Brooklyn, NY, USA, January 16, 2023 — SJ Auctioneers’ first major event of 2023 will be an online-only Winter Watch for Wanted Collectibles auction, slated for Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 4 pm Eastern time. Of the 244 lots, two stand out as rare and highly collectible: a 1930 Popeye the Pilot tin wind-up toy plane and a 1934 Popeye pocket watch in excellent working condition.
Popeye items are highly desired by collectors. The fictional cartoon character, created by Elzie Crisler Segar, first appeared in a King Features comic strip in 1929 and has been beloved by millions ever since. Collectibles relating to Popeye are a multi-million-dollar industry. The Popeye the Pilot tin wind-up toy plane was made by Marx and has an estimate of $1,000-$1,500.
The Popeye pocket watch was made only one year (1934) by New Haven Watch Co. (Conn.). It has a nickel finish and a colorful and detailed dial, picturing many characters from the strip and Thimble Theatre Players (where Popeye originated). Popeye’s die-cut arms tell the time, while a second wheel shows Wimpy chasing a hamburger. The watch should hammer for $1,000-$5,000.
Collectors of Disney items will be attracted to the Mickey and Minnie Mouse puppets in the original boxes, made by Pelham Puppets (est. $250-$500). Each puppet stands 11 inches tall. The rest of the auction features lots of hard-to-find racers, toy trains and tin friction toys, sterling collectibles, glass arts paperweights, rare jewelry and décor – something for nearly everybody.
The artists, designers and silversmiths include Cartier, Tiffany, Dominick & Haff, Jose Hess, Emile Delaire, Gorham, Movito, Reed & Barton, Watson, Wallace, Wm. B Kerr, Sackermann Hessenberg & Co., Italian Vetreria, Murano, Arte, American Flyer, Lionel, Nintendo, Tootsie Toy, Buddy ‘L’, Matchbox, Lesney, Steuben, Disney and Baccarat.
To learn more about SJ Auctioneers and the online-only Winter Watch for Wanted Collectibles auction slated for Sunday, January 29th, beginning at 4 pm Eastern time, please visit www.sjauctioneers.com. Updates are posted often.
