Old Town Auctions' June 11-12 Spring Treasure Hunt features toys, antique advertising, more Old Town Auctions is planning a fun-filled June 11-12 weekend of bidding, buying and socializing the way it used to be done in the 1980s & 90s - at the Grand Venice Hotel, Hagerstown, Md.
News-Antique.com - May 08,2011 - HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Get ready to turn back the clock and spend a fun-filled weekend bidding, buying and socializing the way it used to be done in the 1980s and ’90s. Matt Protos, owner of Old Town Auctions, says “old school” hotel room and parking lot trading will be encouraged at his company’s June 11-12 auction containing 1,000+ antique and vintage toys, antique advertising and funky “techno” and folk art. The auction, known as Old Town’s “Spring Treasure Hunt,” will be held at the Grand Venice Hotel in Hagerstown, Md., between Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
To reward those who attend in person, Protos is offering a discounted buyer’s premium and the chance to bid on an uncataloged section of goodies prior to the live portion of the sale. “Some excellent pieces are waiting to be discovered in the uncataloged portion, which will not be available to absentee or phone bidders. These items, alone, will make it more than worthwhile to come to the auction,” Protos said.
Saturday’s roster consists of a broad spectrum of toys, plus bicycles, country store and advertising items. A huge collection of early diecast vehicles will be offered, from such makers as Matchbox, Corgi, TootsieToy and Lesney. Almost all are boxed. “This is a very clean collection. There are some very good Corgis, including Batman and Green Hornet, and the Matchbox Gray Wheels run almost the entire gamut of production in the 1950s and ’60s,” said Protos.
A large collection of 100+ Western cap and toy guns, most of them holstered, include licensed types branded for The Lone Ranger, Hopalong Cassidy, Gene Autry, etc.
The tin and cast-iron toy section is led by a racer – possibly by Carette – that came from an Iowa estate. It is joined by a rare, boxed Structo Auto-Builder No. 10 Racer and several nice Lehmann wind-ups. Circus and clown toys will add color and whimsy to the sale, as will many boxed Chein toys.
The battery op category includes numerous space toys, such as a full set of boxed Archer Spacemen and a Hasbro Lunar Launcher game that propels plastic flying saucers when the target is hit. The toy lineup continues with postwar toys by makers including Remco and Ideal; and automotive toys including slot car sets.
Those irresistible bikes that every boy of the 1960s hoped to find under the Christmas tree will make an appearance at Old Town’s sale, with some of the highlights including Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy models, and early cruisers with fat tires. Schwinn bikes are represented by a Green Panther and a Manta Ray. Both will be given a run for their money when a shiny Whizzer Sportsman motorcycle and Cushman Red Eagle scooter approach the auction block.
Antique advertising will be led by several fine Coca-Cola lots including porcelain signs and a string holder; and a large porcelain sign for the English brand Player’s Navy Cut Cigarettes. Other advertising signs deserving of special mention include an 8-ft.-long framed, die-cut porcelain Mobiloil
