Spring 2025

melodies on a flute.This wooden creation was created for adult entertain- ment. It used a series of bellows to produce the air blown through the fig- ure’s lips—it was not a music box. What started out as amusement for adults, mechanical figures transi- tioned over the years to smaller, whimsical characters, now targeting their appeal to children. Their origin began with the mechanisms of clockwork, music boxes and phonographs. A wind-up toy uses a clockwork motor and a spring to create move- ment. When the toy is wound up, the spring stores energy. When the spring is released, the energy is converted into motion that powers the toy’s mechanisms. A big part of the appeal and value to collectors is the wide variety of actions available. Usually, the more actions performed, the more valuable the toy. Walking, spinning, making sound, changing direction and facial movement categorizes it as either a major action or minor action toy. Many toys were well used and did not survive their juvenile owners, so a piece in good working order can command a high price. Most were sold at five-and-dime stores. They were not expensive, usually retailing for around $1.95-3.95. Now, some are valued over $1000 with the original box. The heyday of tin wind-up toys was from 1952-1962.The primary pro- ducers of these toys were Germany, Japan and the U.S. The material of choice was tinplate. It is sheet metal covered in tin, printed in colorful lithography, die-cut and assembled with tabs. After 1962, plastic became the material of choice and tin fell out of favor.The earlier toys tended to be smaller, with larger versions being manufactured later. Transitional, medium-sized toys are often the most rare and therefore the most desir- able and expensive by collector standards. Since the 4th century BC, stories of wind-ups have entertained and enchanted. And while these rarities seem like tin can haven, the art survives, preserved by the passion of collectors who love whimsy. And now, in a world seething with the reality of doom and gloom, they can nourish your imagination and refresh your spirit. But catch them while you can before they all end up in private collections, hidden away and unavailable for us to enjoy their quirky little movements from a time gone by. Marjorie Snow is a published writer and photographer with a vast knowl- edge of antiques and their history. Snow was the owner of Terra Cotta in Las Vegas, an exclusive architectural vintage gallery, which has been featured in numerous West Coast magazines. C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • S P R I N G 2 0 2 5 105 (Clockwise) 1960s Technofix tin wind-up motorcyclist valued between $240-$380 ($600 in original box). From Universal Monsters Series, Frankenstein walking robot valued between $175-$250. 1960s Marx Hanna-Barbera tin wind-ups—Elroy, Fred Flintstone, George Jetson ($240-$400 each). The rare Nomura Shutterbug, worth $1,735 in its original box.