My Tin toy collection......Update

[woody50]

Although I have found a couple of childrens toys made of lead, 99% of my found toys were made from an amalgamation of tin and lead. Because lead toys were pretty thick, people back in the 17th century started adding lead to tin, they could then make finer and thinner toys. Most of the tin toys that I have found were made from tin/lead, and a few from the amalgamation from tin and silver. The draw back was that tin is vulnerable to metal pest than lead. I have been lucky to have found quite a few toy objects in the past, the places to find them are harder to search because here the Archo are first nowadays on the building sites.

Most of my Tin ones are from the 17th century, however there are a few from the 16th and a couple from the 15th (1480). If you have any idea about the ages of lead toys please let us know.

Photo numbers...

1 Riding horses.
2 Men, soldiers.
3 Animals.
4 Knifes, sword.
5 Keys.
6 Heads or tails tokens, spinning toys.
7 Horn, cannon, hammer heads, Open fire screen, dice, miscl.
8 Two tin chests, two baby rattles, a basket and a bell.
9 One of the above tin chests, before restoration.
10 A whistle and a hanger to hold a pot above a open fire.
11 The whistle in detail.
12 Various spoons, and pans.
13 Candle holder, grill and holders for pans above fire.
14 The pot holder, difficult to make a photo, its not flat.
15 Various tin dishes.
16 Deep dishes.
17 Bowls and deep dishes.
18 Details of dish.
19 Details of dish.
20 Various tin containers.
21 Details of three containers.
22 Two old silver-tin toys
23-28 Recent finds

[woody50]

More Photos

[BuckleBoy]

Incredible. When you post I am usually speechless, Woody--and this is no exception. Lots of museum quality pieces there.

I have no tin toys to post. But I wanted to reply to this post so that I could see what others posted to this thread.



Regards,



Buckles

[woody50]

Incredible. When you post I am usually speechless, Woody--and this is no exception. Lots of museum quality pieces there.
I have no tin toys to post. But I wanted to reply to this post so that I could see what others posted to this thread.
Regards,
Buckles

Thanks Buckles, I have had luck in the past for sure. The past 5 years or so I have found only a few. Pity you don't have any tin toys to post. I was wondering what they had in the USA in the 17th through 19th century, why there are (were) so little tin toys. One of the biggest reasons for finding so much here in Holland in the 17th century is that Holland ruled the waves in that century, it was the glory century for Holland, and so it became rich. The richer the better the toys too I guess, and that was why tin or tin-lead was used. That was also back in the time where people ate from tin boards. Did they ever have those in the USA? Just wondering...

[johnnyi]

woody, your's is one of the most fascinating collections I've ever seen come out of the ground! it is absolutely wonderful! How many years did it take you to find all of these incredible artifacts?

[woody50]

woody, your's is one of the most fascinating collections I've ever seen come out of the ground! it is absolutely wonderful! How many years did it take you to find all of these incredible artifacts?

Thanks Johnny!
Well I have been searching for more than 25 years, although the fun and excitement over the years make it feel like yesterday. Most of the finds, funny enough, I can still remember finding them; not all the coins, only the special ones and gold coins, but the objects I remember where I found almost every one; well for some reasons you just never forget them (do forget my wife's name every once in a while, but MD is more important of course, PS: don't tell her that! ). So its been fun years for sure. Of course these are only the Tin children's toys (after looking again I think there is one or two bronze ones in my photos, guess I was too busy toe notice).

[johnnyi]

Woody, please post more! If you put a big book together of all your finds I'd definately buy it!

[BuckleBoy]

Incredible. When you post I am usually speechless, Woody--and this is no exception. Lots of museum quality pieces there.
I have no tin toys to post. But I wanted to reply to this post so that I could see what others posted to this thread.
Regards,
Buckles

Thanks Buckles, I have had luck in the past for sure. The past 5 years or so I have found only a few. Pity you don't have any tin toys to post. I was wondering what they had in the USA in the 17th through 19th century, why there are (were) so little tin toys. One of the biggest reasons for finding so much here in Holland in the 17th century is that Holland ruled the waves in that century, it was the glory century for Holland, and so it became rich. The richer the better the toys too I guess, and that was why tin or tin-lead was used. That was also back in the time where people ate from tin boards. Did they ever have those in the USA? Just wondering...

