Page 37 - June 2018 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 37
Croquet
The game of Croquet can trace its origins back to striking the ball with the mallet through the first set of
1852 when a game called “crooky” was introduced to wickets, then hitting the far stake, players return to the
England from Ireland where it had been played since the start, where they must also hit that stake.
1830s. After World War II, toy makers miniaturized the New sets can be as expensive as vintage sets, with
standard croquet set, simplified the rules, and marketed value determined by type of materials used in the manu-
croquet as a backyard “children’s game.” Since then, the facture of the mallets (with high quality wood mallets
game of Backyard Croquet has maintained its popularity the most desirable for collectors), vibrancy of colors,
in America as both a sporting event (according to manufacturer, packaging (wooden boxes), country of
croquetamerica.com, as many as 10,000 men and women origin, and condition. On ebay, a vintage croquet set,
play this elegant and exacting sport on more than 600 complete, can range in price from $25 to over $400.
greens across the U.S. and Canada), and a favorite activity
for children and adults at garden parties, family
gatherings, picnics, and social events.
A basic croquet set consists of 6 hoops, 1 peg, 4 mallets,
and 4 balls colored red, black, yellow, and blue. While
croquet is a game played around the world, the United This ivory-mounted and
States has its own set of rules for domestic games, which headed croquet mallet with
can be played with two, four, or six players. The game monogrammed titled decoration for an
involves hitting your own colored ball through a circuit Aristrocratic owner was sold at a 2013
auction in Newport, Shropshire, England
marked with two stakes and nine metal wickets. After Vintage croquet set including stand
selling on Etsy for $135 photo: the-saleroom.com
Sand Toys
A day at the beach or time spent sheets per minute, which allowed toy makers to create detailed scenes on the
playing in a backyard sandbox most likely pails and to finish them in a range of vivid colors.
included such sand toys as a pail and Vintage pail and spade sets took a beating with use. Over time the handles
spade (shovel). Early metal/tin sand pails fell off, the pail typically got bent out of shape, and the colors and images
with handles were highly decorated and dimmed with exposure to the elements and rust. Today, these popular
brightly colored, adding to their appeal. children’s toys are made of plastic for durability and manufactured in bright
Some were even signed by the artist. colors to be easily spotted in the
The first sand pails, or buckets, were sand, but the days of pails as artwork
tiny because the tinplate was imported are gone at the affordable level.
from Wales and only available in small Image, color, condition, and maker
sheets. As technology improved and the all influence the value, which can
U.S. began to produce its own tinplate, range on sites such as eBay and at toy
pails grew in both size and availability. auctions for as little as $10 to as
The early pails had simple designs and high as $50 or more for rare exam-
consisted of one or two colors of paint ples in excellent condition. Toy
covered with a coat of lacquer to give a manufacturers such as The Ohio Art
glossy finish. Hand painting, stenciling, Co., T. Cohn Inc., U.S. Metal Toy
stamping, and embossing were other Manufacturing Co., and J. Chein &
methods used to decorate pails before the Co. are all popular early 20th century
1900s. Around the 1930s, graphics were brands to look for when looking at
applied through chromolithograph. This Another sand-inspired toy, the Sandy vintage pails.
process revolutionized the toy industry Andy Crane no. 104 circa 1917, Antique teddy bear sand pail, tin litho,
and turned out over fifty tin-plated sold for $395 at zandkantiques.com Germany, sold for $495 on eBay
Miniature Golf
The ancient game of golf saw a transfor- While the rules for mini-golf are a simplified
mation in the early 1900s when a novelty version of golf, it is the fanciful features on the
version was developed by James Barber of course that made, and continue to make, the game
Pinehurst, North Carolina. Barber, owner a fun family sport. The game was highly popular in
of the Barber Steamship Lines, created the 1920s through the early 1930s, and hit a bit of
what was termed a “Lilliputian” version of a dry patch before being revived in the 1950s
the game of golf at his home. Once through today.
completed, he said, “Thi’ll Do” which At the Spring
transformed into Thistle Dhu and became 2019 Green Jacket
the course’s name. Today, at this home for Auctions sale, a
the U.S. Open and more, Thistle Dhu 1930 Tom Thumb
serves as the location’s putting course. porcelain sign and
It was Garnet Carter who patented a two putters sold for
game of mini-golf in 1927, naming it “Tom over $700. A single
Thumb Golf.” The original was built as an Tom Thumb putter
attraction at Garnet’s hotel at Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and had a Part of a collection of is currently up for
fairyland theme with that bright green “grass.” The grass or “turf” was an Tom Thumb putter bid on thegolfauc-
vintage 1950s miniature
invention made by Thomas McCulloch Fairborn—an Englishman who was golf animals and figures featured in the tion.com with a
living in Tlahualilo, Mexico—and was made from crushed cottonseed hulls sold by ObnoXious Golf Auction starting price of
mixed with oil, dyed green, and rolled on top of a sand foundation – a recipe Antiques in New Jersey (thegolfauction.com) $40, while another
that ends in August.
he patented. Fairborn also established the Miniature Golf Courses of Even a single putter can putter has a “Buy It
America, Inc. Eventually, Carter paid a royalty to Fairborn due to his patent command a high price. Now” price of
infringement, and Carter went on to create Fairyland Manufacturing $99.95 on eBay.
Corporation, selling over 3,000 of his Tom Thumb franchises.
