Serious Toyz' online sale is under way, ends Oct. 9-10 The Fall '09 Online Vintage Toy & Collectible Auction, being held by Serious Toyz (serioustoyz.com), is already under way and will end Oct. 9-10. Offered are hundreds of treasures, without reserve.
News-Antique.com - Oct 02,2009 - CROTON-ON-HUDSON, NY — It’s being touted as among the most impressive and diverse online auctions of its kind in years and a spectacular opportunity for collectors to bid on an expansive range of classic toys and memorabilia with no reserve prices. Registration and bidding for the Fall ‘09 Online Vintage Toy & Collectible Auction from Serious Toyz is already under way, and offers collectors and aficionados an unparalleled selection of superior vintage toys and collectibles. The auction ends Friday, October 9 at 10:00 p.m. EST for Part One (Character and Classic Toys, 504 lots), and Saturday, October 10 at 10:00 p.m. EST for Part Two (Toy Vehicles, 576 lots). The online auction is found at www.serioustoyz.com.
The Serious Toyz online auction features a total of 1,081 lots of vintage toy collectibles from every conceivable category and appealing to every price point. With lots ranging from tin vehicles, Matchbox cars and Disney characters, to superhero lunch boxes and 1936 celluloid “Popeye the Champ,” the Serious Toyz ’09 Online Vintage Auction represents a panoply of coveted collectible items from some of the industry’s most noteworthy purveyors, consignors and collectors of toy ephemera.
While the challenging economy may still have a stranglehold on some sectors, collectors of vintage toys can take heart, explains Tom Miano, owner of Serious Toyz. “Vintage toy and collectible auction prices continue to be robust, and in many cases, record setting,” Mr. Miano says. “When you combine the expanding popularity of collecting with a finite number of available items, the continual climb in prices for ‘the good stuff’ does make sense. However, ‘good stuff’ does not necessarily mean expensive.” Mr. Miano stresses that Serious Toyz prides itself “on bringing the best items we can offer, in a wide range of collecting categories, at all price ranges. This auction is no exception. Every item we offer gets equal treatment, no matter what the ultimate value. And,” he adds, “we understand it's not how much you spend, but what it is. A true collector will get the same pleasure from adding a $20 item as from a $2,000 item.”
He points out that the Fall ’09 Auction “is another breakthrough” for Serious Toyz, considering the number of higher-priced items up for grabs. There is already a lot of buzz surrounding a stunning, battery-operated remote control 1956 Mark II Continental, featuring front and rear directional lights, manufactured by Linemar (Marx). The two-door sedan “is one of the rarest tin cars in the world,” Mr. Miano says; it is in near pristine condition, and has a minimum bid of $3,500.
Mr. Miano points out that the 1956 Mark II Continental — as well as a significant number of the early character items offered on the online auction — are courtesy of the collection of “a wonderful couple,” both of whom have been ardent toy collectors since the 1970s. “These two were way ahead of the collecting curve,” he points out, “and they were able to gather incredible examples of some of the rarest
