CHILDREN’S JIGSAWS
This is a set of four children's jigsaws, described on the hosiery box in which I found them as "Star" jigsaws - and you can see why! I believe the set is from the early part of the 20th century but they could be a bit older. They are made of a heavy card and all are complete but one (the bears) has a bit torn away.The hosiery box is pure art deco and on the back is the price of "4/11 and 1 coupon per box of 4". For the four PRICE: £20.00
SEE THE NOTE ON HOME PAGE *****
NODDY AT THE SCHOOL CONCERT - 200 PIECES
This is an early cardboard Noddy jigsaw from the 50's or 60's. It is complete but lacks its original box, though there is a guide picture. In the picture are many of Noddy's friends including Big Ears. PRICE: £10.00
TWO CHILDREN'S PUZZLES BY BELL
These are two charming wooden puzzles made, I believe, in the 1960's by Bell. Each is of fifty pieces and complete with its original box. The left-hand one is called "Springtime", the right-handed one is "The Huntsman". Each one will cost you the princely sum of £5.00 plus p/p.
SHOWMAN'S TRACTION ENGINE
As you know, I think of vintage as something made before the 1960's usually but I'm making an exception in this case because it's such a nice puzzle. There are 51 non-interlocking pieces making a really nice picture. The painting was done in the 1970's so the puzzle can't be before that. It's not an easy children's puzzle - you'll have to help. PRICE: £10.00
GENEVIEVE
This is a delightful 1960's Victory 150 piece jigsaw, complete and in good condition in its original box. It must be based on the 1950's film "Genevieve", about an old car on its first outing in the London to Brighton rally and the problems it meets. In the picture the car is going through a small town of medieval buildings but modern people (notice the woman with trousers and head-scarf on the right). This is a puzzle for vintage car enthusiasts! PRICE: £20.00
LITTLE HOLLANDERS
This is an early 20th century set of cardboard jigsaws made by Spears in Bavaria. There are three little 12 piece jigsaws, all in great condition and in their original box which is immaculate. There are two guide pictures and the third picture is on the lid as is usually the case with this type of set. PRICE: £30.00
A TWELVE CUBE PUZZLE
This is a gorgeous little block puzzle which comes in an old tin (not original!). There are (of course) six pictures on the six sides but only five guide pictures as the sixth is almost always on the lid of the box - which, in this case, is missing. The pictures range from the gorgeous cat and kittens in the picture to a boy with dogs, two children with a goat and a sheep, three children in a farmyard with chickens, a boy and girl with cows and - the missing picture - a boy and girl with some horses and foals. I would guess that these were printed in Germany during the 1920's. The blocks are all in good condition and the colours are great! PRICE: £10.00 (email for more pics)
AND A 20 CUBE BLOCK PUZZLE
This puzzle block set comes in its original box but the bottom of the box is missing! The puzzle is from Glevum Games and made in England. The blocks are in good condition but all the guide pictures are missing except the one on the lid (a girl on a horse). Glevum Games were made by Roberts Bros until around the mid-fifties and I would date this to around then because of the picture on the front. PRICE: £15.00 (FOR FURTHER PHOTOS, PLEASE EMAIL ME)
C.1840 puzzle of THE KINGS OF ENGLAND FROM WILLIAM I TO VICTORIA
This is a puzzle which appears in various museum collections (including the V&A, according to Linda Hannas). It is by Nicholas Carpenter and consists of hand-coloured woodcut portraits of the kings, queens and protectors(!)from 1066 to 1840. The original box is missing, though the sliding lid is present with its original illustration of the first and last lines of the puzzle. Originally with this puzzle was a printed sheet with rhymes about each ruler but that's missing. There are about 12 small bits missing - one of the pieces has been ravaged by a dog - but all the main pieces are present. The pieces are all backed by Nicolas Carpenter's signature bright green paper. I've put the lot into an old cardboard "butter" box dated 1896 (a mere youngster compared to the puzzle!) PRICE:£55.00
ZOO PUZZLE - German-made, c. 1880-1900
This is a set of twelve nine-piece animal picture puzzles each made with a pine-like wood, paper-backed and a chromolithograph picture. This was obviously a quality set for a Victorian child who looked after it well. There are a few 'knobs' broken and some missing but it is altogether a wonderful set. They come in a large box - not the original - but with the original box lid (see photo).
PRICE: GBP 85.00
A SET OF 20 PICTURE BRICKS - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS
There are a few sets of these bricks around but this is the first I've had that was in its original box (albeit, it's a bit 'taped'). The bricks are in very good condition as are the guide pictures - four separate, one on the cover and one inside the box lid. There is a stamped label on the bottom of the box which says MADE IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA and I have no reason to doubt that. PRICE: £12.00
and: Another set in incredibly good condition but missing one of the guide pics. PRICE: £15.00
A BOX OF BIBLE STORY BRICKS
I know that Biblical themes aren't very sought after, but these bricks complete in their box are so excellent! The pictures - both those that are used for guides and those that are on the bricks - are all lithographs. The pictures range from The Garden of Eden to Noah's Sacrifice with Moses, Spies in Canaan, a Disobedient Prophet and Absolom's Death. Though they have all been around for over 100 years, this set is in remarkably good condition though the lid picture is a little stained through use and the paper and fabric "hinge" is giving way as has one end of the box. Luckily, the lid is in good condition as far as its sides are concerned and so it holds the bricks in! PRICE: £12.00
SHEEP
This (like the following two puzzles) is a solid wood puzzle with chromolithograph picture of, in this instance, a sheep. There are 22 pieces and the puzzle measures 16" hig by 10" across. There are two lobes broken but present and a tiny lobe missing. I imagine the puzzles were made around 1900 or a little earlier. The backs of each puzzle were covered with paper to stop the wood from warping. PRICE: £10.00
DONKEY
The donkey is 13" tall and 16" wide and there are 23 pieces. There are two lobes broken but present. PRICE: £10.00
COW
The third animal puzzle is a cow of 24 pieces, 17.25" across and 9.5" high. PRICE: £12.00
WONDERFUL SET OF ABC BLOCKS!
This is such a treat! These 'blocks' (actually not cubes but "thick squares") are in wonderful condition. There is a date on the bottom of the box with the greeting:-"Thomas Alfred Seekings from his cousins E&H Southall Christmas 1906". The box is in reasonable condition for cardboard which is over 100 years old with all four corners of the base still un-split although there is a split on one edge. The lid has one split corner and a split edge as well as some general grubbiness. On the reverse of each 'block' is the letter of the alphabet that the picture on the other side represents with the full word under the picture. There are 24 'blocks' with VW and YZ on one 'block', the others each on a separate 'block'. PRICE: £45.00
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