Ca. 1895-1905 BOB & BRUNO CAST IRON BELL TOY MADE BY GONG TOY CO. EXTREMELY RARE

Description: Extremely rare & quite ornate Bob and Bruno cast iron bell toy pull toy. Probably made by the Gong Bell Toy Co. But, possibly made by N. Hill Co. This example of the Bob and Bruno is & has been for decades the only known example with this base & this type of wheels. This all original toy was originally found about 45 years ago by me in the estate of a family in York, Pa. where it had resided since it was acquired when new by the family. The toy has resided in several different toy collections since I originally found the toy & subsequently sold it over 35 years ago. I was fortunate to have recently been able to acquire the toy again after it left an old time collection. The standard & quite rare version of the Bob and Bruno toy (of which there are very few known examples) has a different type base & different wheels than the toy that we are offering. We are including in this listing a scan of a photostat of a page from a Gong Bell Manufacturing Company Toy Co. catalog which shows this other version. The different version shown in the scan shows long hair on the boy. As far as I know there are no known examples that have ever been found with the boy with long hair. The very few known examples with the base & wheels as shown in the catalog page scan all have a boy with short hair like the boy on our version. So, we are essentially offering the only known example of the Bob and Bruno toy in this form with this more ornate base & the different wheels as shown in our photos. It is interesting to note that the catalog page was rubber stamped "discontinued". So, this may partially explain the rarity of the toy. We are wondering if the version we are offering may have possibly been produced by the N. Hill Company after they took over the Gong Co.? In any event, we have a major rarity here which would be a fine addition to even the most advanced collection. In over 54 years of being involved in toys & banks we have never seen another example of the version of the iron base that is on this toy nor have we heard of another example of this toy in this version in any collection. The standard version with more known examples has sold more than once in the $4,500.00 to $5,000.00 range, a number of years ago, & once significantly higher in similar condition. Our much more rare, more attractive, & only known example of this version at the "buy it now" price of $4,200.00 represents an excellent opportunity, & in our opinion, the toy is actually somewhat underpriced at $4,200.00. The toy measures 6 1/4 inches long by 5 3/4 inches tall by 3 3/8 inches wide. There are no chips to the iron, no cracks, & no repairs. The paint is entirely original in all respects & is in excellent condition. The nickel plated tin wheels have some small areas of oxidation & some small areas of pitting. The Bob and Bruno figure is a little sluggish in turning from side to side when the toy is pulled. Perhaps the flat tin piece under the toy needs a slight adjustment as it sometimes slips off when the toy is pulled. We have provided large pictures so that any detailed questions about wear will be answered. The toy is completely original in all respects. The condition can be seen in the accompanying photos. Shipping is free and available only to addresses within the U.S. The reference number for this item is #5149.

Price: 4200 USD

Location: Lampeter, Pennsylvania

End Time: 2024-03-16T14:00:21.000Z

Shipping Cost: 0 USD