Hakes Americana Latest Auction

 

There are many great items in this latest auction from Hakes. These are my favorite from Gilbert. They made some of the best sets back in the day. Most of these date from the 1920s. I got a fascination for these old kits. Such engineering genius in a nice box.

 

 

Currently at 661 dollars this is a great set like most of the stuff Gilbert made in the 1920s.

 

current bid - $661.11

 

13-3/8x20.5x2.5" deep cardboard box w/nicely illustrated lid label depicting "The New Erector" zeppelin docked at "Erector" tower w/cutaway image of airship at lower left. Box contains set that was unnumbered, being pieced together at the end of Gilbert's Zeppelin line in 1931 and sold as in 1932 in this cardboard box rather than a wooden box. Box shows obvious wear along edges/corners of lid w/splits, tears and noticeable fading at edges. Small portion of one corner missing. Box lid is Good/VG. Lid label has a few scuffs and is Fine. Rest of box has three corner splits (two w/tape repairs to interior) and fading to bottom. VG. Set contains unused and complete parts for assembling detailed zeppelin. This includes illustrated instructions, patent sheet, metal struts, nose cone, tail section w/fins (which have either "Erector" name or star decals), propellers as well as inner support structure and outer cloth covering w/"The New Erector" name and cardboard box labeled "Parts Box." All remains unused and Exc. This is the only known boxed example. Rare. Barry Lutsky Collection.

 

current bid - $2270

 

16.75x25.5x4.75" deep paper-covered case contains A.C. Gilbert Co. set No. U-238 (a clever reference to Uranium-238, the most common isotope of uranium found in nature). This infamous lab's intention was to allow children to create and watch chemical reactions using radioactive material. The lab contains a cloud chamber that allowed the viewer to watch alpha particles travel at 12,000 miles per second, a spinthariscope (a device for observing individual nuclear disintegrations caused by the interaction of ionizing radiation w/a phosphor or scintillator) that showed the results of radioactive disintegration on a fluorescent screen and an electroscope that measured the radioactivity of different substances included in the set. Looked upon as being dangerous because of the radioactive material in the set, Gilbert claimed that none of the materials could conceivably prove dangerous. In addition to items mentioned above, lab also includes - Geiger-Mueller Counter, nuclear spheres, Alpha, Beta and Gamma radioactive sources, radioactive ores, three illustrated books - "Prospecting For Uranium, How Dagwood Splits The Atom" and "Gilbert Atomic Energy Instruction Book" - Deionizer, Dri Electric Power Pack and underside of lid features great illustration of boy using lab w/atomic imagery and content listing as well as promotional text including US Government's $10,000 reward for anyone finding uranium ore deposits. Lid shows some aging and scattered wear including inked names of children and color rubs on lid label. Case itself is Fine overall. Contents are complete and unused w/original packing material and show some scattered aging/dust soiling and are Fine-VF. Books/manuals show more moderate wear w/pinch creases to spines and are VG-Fine overall. Unlike other chemistry sets released by Gilbert, the U-238 Atomic Energy Lab never gained popularity and the toy was taken off shelves only a year later, selling only from 1950 and 1951. This later 1951 version is very rare (twice as rare as Gilbert's red set), being one of only two known examples. Barry Lutsky Collection.

 

current bid - $100

 

One of many versions, this is early 1920s "Exhibition Set" No. 2006 (as noted on underside of lid). 8.5x12.25x3" deep wooden hinged lid box w/trace remnants of "Gilbert Toys" decal. A.C. Gilbert, early 1920s. Box has some corner tip/edge wear w/hairline crack through center of lid (but still structurally sound). Fine overall. Set appears complete and comes w/illustrated instruction manual and three cardboard compartments (two w/additional cardboard compartment within) containing various components for magic tricks including metal rings, wooden and metal balls, magic wands, magic coin and envelopes containing "Princess Card Trick" and "Mysto Coin Trick." Instruction manual shows moderate handling wear/aging and is Fine overall. Magic trick contents appear unused and aside from some moderate paint flaking to one piece, are VF-Exc. Nicely designed set. Barry Lutsky Collection.