June 2019 35
The game of Croquet can trace its origins back to striking the ball with the mallet through the first set of
1852 when a game called “crooky” was introduced to wickets, then hitting the far stake, players return to the
England from Ireland where it had been played since the start, where they must also hit that stake.
1830s. After World War II, toy makers miniaturized the New sets can be as expensive as vintage sets, with
standard croquet set, simplified the rules, and marketed value determined by type of materials used in the manu-
croquet as a backyard “children’s game.” Since then, the facture of the mallets (with high quality wood mallets
game of Backyard Croquet has maintained its popularity the most desirable for collectors), vibrancy of colors,
in America as both a sporting event (according to manufacturer, packaging (wooden boxes), country of
croquetamerica.com, as many as 10,000 men and women origin, and condition. On ebay, a vintage croquet set,
play this elegant and exacting sport on more than 600 complete, can range in price from $25 to over $400.
greens across the U.S. and Canada), and a favorite activity
for children and adults at garden parties, family
gatherings, picnics, and social events.
A basic croquet set consists of 6 hoops, 1 peg, 4 mallets,
and 4 balls colored red, black, yellow, and blue. While
croquet is a game played around the world, the United This ivory-mounted and
States has its own set of rules for domestic games, which headed croquet mallet with
can be played with two, four, or six players. The game monogrammed titled decoration for an
involves hitting your own colored ball through a circuit Aristrocratic owner was sold at a 2013
auction in Newport, Shropshire, England
marked with two stakes and nine metal wickets. After Vintage croquet set including stand
selling on Etsy for $135 photo: the-saleroom.com
Sand Toys
A day at the beach or time spent sheets per minute, which allowed toy makers to create detailed scenes on the
playing in a backyard sandbox most likely pails and to finish them in a range of vivid colors.
included such sand toys as a pail and Vintage pail and spade sets took a beating with use. Over time the handles
spade (shovel). Early metal/tin sand pails fell off, the pail typically got bent out of shape, and the colors and images
with handles were highly decorated and dimmed with exposure to the elements and rust. Today, these popular
brightly colored, adding to their appeal. children’s toys are made of plastic for durability and manufactured in bright
Some were even signed by the artist. colors to be easily spotted in the
The first sand pails, or buckets, were sand, but the days of pails as artwork
tiny because the tinplate was imported are gone at the affordable level.
from Wales and only available in small Image, color, condition, and maker
sheets. As technology improved and the all influence the value, which can
U.S. began to produce its own tinplate, range on sites such as eBay and at toy
pails grew in both size and availability. auctions for as little as $10 to as
The early pails had simple designs and high as $50 or more for rare exam-
consisted of one or two colors of paint ples in excellent condition. Toy
covered with a coat of lacquer to give a manufacturers such as The Ohio Art
glossy finish. Hand painting, stenciling, Co., T. Cohn Inc., U.S. Metal Toy
stamping, and embossing were other Manufacturing Co., and J. Chein &
methods used to decorate pails before the Co. are all popular early 20th century
1900s. Around the 1930s, graphics were brands to look for when looking at
applied through chromolithograph. This Another sand-inspired toy, the Sandy vintage pails.
process revolutionized the toy industry Andy Crane no. 104 circa 1917, Antique teddy bear sand pail, tin litho,
and turned out over fifty tin-plated sold for $395 at zandkantiques.com Germany, sold for $495 on eBay
Miniature Golf
The ancient game of golf saw a transfor- While the rules for mini-golf are a simplified
mation in the early 1900s when a novelty version of golf, it is the fanciful features on the
version was developed by James Barber of course that made, and continue to make, the game
Pinehurst, North Carolina. Barber, owner a fun family sport. The game was highly popular in
of the Barber Steamship Lines, created the 1920s through the early 1930s, and hit a bit of
what was termed a “Lilliputian” version of a dry patch before being revived in the 1950s
the game of golf at his home. Once through today.
completed, he said, “Thi’ll Do” which At the Spring
transformed into Thistle Dhu and became 2019 Green Jacket
the course’s name. Today, at this home for Auctions sale, a
the U.S. Open and more, Thistle Dhu 1930 Tom Thumb
serves as the location’s putting course. porcelain sign and
It was Garnet Carter who patented a two putters sold for
game of mini-golf in 1927, naming it “Tom over $700. A single
Thumb Golf.” The original was built as an Tom Thumb putter
attraction at Garnet’s hotel at Lookout Mountain in Tennessee and had a Part of a collection of is currently up for
fairyland theme with that bright green “grass.” The grass or “turf” was an Tom Thumb putter bid on thegolfauc-
vintage 1950s miniature
invention made by Thomas McCulloch Fairborn—an Englishman who was golf animals and figures featured in the tion.com with a
living in Tlahualilo, Mexico—and was made from crushed cottonseed hulls sold by ObnoXious Golf Auction starting price of
mixed with oil, dyed green, and rolled on top of a sand foundation – a recipe Antiques in New Jersey (thegolfauction.com) $40, while another
that ends in August.
he patented. Fairborn also established the Miniature Golf Courses of Even a single putter can putter has a “Buy It
America, Inc. Eventually, Carter paid a royalty to Fairborn due to his patent command a high price. Now” price of
infringement, and Carter went on to create Fairyland Manufacturing $99.95 on eBay.
Corporation, selling over 3,000 of his Tom Thumb franchises.
June 2019 35
