Milestone’s May 3 Premier Vintage Toy Auction casts wide net across many genres, showcasing museum-quality classics made in Japan, Germany, France and USA

Featured: 1 of 3 known Felix the Cat Carousels, fresh-to-market collection of battery-op robots and characters: Tarzan, Snappy the Dragon, Capt. Hook, Walking Batman, Smoking Popeye on Spinach Can

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio – Milestone’s May 3 Premier Vintage Toy Auction offers a treasure trove of classic 20th-century toys from the legendary manufacturing hotspots of Japan, Europe and the United States. Led by an extraordinary Gunthermann Felix the Cat tin carousel, the 814-lot sale is also highlighted by a 330-piece fresh-to-the-market battery-op collection, Continental toys and autos; robots and space toys; motorcycles, and big, super-hot postwar racers. Most of the toys entered in the auction come with their coveted original boxes, some of which are even harder to obtain than the toys they house. 

That irrepressible cartoon feline, Felix the Cat, leads the esteemed toy lineup in his usual fun-seeking fashion, this time in the form of an extremely rare Gunthermann (Germany) tin windup Felix the Cat Carousel marketed in 1928. The visuals on this wonderful toy show Felix driving an open roadster and also riding on top of a zeppelin, both forms of transportation that captivated the public at the time of the toy’s release. Another Felix figure on the base cranks the carousel, and graphics of the wide-eyed cat running in full stride encircle the carnival-style canopy. 

“Felix was a phenomenon in the 1920s,” said Miles King, co-owner of Milestone Auctions. “His image was chosen for the first-ever balloon to appear in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (in 1927). The following year, a helium-filled Felix balloon was released at the end of the parade so it could fly high and thrill kids all over New York City. Also in 1928, RCA and NBC began testing their early television equipment with an image of Felix, and 18 years later when a coin-operated TV receiver was set up in Manhattan to introduce consumers to the new form of entertainment, they chose Felix to share the screen with test patterns. He’s been a hugely popular multimedia icon for over a century, since his debut in a 1923 comic strip.”

The Gunthermann Felix the Cat Carousel in Milestone’s auction is one of only three examples of its type known to exist. In excellent condition, this fabulous rarity is offered with a $20,000-$40,000 estimate.

Right alongside Felix is the auction’s flashy pace car, a rare and coveted Yonezawa postwar-Japanese Atom Jet 58 Racer. Friction-powered and all original – including its tailfin, tires and hubcaps – this lavishly-detailed automotive favorite comes complete with its original paper-label box. At 27 inches long, it’s one of the largest and most attractively lithographed Japanese toys ever produced, combining aspects of Formula 1 racecars with imaginative design details of futuristic rocket-powered vehicles. Glossy and bright, this highly sought-after vehicle looks as though it has never been played with, and that’s quite a feat for a toy that’s nearly 70 years old. It will roll across the auction block with a $30,000-$40,000 estimate, and according to Miles King, its required opening bid of $10,000 has already been met. “This one will fly,” King said.

Another fantastic oversize Japanese racer is the 19-inch tin friction #98 Champion’s Racer made by Yonezawa. All original (including the tires) and in unplayed-with condition, it’s bright and colorful, with clean chrome accents. The car’s friction mechanism is in working order, and visually, it’s “as good as it gets,” Miles King observed. “I don’t know that you could find a better one.” Auction estimate: $5,000-$7,000

There’s a major treat in store for collectors of postwar Japanese battery-operated toys, both of the character and robot/space toy variety. In its May 3rd auction, Milestone takes pride in showcasing a 30-year collection of 330 fresh-to-the-market Japanese battery ops. Sourced directly from a US East Coast private collector, it is, without question, one of the finest of all known battery op assemblages.

Every battery op enthusiast wants a Marx Snappy the Happy Bubble Blowing Dragon, and they’ll find a superior one in this auction. Displaying very nice colors, with a clean battery box, it has been graded “outstanding.” An all-original example, 14-inch-long Snappy is accompanied by its original (relined) pictorial box. When tested, this extremely hard-to-find toy was confirmed to be in very good working order. Its auction estimate is $6,000-$8,000.

