toy collectors worldwide have come true since last March when Bertoia's launched a semiannual series of auctions to disperse the renowned Donald Kaufman Collection. Last September when the hammer fell on the closing lot for part II of the series, the incomparable collection of American, European and Japanese toys had already taken in $7.2 million, with much more to come. But many wondered if the massive Kaufman toy box had finally been depleted of its premier examples. Rich Bertoia, who cataloged much of the Kaufman collection, chuckled at the thought of the ultimate wellspring of antique toys running dry. 

"If you liked parts I and II, you'll love part III," he said. "It's absolutely the same high level of quality plus there's the added attraction of part I of Don's wonderful comic character toys. The only difference collectors will note this time around is that, sadly, Don will not be with us." Donald Kaufman passed away on Oct. 12, 2009, knowing his toys were in the best of hands at Bertoia's, and delighted that so many had already gone to fellow collectors in dozens of countries. 

The third installment of the ongoing series, which will take place on Friday and Saturday, April 16 and 17, 2010, at Bertoia Auctions' gallery in Vineland, N.J., will feature Internet live bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. Collectors can expect to see a diverse mix of classic cast-iron, pressed-steel, comic character and European toys in superior condition. "There was only one way that Don liked his toys - factory fresh, or very close to it," said Rich. 

DENVER, Pa. - It came from outer space, and when it landed in southeastern Pennsylvania last month, Masudaya's multi-action Target Robot smashed a world auction record for an example of its type when it hit the bull's-eye at $52,900. The boxy tinplate alien invader - complete with original box and shooting accessories - took top-lot honors in Dan Morphy's Feb. 26-27 sale, which grossed $1,070,000 (all prices quoted inclusive of 15% buyer's premium). LiveAuctioneers.com provided the Internet live bidding. 

"The robot result shows what the market will pay for a classic-era robot whose condition is complete and this close to being brand new," said Morphy's chief operating officer, Tom Sage Jr. The Target Robot, which is one of Masudaya's ‘Gang of Five' robots made in the late 1950s and early 1960s, was designed for use with a tin shooting pistol and two rubber-tipped darts. "This is the first instance we know of in which the robot still has not only its rare original box but also its shooting accessories still intact in the original sealed bag," Sage said. The 15-inch robot with a carnival-style target on its chest came from the factory in Japan in a multicolor box that instructs: "Shoot him...He roars, flashes, and goes away...soon comes back to you!" 

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Frasher's auction Feb. 20 is a reflection of the deep and fascinating history of doll collecting.

Live Auctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The 350-lot sale encompasses the immense scope of doll making from the early years through the golden years of the French and German bisques, continuing through the composition and hard plastic period to the modern creations of R. John Wright, said Barbara Frasher.

DENVER, Pa. - Dan Morphy Auctions will pack 2,100 quality lots into a big two-day sale, Feb. 26 and 27, 2010, at the company's state of the art gallery on the Adamstown antique strip. The main categories in the auction are historical antiques, firearms and militaria, jewelry, toys and antique advertising. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet. 

The Friday session opens with more than 150 lots of fine jewelry and Bakelite from a single estate. All types of jewelry will be offered, including rings, necklaces, earrings, watches and brooches. Among the highlights are an 18K gold bracelet with turquoise stones, a 14K gold bracelet with diamonds, and many other gold Victorian-era fine jewelry designs. 

Blake, the Emmy-nominated TV and film editor, began collecting toys in the 1970s. Included in the sale will be cast iron, lithographed tin, die cast, hard plastic and rubber vehicles. Hubley, Arcade, Champion, Dent, A.C. Williams, Marx, Paya, Corgi, Dinky, Tekno, Birk, Sabra, Solido, Cherryca Phenix and Tootsietoy are some of the toy makers represented along with Japanese manufacturers.

The auction will begin at 10 a.m. Eastern with the sale of a Corgi 262 Lincoln Continental Limousine in its original display box. Rated at C9, the car already has multiple bids.

Among the top items in the auction Saturday is a Tootsietoy Buck Rogers 25th Century Rocket Ships set complete in its original box. In C8 condition, it carries a $4,000-$6,000 estimate.

DENVER, Pa. – A show of force from European steam toy buyers, several of whom flew in to bid in person, drove Morphy Auctions’ Wintersale beyond the $2 million mark (inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium) over theweekend of Dec. 10-12, 2009. Part I of the extensive Pat and Lowell Wagner lifetime collection of antique steam engines and toys – abundantly stocked with examples by Marklin, Weeden, Doll et Cie., and Bing – proved an alluring drawcard, especially to German enthusiasts. 

“There were at least 100 people specifically pursuing the steam toys, including three or four Germans who were very active bidders,” said Dan Morphy, owner and chief operating officer of Dan Morphy Auctions. “One thing I found surprising was that Europeans who collect steam toys also buy the full-size steam engines – they appreciate both categories. That’s not typically the case with American steam toy collectors.” 

NEW YORK – Smart-phone auction bidding is no longer confined to just the iPhone and Blackberry. LiveAuctioneers.com, the Manhattan-based company that provides real-time Internet bidding capability to more than 900 auction houses worldwide, has released a custom-designed live-bidding app for use with Google’s revolutionary Android platform. The app, which is available free of charge, was created by LiveAuctioneers App Tehnologies to enable users to bid in auctions through mobile devices other than Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry.

All of these great toy auctions scheduled for later this year will feature Internet live bidding from anywhere in the world through www.LiveAuctioneers.com:

Feb. 26-27 – Dan Morphy Auctions, Denver, Pa. (Antique Toys, Tobacco Tins, Firearms – featuring the Pat and Lowell Wagner Steam Engine & Steam Toy Collection)

March 16 - Dan Morphy Auctions, Denver, Pa. (Discovery Sale)

PITTSBURGH – Collectors of antique toy soldiers and figures have long known that good things come in small packages, and that ever-growing legion of enthusiasts helped push the total for Old Toy Soldier’s Nov. 21 auction to $193,000 – the company’s highest sale total to date. Leading the charge in the 644-lot sale was an army of figures from the German manufacturer Heyde (pronounced “High-dee”).  

“The Heyde lots really got the momentum going,” said Old Toy Soldier Auction USA’s owner, Ray Haradin. “There was a tremendous amount of interest in them, and in all the German-made figures, for that matter.”  

Haradin explained that collectors are attracted to Heyde figures because they are highly realistic and do not look mass produced. “Their sets are very fanciful. They tend to have 20 pieces in them, with all 20 being different, so they display very nicely. Also, Heyde made their figures in a larger scale than Britains did, so they tend to cross over more with toy and train collectors.”