Ever since Milestone Auctions October 2023 debut offering of toys from the legendary Elmers Toy Museum collection, the question many vintage toy fans have been asking is, When will we see part two? Their long wait ended on May 11 when the suburban Cleveland, Ohio, auction house rolled out 774 lots of tin windups, battery-operated toys, pressed-steel trucks, Japanese tin cars, Dooling gas racers, and both automotive and character toys from Germanys pre-war era. The single-consignor event closed the books at $460,000, a figure that was comfortably within Milestones range of expectations and a full $100,000 above the overall low estimate. Across all categories, better things brought better prices. Some of the numbers were insane, like on the Atom Jet Racer and the small Lionel autos, said Miles King, co-owner of Milestone Auctions. European toys were shipped everywhere, and the number of bidders for postwar Japanese toys was way up. Collector interest just keeps on growing for that particular category. Made by Yonezawa, the wildly futuristic tin friction #58 Atom Jet Racer finished at the top of prices realized. With its distinctive mid-century colors, a toothy chrome grille, and cool 1950s/60s graphics, the oversize toy measured 26 inches long and had all its bells and whistles. Sought after by collectors of race cars as well as postwar Japanese toy aficionados, Atom Jet always creates a stir on those rare occasions when an example appears at auction. At Milestones sale, it stormed across the finish line to claim $25,740 against an estimate of $10,000-$15,000. Lionel is a revered American toy train company, but over the years theyve produced a number of interesting sidelines. An unusual Lionel production from the Elmers Toy Museum collection was a rare 1912 #80 Automobile Outfit containing an orange race car, both original drivers, and a metal track. The set appeared never to have been played with and even retained its original cardboard box with Lionel company advertising on the exterior. It sold for $10,238, more than five times the high estimate. Immediately following its production of #80, Lionel produced the same set with a red car, also with two original driver figures. Set #81, also in beautiful, untouched condition and with its original Lionel cardboard box, also commanded more than five times the high estimate, retiring at $10,530. The sale featured two prized Gordon Bennet tin windup racers, named for an early 20th-century New York sportsman who made headlines with his foolhardy adventures in yachting, hot air ballooning, aviation and motor racing. The racer made by Issmayer (Germany), measuring 7.5 inches long, presented in excellent condition with a functional clockwork mechanism and both of its original passenger figures. It charged past its pre-sale estimate of $4,000-$6,000 to settle at $10,148. Another German toy that boasted high condition was a Lehmann (Germany) 7-inch tin windup Taxi Cab lithographed in a mustard color with black roof and running boards. It was 100 percent complete and original, even retaining its liveried driver and Lehmann-logod fabric flag on the hood. Estimated at $400-$600, it glided to a final price of $3,198. Rough-tough pressed steel toys of the postwar era are special favorites to collectors who remember playing with them as children. A premier brand of that time was Tonka, whose construction toys were built to last. Unfortunately for collectors, few have survived in spotless, boxed condition simply because they were so tempting to play with. The late Elmer Duellmans collection contained several quality examples, including hard-to-find boxed sets. A 1955 Tonka #775-5 Road Builder Set consisting of a semi with lowboy trailer, steam shovel, road grader and dump truck was complete in its original, correctly partitioned box. The pre-sale estimate was set at $1,500-$2,000, but it paved its way to a winning bid of $5,850. Yet another Tonka treasure that set the room ablaze was a 1959 Tonka B-212 Fire Department set. In very fine, unplayed-with-condition, it included a good-looking 30-inch fire ladder truck, a fire pumper truck and a set box that Tonka had cleverly lithographed to resemble a burning apartment building. It sold for $3,960 against an estimate of $800-$1,200. A crowd-charmer that captured Disney fans attention was a coveted Deans Rag Mickey Mouse soft doll on a metal scooter. All original and in very nice condition, the 8-inch rarity whizzed pasts its $800-$1,000 estimate to apply the brakes at $5,658. After the sale, Miles King expressed his delight with the continued global interest in Elmer Duellmans toys. From start to finish, an overwhelming percentage of bids came in either through the internet and by phone. We were very happy to see how many of those bids were from other countries. Our overseas customer list just keeps on growing, and we think thats because collectors like what we offer and, no matter where they are located, appreciate the way they are treated, before, during and after the sale. For more information, call 440-527-8060 or email info@milestoneauctions.com. All prices shown in this report are inclusive of buyers premium as stated on Milestones website. Images courtesy of Milestone Auctions, Willoughby, Ohio.