Premier personal collection of antique toy expert and international dealer Tom Sage Sr to be auctioned May 29 at Morphy’s
300 European and American toys and trains of extraordinary rarity include coveted Marklin productions: 1904 Ferris Wheel, 45in Amerika oceanliner, Gefion battleship, many ‘book’ examples & sole survivors
DENVER, Pa. – On Thursday, May 29, Morphy’s will auction Part I of the lifetime personal collection of European and American antique toys amassed by the late Tom Sage Sr (1939-2024) of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Widely acknowledged as a pioneer of antique toy dealing and collecting, Sage was known for his encyclopedia knowledge of toys and a well-cultivated international network of industry contacts with whom he conducted business for more than 50 years. While buying and selling rare toys was his full-time occupation, Sage also had a mental wish list of toys and trains he personally wanted to own. Over several decades, he astutely filled the slots on that list, and it is those very special pieces that will be offered in the May 29 sale.
While literally every toy in the collection is a showstopper, the auction catalog’s cover photo suggests the top seller may very well end up being Sage’s magnificent 1904 Ferris Wheel made by the revered German firm Marklin. One of only three or four of its type known to exist, it is likely the nicest of that elite handful of survivors. In researching his father’s toys, Tommy Sage Jr, who heads Morphy Auctions’ Toys & Trains department, related that he had found copies of circa-1910 photos taken in Brooklyn of the Ferris Wheel’s then-owner sitting with his son and holding the actual auction toy.
“The Ferris Wheel can be traced back to the gentleman’s relative who worked for a Brooklyn department store and who received the toy when the store closed down before World War I. Dad purchased it at Sotheby’s in 1994. It was one of his finest toys, and he thought so highly of it, he kept it in his bedroom,” Sage said. The Ferris Wheel will convey to its new owner with paperwork, the aforementioned copies of 1910 photos, and a Sotheby’s tag and receipt. The pre-sale estimate is $100,000-$200,000.
In addition to rarity, another characteristic apparent throughout the museum-quality Sage Collection is exceptional – if not astonishing – original condition. Tom Sr was one of the first antique toy dealers who weighed condition as the overriding factor prior to making any purchase. Tommy recalled, “He recognized early on just how important condition was to the trailblazers who came just before him in the toy hobby. He took that as a cue to follow and would always pay a lot of money to obtain a perfect example.”
It would have taken many years of dedicated searching for Sage to have located his 45-inch Marklin Amerika tin oceanliner. Made circa 1909-1910, it is an electric version, powered by a dry cell battery-operated motor housed within the hull and connected to two propellers via a drive shaft. Beautifully appointed and in stunning original condition, it represents the largest cataloged (Ref. 5050/11E) Marklin oceanliner of its era. “My dad was very fond of large German boats, and this was one of his best,” Tommy said. Estimate: $100,000-$150,000
Also produced at Marklin’s original factory in Goppingen, Germany, a handsome, all-original Gefion battleship is designed with a distinctive “ram” front, a feature that was added to real warships of its era for the expressed purpose of inflicting damage on enemy vessels. With respect to toy ships, the rule is, the bigger the ram front, the earlier the production. This particular toy, which comes with a crew of 11 original Heyde soldiers, dates to around 1904. Its auction estimate is $30,000-$50,000.
Marklin rival Rock & Graner, which also based its operation in Goppingen, Germany, was the manufacturer of a 20-inch-long Wilhelm II clockwork side-wheel (paddlewheel) boat with a substantial front bow. Tommy Sage noted that his father owned some 70 antique toy boats, and of those, only two were paddlewheelers. He explained that they are especially rare because not as many were made in comparison to other types of marine craft. “In the early 20th century, kids preferred battleships and oceanliners, so far fewer paddlewheelers actually made it to the marketplace,” he said. Rare and desirable, the Wilhelm II is pictured in (David) Pressland’s Great Book of Tin Toys (New Cavendish Books, 1995). Its pre-sale estimate is $15,000-$25,000.
A fabulous automotive toy that would be deserving of a place in even the most advanced collection, a hand-painted 13-inch-long Bing taxi is finished in an unusual maroon color and is complete with its taxi meter, liveried driver, and even its original store box from Au Bon Marche in Paris. It is featured in Pressland’s Great Book of Tin Toys and, in Tommy’s opinion, is “dead-mint, perfect … You just don’t find antique cars in such remarkable condition.” Estimate: $25,000-$35,000
A classic that appeals to both toy aficionados and collectors of holiday antiques, a circa-1912 Fischer Father Christmas car is lithographed on its red body with endearing images of teddy bears and other playthings. The rear section of the car is loaded with Christmas-themed goodies, including a small feather tree, a Cracker Jack mini Toonerville Trolley, and other small toys and novelties. Sage observed that the car is “in mint condition and one of the finest of few known examples of its type.” Estimate: $15,000-$25,000
Another German automotive toy depicted in Pressland’s Great Book of Tin Toys is a circa-1890s hand-painted tin horseless carriage of primitive design with unusual maroon spoked wheels. It is possibly the earliest of all cars in the collection. The vehicle has a full-figure driver with a female passenger seated behind him. While the toy’s manufacturer is not known, there is some speculation that it might have been made by Gunthermann. To the best of Tommy’s knowledge, it is the only extant example of its type. Estimate: $6,000-$9,000
Tom Sr was fascinated by early German trains and trams and acquired some extremely fine productions, including a circa-1900 Marklin clockwork tramway trolley. Hand-painted in green with red and cream, the near-mint tram car still has its six original figures and four original catenary poles, with a 27-inch track on which to travel. Like so many important toys in the collection, this turn-of-the-20th-century charmer is illustrated in Pressland’s Great Book of Tin Toys. Tommy opined that it is the best of all trolleys in his father’s collection, describing it as “absolutely beautiful.” Estimate: $20,000-$30,000
A circa-1890s Rock & Graner 1 gauge floor train set consists of an engine/tender combo (push toy) with two additional cars and replacement passenger figures. “This train is a very early production,” Tommy said. “Dad bought it at Alderfer Auctions (Hatfield, Pa.) many years ago.” Its auction estimate at Morphy’s is $20,000-$30,000.
Tommy recalled that his father loved to place an antique Marklin lamp next to every antique toy car he displayed. His wonderful selection of Marklin “lighting” included single, double, and especially-rare triple-globe lamps. One of his best “triples” retains all three of its original globes, with appealing robin’s-egg blue original paint still present on its metal lamp post. Standing 16½ inches tall and in excellent to near-mint condition, it is expected to sell for $8,000-$12,000.
The Thursday May 29, 2025 auction of Tom Sage Sr’s Private Collection of Antique Toys & Trains – Part I will be held live at Morphy’s gallery, 2000 N. Reading Rd., Denver, PA 17517, starting at 9 a.m. Eastern Time. All forms of bidding will be available, including absentee, by phone, and live via the Internet through Morphy Live. For condition enquiries, to leave an absentee bid, or to reserve a line for phone bidding, call Dan Morphy tollfree at 877-968-8880 or email [email protected].
