Monsters, Hollywood 'bad girls,' a bounteous array of toys in Old Town's Nov. 18-20 auction Monsters, Hollywood ‘bad girls’ and a bounteous array of toys are on the menu
at Old Town’s Nov. 18-20 Thanksgiving auction, featuring items from the original editor of Femme Fatales magazine.
News-Antique.com - Nov 08,2011 - HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Matt Protos has amassed a sterling lineup of toys and 20th-century pop culture items for Old Town Auctions’ Nov. 18-20 auction titled “Monsters, Wheels and Girls on Film.”
“This is the best lineup of collections we’ve ever offered, and a lot of the material is rare and exotic. It’s unlike anything you’re likely to see at other auctions,” said Protos.
Approximately 200-250 lots are from the collection of Bill George, the original editor of Femme Fatales magazine whose now-closed private museum in Baltimore was devoted to horror film and B-movie “scream queens.”
The collection contains numerous monster-theme Aurora model kits, movie posters, collectibles from Universal monster films, and original artwork from the genre. Additionally, there are many B-movie starlets’ autographs and related items of ephemera; sci-fi and horror toys and collectibles – including some fairly rare Marx productions – action figures, and an extensive selection of promotional items that were available only to industry insiders.
A special inclusion in the Bill George consignment is the collection of original sculptures and paintings by Daniel Horne, known for his fantastic cover art on the magazines Dungeon and Dragon, and other projects. Among the subjects depicted are Frankenstein, Wolfman and Space Monster. Resin monster figures by other artists will be sold, as well. Many were produced in limited editions of 200 or less, and some are artist’s proofs.
Another featured collection in the Nov. 18-20 auction consists of pressed-steel automotive toys amassed over many years by Jay Kaufman of Scottsdale, Arizona.
“Jay is a well-known collector of fine classic and vintage cars. His mindset has always been attuned to perfection, so just like his full-size cars, many of his toys are beautifully restored – he thinks like a car guy,” said Protos. While most of the toys to be auctioned have benefited from top-quality restoration, many others are in all-original condition.
The Kaufman collection includes all of the big names – American National, Buddy ‘L,’ Keystone, Structo, etc. Highlights include a coveted Buddy ‘L’ Tugboat and a complete Buddy ‘L’ Outdoor Garden Railway.
Nautical toys also found a welcome place to dock in the Kaufman collection. There are many large-scale, highly detailed boats and ship, including a 37-inch Orkin battleship, a few boats by Fleischmann and some large wooden clockwork dreadnoughts.
An immense variety of other toys appealed to Kaufman, including airplanes and aviation items, tin wind-ups of all kinds, boxed battery ops, Western toys and a toy gun collection that includes BB, space-theme and cap guns. Watching over the collection was an eye-catching life-size Popeye store mannequin made of heavy composition, with movable arms and head, and dressed in a cloth sailor suit and hat.
The auction will feature a choice collection of die-cast vehicles, including early mint/boxed Matchbox, Dinky, Hot Wheels and Corgi toys. Slot cars and sets, and an estate collection of 120+ plastic promotional cars will cross the auction block, as well. “These sorts of promotional cars were given out at automobile dealerships,” Protos explained. “This
