Ives Mechanical Cat in Milk Can Toy, ca. 1893
Watch
GUEST:
This was given to me by my mother, who received it from her mother. Everything is original but the paper clip. That's what makes it stop and go. When you pull it out... Now it should start to go. It takes a minute for it to warm up. There it goes-- oop. Let me turn the kitty around. And you'll see, the cat comes up and then disappears.
APPRAISER:
Now, that cat actually pops up, turns around...
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
And it sticks its tongue out.
GUEST:
Right, before it leaves.
APPRAISER:
(laughs) Your parents let you play with it when you were a child?
GUEST:
No, my mother didn't give this to me till I was probably in my early 40s.
APPRAISER:
I'm amazed at the condition that it's in.
GUEST:
Right.
APPRAISER:
It's by one of the foremost toy producers of the 19th century, Ives, a Connecticut-based firm. And they made this toy around 1885, and Ives made a little bit of everything in the 19th century. They were a huge manufacturer of fine toys.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
This piece, I love it because it combines great clockwork motion with whimsy. Its movement is really close to the famous French automaton makers of the 19th century, which is a little more smooth, a little more subtle, than the American manufacturers. Now, have you ever had this piece appraised?
GUEST:
No, it's never, um... This is the first time it's actually left the house.
APPRAISER:
Well, the key, I think, looks original. The rest of the piece has a few spots here and there. What amazes me is the condition of the cat itself after being around for over 100 years. I sold one years ago, and it brought over $8,000.
GUEST:
Are you kidding me? (chuckling).
APPRAISER:
No, I'm not. So when I saw it come into the Roadshow, uh, I was very pleased. So the kitten in the can is a great toy.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
And thank you for bringing it to the ROADSHOW.
GUEST:
Well, thank you-- so it's worth about $8,000, huh? Wow. My wife's going to want to sell this.
Appraisal Details
Current Appraised Value: $3,000 - $4,000 (Decreased)
Alberta notes that a similar "kitten in a can" appeared at a November 2011 sale and sold for $3,250, plus buyer's premium, against a $2,000 to $4,000 estimate. The sale description said that it appeared in the Ives 1893 catalogue as "Mechanical Peek-A-Boo."
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