About Ray Haradin

My passion for early toys started when I was a kid. My earliest memory is playing with a William Tell bank in my Grandmother's house in 1970. I distinctly remember pressing William Tells foot which caused his gun to shoot a coin and knock the apple off his son's head. With time my interests in antiques developed as I would accompany my father and mother to local flea markets and many early morning auctions in Western Pennsylvania and Ohio. I had a keen eye for banks, both mechanical and still, but my allowance dictated the pursuit of toy soldiers and coins. Dimestore figures, the miniature World War I figures sold in the Five and Dime Stores, were my first collection. From there I branched out into Britains, American Tin, Clockwork Toys, Bell Toys and Horse Drawn Toys. After becoming comfortable with the early American Toys my pursuit turned overseas with particular interest in the early German manufacturers, especially Marklin and Heyde. I have also been known to handle Lehmann and Martin toys. I do have interests outside of the "Toy" world, the pursuit of original Tiffany lamps ranks high on my list along with the study of some local Pittsburgh artists who painted in the area at the beginning of the 20th century.

By the late 1970's I was an established dealer throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area displaying at local flea markets and small regional shows. On my 15th birthday in 1979, I exhibited at my first major show, The Allentown Toy Show and have been a perennial exhibitor at that venue ever since.

Antiques have always been my main pursuit. I had brief diversion while I attended the University of Colorado, Boulder Campus where I earned a B.A. in Chemistry in 1986.

In 1982 I joined the Still Bank Collectors Club and then the Mechanical Bank Collectors of America in 1988. I served as the MBCA's President from 1995 through 1997 and have been their current Secretary since 1997. I have also been a certified member of the American Society of Appraisers as well as a member of the Antique Toy Collectors of America since 1990. It has been a pleasure to have participated at most major shows across the globe. The following is my yearly schedule:

January:	All-American Collectors Show, Los Angeles, California
February:	South Florida Toy Soldier Show, West Palm Beach , Florida York Toy, Doll and Advertising Show, York , Pennsylvania
March:	The West Coaster, Orange County, California Atlantique City, Atlantic City, New Jersey
April:	Antique Toy Collectors of America Convention--location changes annually Chicago Toy Show, St. Charles, Illinois
May :	Miniature Figure Collectors of America, Wilmington, Delaware
June:	Still Bank Collectors of America--location changes annually
August:	All-American Collectors Show, Los Angeles, California York Toy, Doll and Advertising Show, York, Pennsylvania
September:	Mechanical Bank Collectors of America-location changes annually Norman Joplin's Toy Figure Show, London, England Old Toy Soldier Show, Chicago Illinois
October:	Chicago Toy Show, St. Charles, Illinois
November:	Allentown Toy Show, Allentown, Pennsylvania Hackensack Toy Soldier Show, Hackensack, New Jersey Toymania, Paris, France

The objects I buy and sell are my core business; however, being active in the antique community brings me tremendous joy. In 2000 I was offered the trade journal Old Toy Soldier "The Journal for Collectors". The magazine had been in continuous publication since 1976. There were concerns in the soldier community that it would be bought by a foreign company and absorbed into their publication. Being a subscriber since its inception, I felt it was time to put the skills learned by producing and distributing my Toys of Yesteryear catalogs to further promote the hobby. I acquired Old Toy Soldier and recruited the renowned author and auction house expert Norman Joplin to be editor. Since then we have expanded coverage through well researched and written articles, moved to a color format and increased subscriptions. It has been a challenge that both Norman and I relish.

By 2005 I was up for another challenge and decided it was time to enter the auction world. Having been offered the McCumber collection of mechanical and still banks, I joined forces with Leon and Steven Weiss of Gemini Antiques. These longtime friends and well known Madison Avenue dealers and I formed RSL Auctions which has hosted two sales a year. Millions of dollars worth of mechanical and still banks and fine early toys have been sold at our well attended auctions since then.

Based on the success of RSL Auctions, the fact that Christie's Auction House in New York and London announced they would no longer handle toy soldiers and the lack of an American auction house dedicated to the sale of toy figures, Norman Joplin and I decided to start Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA in 2008. In our first year we hosted two successful sales, selling over 1000 lots of toy soldiers.

Norman Joplin - Antique and Vintage Toy Soldier and Figure Researcher, Author, Appraiser & Valuer

Norman John Joplin, born June 14th 1946, is a British Citizen who has been granted permanent residence status in the United States based on his exceptional ability in a specialist field of knowledge in connection with the Social History of toy figures as viewed through the eyes of children’s toys during the period 1893 to 1966.

Married to Susan Catherine Joplin.

Telephone Office 262 692 3913
Cell 262 388 1140
Email info@normajoplin.com
Web site www.normanjoplin.com

Consultant to Christies Auction House UK & USA 1991 - 2007

1991 Appointed Non Resident consultant to Christies Auctioneers London & New York- Specialist appraiser and cataloguer in relation to Antique Toy Soldiers and Figure auctions.

