Premier Personal Collection of Antique Toy Expert and International Dealer Tom Sage Sr to Be Auctioned May 29 at Morphy’s

300 European and American toys and trains of extraordinary rarity include coveted Marklin productions: 1904 Ferris Wheel, 45in Amerika oceanliner, Gefion battleship, many sole survivors

DENVER, Pa., May 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — On Thursday, May 29, Morphy’s will auction Part I of the lifetime personal collection of European and American antique toys amassed by the late Tom Sage Sr (1939-2024) of Allentown, Pennsylvania. Widely acknowledged as a pioneer of antique toy dealing and collecting, Sage was known for his encyclopedia knowledge of toys and a well-cultivated international network of industry contacts with whom he conducted business for more than 50 years. While buying and selling rare toys was his full-time occupation, Sage also had a mental wish list of toys and trains he personally wanted to own. Over several decades, he astutely filled the slots on that list, and it is those very special pieces that will be offered in the May 29 sale.

While literally every toy in the collection is a showstopper, the auction catalog’s cover photo suggests the top seller may very well end up being Sage’s magnificent 1904 Ferris Wheel made by the revered German firm Marklin. One of only three or four of its type known to exist, it is likely the nicest of that elite handful of survivors. In researching his father’s toys, Tommy Sage Jr, who heads Morphy Auctions’ Toys & Trains department, related that he had found copies of circa-1910 photos taken in Brooklyn of the Ferris Wheel’s then-owner sitting with his son and holding the actual auction toy.

“The Ferris Wheel can be traced back to the gentleman’s relative who worked for a Brooklyn department store and who received the toy when the store closed down before World War I. Dad purchased it at Sotheby’s in 1994. It was one of his finest toys, and he thought so highly of it, he kept it in his bedroom,” Sage said. The Ferris Wheel will convey to its new owner with paperwork, the aforementioned copies of 1910 photos, and a Sotheby’s tag and receipt. The pre-sale estimate is $100,000–$200,000.

In addition to rarity, another characteristic apparent throughout the museum-quality Sage Collection is exceptional – if not astonishing – original condition. His 45-inch Marklin Amerika tin oceanliner, made circa 1909-1910, is in stunning original condition and estimated at $100,000–$150,000.

Also produced at Marklin’s original factory in Goppingen, Germany, a handsome, all-original circa-1904 Gefion battleship is designed with a distinctive “ram” front, a feature that was added to real warships of its era for inflicting damage on enemy vessels. This particular toy, which comes with a crew of 11 original Heyde soldiers, is estimated at $30,000–$50,000.

Other top highlights include an antique hand-painted 13-inch-long Bing taxi with its taxi meter, liveried driver, and even its original store box from Au Bon Marche in Paris, $25,000–$35,000; a classic circa-1912 Fischer Father Christmas car in mint condition, one of few known examples of its type, $15,000–$25,000; and a circa-1900 hand-painted Marklin clockwork tramway trolley with six original figures, four original catenary poles and a 27-inch track, $20,000–$30,000.

The Thursday May 29, 2025 auction of Tom Sage Sr’s Private Collection of Antique Toys & Trains – Part I will be held live at Morphy’s gallery, 2000 N. Reading Rd., Denver, PA 17517, starting at 9AM ET. Additional forms of bidding include absentee, by phone, or live online through Morphy Live. For questions, condition reports, or to reserve a phone line for bidding, call 877-968-8880, [email protected]. Online: www.morphyauctions.com

Media Contact:
Dan Morphy
877-968-9880
[email protected] 

SOURCE Morphy Auctions