Atomic Energy Labs, Ferris Wheel Erector Sets, Steam Shovels, and Swimsuit Dolls Power Weiss Auction to Big Results
From uranium kits to Barbies, bidders went nuclear for rare toys.
Sure, you played hide-and-seek as a kid, but did you play it with radioactive material? That’s what the cool kids who received an A.C. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab did.
Released in 1950, the educational toy taught children how to split an atom, conduct 150 Cold War experiments, and included real uranium (!). Suggested activities included “playing hide-and-seek with the gamma ray source” and finding a radioactive sample using the Geiger counter.
The toy was pulled from the market after only a year due to safety concerns, and in 2006, it was named the most dangerous toy of all time. The price tag is also cited for poor sales: it cost $49.50, about $663 today. But collectors who avidly seek these infamous and rare kits willingly pay much more, especially for complete examples.
A rare and complete A.C. Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab Set, $5,621.
So it’s not surprising that there was glowing enthusiasm for the atomic energy lab Weiss Auctions of Lynbrook, New York, offered at its Toys, Gilbert Erector sets, & Dolls sale on September 10.
The kit, in its original box and complete with all original components, manuals, and paperwork, sold for $5,621.
A massive and intricately built vintage Gilbert Erector Display, featuring a towering, multi-level construction with three large rotating Ferris-style wheels, red, blue, and silver perforated metal panels, towers, and supports, and multiple working electric engine motors, 53 in. h by 14 in. w, $357.
Gilbert, once America’s most famous toy maker, was also known for its Erector sets, Mysto Magic Sets, and more, which bidders also hotly pursued. A mostly complete No. 10 Erector set from 1929 brought $3,321, more than double the high estimate of $1,200. One of the premier sets of its era, it includes an array of metal gears and other components to construct major builds.
A mostly complete 1929 Gilbert Erector Set No. 10 with original heavy wooden case that’s 25 1/2 in. by 19 3/4 in. by 6 in., $3,321.
Advertised as “The world’s greatest toy,” Erector Sets came in different sizes, from small and simple builds to large and complex, like a giant Ferris wheel. A 1929 No. 8 set designed to construct advanced mechanical models like Zeppelins sold for $1,660; a No. 8-1/2 Hudson Locomotive and Tender Set chugged to $1,292; and a No. 8 Locomotive Set fetched $769.
A rare Buddy L 220ab Improved Steam Shovel, painted pressed steel with metal tracks, original decals, 25 in. l., $11,070.
Some of the most coveted toy vehicles are the Buddy “L” creations by the Moline Pressed Steel Company of Illinois. Competitive bidding for a rare L 220ab Improved Steam Shovel circa 1926 pushed it to $11,070, demolishing the $3,000 high estimate.
Early Barbies and German Bild Lilli dolls that inspired them also smashed estimates.
Original #1 brunette ponytail Barbie #850, 1959, marked “Barbie T.M. Pats. Pend. MCMLVIII by Mattel Inc.,” 11 1/2 in. h, $8,610.
Three sought-after #850 Barbies from 1959, all wearing a black-and-white swimsuit and having arched eyebrows, red lips, and side-glancing eyes, were an original #1 brunette ponytail doll that brought $8,160 (the high estimate was $500), an original #1 blonde ponytail Barbie that fetched $8,302 (the high estimate was $800), and an original #2 blonde ponytail Barbie that achieved $6,150 (the high estimate was $600).
German Bild Lilli doll in an original #1182 purple velvet skirt and black top, 11 1/2 in. h, $4,428.
Bild Lilli, a cheeky German doll launched in 1955, is based on a character in a racy comic strip. With her curvaceous body and stylish wardrobe, this plastic bombshell was made for adults and remains a prized collectible.
German Bild Lilli doll wearing an original #1124 three-tier salmon-colored ballgown, 11 1/2 in. h, $3,936.
The top three Lilli dolls—each with painted facial features, earrings, and high heels, and blonde ponytail wigs with a curl on their foreheads—were a doll wearing an original #1182 purple velvet skirt and black top that scored $4,428; and two that each brought $3,936: one in an original #1124 salmon-colored ballgown and the other in an original #1155 baby doll nightie.
Images courtesy of Weiss Auctions.
Prices include a 23% buyer’s premium.
For more results, visit weissauctions.com.
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