Debut Offering of Antique Toys from the Personal Collection of the Late Tom Sage Sr Chalks Up $2.6M at Morphy's

Marklin boats, fine German autos, a Father Christmas car, and a circa-1904 Marklin Ferris Wheel that sold for $156K topped the luxe array of European and American toys and trains, many book examples

DENVER, Pa., June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The extraordinary rarity, quality and condition reflected throughout the late Tom Sage Sr's personal collection of antique toys and trains worked in concert to achieve remarkable prices at Morphy's high-profile May 29 auction. The 295-lot lot session, which closed at $2.6 million, represented Part I of a premier assemblage of European and American toys amassed over a 50-year period by Sage (1939-2024), an acknowledged pioneer of the antique toy trade. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, native was widely known for his prowess at networking internationally and, if necessary, paying above-market prices to obtain the finest examples. His foresight was amply validated on auction day, as one fabulous toy after another sailed past its high estimate and moved on to its next chapter of stewardship.

As predicted, the day's top lot was the auction catalog's cover piece, a magnificent 1904 Ferris Wheel made by the revered German firm Marklin. One of only three or four of its type known to exist, it was likely the nicest of that elite handful of survivors, retaining its six original gondolas, attractive stained glass, and original figures. It had passed down through the family of a gentleman who worked for a Brooklyn department store and had received the toy when the business closed down sometime before World War I. Its auction ride concluded at a buoyant $156,000.

Sage loved his Marklin boats and owned many extremely fine productions. Several carried the prestige of appearing in the 1995 book Pressland's Great Book of Tin Toys, a now-classic reference written by London-based toy expert David Pressland. One such boat was a circa 1902-1904 Marklin clockwork paddle wheel boat Boston, which presented in excellent condition with only a few minor exceptions noted. The 19-inch tin vessel sold for $79,950 against an estimate of $30,000-$40,000.

Several cars were also actual book examples seen in the aforementioned David Pressland reference. One of them, a green circa-1909 Marklin Ref 5214/1 hand-painted clockwork-powered limousine, included an original Marklin chauffeur as well as original tires and lamps. Measuring 11 inches in length and graded excellent to near-mint, it made a stylish impression, selling for $72,000 against an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Among the numerous other Marklin highlights was a 29-inch clockwork oceanliner Amerika, Catalog Ref 5050, $60,000; a circa-1900 clockwork tramway trolley with six original figures and four original catenary poles, $48,000; and an all-original 16½-inch triple-globe accessory streetlamp, which sold for $24,000, twice its high estimate.

A hand-painted Bing taxi with its original taxi meter, mint in its original store box from Le Bon Marche in Paris, rose to $50,400; while a circa-1890s German hand-painted tin horseless carriage, one of the earliest cars in the Sage collection, garnered $36,000 against an estimate of $6,000-$9,000. Delivering delight with its cargo of lithographed-tin images of toys, teddy bears and other novelties, a circa-1912 Fischer Father Christmas car was likely the finest of few known examples of its type. It commanded $84,000 against an estimate of $15,000-$25,000.

Morphy's will auction Part II of the Tom Sage Sr Collection of Antique European and American Toys on October 30 at the company's flagship gallery in Denver (Lancaster County), Pennsylvania. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet through Morphy Live.

Visit Morphy's online at https://www.morphyauctions.com.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Morphy
877-968-8880
[email protected] 

SOURCE Morphy Auctions