Bertoia’s May 29-30 Spring Auction featuring the Maloy and Bill Gallagher toy collections tallies nearly $1.9 million

Highlights: Circa-1906 Bing gauge 4 toy locomotive, $78,000; Old Woman in the Shoe mechanical bank, $36,000; salesman sample of a 1922 dump body truck, $25,200.

VINELAND, NJ, UNITED STATES, July 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A phenomenal circa-1906 Bing (German) gauge 4 toy locomotive soared to $78,000; a rare, contemporary Old Woman in the Shoe mechanical bank rang up $36,000; and a ¼-inch-scale salesman sample of a 1922 Autocar rotary dump body truck made $25,200 at Bertoia’s Spring Auction held May 29-30. The event was highlighted by Part 2 of the Martin and Deborah Maloy toy collection.

The auction tallied nearly $1.9 million (inclusive of buyer’s premium) and included high-quality toys, banks, trains, robots, and pre-war Japanese toys from the Bill Gallagher collection, as well as a great assortment of German wind-ups, pressed-steel toys and more. In all, 1,000 choice lots came up for bid over the course of two days. The robust results surpassed Bertoia’s expectations.

“This was truly an amazing auction, filled with items of the highest quality,” said Jeanne Bertoia, co-founder and owner of Bertoia Auctions. “The toy train world was abuzz in advance of the sale, and the prices realized for many lots were double, triple, even quadruple the high estimates. Other categories performed well, too, as bidders aggressively sought to fill the gaps in their collections.”

The circa-1906 Bing (German) gauge 4 (75mm) toy locomotive was the overall top lot of the auction, easily breezing past its $10,000 high estimate to finish at $78,000. The massive live-steam train, hand-painted in LSWR livery, was one of the largest locomotives Bing made, at 15 inches in length. The authentic tender was incredible. There were blemishes, but overall the engine was pristine.

The 7-inch-tall Old Woman in the Shoe mechanical bank was a very rare example, with fewer than 10 created. Made of lead and brass, the contemporary limited-edition example is widely regarded as the most recognizable mechanical bank today. A brass plate on the underside denoted the limited edition. In Near Mint condition, it more than tripled its $10,000 high estimate in bringing $36,000.

A ¼-inch-scale salesman’s sample of a 1922 Autocar rotary dump truck, one of only five known to exist, was massive, both in size (52 inches in length) and weight. It was powered by an electric motor that raised and lowered the dump bed and displayed incredible realistic detailing. Of mostly brass construction, the truck’s $25,200 selling price easily bested the $8,000 high estimate.

Made by Carlisle & Finch (Cincinnati, Ohio), a 2-inch gauge electric toy summer trolley in excellent shape climbed to $40,800, blasting through the $3,500 high estimate. German composition policeman figures were added to the ends of the 14½-inch-long trolley. Founded in 1894, Carlisle & Finch was the first American company to produce electrically powered miniature trains in volume.

A Deluxe Carette (Germany) limousine with figures, 16 inches in length, coasted to $13,200 against a high estimate of $4,000. The car had the original hand-painted driver and three hand-painted rear seated passenger figures, including a child. Details included beveled glass windows, authentic rubber tires with spoke wheels, the original headlamps and a fully-functioning clockwork motor.

A Masudaya (Japan) Giant Sonic Robot, one of the classic “Gang of Five” robot series, 15 inches tall and in excellent condition, commanded $10,200 against a high estimate of $4,000. The action included forward motion with swinging arms and a head that illuminated while emitting a loud siren noise, giving the robot its alternative nickname “Train Robot.”

A detailed speedboat penny toy from an unknown manufacturer but marked “Made in Japan” at the side, boasted absolutely spectacular lithographed details. It earned $7,800, a good bit higher than the modest $1,400 high estimate. The diminutive toy from the Bill Gallagher Collection was 5 inches tall, all-original and in overall excellent condition.

An Ives boy on horse perambulator, patented in 1873 and listed as No. 1 in the American manufacturer’s 1876 flyer, realized a within-estimate price of $7,800. The well-preserved, all-original toy featured a tin figural horse head, and the three-wheel velocipede carts were representative of the period. The clockwork motor drove the rear wheels, which caused the boy’s arms to seemingly pump the toy’s wooden handles.

A circa-1926 Steelcraft Lincoln pedal car, sold under the Boycraft label, 100 percent original and very well preserved, sped off for $6,600, leaving the $4,000 high estimate in the dust. The car showed great paint colors, a searchlight on the running board, and disc wheels with rubber tires. This great all-original toy, 44 inches in length, displayed vivid paint and stenciling with a rich patina.

An early Fernand Martin (France) wind-up shoe shiner – “Le Petit Decrotteur” – was manufactured circa 1898. Upon activation, the street vendor’s arm holding a brush swings side to side to mimic the motion of shoe-shining. The 5-inch-tall toy, with original clothing and fabulous face paint, sold above estimate for $6,600.

The Martin and Deborah Maloy collection was gathered over 60 years and grew to become a world-class assemblage of European tin toys, autos and boats, biscuit tins, Marklin and other rare European trains; plus early American Ives trains and accessories; airplanes, wind-up toys and more. Part 1 of the collection was featured in a December 2025 auction at Bertoia’s that exceeded $1.6 million.

Bill Gallagher is widely known amongst toy enthusiasts as being one of the truly legendary collectors. Along with his wife Jean Ann, Bill amassed several superb collections over the course of many years. They included vintage Japanese tin toys, N-Gauge, LGB and Z-Gauge toy trains; Howdy Doody collectibles, amusement park toys, toy buses, boats and wooden toys.

Bertoia Auctions is currently accepting high-quality toys, banks, holiday antiques and collectibles for their future sales. Bertoia Auctions’ president, Michael Bertoia, welcomes the opportunity to discuss the consignment process with collectors, whether they have a single piece or an entire collection. All enquiries are kept strictly confidential and there is never any obligation to consign. Tel. 856-692-1881 or email toys@bertoiaauctions.com. Keep up with Bertoia’s via their website: www.bertoiaauctions.com.

Michael Bertoia
Bertoia Auctions
+ +1 856-692-1881
email us here

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.