About a year ago, an online service called "Sekaimon Auction" started. It's directly linked to eBay auctions in the US, and although it charges a 15% commission, it handles everything, so there's no need for complicated procedures or English correspondence. Plus, there seems to be a guarantee in case of trouble, so I easily jumped in thinking it was a good idea, which was the beginning of my mistake. My savings have been steadily dwindling in front of a mountain of treasures, and now I'm stuck in a new quagmire. It's been four years since I featured US antique toys in "Treasure House Vol. 5." Let me show you my rapidly growing collection. For reference, I've included the market prices among enthusiasts and the actual winning bid prices (excluding shipping and fees) as listed in the "DINOSAUR COLLECTIBLES" bible (introduced in Vol. 5) for purchasing dinosaur antique toys.

First, an old wooden Brontosaurus by "TwisTum." It's about 35cm long and made with round joints, allowing for free posing. It dates back to the 1920s-1930s! It must be one of the oldest dinosaur toys. The market price was listed as $400-600! I was thrilled to win it for only $97, thinking "Hooray!" but then a similar item recently sold on Sekaimon for $50... What a shame.

This is also an old iron Brontosaurus, a product of "Messmore & Damon" from the 1933 Chicago World's Fair. Actually, as I'm writing this, it hasn't arrived at my home yet, so this is a picture from the auction page. It sold for $67, while the market price was $100-150. It looks quite rusty, though.

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This one is actually made in Japan. It's one of the tin toys manufactured in large quantities by "Linemar" in the 1950s for export to the US. It's about 20cm long, walks with a wind-up mechanism, and opens and closes its mouth. I had been searching for this item for a long time, and when I found it at auction, I was truly enthusiastic. My encounter with it was 22 years ago. Since then, I've been curious about it ever since I discovered it in a display case at the "Tin Toy Museum TOYS CLUB" that opened on Yamate in Yokohama. After successfully acquiring it, I suddenly decided to go compare it at the TOYS CLUB. When I saw it in the glass case, looking exactly as it did 22 years ago, I was overcome with emotion. I also had the opportunity to speak with Teruhisa Kitahara, the museum director and Japan's strongest toy collector, who happened to be there, and we had a wonderful time. For this, the winning bid of $200 (market price unknown) was definitely a bargain.

A 1950s "Alva" metal Brontosaurus (20cm) and Stegosaurus. Both were listed at $100-150, but I got them for $135 and $65 respectively. They have a solid, dignified presence.

Also a 1950s "Miller" plastic Brontosaurus (22cm). Apparently rare, it was priced high at $195-225, and the winning bid of $182 was a bit painful after adding shipping and other costs...

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REX, a Styrofoam assembly toy released in the 60s by "Kenner," famous for Star Wars and other products. It's ridiculously large and crude, and it collapses easily even after assembly, making it quite a struggle to photograph. I might never take it out of the box again. How on earth did American children play with this? It was listed at $150-200, but I won it for only $29. I'm honestly glad I didn't have to spend a fortune on such an item.

Finally, let's introduce a collection of small items. All are reasonably priced at $20-40 per set. The size is similar to candy toys.
Photo 9 is a premium from Nabisco cereal (1952). The silver series of extinct mammals is well-made and includes rare species. Photo 10 is a very small metal model (about 3cm) by "Rawcliffe Pewter." The exact age is unknown. Photo 11 is a plastic figure from the 1980s by a manufacturer called "Topps," and it has a nice, old-fashioned charm.