Gibbs Toys Spinning Carousel
£120
Item: Gibbs Toys Spinning Carousel
Origin: USA, c. 1890’s
Made of tin and wood, this early spinning toy was manufacturing by Gibbs Toy Company of Canton, Ohio, which began making toys in the 1890s. Gibbs Toys were usually constructed of tin and/or wood, and often with brightly lithographed paper coatings.
This spinning carousel-type toy has a circular wooden base at either end, connected by a spiral pole. A wooden disk in the middle holds three very early hand-painted tin men, each constructed in two halves and joined the disk at the centre. This allows them to spin around independently. Simply turn the toy upside down, and the trio each spin top to toe as the disk twirls around the centre pole. They move very quickly, both spinning and rotating, until they meet the ground. Click on the ‘Video’ tab above to see this amazing toy in action.
The toy stand approximately 16 inches tall and is 6 inches in diameter (41 cm x 15 cm).
A wonderfully simple toy, that has survived remarkably well – it’s nearly 120 years old! What a gem.
Condition:
Good working condition, the toy lists a bit to one side, but this doesn’t hamper its functioning. Given the speed with which the toy moves, not surprisingly, the hand-painted characters have some paint loss in varying degrees, exposing the shiny tin beneath. Remarkably, the tin characters are not bent or damaged, and the toy is an amazing testament to the craftsmanship that characterise these early Gibbs toys.
