c.1925 Wolverine, No.61 Sandy Andy See-Saw in Original Box
Just recently found this Sandy Andy See-Saw produced by Wolverine. Just when I thought I'd seen all of the Wolverine toys this one pops up. Never seen or heard of it before. Amazing excellent+ to near mint condition and complete right down to the original scoop and original sand! Also comes with beautifully illustrated original box. As with most Wolverine Sandy Andy toys it looks simple, but actually it's quite complex. Sand empties from a hopper until its weight is sufficient to lower one end of the see-saw. It empties, decreasing the load causing it to return to the hopper. A shutter underneath the hopper controls the release of sand. Simple right? Easy right? It's so complex that it's difficult to even write out what's happening, but you get the idea. The mechanical workings of the toy are one thing, but it's detailed lithography is another. Sand components were lithoed in orange and black. The hopper shows several geese and a windmill or two. One of the birds is mighty large because a little girl is able to ride it bareback compete with reins! The inside of the hopper is polished tin. The sand basin is also orange and black. The removable lid shows silhouetted see-sawing between a little girl and two rabbits. Around the perimeter of the base are several silhouetted images which tell a complete story. I've photographed the scene and electronically stitched together the images to show them without having to rotate the base (see 3rd photo down). The container still has its original sand inside and comes complete with its original green metal scoop. The only other lithoed component is the brass plated boy sitting on the end of the see-saw. He's turned to the side slightly so you don't really see his face. The lad is shown wearing knickers and a short cap which were popular in the 1920's. The remaining uprights and supports are all pressed steel with polished tin surfaces. The box is just as neat as the toy. As with some of the other Sandy Andy toys the box serves two purposes. One...to hold the toy. And second...to be placed underneath the toy to catch any stray sand. It opens like a flower petal with the sides remaining upright. Check out my photo's below to see what I mean. The cover also features a detailed illustration of a young boy and girl playing with the toy. It was drawn in a style which was similar to some of the Wizard of Oz books among others. The hair style on the boy is something I see periodically in very old photographs. The girl looks almost angelic. The boy watches in wonder as his older sister fills the hopper with sand. Also on the cover were printed the original directions and patent dates. The parts of the toy were also diagrammed. The Sandy Andy See-Saw name appears on every box panel except the bottom which was left blank. I also like knowing that this was an actual toy present for a kid. It still has its original 6" long red and green Christmas tape sealing one side. It was printed with antique images of Santa, Holly berries, and wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. The condition and completeness of the toy are awesome, but for some reason (for me) it's this strip of Christmas tape that really makes it stand out. As far as it's actually working, everything balances perfectly so there isn't any reason why it wouldn't function. However, I'm not going to start pouring sand ( or some substitute) into it. Size: Assembled 9" x 9" x 5". Sold: Feb. 2008
Price Sold: $ 332
