(WJW) – A rare collection of antique toys and trains earned more than $2.5 million at an auction in late May, with the highest-valued toy going for $156,000.
The collection came from world-renowned antique dealer Tom Sage Sr., of Allentown, Pennsylvania, according to a press release from Morphy Auctions. Sage had started collecting Lionel trains in the 1960s, his obituary explained, and his collection grew to include tin toys, mechanical banks, and boats.
“He had an eye for the finest things and only kept an item if it was in excellent condition,” per his obituary in The Morning Call.
The collection was available May 29 through Pennsylvania-based Morphy Auctions and included nearly 300 items. The item that fetched the single highest price was a 1904 Ferris Wheel made by the revered German firm Marklin.
“One of only three or four of its type known to exist, it was likely the nicest of that elite handful of survivors, retaining its six original gondolas, attractive stained glass, and original figures,” read the release. “It had passed down through the family of a gentleman who worked for a Brooklyn department store and had received the toy when the business closed down sometime before World War I. Its auction ride concluded at a buoyant $156,000.”
A clockwork-powered Marklin toy boat and a detailed Marklin limousine were also highly coveted items, going for $79,950 and $72,000, respectively, at auction.
“Part II” of the toy lot is going up for bid with Morphy Auctions in October.
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