I have recovered bits of tin plates and cups here, but it seems that tin was not used as frequently in the U.S. as it was elsewhere. I have also been unable to find as nice examples of tin weathering the elements. So I figure it is either the soil type or recovery conditions that your tin has going for it, or it is of higher quality than the tin we find here (which is frequently found in a degraded state).

Regards,


Buckles

[Tank69]

wow thats an awsome collection

[woody50]

[I have recovered bits of tin plates and cups here, but it seems that tin was not used as frequently in the U.S. as it was elsewhere. I have also been unable to find as nice examples of tin weathering the elements. So I figure it is either the soil type or recovery conditions that your tin has going for it, or it is of higher quality than the tin we find here (which is frequently found in a degraded state).
Regards,
Buckles

Thanks again for your information. Yes is does seem like tin, in the conditions here, (wet with stable water which is poor in oxygen) is preserved quite good. We do find that if the tin object, even if its in this water but not deep enough in the soil, does tend to get tin pest, that just eats holes in the objects. So I think the depth is the clue. I have told on this forum elsewhere how the soil conditions are here much different than most of the world, this being really a delta where many rivers run out to the sea, and I am sure that has much to do with it.

Soon I will be searching finally (never searched in my own country) in California in October, I hope I can find anything! Want to search our old farms......

[woody50]

wow thats an awsome collection

wow thats an awsome avatar! (thanks! just kidding)

[BuckleBoy]

Traveling and MDing in a new place is one of the most wonderful aspects of our hobby. You're welcome to come hunt with us here in Kentucky anytime, my friend. Mid to late October the crops will start to come out of the fields here, and our Good season will start. We have an airport right here in the city, and we'd be happy to host you.

Best Wishes,


Buckles

[woody50]

Traveling and MDing in a new place is one of the most wonderful aspects of our hobby. You're welcome to come hunt with us here in Kentucky anytime, my friend. Mid to late October the crops will start to come out of the fields here, and our Good season will start. We have an airport right here in the city, and we'd be happy to host you.
Best Wishes,
Buckles

Well thanks Buckles, but have to take a rain check this time. Its my 50th High School reunion, so going for that, also to visit with my only remaining Uncles (88 and 86) in Portland, and from Portland to SF and then on to the desert, well have enought to do... Thanks anyway this time around. The same goes for you, but hunting here is not what it used to be, better to search in England with Cru. We go every year for a few weeks (www.wf4.nl), this will be our 12th. Its always neat searching in England..

[Silver Searcher]

Incredible. When you post I am usually speechless, Woody--and this is no exception. Lots of museum quality pieces there.

I have no tin toys to post. But I wanted to reply to this post so that I could see what others posted to this thread.



Regards,



Buckles

Have to agree with Buckles on this one Woody stunning finds I find nothing like those items you have posted.

Thanks for posting them

[shaun7]

Really nice stuff Woody!

What do you put on it to make it all look so nice, and the same colour?

[CRUSADER]

Nice

Heres mine:

[woody50]

Really nice stuff Woody!
What do you put on it to make it all look so nice, and the same colour?

Well almost all of the tin found deep in the mud, is found in dark black mud. That is mud that is composed of old organic material. Therefore after being so long in the ground the object are black. But not always, sometimes they come out looking like a sort of gold color, then it was in other soil, and sometimes the black is not perfect, you know light patches and that. Its not really black either, or a light black if that is what it could be called. For those that have some small patches I usually use a sort of paste (used for old black coal stoves) that is really a black sort of wax, to make the colors the same. Then I always apply a very hot microcrystal wax to them, which preserves them pretty good. Most of the time I repeat the wax after about 10 years. At least that is my method, I guess there are more.

[woody50]

Nice
Heres mine:

What do you need help with?

[CRUSADER]

Nice
Heres mine:

What do you need help with?

find some or any

[woody50]

Nice
Heres mine:

What do you need help with?

finds some or any

You got to be kidding? No tin toy finds? Then its true that so few were made in England I guess, and not imported either.