Guest bofusmosby Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 My wife went to pick up an item from Craigs list, and the guy also had this item, and I was hoping that someone here my recognize it, or know something about it. She paid $20 for it, and I believe she got a really good deal.This car is made of wood and metal (steel and brass), with a leather top and seats. It appears to be hand made, and it looks to be painted with a paint brush many years ago. The rubber on the tires is very hard, which gives me the belief that it is quite old. I took one photo with a Pepsi can, to show the size of this car. The front of the car (the engine compartment) appears to be one solid block of wood. My wife wanted me to post this here, so maybe someone here might be able to tell us something about it.I know that this forum deals with old cars, but I was hoping that it would be OK to post this here. If not, then please remove this post. If anyone can give us some info, we would really appreciate it. BTW, there are no markings on this car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 My guess is it's what was commonly called a "doo-dad" or "knick-knack"- just an accessory to display somewhere in the house. Furniture or home decor stores sold lots of stuff like that. Possibly a generic scale model made by someone in a home or high-school shop.Good find for old car people though.McCoy Pottery catalogued an old car roadster ceramic planter that I've accumulated a few. They had coathanger wire windshield frames and "Eat My Dust" moulded into the spare tire. I have a dark red, a black and a green one.Along with numerous other such old car doo-dads that take up space and collect dust. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 I have managed to accumulate over 170 different ceramic old car planters including each of the McCoys. Built a special cabinet here in my office to display them. Should I meet an untimely demise (or not so untimely for that matter) Son is instructed to donate them to the AACA Museum if they can find a place to display them and think it appropriate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Glenn, you may be correct, but it looks a lot better than some store would sell as a "do-dad" item. All of it is put together with screws, and I can't see a nick-nack having a leather seat and top. Since it rolls, I am wondering if it could be a childs toy. It doesn't appear to be something that was mass produced. It seems to be well put together, and built to last.What year and type of car does this look like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keiser31 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Looks a lot like my friend's 1912 Buick, but of course, very generic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poci1957 Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 My guess is it's what was commonly called a "doo-dad" or "knick-knack"- just an accessory to display somewhere in the house. Furniture or home decor stores sold lots of stuff like that. Possibly a generic scale model made by someone in a home or high-school shop.I concur with Glenn. It may be a handmade craft project or mass produced, and it certainly has some detailing, but it is definitely a representation of a generic old car for decorative effect. A "knick-knack." Todd C Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest billybird Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 The good news is; I don't think your wife went wrong for 20$, whatever it is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty_OToole Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 The wheels look like they came off an old baby buggy from the 30s. The car may have been made by a hobbyist in the fifties. What the heck, not everybody was a fan of black and white TV.My guess is some guy picked up some old baby buggy wheels and scaled the car to that.Model car plans used to appear in home mechanics and hobbyist magazines. Call it folk art and an art gallery or antique shop will charge you hundreds of $$$$ bucks for something like that so if you like it, and you wife likes it, you scored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted August 31, 2011 Share Posted August 31, 2011 Thank you guys for your input. I actually sent my wife to pick up a stagecoach made by Oscar M. Cortes (at a very cheap price), and she called me and siad she's got a surprise for me. Of course, she claims it to be hers. That's OK. It looks nice sitting on a cabinet or shelf. You know Rusty, you're right. Those wheels DO look like they came off of a baby buggy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Cute. It's actually a recently made foreign novelty item. Lots of similar stuff on ebay. You paid right for it and it's indeed a cutie.Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 You can also find similar old looking bicycles, tricycles and motorcycles, all of modern foreign manufacture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 Cute. It's actually a recently made foreign novelty item. Lots of similar stuff on ebay. You paid right for it and it's indeed a cutie.TerryI really do not believe that this is a modern made item. The tires show quite a bit of age, and the rubber has a hard "patina" layer that comes with age. The leather is also showing quite a bit of age. I'm not saying that I believe that this is really valuable, or that this is a 100 year old toy. It just doesn't appear to be modern made at all. I have collected antiques all of my life, and I know how things can be artificially aged. I do not believe that this is the case. Can I be fooled? Of course! The Chinese are really good at that, but to go through this trouble for an item that isn't going to ever have much value i doubt. At any rate, I believe that for the price, the wife did OK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I bought a similar "antique" miniature tricycle/grocer's cart a few years ago. I woulda sworn it was old, hard rubber, beautiful patina, worn paint....unti I saw 3 identical ones for sale last week in a crafts warehouse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted September 4, 2011 Share Posted September 4, 2011 I bought a similar "antique" miniature tricycle/grocer's cart a few years ago. I woulda sworn it was old, hard rubber, beautiful patina, worn paint....unti I saw 3 identical ones for sale last week in a crafts warehouse.Well, I may be wrong. If I am, if won't be the first time, and definately won't be the last either. I'm usually pretty good about this stuff though. It really doesn't matter any way. The wife "claimed" it, so as long as she likes it, I guess that's all that matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 In any case I probably would have bought it too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restorer32 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 I was in the foundry we use the other day. You would be amazed at the cast iron items that are reproduced. I have seen dozens of Railroad Crossing signs, "antique" door stops, all sorts of miscellaneous cast stuff. I'm sure some of it gets sold as genuine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bofusmosby Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Most of the car is made out of wood, but I know what you mean about repos. It seems that the Chinese can reproduce ANYTHING that can fool most people. My wife is now talking about trying to resell it on Ebay. So much for her liking it.:confused: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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