German Book to Feature Rare Toy from DFW Elite Toy Museum

    FORT WORTH, TX, February 09, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The DFW Elite Toy Museum (http://www.DFWeliteToyMuseum.com) in Fort Worth contains thousands of rare automotive toys from around the world. Now one item in their collection is to be featured in a book about German toys.

German toy expert Juergen Cieslik plans to include a photo and description of the German-made tin motorcycle windup in his next book, "The Encyclopedia of the German Tintoy Industry". Cieslik has written several books about the history of toys, dolls and teddybears, including "Lehmann Toys: More Than 100 years Lehmann-Spielzug".

"This toy is extremely rare, and we had to do extensive research to pinpoint its maker," said Rodney Ross, curator of the toy museum. "With Mr. Cieslik's help, we determined that it was manufactured by Issmayer in Germany."

Issmayer manufactured toy trains, cars and other motorized vehicles from 1861 until 1932. The company supposedly had a well-illustrated catalogue at one time, but those have all disappeared, and now the only known photos of original Issmayer toys are in retail catalogues.

The motorcycle toy dates back to 1900-1910 and is hand painted, with tin litho motorcycles. It features three Meier-designed motorcycles with riders. The base and center dome simulate landscape design with a circular track with railed sides and a flag. Despite its age, the toy still works well when wound and is in excellent overall condition.

"We knew we had a gem on our hands, when Mr. Cieslik told us that he had never seen this toy before," said Ross. "When someone that knowledgeable in the field gets excited about a toy, it gets us fired up as well."

To see the motorcycle toy and the entire collection in person, stop by DFW Elite Toy Museum at 5940 Eden in Fort Worth. The museum is open from 9 to 5 on weekdays. The museum is operated by toy collector, entrepreneur and business consultant Ron Sturgeon. Admission is free.

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