Atlanta Antique Gallery - Animal Drawn

The Toys generally commanding the highest prices are horse-drawn cast-iron pieces. One reason for the eye-opening prices is that horse-drawn cast-iron toys have considerable value apart from their lure as toys—there is an air of genuine Americana about them, and they are likely to attract the interest of many who otherwise pay no attention to toys.

Since prices are often so high, reproductions, whether honest or dishonest, can be a problem.

Things to look for when a reproduction is suspected include a rougher surface than an old toy would have (recastings are invariably rougher), uneven fit of pieces, a blurring of details and “aging” that doesn’t have the patina of age. Since at least once company, John Wright (formerly Grey Iron), is still manufacturing turn-of-the-century horse-drawn vehicles—some of them from the original molds—it is wise to become familiar with the field before investing heavily.