Press Release

New Hamburg, ON, Canada, November 7, 2024 -- An outstanding single-owner collection of vintage and antique toys, many of them rare German and Japanese examples, plus Canadiana and historic objects, will come up for bid in two days of online-only auctions slated for Friday and Saturday, November 8th and 9th by Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., with different start times for each day.

The November 8th sale of toys, 208 lots in all, featuring the Phil Barnett collection, is an online-only auction with no live webcast portion. Lots will close in sequential order beginning at 5pm Eastern time that day. The November 9th sale of Canadiana, Toys & Historic Objects will close via live webcast starting at 9am Eastern time that day; more than 360 lots will come up for bid.

“The Phil Barnett collection affords collectors of toys, Canadiana and oddities a rare opportunity to pick from his treasure trove,” said Ethan Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions. Ltd. “Phil is a great storyteller. Every object he collected tells a story and he took pride in his toys. From Bing to Bandai, you’ll find rarities like nowhere else, with condition that only a trained eye could vet.”

Many of the higher-dollar lots can be found in the November 9th session. These will be led by an extremely rare circa 1920 lithographed tin eight-man scull with coxswain toy made by Gunthermann, one of the elite German toy companies. The magnificent large toy (29 inches in length) depicts a racing team in blue and white uniforms on a light brown scull. It has the same synchronized rowing action as a real scull and carries a pre-sale estimate of $10,000-$12,000.

All prices quoted in this report are in Canadian dollars.

Equally scarce is the circa 1905-1910 lithographed tin toy depicting a Coupe Gordon Bennet No. 5 race car made by the Siegfried Gunthermann Adolf Weigel company. The toy retains the original toy and passenger and is in very good original condition, with the chain-driven clockwork mechanism tested and working. It’s a toy that rarely comes to auction and is found in some of the world’s best toy collections and museums. It’s expected to bring $8,000-$10,000.

An American Kentucky flintlock rifle made by Nicholas Hawk (1782-1844, Monroe County, Pa.), .46 calibre, with a barrel length of 31 ½ inches (and overall 47 inches long), should hit the target for $6,000-$8,000. The barrel is signed “Nicholas Hawk Gunsmith” in script on a brass inlay and the stock is tiger maple. Hawk built a reputation for producing high-quality firearms detailed with intricate brass and silver engravings and inlays, and this rifle is a fine example.

A Canadian Pequegnat “Nelson” Hall clock with a quarter cut oak case, made during the Berlin period (1904-1916), is considered the rarest of the Pequegnat Hall clocks. Only a few are known to exist. Features include a key, original pendulum stick and bob, original finish (with overall crazing), original beveled glass, original acorns on chains, original weights, a Berlin signed movement and a full label on the rear door. The 81 ¼ inch clock should realize $3,500-$5,000.

Switching over to November 8th, a German 1930s lithographed tin T-694 toy motorcycle with sidecar, made by Tipp & Co., a company known for their high-quality and realistic toys, has an estimate of $2,000-$3,000. It’s a great display piece, boasting excellent gloss and color, and is tested and working, in very good original condition. It’s marked “Made in Germany” below the driver’s left foot and “Dunlop Cord” on the wheels. The Tipp & Co. logo appears multiple times.

To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the auctions on November 8th & 9th, visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.

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