Another very rare battery op, a Marusan 8-inch-tall battery-operated Captain Hook also comes with its original pictorial box. It is in all original, unplayed-with condition, including the very clean battery box. The dastardly pirate character is complete, even retaining its original hat and sword. Collectors aren’t likely to overlook this gem, which is expected to reach the $3,000-$5,000 range. 

On every battery op fan’s wish list, you’ll find Linemar’s colorful Smoking Popeye on a Spinach Can. That wish will be fulfilled for the lucky bidder who claims the all-original and complete example entered in Milestone’s sale. The punchy, spinach-loving sailor comes with its attractive original factory box (including inserts and instructions) emblazoned “See His Pipe Light Up As He Smokes.” When tested, the toy was in fine working order and ready to amuse. Estimate: $3,000-$4,000

An absolute classic of the battery-op world is Nomura’s 12-inch-tall Walking Batman, and it would be a challenge to find a nicer example than the one being auctioned by Milestone. It’s all-original, super-clean and complete, including its cloth Batman cape. The Gotham City superhero toy is accompanied by its scarce original box with a “Fairylite” logo, indicating it was made for the British market. Graded “excellent” overall and estimated at $6,000-$8,000, it joins 17 other Batman toys in the sale lineup, including a Yonezawa tin friction Batman Toyopet convertible, a profusely lithographed Yanoman tin friction Batman driving a tail-finned vehicle, and a boxed Remco “Working Batmobile Dashboard.”

The Walking Batman enjoys crossover status, as it is viewed by some collectors as not just a battery-op but also a robot. That makes it the perfect toy to introduce the selection of 47 battery-operated and windup ‘bots of every imaginable iteration, from robot construction workers driving bulldozers to UFO characters on a 1950s carnival shooting-gallery game. At the top of that list is a sensational example of a rare Yonezawa battery-operated Jupiter Robot with its elusive original pictorial box. All original and complete, with its correct remote-control battery box, the 13-inch-tall Jupiter worked well when tested. Condition-wise, it is “excellent,” with a shiny finish and bright colors. This must-have robot is estimated at $15,000-$25,000.

The European-toy category features many charming early 20th-century character toys, including seven German-made Lehmanns. Amongst the highlights are a boxed Li-La windup hansom cab, $2,000-$3,000; a flywheel Walking Down Broadway, $1,500-$2,000; and a windup Masuyama, $1,000-$1,500. Fifteen toys by the revered French manufacturer Fernand Martin include a tin windup Parisian Woman with hand-painted facial details and dressed in a fabric outfit consisting of a dress, shawl, muff and hat. All original, in “excellent” condition, and in very good working order, its estimate is set at $3,000-$4,000. Other Martins of note include The Carpenter, $2,000-$3,000; Lady Walking with Baby, $1,500-$2,500; Agent de Police, $1,500-$2,500; La Portiere, $1,000-$1,500; and The Perfect Fisherman, $1,000-$2,000. 

Fifty-nine lots of all-American Buddy ‘L’ pressed-steel automotive toys are led by a #208 Passenger Bus whose condition will not disappoint even the most particular collector. This 29-inch-long hobby favorite is graded “extremely fine” with exceptional paint and decals. A winning bid in the $5,000-$7,000 range is anticipated.

Other toy manufacturers with a strong presence in the sale include Marx, Hubley, Bing, Chein, Kelmet, Keystone, Tonka, American National, Distler, Arnold and many more. The supreme German toy brand Marklin is represented in high style with a beautiful circa-1906 hand-painted 1 gauge Schlitz Beer railroad car. All original with vivid colors, an opening side door and hinged roof, it is decorated with the Schlitz “globe” logo and the slogan “Schlitz THE BEER THAT MADE MILWAUKEE FAMOUS.” The auction estimate is set at $8,000-$12,000.

The May 3, 2025 Spring Premier Vintage Toy Auction will be held at Milestone’s gallery located at 38198 Willoughby Pkwy., Willoughby, OH 44094. Start time: 10am ET. Ample free parking. In addition to live bidding at the gallery, Milestone welcomes all other forms of remote bidding: absentee, phone or live online through Milestone Live, LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable and AuctionZip. Worldwide shipping available. For additional information about any toy in the auction, to reserve a phone line for bidding, or to discuss consigning to a future Milestone auction, call Miles King at 440-527-8060 or email [email protected]. Online: www.milestoneauctions.com