Collecting Toy Elephants Article

(Most of the content of this article first appeared in The Toy Chest published by The Antique Toy Collector's Of America in the March 2003 Issue. contact: toyblues@optoline.net for information on that organization.)

Toy elephants?! No, I do not mean a very small species of live elephant, but elephants made by toy makers to be played with. You see, I recently wrote the first book on elephant collectibles called: Everything Elephants: A Collector’s Pictorial Encyclopedia” published by Schiffer Publishing LTD. As I collected information and images about elephant collectibles for my encyclopedia, I noticed that elephants made specifically as toys are quite numerous, so I created three categories (out of the 140 categories in the encyclopedia) to hold them: Puzzles, Stuffed Elephants and Toys & Games. In those three categories there are hundreds if not thousands of examples and no single article can show them all. However, I hope to give you a flavor of the variety of elephant toys available for the toy and elephant collector alike.

Since many of you involved in collecting all sorts of toys do not need another article on the generalities of collecting toys, I am going to jump right in and start describing some of the interesting toy elephant collectibles I have come across. Of course, many elephant items could be used as toys by children without the intention of the maker or the parent! But I concentrate on those elephant collectibles that were made as a toy.

First, a note about elephant toy values. Although most elephant toys were sold at nominal prices when they were first produced, many of these toys, especially from the Victorian era to the 1950s or so, are now scarce in very good-to-mint condition. As such, they now command premium prices and the astute collector would not allow them to be played with any more!

Pull Toys

One of the most popular types of collectible elephant toys is the pull toy. Pull toys were among the first types of elephant toys made since, without the availability of batteries or the expertise to create complicated wind-up mechanisms, they are among the simplest elephant toys to make and still please a child. An elephant pull toy is usually a stuffed, metal or wood elephant on wheels, with a string or chain attached that allows a child to pull the elephant along.

Some makers placed active parts on the pull toy such that a wheel axle was connected to an articulated part of the elephant which enabled the elephant to perform some action, like moving its trunk and ears, or hitting a bell while being pulled like those from Gong Bell Mfg. Steiff made not only highly-collectible stuffed elephants (and other animals), but many of their stuffed elephants are pull toys - elephants on wheels. Other elephant pull toys doubled as banks; Meir of Germany produced a nice example of this combination. The Henn Workshop is one recent maker of hi-quality wood elephant pull toys.

Wooden pull toy from the Henn Workshop; part of the Noah’s Ark series. 5 1/2 “ H x 9 1/4” L. 1997. $200-250. Courtesy Of: Winford and Jackie Lowder

Painted, cast iron pull toy and penny bank from Meir of Germany. 2" H x 3" L. 1920s. $300-450. Courtesy Of: Tom Slabbinck.

Ramp Walkers

Elephant ramp walkers are highly sought after by elephant and toy collectors alike. Although there are several plastic versions made since the 1950s (for example, Marx made at least 3), the versions most sought after were usually made of cast iron, and date from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Having articulated, or swinging legs, when placed on a declining smooth surface, the elephant could “walk” down the ramp.

Cast Iron Ramp Walker. 2.5”H x 3.5” L. ca. 1890s. $150.

Wind-Up Toys

There are many types of wind-up elephant toys. Although plastic wind-ups have dominated the scene for decades, the most collectible ones are from the mid-20th century, made of tin and usually sport colorful lithographic printing on them. Several makers were located in the US Zone of Germany after the war. These windup elephants perform circus-like acts - twirling objects on their heads, riding bikes and balancing objects. There are several reproductions that are being made today, for example by Schylling, that are nearly identical to the older varieties.

Elephant robots were popular in the 1950s and 60s and are even more so now, according to the hefty prices they can fetch. For example, KO of Japan produced at least two different elephant windup robots that are in demand - the boxes alone range to $250! Much more modest, and recent, wind-up plastic toys abound. For example the elephant Tantor, was available at McDonalds and celebrated the release of the Disney film Tarzan; a child can wind up the tail and the elephant vibrates and wiggles its ears.

