Bidspirit auction | Rare ”DEFIANCE” Fire Pumper

Rare ”DEFIANCE” Fire Pumper - Made by the James Fallows Company. Philadelphia, Pa. - Mid 1880's. From the Collection of author Louis Hertz. ”The condition of this American tin fire toy is absolutely sensational, nearly flawless with little paint loss. In the category of nineteenth century tin toys, this type of quality is virtually non-existent. Such tin toys were very inexpensively made. They typically did not have a primer layer to help the paint to adhere strongly to the tin surface. The color and the stenciled lettering is vibrant and unmatched in caliber. It retains both original firemen and the gold wooden steam valve by which you can push the toy. It's immaculate. ””Defiance”” was discovered by prolific ””antique toys”” author Louis Hertz when he was a teenager just before World War 2. It remained in Hertz's prestigious collection until the late 1980's when dealer Alex Acevedo acquired it. It was briefly in the inventory of defunct antique toy firm Mint and Boxed. It then spent a year in Kansas City on Gary Smith's shelf, ultimately coming to reside in the Haradin Collection in Pittsburgh.” Condition: Mint Condition.