Page 25 - Journal of Antiques and Collectibles June 2019
P. 25
The John Deere logo with its leaping deer has been used for over 155 years, markets whenever he
and the company has different colors for agricultural vs. construction products. went out, which was (and
Farm products feature the green with yellow border logo, and if it is black with still is) often. He started
a yellow deer, that indicates a construction item. building displays for the
collectibles in his office,
TootsieToy then began to integrate
According to University College London and items into his home
madeinchicagomuseum.com, the TootsieToy décor, and then bit the
brand has its origins in a range of miniature bullet when he took over
pewter cars in the form of charms, pins, and cuff one bay of his two-car
links, introduced circa 1901 by the Chicago garage to display his
based Dowst Brothers company. The process of growing collections. Len
die-casting was first introduced to the world at was putting together his
the Columbian Exposition of 1893 when Man Cave before that
Charles Dowst observed a new machine known was a “thing.”
as the Line-O-Type. Mr. Dowst applied the process to the manufacture of var- Remember the seren-
ious items, mainly miniature novelties, eventually producing the first diecast dipity of the main ingre-
toys in 1910. dients of his collection?
The earliest catalog to come out was produced in 1909. The first actual How is this … after
model car from the company was a 1911 closed limousine which was followed driving his El Camino to
by a 1915 Ford Model T his newly purchased land,
Open Tourer. The early cars he put the shovel into the
were also used for tokens on ground for the first time
game boards such as only to find an El
Monopoly (the most popu- Camino TootsieToy. No joke. He still has the toy, and the car, as part of his
lar tokens created by Dowst overall collection. Another example happened when he was looking at a photo-
were the flat-iron, the thim- graph from his grandfather’s estate and saw the 1938 station wagon his grand-
ble, and the Scottie dog). father owned. The next day, he went into an antique shop found a TootsieToy
These toys had no trade of that same car.
name until 1922. The name
TootsieToy was registered as Diversity is King
a trademark on 11 March One thing that struck me about Len’s collection was the extreme variety of
1924, having been applied items licensed and made by John Deere. John Deere lamps. John Deere trains.
for on February 7, 1923. John Deere billiard ball racks. A John Deere mouse for the computer. John
Tootsie was the name of Deere popcorn. John Deere silverware. A John Deere model car: Len points out
Theodore (Ted) Dowst’s that they only made one model car and went back to farm equipment. John
daughter. Sometime before Deere oil cans. John Deere Dixie Cups and dispenser. The list goes on forever,
1925 the TootsieToy name and Len has a little bit of everything.
began to appear in catalogs When asked how
and on boxes of automotive he learned about the
toys but did not appear on vast array of John
the undersides of castings themselves until 1926 or 1927; some unmarked cast- Deere collectibles
ings were still being made after 1930. The 1930s were the most important for available, Len stated
TootsieToys when the name and product came out punching with innovations to he “started talking
the castings and metals used that kept its products out front. with dealers and other
collectors. I learned
The Building of the Collection more from them than
Len knows where he got each item, when, and why; but what is in a book.”
more often than not it is something given to him by friends, Sometimes those
neighbors, and often items just arrive at his place. Take the interactions would
John Deere walker – yes, there is one, and it is in Len’s barn. lead to some unique discoveries, like a piece of advertising found in a wall that
“It just showed up on my lawn one day,” says Len. “I don’t now hangs in the barn.
know if they meant it as a joke or not, but I love it.” Other
Look And Touch
Len takes a very interactive approach to his treasures. Grandchildren are
things that just invited to play, explore, and ask about anything and everything in his collec-
arrived on his tion. While some collectors stay strictly with vintage, Len likes to keep things
stoop include open. It does not matter if it is from 5 years ago or 70 years ago, it is the mean-
toys, signs, the ing behind it that matters. “John Deere items make me happy. They bring back
occasional mug good memories and allow me to share them with my friends and family. My
and more. “I grandchildren come over and
guess if someone go through everything, asking
has a John Deere questions and playing with the
collectible, they toys. As they get older they ask
know where they more detailed questions, like
can drop it off.” how they worked or what they
Just as you meant to me. This is how I am
start seeing red passing down my life experi-
cars on the ences – by creating new mem-
road right after ories for them.”
you decide to Some of his items, like
buy a red car, some of the older signs or
John Deere unique one-of-a-kind col-
collectibles and lectibles, have solid value, but
TootsieToys nothing is worth more to Len
started appearing than sharing his collections
before Len’s eyes with others.
