Beautiful bell toys, rare banks and rare Victorian Christmas cards rose to the top at Milestone’s Dec. 6 Winter Premier Antique Toy & Bank Auction
Star lots: Group of 20 19th-C. 3-D pop-up Christmas cards, $20,400; Bread Winners mechanical bank and Clown with Crooked Hat still bank, $15K each, Drummer Boy Chariot bell toy, $12K
WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – You never know what will happen at an auction, and the latest case to prove that point was Milestone’s December 6 Winter Premier sale featuring antique toys, banks and high-quality vintage collectibles. The 633-lot selection chalked up $670,000 in sales, with several pieces well surpassing expectations and one “sleeper” rising from its “long winter’s nap” to command a price that was a staggering 51 times its high estimate.
While undeniably beautiful, the group lot consisting of 20 Victorian-era 3-dimensional pop-up Christmas cards harbored additional hidden value that probably would not have been recognized except by bidders with a deep involvement in Christmas antiques, ephemera in particular. The selection included a number of extremely beautiful designs, and the fact that they were three-dimensional pop-ups as opposed to standard-format cards, set them apart from the get-go. But within the small specialty collection, there were also some very rare examples, which did not evade the eyes of seasoned aficionados of Christmas goods. Estimated at $200-$400, the lot was bid to $20,400 – a stunning 51 times the high estimate, equating to an average price of $1,020 per card.
“This was a classic case of crossover-shopping success,” said Miles King, co-owner of Milestone Auctions. “Collectors of toys, banks, pop culture items and holiday antiques are very smart about scouring auctions that aren’t specific to what they collect. They always have an eye out for something great that might appear in an auction that isn’t focused solely on the specialty they collect. We were delighted to see how much interest there was in this lot and also to be able to deliver the good news about the selling price to the consignor.”
Two banks, in particular, had a big day at the auction. A rare J&E Stevens “Bread Winners” mechanical bank, with no cracks or repairs, presented in VG-Excellent condition and came with provenance from the Ed Steinberger collection. It conveyed to the winning bidder for $15,000 against an estimate of $5,000-$8,000. Amongst the still (non-mechanical) banks, an Ober (Chagrin Falls, Ohio) nickel-plated 6½-inch-tall “Clown with Crooked Hat” bank, known to be uncommon, was graded Excellent to Near Mint and entered with an estimate of $400-$800. It delivered an auction-day surprise, matching the Bread Winners bank dollar for dollar and achieving $15,000.
The bells were ringing cheerfully as nearly five dozen rare antique cast-iron bell toys from the James Fetzer collection paraded cross the auction block. An extremely appealing “Drummer Boy Chariot” made circa 1895 by Gong Bell (East Hampton, Conn) showed off crisp casting and well-executed details as well as bright original paint and no cracks or repairs. In Excellent-NM condition, it sold for $12,000 against a $4,000-$8,000 estimate.
An endearing Gong Bell “Mary & Her Little Lamb” bell toy with no condition problems whatsoever claimed a strong winning bid of $9,300 against an estimate of $1,500-$2,000; and from Gong Bell’s crosstown rival, N N Hill, a charming bell toy depicting early comic-strip superstars “Buster Brown and Tige” swept past its $1,200-$1,500 estimate to settle confidently at $4,680.
A fleet of high-quality pressed-steel vehicles gave collectors a taste of what to expect in Milestone’s January 10-11, 2026 New Year’s Toy Truck Spectacular. Two super-clean favorites made by Sturditoy (Pawtucket, R.I.) led the way for the popular subcategory, starting with a 35-inch-long Tractor Trailer Oil Tanker. Graded Excellent, with all-original paint and decals, it rumbled off to a new owner for $11,700 against an estimate of $6,000-$8,000. Not far behind it was a 30-inch-long Sturditoy Wrecker. Also in outstanding all-original condition, with exceptional paint and decals, it even retained its original towing hook. Estimated at $2,000-$3,000, it raced to an impressive $8,700. View the catalog and prices realized for the May 3, 2025 Winter Premier Antiques Toy & Bank Auction online through Milestone’s website. To discuss consigning to a future toy auction at Milestone, whether it’s a single item or an entire collection, please call Miles King at 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign. Online: https://www.milestoneauctions.com.
