1945 Wolverine, No.44 Mr. Sandman The Robot
This is Mr. Sandman The Robot, a totally unique steel litho sand toy with wooden limbs manufactured by Wolverine. It was an early post-war toy produced only during the last several months of 1945. It's an exceptionally scarce toy. Except for the near mint+ toy from the Griffith sale (Sotheby's, December 2000) this is the highest graded example (and only the second) I've seen. It's in excellent+ to near mint condition and appears to have never been played with. Beautiful multicolor lithography intricately designed with black and white details on the head and torso. Both are lithoed with the manufacturer's logo. The arms are joined by a steel rod which passes through the top of the pail allowing them to swing freely. The metal rod is squared in the center of the pail preventing it from being pulled out. The yellow arms, black shoulder joints, and red legs are painted wood. Very cleverly designed toy disassembles into four separate sand toys: a shovel, sprinkler (head) , sieve (shoulder blades), pail (torso), and sand molds (feet). The shovel is original. Once played with, it would've been a simple thing to reassemble. The parts fit snugly so they don't inadvertently fall apart. The toy was originally sold without any packaging or box. However it would've had a hang tag with instructions for its use. Size: 11½" tall. Sold: Mar. 2007
Price Sold: $ 1776
