Bertoia’s March 19-21 debut sale of Kaufman collection breaks house record at $4.2M An international crowd packed Bertoia Auctions' gallery Mar. 19-21 as the legendary Donald Kaufman antique toy collection (part I) took center stage. The toys grossed $4.2 million, a new house record.
VINELAND, N.J. – Long lamented as a bygone era, the days of toy collector kinship were revived with an electrifying spark as a global contingent of buyers convened at Bertoia Auctions on March 19-21 for the debut of the Donald Kaufman auction series.
Built over a period of nearly 59 years, the internationally renowned Kaufman collection’s initial outing rang the register at $4.2 million, setting a house record for Bertoia’s and sending a message of confidence about the toy-collecting hobby that was obvious to all in attendance.
“The return of the toy camaraderie we remembered so fondly from 15 or 20 years ago was an inspiring thing to see,” said Bertoia Auctions’ owner, Jeanne Bertoia. “What I heard from all the old-timers was, ‘It’s back.’”
The gallery’s stylishly modern décor, enhanced by vases of fresh orchids, lent a new sense of chic to the auction preview process. Thursday evening previewers sipped wine and noshed on gourmet hors d’oeuvres as they inspected the deluxe toys through floor-length wall-to-wall glass showcases and chatted animatedly in German, French or English with their soon-to-be auction competitors.
In a specially designed lounge and auction-catalog-signing area, Don and Sally Kaufman – flanked by members of their immediate family and attentive Bertoia staff – greeted a steady flow of well-wishers and posed for countless photographs.
The scene at the preview might easily have been described as a United Nations of toy buyers. Jean Paul Brault had come from Paris specifically to buy toy racers. Also from Paris, Eric Gutsmuth, a collector for the past 30 years, was eyeing the European automotive toys.
Claude Hoffman of Stuttgart, Germany was there, hopeful of purchasing some of the rare Lehmann wind-ups in the collection. John and Adrianne Haley, of Yorkshire, England, were in attendance, as was their fellow Brit, the noted toy authority and author of several classic toy-related books, David Pressland, who had flown in from his holiday home in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
Another Caribbean visitor was Danish-born Nic Moller, who had traveled from Curaçao. Moller was a welcome newcomer to the American toy crowd that had gathered. “I came because of the reputation of the collection,” he said. “Everyone here will see what an incredibly eclectic collection it is. That one person could do this is amazing.”
American bidders turned out in force from dozens of states and included a VIP list of toy hobby veterans. Bill “Speedy” Smith, owner of the Smith Collection Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Neb., wore his trademark black hat to the preview. Recipient of many prestigious racing honors and awards, Smith also collects automotive toys in a major way and was ready to do some serious buying. “I’ve been bidding a lot against Donald over the last 25 years,” he said with a broad smile, “and if there’s one thing I’ve learned from that, it’s that you don’t bring a BB gun to a cannon fight.”
Additionally, fine art and antiques dealers could be spotted in the crowd, including Peter
