There’s been a lot of activity lately in banks and toys, and that’s for sure. An exceptionally good toys and banks type of affair was held in the International Hotel Ballroom at Kennedy International Airport in September. It was well attended with lots of activity and a broad general line of toys including banks, both still and mechanical. It was really something to see so many old toys on display for sale by so many table exhibitors and upon first entering the place it was sort of overwhelming, but after not too long this feeling sort of dissipated itself and one could get down to the business at hand.

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Sure goes to show that anything can happen — who would ever imagine John Haley from England with, among other things, Mickey Mouse items for sale — Mickey Mouse has really arrived since John doesn’t fool around and he had some nice toys as well as banks for sale.

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Our good friends Audrey and Marty Wank had a fine display including some of the up and coming battery operated type toys. Keep your eyes on this kind of toy, they are a real coming collector’s item. The Wanks get into the 30’s, 40’s, and 50’s toys and an occasional bank. A lot of their things are obtainable in the original boxes. While original boxes in themselves seem important to certain collectors, it’s what is in the box that counts where the writer is concerned. Usually a toy in the original box is in mint condition and that’s where the importance lies.

Don Beck from Fort Wayne had a particularly nice group of toys and he has a way of coming up with a real ‘goodie’ now and then, and, of course, he really does get into some fine collector’s item along with banks and toys. He too has the ‘bug’ for some of the 20’s on type tin toys, including Strauss, Lehmann, Marx, and the like.

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Lloyd Ralston was in attendance and in all his glory and right at home. He’s particularly active in toys and knows when to spot a good one — he works at it and gets results. Understand Lee Perelman and Don Markey were also there, but the writer missed them. Don’t forget Lee has that fine toy museum in Philadelphia and it will be a big ‘thing’ in 1976 for the Bicentennial.

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Joe Olympio had a representative table of toys, so he is right in there and keeping abreast of this specialized collecting field. Then, too, Van Dexter of Second Childhood, New York City, had his eyes open and pointed out a couple of items to the writer that he thought might be of interest. The Werbell’s were there with a sizeable display of still banks. They, as well as other exhibitors, had mechanical banks for sale.

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All in all it was a most interesting affair, well worth attending, and it is to be held again in May of 1976. The writer found several rather nice pieces and exposure to so many old toys was certainly encouraging. There were fine trains, electric, windup and pull type. Some fine cast iron toys, including carriages, bell toys Hubley circus band wagon (small size), Hubley calliope, and even a mint condition rear end of the Farmer Van. A wide selection of tin windups of the 20’s through the 40’s. Mickey Mouse all over the place. Then, of course, battery operated toys of the late 40’s into the 60’s. These, by the way, are generally figures that go through different movements and motions. For example, one for sale by the Wank’s was the figure of a clown working a puppet figure of Pinocchio, a really great battery operated toy, and it found a good home.

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To sum up this show, there was pretty much for everyone with interest in the field of collecting toys.

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The Mechanical Bank Collector’s Club held a convention in Connecticut in September. The writer was unable to attend, however, he kept current on some of the activities. A Motor Bank with extra nice paint showed up minus the top and coin trap, a particularly fine original condition Afghanistan Bank changed hands, and, of course, there were some private deals consummated, including a different type of tin clown face bank and tin negro face. While they each look different, they are the same stamping and not certain as to age. An unusual vending pinball tin bank was most interesting and comes under the category of a new find in a pre 1935 bank.

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Most likely the two rarest banks were brought to the convention by Nicole and Emmanuel Rodrique of Paris, France. They had available for trade only the Bonzo Bank and rare Harold Lloyd, each in extra fine original condition. These are German made tin banks of considerable interest and quite attractive. Full details about them later on. For now, Bonzo, an English cartoon character, is comparable to Mickey Mouse in the United States, the time period of late 1920’s, early 1930’s. Harold Lloyd is Harold Lloyd in his younger days, and also 1920, early 1930’s. Two very desirable mechanicals.

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And to wind all this up at this point, while not at the convention or the toy show, a Merry Go Round Bank turned up. With the exception of the small figure of the man, it is in extra fine all original condition with very nice paint. This is one of the top desirable rarities in a mechanical bank and they turn up few and far between.

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