1929 Whippet Model 96a Roadster Roars Off For $25,960 At Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd., March 1-2

By Author: Justin Miller
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A sporty black and yellow 1929 Whippet Model 96A four-cylinder roadster roared away for $25,960; vintage Canadian porcelain signs for White Rose service stations and Red Indian Motor Oils realized $17,700 and $14,160, respectively; and rare vintage Schuco toys fetched nice high prices in Miller & Miller online auctions held March 1-2.

All prices in this report are in Canadian dollars and include an 18 percent buyer’s premium.

The March 1st Toys auction featured the late Howard Meyer Legacy Collection. Up for bid were 180 lots, all of them toys and dominated by examples from Schuco. “Condition and rarity reign supreme as the determining factors when it comes to value in toys,” said Justin Miller of Miller & Miller Auctions Ltd. “Many of the toys in Howie’s collection were exceptional examples.”

Mr. Miller went on to say that many of the toys in the Meyer collection were also in their original boxes. “That can often double or triple the values,” he remarked, adding, “The Meyer Schuco toy collection generated much international interest, not just in North America. In fact, many ...
... lots sold abroad. It’s clear the market for quality vintage toys is solid around the world.”

The Petroliana & Advertising auction on March 2nd, contained 398 lots of petroliana (gas station collectibles), advertising signs, toys, soda advertising and model planes. The 1929 Whippet was the top lot of the two days. “As the market for quality petroliana and advertising continues to mature, collectors are willing to pay higher and higher prices for top examples,” Miller said.

He continued, “Buyers are building collections and many of them remain in holding positions, keeping the best advertising locked up long term. When the time arrives for an older collection to come to market, sellers are almost always rewarded with handsome returns on their investment.”

The 1929 Whippet was the overall top lot of the two days. The Whippet quickly became strong competition for its popular contemporary, the Willys Overland. Lighter and boasting a longer wheelbase, Whippet's sales soon eclipsed the Overland. While its engine was smaller, advancements like pump-circulated cooling and full-pressure oiling made it the superior car.

The 1940s Canadian White Rose “Slate Boy” double-sided porcelain service station sign, impressive at four feet in diameter and featuring “Boy and Slate” graphic, was marked “Villas Enamel Products Limited, Cowansville, P.Q.” It more than doubled its $8,000 high estimate.

The Canadian 1930s Red Indian Motor Oils single-sided porcelain sign boasted excellent color and gloss and measured 24 inches by 17 inches. It was marked "Vilas Enamel Products Ltd., Cowansville, Que." To the lower right edge and bested its $9.000-$12,000 high estimate.

Following are additional highlights from the auctions, in which a total of 563 online bidders placed a combined total of 10,722 bids across the two days, for a gross of $478,785. Internet bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.com and the Miller & Miller Auctions website.

A Murad Turkish Cigarettes single-sided tin sign, made in the U.S. in the 1900s and featuring a detailed image of a Turkish beauty in colorful attire holding a serving tray with a package of Murad Cigarettes, 39 inches by 28 ½ inches, went for $11,800. The high estimate was $3,000.

A 1930s American-made Wayne Model 60 Supertest Gasoline pump, made from steel, glass, plastic and rubber, 92 inches tall, finished at $10,620 against a high estimate of $7,500. The pump was restored to Supertest, including paint and reproduction globe lenses, dated 1995.

Schuco toys are especially desirable to collectors because post-war German manufacturers were banned from exporting goods. Americans occupying the territories permitted the sale and export of toys so long as they were marked "Made in U.S. Zone Germany". This marking was used from the mid to late 1940s, with underside stock often continuing into the 1950s.

The top earner of all the toy lots was a 1962 Schuco 6333 Disneyland Alweg-Monorail G-Set, marked "Disneyland" and "Schuco" on all parts, with track, cable, supports, a 3-piece model monorail, and original box and instructions. It brought $2,124 against a high estimate of $700.

A 1950s Schuco No. 967 Mister Atom tin and cloth juggling toy with wind-up tin plate globe head, juggling plastic satellites and plastic feet, 5 feet tall, tested and working and in mint condition, with original key, found a new home for $1,888 against a high estimate of $700.

A diecast tinplate 1950s Schuco Elektro 6080 construction fire truck with crane in excellent condition (hard to find in any condition and even harder with three original composition firemen figures), the ladder rotating and extending, with the original box, finished at $1,062.

A 1950s Schuco Elektro Radiant 5600 Hong Kong Airways lithographed tinplate airliner reached the sky for $944, just past its $900 high estimate. Included were a remote cable, varianto steering, and two pilots in the cockpit. The plane had a wingspan of 19 inches.

A 1950s Schuco Elektro Control-Car 5308 Mercedes Benz 220S lithographed tin and plastic toy car, often referred to as the driving school car, rare to find in complete and mint condition, a remote-controlled, battery-operated convertible in the original box, sped away for $826.

To view a wrap-up YouTube video of the Petroliana & Advertising auction, please visit https://youtu.be/FojPCDMX3gQ.

Next up for Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. is a two-day Advertising, Railroadiana & Historic Objects auction, featuring the William Robert Wilson collection, slated for March 23rd-24th. To learn more about Miller & Miller Auctions, Ltd. and the March 23rd-24th auction, please visit www.millerandmillerauctions.com.