If you have ever wondered what it feels like to watch a tin battleship worth as much as a new car go under the hammer, mark your calendar. Bertoia Auctions has announced its Annual Fall Auction for Friday, November 13 and Saturday, November 14, 2026, and the catalog reads like a toy box for grown-ups with deep pockets.
Bidding starts at 10 AM Eastern both days, live at the Bertoia gallery at 2141 DeMarco Drive in Vineland, New Jersey. Collectors who cannot make the trip can bid absentee, by phone, or live online through Bertoia Live, LiveAuctioneers or Invaluable.
A Cast Iron Bank Patented In 1877 Fires A Cannonball To Take Your Penny
Among the stars is a “Hold the Fort” mechanical bank, patented in 1877. Bertoia calls it one of the finest known examples, and it carries an estimate of $8,000 to $14,000.
The bank does exactly what its name promises. When it is activated, a cannon fires a cannonball into the bank to make the deposit, which is a lot more fun than dropping a coin through a slot.
Mechanical banks like this were the original fidget toys of the Victorian age. A child set a coin on the lever, pulled the trigger, and watched the little scene come alive.
Marklin Battleship Estimated At $30,000 To $50,000 Is A Clockwork Warship From A Century Ago
The biggest marine headline is a Marklin Series II battleship named Decidee, made around 1912 to 1915. It is clockwork driven, primarily original, and an early warship design, with an estimate of $30,000 to $50,000.
Marklin of Germany built tin boats that were meant to float in the bathtub or the garden pond. Today the survivors in original condition are the ones that make collectors sit up straight.
Right alongside it sits a Marklin No. 4142 triple boiler steam plant from about 1910 to 1925, described as extremely rare and elaborate, estimated at $10,000 to $20,000.
A Toy Train From About 1912 Is Estimated At Up To $40,000
The train section is just as rich. An Ernst Plank Gauge 2 passenger set from about 1912, made in Germany, is estimated at $30,000 to $40,000.
It is hand painted and features a live steam Black Prince 4-4-0 locomotive with a cab with glass windows, a six wheel cast wheel tender, two rare eight wheel passenger cars, and both Plank and Marklin straight track. Other European steam engines by Bing and Carette are in the sale too.
Church Rummage Sale Find Turns Up As An Exceptionally Rare California Bank
Every auction has a story that makes thrifters grin, and this one has it. A San Gabriel Mission still bank, an exceptionally rare California piece, was recently found at a church rummage sale. The mission itself was founded in 1771, and the bank carries an estimate of $8,000 to $14,000.
That bank belongs to the Allan and Terry Joy Collection of cast iron toys and banks, which includes more than 70 cast iron still and mechanical banks, most in mint or near mint, unplayed condition. A Hubley Indian Armored Cycle from the same collection, unassembled, boxed and unused with rich red original paint, is estimated at $7,000 to $11,000.
“The Best Of Its Type I’ve Ever Seen” Says The Man Who Appraised Antiques On Television
An Uncle Sam doorstop, fresh to the market, is estimated at $8,000 to $14,000. Bertoia president Michael Bertoia, who has appraised on PBS’s Antiques Roadshow, called it “the best of its type I’ve ever seen.”
Doorstops were cast iron decoration with a job to do, and a full figure Hubley giraffe from the same consignor is in the sale as well.
Pedal Cars, A Buddy L Bus And A Spirit Of St. Louis Airplane
If you grew up wishing for a toy you could actually ride, the pedal car section will feel like home. The auction features dozens of pedal cars from upstate New York, plus a Chicago based Buddy L collection that Bertoia considers one of the finest it has handled.
A Buddy L passenger bus, possibly the finest known example, all original with strong color, is estimated at $10,000 to $18,000. A Steelcraft pressed steel pedal airplane modeled after the Spirit of St. Louis, 53 inches long and shown with a period style advertising display and matching framed print, is estimated at $4,000 to $7,000.
Japanese Tin Cars And A One Year Only Toy Soldier Set
Part two of the Lenny Hummel Collection of Japanese toy autos follows the first installment that debuted at Bertoia in August 2026. It includes dozens of high grade examples, most in their original boxes, led by a 1956 Marusan Ford with a working motor at $4,000 to $6,000.
Other standouts include a 1953 Alps Packard sedan, a 1962 Asahi ATC Chrysler Imperial, an Alps Lincoln Futura, and a Rock Valley tin 1958 Chrysler New Yorker.
Toy soldier fans get the Joe Wallis Collection. Wallis, who lived from 1949 to 2025, was an author and a leading authority on Britains toy soldiers. His boxed 1939 Britains Set 1749 Barrage, made for only one year and including a balloon, winch and underslung lorry, is estimated at $2,000 to $4,000.
There is also a circa 1870 hand painted magic lantern in the form of a seated Buddha figure from a French household. It stands 17 and a half inches tall in pristine condition with apple green and burgundy paint, estimated at $10,000 to $16,000. And the sale includes nearly 100 salesman’s samples and patent models, the largest selection of that type Bertoia has offered in one sale, with subjects ranging from farm equipment to machinery parts.
How To Bid Smart If You Have Never Done It Before
First, remember that an estimate is a range, not a price tag. Pieces can sell below or above it, and the final cost usually includes a buyer’s premium, so read the terms before you raise your paddle.
Second, condition and originality drive value. Original paint, original boxes and complete parts matter far more than shine, which is why Bertoia keeps using phrases like mint, unplayed and primarily original.
Third, previews are by appointment only the week before the sale, so call ahead if you want to see a piece in person. If you cannot go, ask for condition details before bidding.
Finally, set a limit before the auctioneer starts. It is easy to get swept up when a cannon fires and the room leans forward. Full catalogs and bidding are posted at Bertoia Auctions.
Even if you never raise a paddle, the lots are worth a look. They are a reminder that the toys of a century ago were built to be played with, and a few of the survivors have become small treasures.
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