1937 Wyandotte, No. E207 Rabbit and Cart in Original Box
Magnificent heavy gauge pressed steel Rabbit and Cart manufactured by Wyandotte. Comes complete with original box. Easily grades near mint and most likely was never played with. Both the toy and box grade the highest I've seen for a Wyandotte Easter animal toy. In fact it's only the second box from this large 10" toy I've seen. Features wonderful 1930's styling of a two wheel, pastel colored cart being pulled by a large Papa-like rabbit dressed in his Sunday best. Behind him sits a small kid-type rabbit pulling on the reins. Dad has the other end of the reins clamped firmly down in his mouth. He looks back and smiles at the young driver behind him. This is one of those toys that you can take one look and think "they don't make them like that anymore".... and you'd be right. The detail in the lithography is amazing. For example, rather than use one or two flat colors for the Papa's head, a variety of brown and beige shades were used. Differences in shade were precisely lithoed to follow the contour of the pressed metal surface. Recessed areas in the cheeks and ears are slightly darker and concave. That's exactly how you'd expect them to look. And of course the amount of detail is just amazing. Check out the wheel in first photo. Six of those eight spokes have a white gardenia between them. You can even make out the number of flower petals! A additional features which are not as apparent include, 1) the cart bed lifts up and tilts like a dump truck, 2) the cart's right side has its original rabbit silhouette, 3) the reins are original, 4) the Papa rabbit can be separated from the cart, and 5) this is a pull toy. Not a wind-up, or friction. The box is fantastic! The main panels were illustrated with two color illustrations and almost no text. One shows an accurate depiction of the toy "from the rabbit's perspective". The other show it as a toy, from a child's (and dog's) perspective. Pretty neat. The endflaps were printed with the toy name and catalog number, plus the company name and address. It's complete with all six original flaps and is "hand's down" the finest box of its type I've seen. It's a heavy toy weighing just over a pound and has many pointy edges. Because of that not many survived. After 70 years it's incredible that one of these boxes exists at all. To find it in such pristine original condition is indeed a rare find. Size: 10". Sold: Oct. 2007
Price Sold: $ 434