Tin Lithographic Wind-up elephant with whirligig on top and balance beam with moving ball on front legs. Made in U.S. Zone, Germany. Box also pictured c. 1950s. $100-175

Tin wind-up Space Elephant Robot by KO of Japan. c. 1950s. $500-1500. Courtesy Of: Ernie Mannix Collection

Battery Operated Elephants

Battery-operated elephants come in two varieties: tethered and standalone. Tethered elephants have a control box of sorts that contains the batteries and controls like an on/off lever or button etc. The box sends signals and/or power to the elephant enabling it to walk, roar and perform other tricks like move its trunk up and down and wiggle its ears. The Herky tethered elephant has a cart that it pulls along. Untethered battery-operated elephants can perform similar actions but are programmed within the elephant, or, in the case of modern remote-controlled elephants, the signals to perform actions come from a separate controller that communicates with the elephant over Radio Frequency or Infrared (IR) spectrum. A great battery-operated elephant toy was recently made by Steiff; it is called the Golden Age of the Circus Elephant and Calliope.

Henry on the White Elephant; it was made by George Borgfeldt. It has a windup mechanism with key. 4" H x 8" L. c.1930s. $1400 with original box. Courtesy Of: Harvey Kletsroc

Herky Lambo battery-powered, tethered working elephant. Magnetic trunk picks up logs. Carries them in cart pulled behind. Made in Japan by ROSKO. 16” L with cart. c. 1950s. $100-175. Courtesy Of: John and Celine Boer

Recent Steiff Golden Age of the Circus Elephant and Calliope. It is the first in a series of five circus wagons. all numbered, limited editions. The Elephant on Wheels is a reproduction from Steiff's archive. The materials used and the production of the elephant follow that of the original. The Elephant has a button in the ear and is made of mohair. The calliope is battery operated and features a music box. A Certificate of Authenticity is included. 13" H x 24" L. 1990s. $300-350. Courtesy Of: Vivian

Games and Puzzles

Games with an elephant theme range from a simple plastic ring-toss set to a wooden elephant platform onto which players stack wood plugs to see who would be the first to cause the stack to topple. Elephant puzzles for children are plentiful and varied and are made from wood, plastic or cardboard.

A teak wood game called Stack A Derm from Rain Tree that entails each competitor placing a wooden plug onto the growing pile of plugs on the elephant's back until it topples. 8" H x 6" L. 1980s. $25. Courtesy Of: Author.

Wood puzzle signed "D.D." 9" H x 8.5" L. 1985. $25. Courtesy Of: Adele Verkamp.

Puppets and Marionettes

Elephant puppets and marionettes are interesting toys. Wooden marionettes, usually made in Asia, have several parts that are strung together with a rope whose ends come together and are tied to a bar. Manipulating the bar causes the elephant to contort its parts and walk or do other tricks. Bob Pelham of England made at least 2 different elephant puppets that are highly prized toy collectibles.

Tibetan hand carved elephant wood marionette. Each joint is moveable, including the trunk of the elephant. It is hand painted and tied. The tail is made from hair. There are several varieties of these wooden marionettes made all over the world including the far east and Mexico. 8" H x 10" L. 1920s. $50-75. Courtesy Of: Author.

Elephant No. 2 puppet by Bob Pelham of England, who made some of the world's greatest puppets and marionettes, from 1947 through the 1980s. 12" H. Similar models issued in 1963 and 1970. $150+. Courtesy Of: Kim Ker.

Stuffed Elephants

Stuffed elephants comprise a large category of elephant collectibles and come in all sizes and colors. Since most stuffed animals are made for children to play with, they certainly constitute elephant toys. Many stuffed elephants also contained music box mechanisms or motors that cause movement activated by winding a key or via battery power. Some incorporate a squeezable noise maker to delight a small child. And some were large enough to be ridden; Steiff made a few large rideable elephants on wheels.

Rare vintage Steiff riding elephant with Wiegel’ufel (a wheeled carriage). It has a felt-covered surface and metal wheels with a rubber surface. It also has a voice that emanates when a handle is turned. 19" H x 24" L. 1905-1915. $1500-2000. Courtesy Of: Gabi Lutz of the old-toy-company.de.

Of course, there are other elephants that were made specifically as toys including: balloons, plastic and wood elephant figurines, advertising novelties and premiums such as thread spools (on which kids could place elephant images) and Cracker Jack plastic elephants. Many an amusement park has a Dumbo or other Disney elephant-themed rides and some playgrounds have spring-mounted elephants made to be ridden.

In this article I have just scratched the surface; number and types of elephant toys seems to be almost limitless. But I hope I have given you a flavor of the variety available to the elephant and toy collector alike. Happy Collecting!

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Send mail to MichaelKnapik@EverythingElephants.com with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2002 Michael Don Knapik Last modified: April 03, 2008

Send mail to MichaelKnapik@EverythingElephants.com with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2002 Michael Don Knapik
Last modified: April 03, 2008