WHAT: A 38-inch-long antique Marklin toy ocean liner that sold for $271,400 recently at Bertoia Auctions was pristine and all original. Lifeboats, masts and four stacks were like new, along with other details. The result set a new world record for a toy boat at auction.
MORE: Found in an attic where it had been stored for decades, the ship was covered with dust and grime. Ironically, that is what probably preserved the original paint. When meticulously cleaned, the original surface showed, bright and colorful as new. Many of todayβs most collectible old toys were probably given as gifts, then ignored by the owner. Toys were then put into a closet (or attic) and promptly forgotten.
SMART COLLECTORS KNOW: Before Japanese tin toys of the 1950s and β60s became wildly collectible, German-made toys from the late 1800s set the standard for antique toys. For some serious collectors, they still are, but soaring values have put both categories out of reach for many.
HOT TIP: The previous record price for a toy boat was $264,000, also set at Bertoia Auctions, for a Marklin Chicago paddle wheeler from a famed collection.
BOTTOM LINE: The buyer was a private European collector, and the result hit almost four times its high estimate.
