Morphy's Two-Part Auction Series Featuring Tom Sage Sr. Antique Toy and Train Collection Tallies Nearly $4 Million

Second and final installment held Oct. 30 was dominated by rare German Marklin productions, including a circa-1904 hand-painted III-Gauge live steam train that sold for $123K against a $50K-$70K estimate

DENVER, Pa., Nov. 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- On October 30, a significant chapter in antique toy history came to a close as Morphy's conducted the second and final auction dedicated exclusively to the collection of the late Tom Sage Sr (1939-2024). The gallery sale of 281 exceptional toys and trains achieved $1.35 million, bringing the series total to $3.95 million, inclusive of buyer's premium.

Consisting of premium-quality German, French and American toys of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Sage collection was carefully assembled over a period of more than 50 years. Tom Sage was known for his encyclopedic knowledge of toys, which he developed organically by "handling the merchandise" he bought and sold. He was one of the very first to gamble on the idea of making a full-time living from "old toys," an unheard-of concept in the late 1960s/early 1970s. Once he decided to take the leap into toy-trading as a profession, Tom quickly went from zero to 60, cultivating an enviable network of industry contacts with whom he transacted business for several decades. As he bought and resold toys and trains, he also astutely acquired special pieces for his own collection. It was that select grouping, which he kept and enjoyed throughout his life, that was auctioned at Morphy's.

The October 30 session was dominated by the premier name in German antique toy manufacture: Marklin. The day's top-selling lot was a rare circa-1904 Marklin hand-painted III-gauge live steam LNWR locomotive (Cat. Ref. E4023) with tender and dining car with three original figures (Cat. Refs. 1842/3). Although 121 years old, it still presented in Excellent condition. One of the finest trains in the entire Sage collection, it sold for $123,000 against an estimate of $50,000-$70,000.

Made specifically for export to the US market, a hand-painted circa-1904 Marklin II-Gauge E2 live steam train set consisted of an E2 live steam locomotive and two coaches with NPRR markings, one in blue and the other in red. In Excellent condition, this set well exceeded its $12,000-$18,000, settling at $33,000.

An 18-inch-long Marklin Cat. Ref. 4070 functional live-steam-powered fire truck came with its original hose reels and hoses, as well as four period firefighters and three contemporary firefighters. Its magnificent brass boiler showed off all of its original fittings. Overall, the toy was in Excellent to NM condition. Known to be one of the Sage collection's premier pieces, it had originally become known to the toy hobby when it surfaced at a New England antique show in the early 1980s. Forty years have passed since that discovery, but its rarity factor has not changed, with very few of its type known to exist. It sold at Morphy's for $98,400.

A Marklin hand-painted clockwork George Washington 4-stack ocean liner took pride of place in the Sage collection. An impressive 3ft-long craft that was previously part of the Malcolm Forbes collection, it finished within estimate, for $66,000.

After the hammer fell on the final lot, Dan Morphy, founder and president of Morphy Auctions, commented: "It was a huge honor for us to handle Tom Sage's collection. He was a true visionary and a master of his profession but always remained a collector at heart. It's not likely that we'll ever see another toy and train collection quite like his."

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

Media Contact:
Dan Morphy
877-968-8880
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SOURCE Morphy Auctions