The Fun Of The Hunt!
  • The Fun Of The Hunt!
  • About Us
  • Research & Value Guides
    • Antiques
    • Books
    • Coins & Stamps
    • Dolls & Figures
    • Games
    • Marbles
    • Music Related
    • Toys
  • TFOTH Hunter's Blog
  • Interesting Links
  • Buy Stuff
  • Contact Us

Exploring Tokens - Sales Tax Tokens

1/26/2016

Comments

 
Just a few years ago, finding boxes of tokens for sale at a Yard or Estate Sale would likely have been overlooked by most of us.  No more. Tokens are fast becoming a sought after collectible, and prices on many of the rarer tokens are zooming, while "real" coin collecting values have somewhat stagnated or even reversed over the past few years (with exception of rare "variations" that will always hold investment value). It makes sense that this would happen when you think about it. Most national coinage was issued in the hundreds of thousands, or millions, of coins.  While fun to collect as a kid, or just as a hobby, the sheer numbers produced exclude them from being anything but quite easy to find, and therefore, cheap to buy.

Tokens, on the other hand, were usually a localized production and produced in very limited quantities, often in quantities of  several hundred to several thousand.  Because of those limited quantities, many versions today have only a very few examples that have survived, and even fewer that survived in finer grades.

Tokens were produced by States, by Towns, and by Counties. They were produced by private businesses, by banks, by organizations, and often produced for events ranging from World fairs to Local Bridge or Building Ribbon Cuttings.  What tokens lacked in production numbers for an individual token, they made up for in the sheer number of varieties that were made.  Up until recently, most could be purchased very, very cheaply...so one could build an impressive collection without "breaking the bank". Even today, most tokens can be purchased for just a few dollars or less, however some of the rarer versions that just a few years ago sold in this range are now bringing hundreds - or in some cases thousands - of dollars.

Picture
One of the most common type of older tokens we've seen out there are "Sales Tax Tokens" produced by individual states.  Most were produced from 1933 until the early 1940s. There were twelve states that produced these,  Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah, and Washington, and they come in a variety of materials such as brass, zinc, aluminum. fiber, plastic, and even paper. In researching these, one of the surprises is that while most are only worth a dollar or so, some of the later version plastic tokens can be the most valuable.  Paper versions, called "scrip", can also be quite valuable, sometimes into the hundreds of dollars. So how do you find what they are worth? We found a great website that explains in great detail what to look for regarding rarity, provided by the American Tax Token Society:  CLICK HERE for the link.

In our next blog entry we'll be discussing a bit more about types and values of tokens, so find that box of old tokens, dig'em out and check back shortly!


Comments

Restoring Tootsietoys - Bringing New Life to Old Toys.

1/17/2016

Comments

 
Talk to any purist collector and they'll all usually echo the same chant....that restored toys are "worthless". Well, that's all slowly changing, and with good reason. First, not everyone is a purist collector. Second, not everyone has the bucks to pay the absolutely premium prices that mint and/or mint-in-box vintage toys now bring. Third, sometimes really rare pieces are found damaged or needing repair anyway, so what's the difference between a crappy looking, repaired original and a totally restored repaired original? NADA. Finally, what do you do with all those cool, earlier toys that lack good paint and tires?

Why NOT restore them?  Most of us run across early rough die cast cars frequently, and they can most likely be purchased for next to nothing because most sellers have been conditioned to believe that because restored toys are basically worthless, then toys that need restoring are worse than worthless.  Well guess what...properly restored toys are now selling very well online. And its not that hard to to turn these below on the left, into those on the right. Yes, they are the same cars. The truck was restored at the same time.
We've put together a little video on our YouTube Channel that follows how these were restored step-by-step, using everyday common materials (we purposely didn't get out our airbrush, but even used store bought spray paint).  The video can be seen by visiting out FunOfTheHunt Youtube Page or you can just click here:   Restoring Tootsietoys
We'll also provide a quick overview here for those of you who don't want to use your finger to click the link.

To start with, here's what you'll need to begin your restoration project. A few basic tools, a dremel tool, oven cleaner, rubber gloves, matching paints, a waterproof work box, a toothbrush, a couple coat hangers, and some 100 grit and 400 grit sandpaper.  We also suggest having some correct replacement tires on hand before you begin the project (most are available online). Begin by spraying the toys thoroughly with the oven cleaner, then allow several hours for it to work (do not hurry it).
Once the oven cleaner has properly loosened the paint (several hours), put on the gloves and use the toothbrush to scrub the toys thoroughly, then rinse them under running water. Allow them to dry overnight. Using a wire brush attachment on the Dremel Tool, carefully remove remaining paint and surface oxidation.  Perform any repairs that are needed, and replace any tires that needed replacement.
Carefully sand areas with corrosion and/or high spots with the 400 grit sandpaper. Really rough spots may require the 100 grit to begin with.  Mask out the tires with masking tape, and bend up a couple pieces of a coat hanger to provide a painting stand for the toys.  Begin painting with a very light coat (not even enough to fully color it - this is a "base coat"), then allow 10 - 15 minutes to set up before applying another very light coat.  Again, wait another 10 - 15 minutes, then lightly apply the final coat using just enough paint to look "wet".
Allow the paint to dry overnight. Larger Tootsietoys (4" and up) had silver painted grills and bumpers. We use silver model paint and a brush to complete the detail on these toys. Remove the masking tape, and the Tootsietoy is ready for display. Enjoy your restoration!
To view this whole process from start to finish, including an unexpected repair, visit out YouTube channel: CLICK HERE

Happy Hunting!
Stu

Comments
    Picture

    The Hunter's Blog
    Stu Neal

    Antique & Vintage Toys
    Collector
    Appraiser
    Author

    Archives

    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    February 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Copyright (C) TheFunOfTheHunt.com 2015    All Rights Reserved Worldwide