1930's Tootsietoy with an oyster wheel

[mglentz4125]

Got above freezing today so headed out between rain showers for a quick dig. After a few rusty cans were unearthed out popped this old Tootsietoy car. After a douse of water I realized it was previously refurbished with some "custom wheels"! The back wheels are brass buttons held on by twisted wire and the front remaining wheel appears to be an oyster shell button.

 

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[Evan in CA]

Cool find looks like an old fix.

 

[SWINGER1969]

Someone built a Custom Rod. Very cool

 

[DizzyDigger]

Got above freezing today so headed out between rain showers for a quick dig. After a few rusty cans were unearthed out popped this old Tootsietoy car. After a douse of water I realized it was previously refurbished with some "custom wheels"! The back wheels are brass buttons held on by twisted wire and the front remaining wheel appears to be an oyster shell button.

What a special find that is...

I can just imagine how important that toy car was to a little
boy living in those times. It was so special either he, or more
likely his mother or dad, took the time to fit those buttons as
wheels, and make the toy usable again.

Hard times in those days, but what an example of how people
learned how to make do with what they had.

 

[xr7ator]

That's gotta be an early tootsie toy. Very cool find.

 

[MKW]

Wow...that's incredible. I'd rather have it like that than with the original wheels. Great stories, that could tell.

 

[Trezurehunter]

That is a great find with a personal touch. It just goes to show you how people made things work and keep working in years past. Not today, a child would just throw it away and ask mom and dad to buy them a new one.

 

[Dirty Digger Doug]

Cool find.

 

[releventchair]

Here in Michigan , gathering clamshells for the button industry generated some scratch/money for some folks. We're not allowed to today.
Folks selling shells to have the hinge area ground (not so unlike wampum bead area of shell) to create "cultured" pearls by putting them in oysters to agitate thier pearl creating reaction.
(I'm not saying yours is not an oyster shell button....)

Repairs sure suit the era of the dirty thirties. Make do with the worn out and used up.

 

[Digger RJ]

Nice!!! Someone was making a Rolls Royce out of it!! Congrats!!!

 

[Back-of-the-boat]

That is so cool, what an awesome find.

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

A unique find - congrats !

 

[smallfoot]

It had to be a rat...we drive the wheels off them...

 

[vpone]

that's pretty cool

vp

 

[islamoradamark]

that is really something special and build to last i like the part that says Made in the United States of America

 

[mglentz4125]

that is really something special and build to last i like the part that says Made in the United States of America

me too!!!

 

[Randy Combs]

Nice!!

 

[fistfulladirt]

Sweet! Yours is in better shape than this one.

 

[sandchip]

The salvage job makes that one of the coolest finds ever. Priceless!

 

[Wildcat1750]

Now that's a toy car that was well cared for!