1949 Wyandotte, Mechanical Rabbit & Basket Hand Car in Original Box
Wyandotte (All Metal Products Co.) became well known for producing some of the best and most clever lithographed tin Easter toys in the U.S. This No. 801 Mechanical Hand Car with Rabbit and Basket falls into that category. Unfortunately it was produced to much less of an extent than some of Wyandotte's other Easter products. This colorful wind-up tin and steel toy has some of the most complex and detailed lithography from the company's post war period. It's in remarkable near mint+ condition complete with original box. I've only seen several examples and this one is by far the highest grade I've found. A real attention getter, the Mechanical bunny car features an articulated rabbit pumping the controls of a train hand car. It features the little white character dressed in yellow and green checkerboard trousers with yellow suspenders, red shirt, and red cap on one end of the car. The black handled pump mechanism is set into a striped yellow base with white rabbits on either side. Opposite the rabbit sits a large yellow and blue basket whose interior is brightly decorated with a drizzle of yellow and red fibers. The Wyandotte logo is lithoed in the center of the basket. The hand car itself is bright red with sky blue chassis and bulbous yellow wheels. The wheels are decorated on the sides with a green shamrock and a bunny and chick inside each clover. Candy would be placed into the basket for the holidy. It has an attached steel key and it works beautifully! The box is a simple printed text on cardboard. The name of the toy, manufacturer name and address are printed on the endflaps. All four main box panels are blank. Size: 6½" x 4½" x 5". Sold: May 2006
Price Sold: $ 301