Kingsbury Mfg. Co. Rare ca. 1931 #1626 Tin Windup Bell Ringer Fire Engine Pumper

Description

Kingsbury Manufacturing Co. Rare ca. 1931 #1626 Tin Hand Painted Windup Bell Ringer Fire Engine Pumper Truck
This very rare ca. 1931 depression era #1626 tin, hand painted, windup bell ringer fire engine pumper truck was manufactured in by Kingsbury Mfg. Co. (also see Wilkins Toy Co.) of Keene, New Hampshire
This toy is quite special and seems quite basic. However, when you consider it came from the depression era when materials were scarce, you begin to understand why it is so simplistic. The black rubber tires are still intact, but as per usual with toys of this age they have petrified, warped, and cracked. The cast metal driver is original and in great condition. When the wheels are turned, the
bell
underneath rings. The windup mechanism works as it should, which is awesome considering how old this piece is.
Our example of this Kingsbury #1626 fire
engine
pumper truck has
no breaks, restorations, repairs, or touch ups that we could see. This piece shows the usual patina, fading, dust, chips, scuffs, surface rust, scratches, and wear that are to be expected from age and play. This toy is approximately 10 3/4″  L.
This would be a great and impressive addition to any collection. We invite you to view the photos to further determine quality and condition.
A brief history of Kingsbury Mfg. Co. (also see Wilkins Toy Co.) of
Keene, New Hampshire:
Active
: 1919 – 1942
Wilkins Toy Co.
Founder: Harry T. Kingsbury
Specialty: In 1895 Harry T. Kingsbury bought Wilkins and combined it with the Clipper Machine Works, which specialized in farm equipment. In the early 1900s, toy automobiles were introduced to the company line. The Wilkins line was dropped following WWI in favor of Kingsbury, which was by know an established name in the field. Kingsbury specialized in copying famous models of aircraft and assembly-line, trucks, and buses. WWII saw Kingsbury shifting to war contracts and never returning again to toy production. All production equipment was sold to Keystone in Boston. The company still exists, but as Kingsbury Machine Tool Division, a subcontractor for such giants as IBM, General Motors, and GE.
*Pictures included are of the actual item(s) for sale, colors may differ slightly in  person due to lighting, cameras, or monitor settings.
PAYMENT
Payments are accepted through PayPal
. All payments must be received within 3 days of auction close unless prior arrangements have been made.
INSURANCE
We ship by USPS Priority mail unless otherwise specified. Priority mail includes up to in insurance. If you wish additional insurance above the amount, you must notify us before you purchase so we can advise on the additional insurance cost. [See the above section on combining items to see how to arrange to have an invoice sent to you.]
We sell and collect rare and unusual items that often cannot be replaced. We understand the need to pack things carefully, so we take the time to do things correctly, as there is no "Do over!" We pack and protect the items we sell, but no matter which shipping service we use, there will always be a few shipments that are damaged, no matter how well they were packaged and secured.
SHIPPING
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USPS
unless otherwise specified. We typically ship within 2 business days after payment is made and cleared. Please make sure that PayPal and eBay have your correct address and PO Box if necessary. If you are an international client please make sure we have a valid address for you in English to avoid shipping delays. We only ship to verified confirmed addresses. (US Only) Please note that the price for shipping is a calculation, if the calculation for shipping on eBay is over what we actually pay we will refund any shipping overages to you. If the eBay shipping calculation does not cover shipping we will not charge you more.
We
DO NOT
pad our shipping, the price you see is what eBay/USPS has calculated as your cost based on box size and weight.
SHIPPING INTERNATIONAL CLIENTS
If you are an International client please ask for International shipping prices before bidding/buying.
Please note that delivery times are ESTIMATES. First class international mail can take 2-6 weeks for delivery depending on delays in customs. First Class International is for items under 4lbs and under in value. There is no tracking on first class international in some places with the exception of Canada. PRIORITY MAIL international does include tracking and insurance. It is more expensive, but is the only option for shipping on items over 4 pounds or over in value.
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In January 2008, eBay issued instructions to sellers so that all buyers from outside the USA would be fully and uniformly informed regarding customs and taxes on items coming from the USA. The text and format are mandated by eBay. Import duties, taxes and charges are not included in the item price or shipping charges. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be prior to bidding/buying. These charges are normally collected by the delivering freight (shipping) company or when you pick the item up; do not confuse them for additional shipping charges. We do not falsely lower merchandise values or mark items as "gifts" - US and International government regulations prohibit such behavior. Requests to do so will be forwarded to eBay's fraud department. Our international clients are very important to us. Please let us know if you have any questions. Please also note there is no tracking on first class international mail except in Canada and a few countries in Europe.
TERMS OF SALE
Items are
returnable,
however, we ask customers to examine the photos and details of the item carefully before bidding. Items are sold "as is" with no warranties express or implied. We do our best to show and describe any type of damage that might [in our opinion] have an effect on value.
Please ask questions prior to bidding.
PLEASE NOTE
If you believe an item has been misrepresented in error, or you are unhappy for any reason, please contact us via eBay messages PRIOR to opening an eBay or PayPal resolution case. This gives us an opportunity to work with you to come to a FAST resolution of your concerns.
ABOUT US
We have a store in Nokomis, FL (Sarasota) in addition to our online presence.  We are always helping with toy collections & buy, sell, and research old toys.  Even if you cannot make a purchase now, we have select articles and research information to help collectors.  We are always learning and sharing knowledge about the vintage and antique toy hobby.  Contact us if you have old toy catalogs, old quality toys or unique research data to share; it is much appreciated!
We buy collections, if you have a collection contact us and we would be happy to take a look and make some offers.
Thank you,
The
AntiqueToys
team!