at shops and flea
July 2019 23
and the company has different colors for agricultural vs. construction products. went out, which was (and
Farm products feature the green with yellow border logo, and if it is black with still is) often. He started
a yellow deer, that indicates a construction item. building displays for the
collectibles in his office,
TootsieToy then began to integrate
According to University College London and items into his home
madeinchicagomuseum.com, the TootsieToy décor, and then bit the
brand has its origins in a range of miniature bullet when he took over
pewter cars in the form of charms, pins, and cuff one bay of his two-car
links, introduced circa 1901 by the Chicago garage to display his
based Dowst Brothers company. The process of growing collections. Len
die-casting was first introduced to the world at was putting together his
the Columbian Exposition of 1893 when Man Cave before that
Charles Dowst observed a new machine known was a “thing.”
as the Line-O-Type. Mr. Dowst applied the process to the manufacture of var- Remember the seren-
ious items, mainly miniature novelties, eventually producing the first diecast dipity of the main ingre-
toys in 1910. dients of his collection?
The earliest catalog to come out was produced in 1909. The first actual How is this … after
model car from the company was a 1911 closed limousine which was followed driving his El Camino to
by a 1915 Ford Model T his newly purchased land,
Open Tourer. The early cars he put the shovel into the
were also used for tokens on ground for the first time
game boards such as only to find an El
Monopoly (the most popu- Camino TootsieToy. No joke. He still has the toy, and the car, as part of his
lar tokens created by Dowst overall collection. Another example happened when he was looking at a photo-
were the flat-iron, the thim- graph from his grandfather’s estate and saw the 1938 station wagon his grand-
ble, and the Scottie dog). father owned. The next day, he went into an antique shop found a TootsieToy
These toys had no trade of that same car.
name until 1922. The name
TootsieToy was registered as Diversity is King
a trademark on 11 March One thing that struck me about Len’s collection was the extreme variety of
1924, having been applied items licensed and made by John Deere. John Deere lamps. John Deere trains.
for on February 7, 1923. John Deere billiard ball racks. A John Deere mouse for the computer. John
Tootsie was the name of Deere popcorn. John Deere silverware. A John Deere model car: Len points out
Theodore (Ted) Dowst’s that they only made one model car and went back to farm equipment. John
daughter. Sometime before Deere oil cans. John Deere Dixie Cups and dispenser. The list goes on forever,
1925 the TootsieToy name and Len has a little bit of everything.
began to appear in catalogs When asked how
and on boxes of automotive he learned about the
toys but did not appear on vast array of John
the undersides of castings themselves until 1926 or 1927; some unmarked cast- Deere collectibles
ings were still being made after 1930. The 1930s were the most important for available, Len stated
TootsieToys when the name and product came out punching with innovations to he “started talking
the castings and metals used that kept its products out front. with dealers and other
collectors. I learned
The Building of the Collection more from them than
Len knows where he got each item, when, and why; but what is in a book.”
more often than not it is something given to him by friends, Sometimes those
neighbors, and often items just arrive at his place. Take the interactions would
John Deere walker – yes, there is one, and it is in Len’s barn. lead to some unique discoveries, like a piece of advertising found in a wall that
“It just showed up on my lawn one day,” says Len. “I don’t now hangs in the barn.
know if they meant it as a joke or not, but I love it.” Other
Look And Touch
Len takes a very interactive approach to his treasures. Grandchildren are
things that just invited to play, explore, and ask about anything and everything in his collec-
arrived on his tion. While some collectors stay strictly with vintage, Len likes to keep things
stoop include open. It does not matter if it is from 5 years ago or 70 years ago, it is the mean-
toys, signs, the ing behind it that matters. “John Deere items make me happy. They bring back
occasional mug good memories and allow me to share them with my friends and family. My
and more. “I grandchildren come over and
guess if someone go through everything, asking
has a John Deere questions and playing with the
collectible, they toys. As they get older they ask
know where they more detailed questions, like
can drop it off.” how they worked or what they
Just as you meant to me. This is how I am
start seeing red passing down my life experi-
cars on the ences – by creating new mem-
road right after ories for them.”
you decide to Some of his items, like
buy a red car, some of the older signs or
John Deere unique one-of-a-kind col-
collectibles and lectibles, have solid value, but
TootsieToys nothing is worth more to Len
started appearing than sharing his collections
before Len’s eyes with others.
at shops and flea
July 2019 23
