What advice would you give someone on taking care of their collection?
Toys require almost no care, it is possible to put a little oil on the springs -- Three-in-One oil is the best. The important thing to know is that the toy will last forever if you wind it up and have it do what it was made to do. It's when things like knobs are twisted the wrong way or a wind-up car is manually pushed, something a child might do, that a toy will break.
What about cleaning?
Just dust them, I think putting wax on them is not a good service and rust does not clean off. If they need cleaning, the best way is with plain soap and water. Just pat them dry or put them in a warm spot, like the kitchen. It you make sure the toy is dry before putting it away, it's not going to rust. Rust takes a long time to occur! If the toy is greasy, try using a little bit of WD-40 to clean it.
What about restoration of Tin Toys?
It can be very difficult to restore an old tin toy. Most of these were lithographed, which is a complicated process and consists of a series of dots. When restoring the toy, it would have to be painted by brush -- so the high detail is very difficult to restore. The big trucks and cars are most often restored, as the solid color pieces can be sandblasted and repainted. These pieces still have significant values even when restored.
There are many problems with reproductions in the Antique and Collecting markets, is this a problem with tin toys?
Once you have looked at, studied or have some old toys, it's not very hard to tell the difference between old and new. And since it is so difficult and costly to reproduce a vintage toy, reproductions are not a big problem. There are new tin toys that have come out that are somewhat similar, but there is always a difference.
That is not to say that reproductions aren't made, for instance Paya Toys from Spain have been reproduced, as well as the popular Amos and Andy toy. But since toy collectors do not want reproductions, there is not much of a market for them.
If you're worried about reproductions, the best advice is to always buy from a reputable dealer.
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