1993 Consultant to Britains Limited and Christies in relation to the sale of the Britains Company Archive.

1993 Consultant to The Guards Museum & Christies in relation to Special Exhibitions mounted in London to celebrate the 40th accession to the throne of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth 2nd.

1997 Special Consultant to Christies UK and New York, in relation to the Malcolm Forbes Collection of Toy Soldiers. Cataloguer and Appraiser of the collection for Christies.

1998 – 2007 Official Consultant to Christies UK in relation to all toy soldier and figure auctions held in the United Kingdom. Hugo Marsh, Head of Christies Toy Department can be contacted to verify the above. Confirmation of the above is also available from Daniel Agnew. Supporting letter also available upon request.

2001 – Present Editor of Old Toy Soldier Magazine, the only magazine worldwide published in relation to collecting Old Toy Soldiers and Figures. Issued Quarterly. Banksville Express Printing PA.

2001-Present Consultant appraiser on an ad hoc basis to Sloan’s Auction Company Florida and Washington DC.

1991 – 2000 Organizer and instigator of The British Toy Soldier and Figure Show Royal National Hotel .London. England. Europe’s largest Toy Soldier and Figure Show scheduled for three times each year.

2005 –Present Organizer of Norman Joplin’s Old Toy Soldier and Figure Show. Annual event Holiday Inn Bloomsbury London. The only event worldwide specializing in the Exhibition and sale of Old Toy Soldiers and Figures.

2005 – Present Advisor to Britains /First Gear – Toy Soldier Manufacturers Iowa USA

2007 Consultant to The Chicago Museum of History and the Chicago Historical Society. Specialist project cataloguing the Private collection of Edward Jones

2007 Consultant advisor to the Citadel Military Academy South Carolina.

2007 – Present Old Toy Soldier Auctions USA. Cataloguer, Appraiser, Photographer, Administrator. The only US based specialist Auction Company devoted to Old Toy Soldiers and Figures. Joint partnership with Ray Haradin of Toys of Yesteryear.

2007 Specialist cataloguer to Special Auction Services Reading UK

Associations Member of the British Model Soldier Society Membership Number 0140

1970 Began extensive research into the origins and manufacture20of Toy Soldiers and Figures in relation to valuation and related social history of Children’s Toys

1972-2009 Author of numerous articles on Toy Soldiers and Figures for Old Toy Soldier Newsletter. Now Editor of Old Toy Soldier Magazine see above

Publications - Author Norman John Joplin

1987 British Toy Figures – Arms and Armour Press. UK ISBN 0-85368-781-1 The first book published on non-military toy figures, included valuation and price guide.

1992 Toy Collectors Handbook contributor – Goldfinch Books UK ISBN 0 9518036 0 3 Valuation Guide included

1993 The Great Book of Hollow Cast Figures –New Cavendish Books UK ISBN 1 872727 26 3 Considered the definitive work at the time of publishing and nicknamed the “Bible” amongst collectors Valuation Guide included.

1994 Toy Soldiers – USA Edition - Quintet Publishing/Courage Books UK ISBN 1 56138 432 1 Library of Congress Publication Number 93 74690 Valuation and Rarity Guide included

1994 Toy Soldiers – UK Edition Quintet Publishing / Apple Press ISBN 1 85076 533 2 0D Valuation and Rarity Guide included

1995 Toys and Games Antique Checklist – Millers Reed International Books UK ISBN 185732 273 8 Price Guide Included

1996 Toy Soldier Study Guide & Identifier- Chartwell Books UK ISBN 0 7858 0573 7 Valuation Guide included

1998 Spielzeugsoldaten Das neue Kompakte Bestimmungsbuh – Germany ISBN 3 8290 1288 8 Valuation Guide included

1999 The Great Book of Hollow Cast Figures – New Cavendish Books UK Second Edition ISBN 1 87272778 6 Valuation Guide included

1999 Toy Soldiers Collectors Corner Edition- Quartrum Grange Books UK ISBN 1 84013 257 4 Valuation Guide included

2000 American Dimestore Toy Soldiers and Figures – Schiffer Publishing USA. US Social History related publication ISBN Library of Congress # 0 7643 1189 1 Valuation/Price Guide Included

2002 Toy Soldiers – Eagle Edition UK ISBN 1 86160 513 7 Valuation Guide included.

2002 Britains Civilian Toy Figures – Schiffer Publishing USA ISBN Library of Congress # 0 7643 1520-X Valuation/Price Guide included

2005 Hollow Cast Civilian Toy Figures -Schiffer Publishing USA ISBN Library of Congress # 07643 2226 5 Valuation/Price Guide included

2007 Britains New Toy Soldier and Metal Models 1973 to 2007 To be published 2008

2008 Britains New Toy Soldiers and Traditional Metal Models 1972-2008 This will be the first book covering the subject of all Britains New Toy Soldiers and Limited Editions. Published 2008 by Schiffer Publishing PA USA.

2009 Work in Progress Assisting Lou Sandbote with the Holgar Eriksson History ,A reference book related to the renowned Swedish Artist of Military Miniatures