Blob City
The ‘49 Kaiser shown here was manufactured by Vintage Castings from original molds discarded by Barclay in 1971. The owner of Vintage Castings, Bill Longo, has been casting both toy soldiers and cars from Barclay molds that he acquired after Barclay’s demise. I have a Vintage Castings ‘39 Buick that my wife gave me for Christmas in 1979.
Barclay/Vintage Castings ’49 Kaiser
Vintage Casting pieces can be found on eBay from time-to-time. Longo’s primary love is toy solders, but he has also produced a great number of cars and trucks as well. Longo does great work, with paint gloss equivalent to what you would find at your local Woolworth’s in the early ‘50s, albeit with a bit more detail-most dime store products that Barclay or other slush casters offered did not have-painted windows, bumpers or headlights. I love this guy’s stuff.
Slush cast toys from Barclay, Lincoln, CAW, Kansas Toy & Novelty and others were sold through the five-and-dimes. Depending on size and detailing (multiple paint colors, propellers, etc), these toys sold for 5, 10, or 15 cents. Naturally, larger pieces, which required more pewter were more expensive. Originals, and Vintage Castings pieces go for slightly more (hah!) today.
’49 Kaiser
The Kaiser depicted here probably was a 15-cent toy due to its size, about 1/43 scale, 5”, (127 mm) long.
I avidly collect Vintage Castings/Bill Longo pieces. My database indicates that I have eight of his cars, including this Kaiser. If you would like to see more, I would be happy to comply, as long as the Tsar of the Commentariat blesses the endeavor. Lots of Art Moderne, Airflows, Buicks and others.
I’d like to see more. I have some Barclay (or similar) cast people that look great with old electric trains: A lady in a red dress, a man with a fedora and a briefcase, and a white-gloved cop blowing a whistle. Less detail on old toys meant they really had to get the colors and proportions right. The effect is more archetypal than photo-realistic.
Never heard of the brand
For me ‘t was Dinky or Corgi and, when on holidays in France the odd Norev.
Especially remember the 2CV truckette I gotin yellow with Kodak livery and the next year a Renault4 truckette.
Made out of plastic with opening doors.
My brother once got a French Dinky Renault R8 Gordini, blue with white stripes and the four headlights made of yellow ‘jewels’
Can show you where the shop was in Quiberon, Britanny France
Back in 1969
We lost the Renault, but I remember it vividly since I once saw the price of a mint example today.
Dad should have bought at least a dozen !
Slush cast cars and trucks were rare in Europe, but one of the finest collections of this type of toy, as manufactured by Barclay, Lincoln White Metal, Kansas Toy and Novelty, etc has been assembled by Pim Piet in the Netherlands. His collection may be seen at:
http://www.vitrineonline.nl/Vitrine_Online/Vitrine/Entries/2008/9/11_Pim_Piet_over_Slush_Cars.html
Cool car Kevin, thanks for sharing.
I’d love to see the Airflow.