Toy Sleds: Just One More Run

When my editor, Judy Gonyeau, pinged me a while back and told me that toy sleds might make for a fun topic for this Holiday issue of the Journal, I thought, “That’s a great idea … I loved sledding when I was a kid. Speed, playing in the snow, wiping out my little brother, what’s not to love?” Then I wondered, do I even have any sleds in my collection?

Turns out I do, and it’s looking right at me from a shelf here in my office. Or more accurately, it’s headed right for me. I’d seen worn examples of this heavy (for its size) cast metal toy several times at shows and flea markets, but then a beautiful example presented itself a few years ago. It was made by Barclay, a manufacturer that’s well known for its toy soldiers and lead toy cars and trucks made before World War Two, and the sled is about 2-7/8 inches in length. I bought it because Barclay nailed the figure, positioning him perfectly on the sled for a banzai run to the bottom of the hill. My example is two pieces, but I’ve seen others (including a version with the rider figure sitting on the sled) that are one piece. They’re generally priced in the $20 or so range, which I think is a bargain for a piece of 1930s winter fun.

The Barclay sparked a memory of a sled toy that I owned and then sold many years ago … a windup toy made in Occupied Japan just after World War II, consisting of a metal sled to which is attached a rider figure made of celluloid, the ultra lightweight plastic that Japanese toy makers used a lot at the time. The rider figure is a child, who strangely appears to have a wicked sunburn. Maybe it’s time to park the sled and head for the hot cocoa.

The box for this one is better than the toy – Kenkosha, the manufacturer, labeled it “Lucky Sledge,” instead of “sled,” and the period artwork includes the words “Oh, wonderful!” Presumably that’s a reference to the fun of sledding rather than to the less-than-accurate spelling. Occupied Japan toys in general remain pretty affordable; I’ve seen this one priced in the $50 to $75 range when it’s complete with the box.

The theme of the upright sledding position (I’m actually a belly whopper man myself, better aerodynamics) continued last weekend when I was at a vintage toy show. I spotted the windup sled with the white figure with red accessories on a table filled with wooden and papier-mache toy houses and asked the seller who the maker was. He didn’t know but said it was a German piece and he wanted $150 for it. I thought it a charming toy, with the figure’s red cheeks (just a healthy glow, no sunblock needed this time) and fluffy snowsuit. It didn’t come home with me, but I’ll bet somebody snapped it up.

My toy sled education got an additional boost as I prepared to write this piece. I’d seen the metal bobsled toy a few times at shows, but I didn’t know anything about it other than that it’s a brick – very heavy, as cast iron toys generally are. It’s about five inches long and I think the figures are plastic. It was made by an outfit named Karl Heusser, in Germany, during the 1950s. The base of the toy includes the name

“Hela-Bob,” which I also saw in an old print ad for the toys. The ad showed a different (more open) two-man bobsled, along with a longer four-man version that I’m guessing weighs nearly as much as the real thing.

Now I’ll be on the lookout for one of these (maybe all three) as I think they really look the business. And maybe I can convince my girls to watch Cool Runnings with me this weekend.

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Douglas R. Kelly is the editor of Marine Technology magazine. His byline has appeared in Antiques Roadshow Insider; Back Issue; Diecast Collector; RetroFan; and Buildings magazines.