Debut offering of antique toys from the personal collection of the late Tom Sage Sr chalks up $2.6M at Morphy’s
Marklin boats, fine German autos, a Father Christmas car, and a circa-1904 Marklin Ferris Wheel that sold for $156K topped the luxe array of European and American toys and trains, many book examples
DENVER, Pa. – The extraordinary rarity, quality and condition reflected throughout the late Tom Sage Sr’s personal collection of antique toys and trains worked in concert to achieve remarkable prices at Morphy’s high-profile May 29 auction. The 295-lot lot session, which closed at $2.6 million, represented Part I of a premier assemblage of European and American toys amassed over a 50-year period by Sage (1939-2024), an acknowledged pioneer of the antique toy trade. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, native was widely known for his prowess at networking internationally and, if necessary, paying above-market prices to obtain the finest examples. His foresight was amply validated on auction day, as one fabulous toy after another sailed past its high estimate and moved on to its next chapter of stewardship.
As predicted, the day’s top lot was the auction catalog’s cover piece, a magnificent 1904 Ferris Wheel made by the revered German firm Marklin. One of only three or four of its type known to exist, it was likely the nicest of that elite handful of survivors, retaining its six original gondolas, attractive stained glass, and original figures. It had passed down through the family of a gentleman who had worked for a Brooklyn department store and received the toy when the business closed down sometime before World War I. Sage purchased the Ferris Wheel at Sotheby’s in 1994 and, according to his son, toy authority Tommy Sage Jr, he thought so highly of it, he displayed it in his bedroom. Its unusually complete provenance conveyed with the toy in the form of paperwork, copies of circa-1910 photos of its then-owner (a relative of the original owner) holding the Ferris Wheel; and Sage’s 1994 Sotheby’s tag and receipt. It ended its bidding run at a buoyant $156,000.
Sage loved his Marklin boats and owned many extremely fine productions. Several carried the prestige of appearing in the 1995 book Pressland’s Great Book of Tin Toys, a now-classic reference written by London-based toy expert David Pressland. One such boat was a circa 1902-1904 Marklin clockwork paddle wheel boat Boston, which presented in excellent condition with a few minor exceptions: a replaced mast, incorrect flag and a few burn spots to the hull that were incurred at some point when the clockwork mechanism’s mounts were resoldered. The 19-inch tin vessel sold at Morphy’s for $79,950 against an estimate of $30,000-$40,000.
A sizable 29-inch Marklin clockwork oceanliner Amerika, Catalog Ref 5050, was a first-series production that came with its original stand, mast and lifeboats. In excellent condition and accompanied by its original wooden box, it sailed to $60,000 against an estimate of $30,000-$50,000. Other notable Marklin clockwork boats included a Ref 5044 Milwaukee, $52,800 (est. $30,000-$40,000); a Ref 5103 Columbia gun boat, $48,000 (est. $15,000-$25,000); and a circa 1904-1908 Ref 1089 H.M.S. Edward VII cruiser ship which sold above its high estimate for $21,600.
Sage’s enviable fleet of automotive toys was led by a circa-1912 Fischer Father Christmas car with a green-coated Santa figure at the wheel. Its colorful design incorporated a lithographed-tin cargo of toys, teddy bears, fruit, candy and other treats the holiday gift-giver might leave in children’s Christmas stockings. In mint condition and surely one of the finest of few surviving examples of its type, it raced to $84,000 against an estimate of $15,000-$25,000.
Several cars were also actual book examples seen in the aforementioned David Pressland reference. The first of three such vehicles detailed in this report, a green circa-1909 Marklin Ref 5214/1 hand-painted clockwork-powered limousine, included an original Marklin chauffeur as well as original tires and lamps. Measuring 11 inches in length and graded excellent to near-mint, it made a stylish impression, selling for $72,000 against an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.
The next Pressland book example from the automotive category, a hand-painted Bing taxi with its original taxi meter intact was not only in dead-mint condition, it also retained its original store box from the celebrated Paris store Le Bon Marche (founded in 1838 and now owned by luxury goods conglomerate LVMH). Its rich, highly unusual maroon color made the 13-inch-long cab even more desirable to collectors and no doubt contributed to its $50,400 selling price. The pre-sale estimate had been set at $25,000-$35,000.
A third vehicle seen in the Pressland book a German hand-painted tin horseless carriage was a primitive production made around the 1890s, possibly by the German firm Gunthermann. It included its original full-figure driver and a female passenger figure, which was seated behind him. One of the earliest cars in the Sage Collection and possibly the only extant example of its type, it outperformed its $6,000-$9,000 estimate, applying the brakes at $36,000.
From the rail toys in Sage’s collection, an especially exciting Marklin entry (also depicted in the Pressland book) was a circa-1900 clockwork tramway trolley with original green with red and cream paint. Near-mint with six original figures and four original catenary poles, it came equipped with 27 inches of track. Against an estimate of $20,000-$30,000, it was bid to $48,000.
Tom Sage reveled in displaying each of his antique automotive toys alongside a Marklin streetlamp from approximately the same period of manufacture. His wonderful selection of “lighting” included single, double, and especially-rare triple-globe lamps. One of his best “triples” retained all three of its original globes, with original robin’s-egg-blue paint still intact on its metal lamp post. Standing an imposing 16½ inches tall and in excellent to near-mint condition, it easily surpassed its $8,000-$12,000 estimate to score a winning bid of $24,000.
After hammering the last lot of the day, Morphy Auctions’ founder and principal auctioneer Dan Morphy expressed his pleasure with the session’s outstanding results. “From the day we first announced we would be selling Tom Sage’s collection, the phones started ringing. We knew the sale would draw strong interest from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond because Tom was so knowledgeable about toys and selective about what he bought,” Morphy said. “He always offered high-quality toys to his customers but also had a wish list of toys for his own personal collection and filled those slots one by one over the course of several decades. Many collectors didn’t know what was in his private collection, which made the auction even more exciting for them. We’re thrilled that we were chosen by Tom’s estate to handle his collection and look forward to auctioning part two on October 30th at our Pennsylvania gallery.”
To discuss consigning antique or vintage toys, trains, banks or other quality collectibles to a future auction at Morphy’s, please call Dan Morphy tollfree at 877-968-8880 or email [email protected]. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never an obligation to consign. Visit Morphy’s online at https://www.morphyauctions.com.
