Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Vintage Brass HORSE AND CARRIAGE Hansom Cab Rolls Turns

Vintage Brass HORSE AND CARRIAGE Hansom Cab Rolls Turns - eBay (item 310024917112 end time Feb-26-08 18:14:51 PST)

This vintage brass horse and carriage have no maker's mark. It's a Hansom cab, a two-wheeled horse-drawn carriage that was the 19th-century version of a taxi. Two passengers could sit inside and the driver sat behind.

Someone glued blue felt inside the carriage and where the driver sits. The carriage one can be removed, because the glue dried out. The other one is loose.

The back piece can move a little closer to the cab back. The horse can tip forward or backward in his harness, as can the carriage. The wheels spin easily and the horse can turn the carriage. The two pieces are not locked in a tight straight line at all. That's very nice for arranging as you please for display.

The horse and carriage are 15 inches long and weigh over 3 1/2 pounds. There are solder spots on the front of the carriage and on the horse's back, neck and mouth. Sorry the cab isn't level in the photos. It stands nice and level when you know it's supposed to. D'oh!

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WISE CRACKER Wooden Twist Action Nut Cracker, Orig Box!

WISE CRACKER Wooden Twist Action Nut Cracker, Orig Box! - eBay (item 310024644921 end time Feb-25-08 18:29:02 PST)

This wooden nut cracker has a gold sticker label on the bottom that's marked, "Wise Cracker, Inc., P.O. Box 1142, Leonard, TX 75452-1142, (903) 0010, Patent #4,944,219." It comes in the original box that says it's "Handcrafted in the U.S.A. It's Simple! Safe! Easy to Use! Fun for Everyone! Makes a Great Gift!"

One side of the box shows the two-step process for cracking nuts.
  1. Hold "Wise Cracker" with narrow end in the palm of your hand, drop nut down between rods.
  2. Twist opposite ends until rods contact nut. Then give a quick, sharp twist! Remove the cracked nut. The meat remains in one piece.
The box gives a recipe for Fresh Pecan Pie. The back says, "'Wise Cracker' requires less effort than conventional nutcrackers. It allows you to shell a large quantity of nuts quickly, safely, and with less fatigue!" Features:
  • Made of solid hardwood with urethane retainers
  • Material and Workmanship are guaranteed for life
  • Cracks Pecans exceptionally well
  • Easy twist action cracks the nut, leaving the meat intact
  • Handcrafted in the U.S.A.
  • Fun to use. Everyone wants to try it!
  • It is designed to crack Pecans, Brazil Nuts, Hazel Nuts and English Walnuts.
  • (It is not designed to crack Hickory Nuts or Black Walnuts)
The nut cracker seems new. The box has slight dents, light soiling, and some fly speck stains.

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Vintage SUNNIE MISS TOY TOASTER Bright Tin Litho Works!

Vintage SUNNIE MISS TOY TOASTER Bright Tin Litho Works! - eBay (item 310024641832 end time Feb-25-08 18:14:44 PST)

This vintage tin litho toy toaster says, "Sunnie Miss Toaster, 4358177 The Ohio Art Company, Bryan, Ohio 43506 Made in U.S.A." There's a little logo showing a girl labeled "Sunnie Miss." The yellow and green design features a graphic of three oranges with leaves and a faux control knob marked Lite and Dark with numbers. The same design is on both front and back.

The toaster is made of tin with a green plastic base. The silver finish is gone from the top and sides piece except for in the groove along the edge. The lever locks down and pops back up when you wiggle it sideways. There is no heating element, just pretend toasting.

The graphics are bright. There's a dent in one side and minor marks on the other side. The tin between the slots is bent down a bit and the silvery finish is off that part. Inside there's a spot of rust and one of the toast trays is bent down. Seems to work fine anyway. Great toy kitchen item!

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Vintage PHILCO TRANSITONE Table Model 51-530 For Parts!

Vintage PHILCO TRANSITONE Table Model 51-530 For Parts! - eBay (item 310024637719 end time Feb-25-08 17:57:50 PST)

This Philco Transitone table-top radio is Model 51-530 in a cream-colored plastic case. It isn't fully functional. Several tubes light up and it hums, and the volume adjusts, but it seems like the tuning mechanism doesn't select stations. If you look at the back, the wires there look like they've been messed with. The radio is AM only.

The back is gone. The label on the bottom says, "Philco Model 51-530, Code 121, 115 Volts A.C. or D.C. 20 Watts. It shows a diagram of the five tubes and where they go. The tubes are:
  • 1486
  • 7A8
  • 12BA6
  • 35Z5
  • 50L6
The bottom of that label says, "TP0-547, I.F.=455 KC., PART No. 78-0019. Should your PHILCO ever require service attention, call a member of 'Philco Service.' Guaranteed work, genuine Philco tubes and parts, standard prices. Printed in U.S.A." Numbers stamped on the workings in the back are "0212277003" and "GS 75036."

The case could use a better cleaning and has some scratches, the back is gone and when you plug it in, it hums but you can't get a station tuned in.

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