 

 

8.5x14.75" wooden board has early, open-mounted wireless receiving set manufactured by A.C. Gilbert in 1922 uses single tube for detector, rheostat to control tube's filament voltage and a primitive loose coupler in conjunction w/a pair of variable condensers for tuning. Designed by radio pioneer Clarence Tuska (who at the time was struggling to get his own fledgling wireless company off the ground), it was based on a Murdock radio circuit that dated back to the early 1910s, and it bore little if any resemblance to the simple, box-shaped radios that Tuska had designed for Gilbert just a year or two earlier. Gilbert introduced this model along w/their other wireless offerings in the 1922 Gilbert Year Book. Comes w/"Book Of Instructions - Gilbert Wireless" illustrated manual, which shows obvious wear w/front cover loose and front/back separated w/several edge/corner chips. Good. Radio comes w/older style headphones, we are unsure as to what period they were issued and headphones just come along. Radio is untested w/just some scattered aging/wear. Fine overall. Rare radio, especially found w/original instructions. Barry Lutsky Collection.

 

current bid - $550

 

 

11x29.5x6" deep painted wood case contains A.C. Gilbert Co. 1930s set. Case has attached 26.25" tall wooden legs attached for table-like display. Lid has metal fasteners and features illustrated label featuring "Gilbert Chemistry Outfit" text and image of boy w/two test tubes. Case has scattered wear in the form of paint nicks/scratches and lid label has scattered aging/staining w/corner tip wear and .25" piece repaired. Fine overall. Set appears complete w/various cork-stoppered glass vials and wooden canisters, each labeled w/what is inside. Case has painted tin insert tray that reveals additional contents when removed. These include "Gilbert Glass Blowing, Gilbert Chemical Magic, Gilbert - Chemistry, Gilbert Mineralogy" and "Gilbert Chemical Magic" manuals as well as child's detailed science notebook, small envelopes containing material for experiments, magnet, various glass tubes and pipettes, wooden magic wand, glass bottle labeled "Chemistry Alcohol Lamp" and more. Insert tray shows moderate wear w/areas of heavy oxidation from chemical reaction, resulting in small hole and 3" area of missing edge/rim. Tray is Good/VG. Manuals show varying degrees of lt. aging and are VG-VF overall. Some of the wooden canisters have been opened and set appears to have had lt. use. Some chemicals have aged w/some leaking. VG-VF overall. Scarce large set w/original legs. Legs come off/reattach easily and will be removed to facilitate shipping. Barry Lutsky Collection.

 

11x19x3.75" deep painted (blue) metal trifold case opens to 11x57" wide and contains A.C. Gilbert Co. 1950s set No. 15 (as marked inside). Lid has illustrated label showing boy in laboratory performing experiment. Label has slight lift at bottom and is o/w VF. Case has some scattered wear in the form of paint nicks/scratches and has some small areas of bare metal showing. Inner bottom left corner of left section has moderate area of oxidation, and some scattered oxidation to exterior. Fine overall. Each section of case has two or three metal shelves holding a total of 63 amber glass jars w/metal screw caps, each having label on front noting chemical contents as well as 23 cork-stoppered glass vials (in metal racks), also w/labels and an assortment of laboratory equipment including ceramic mortar and pestle, glass tubes/pipettes/beaker/vials, magnet and even a metal scale. One section holds "Fun With Chemicals" illustrated booklet and "Gilbert Mineralogy, Gilbert Glass Blowing" and "Gilbert Chemical Magic" manuals as well as small envelopes containing material for experiments. Some chemicals contained within cork-stoppered glass vials have aged and some exhibit leaking, resulting in aforementioned areas of oxidation. Glass dropper's rubber bulb has hardened w/age, becoming misshapen. Despite these issues, components appear unused and show lt. aging/dust soiling. Fine-VF overall. This large and impressive set is rare, especially as complete and unused. Barry Lutsky Collection.

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