Vintage Japanese Sand Pails and Toys
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MY FISH RATTLE COLLECTION

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 This category contains my collection of Japanese tin sand pails or sand buckets plus other related toys: watering cans, tin fish forms, water funnels, shovels, and anything you might play with at the beach.

 

SHIPPING and INSURANCE

Shipping by USPS is a flat price to all continental USA locations. This is usually $4-5 per item.

Combined shipping is available if you buy multiple items.

Shipping by USPS to Canada and International Locations is available at actual cost.

Insurance is Optional at buyer's request and will be paid by buyer.

CONDITION-PHOTOS-REFUNDS

Read the description carefully as information about condition, working order, size, materials of construction, vintage and my personal opinions and observations will be mentioned there. Sometimes I have a small quantity of an item but usually they are one of a kind.

As far as the photos are concerned, I include views from all angles (if applicable), try to focus on any defects and generally let you see the toy as if you were inspecting it in person. That said, sometimes photos make things look better and sometimes worse. When a picture of a small item is blown up to a large size all kinds of defects seem to jump out at you...like looking at your skin in a magnifying mirror. The actual item seen by the naked eye, especially our aging eyes,often looks better than the photo.

Your satisfaction is always important to me. If you are unhappy about the condition of a toy you get I am happy to give a full refund or exchange it if that is possible. Things do get past my notice sometimes (those aging eyes).

CLICK ON IMAGE OR NAME TO SEE MORE PHOTOS

 

SAND TOYS- sand pails, water pumps, sand sieves, watering cans, shovels, sand forms and rattles

Image
Name
Description
Price
 

Pre-War Japanese Sand Pail-Japanese Family

4.5 inches ( 11.5 cm) tall, top diameter is 5.5 inches (14 cm), base diameter is 4.25 inches (10.8 cm), handle adds 3.25 inches

EX

The earliest pre-war Japanese pails are recognizable by their use of gold colored litho often as an outline or as part of the patterns. You will also see this gold coloring on the early pre-war tin whistles. These pails were probably produced for their domestic market. The themes are distinctly Japanese. Here we see a Japanese family. The women are in traditional dress while the boy appears to be wearing more Western dress, possibly a school uniform. The gold tone inside the pail and on the handle has become mottled with age. It is not rust but it is some kind of breakdown of the coating. There is a slight dent and a couple of spots and scratches none of which jump out at you. Still I would consider this pail to be in excellent condition.

ST-2

$395.

One Only

 

Pre-War Japanese Tin Sand Pail - Geisha with Children

6.5 inches ( 16.5 cm ) tall ,top diameter is 6.5 inches (16.5 cm), base diameter is 4.75 inches (12.3 cm) , handle adds 4 and 3/8 inches

VG

This is the largest sand pail in my collection. It has the same gold outlining and interior color as my other early Japanese pail. Both date from the early 1930's and both depict Japanese families. This pail has what I call a geisha, due to her hairstyle and dress, along with a boy in a pith helmet and sailor suit and a girl in a kimono. Large flowers decorate the foreground. Interestingly I did find a registered trademark and the words Made in Japan on this pail. Condition is not as good on this pail. There are more scratches and spots of wear and even some spots of rust. The interior of the pail and the handle shows the same age mottling and discoloration. It is still very presentable.

ST-3

$725.

One Only

 

Japanese Tin Sand Pail-Cooking Fish

4.25 inches (10.8 cm) tall, top diameter is 5.75 inches (14.5 cm), base diameter is 4 inches (10.1 cm), the handle adds 3.25 inches

Good Plus

 

I am not sure of the date this pail might have been manufactured. The handles are different from the early 1930's pails, they are attached with rivets like the 1950's vintage pails. The images and themes are distinctly Japanese, pointing to manufacture for the Japanese market. Two girls, one in a kimono the other in a Western style dress are playing with their cooking set while a boy offers them some fish and an octopus. The litho colors are reminiscent of the early 50's colors but somewhat darker or richer in hue. It is possible these pails were made just before the war.

Condition on this pail is Good Plus due to numerous small scrapes and chips in the litho surface. and some small spots of rust on the inside bottom of the pail.

ST-4

$195.

One Only

Pre-War Japanese Tin Sand Pail- Boy Samurai and Oni, Animal Spirits

4.5 inches ( 11.4 cm) tall,top diameter 5.75 inches (14.6 cm) base diameter 4.25 inches (10.8 cm), the handle adds 3.25 inches ( 8.2 cm)

VG

This colorful tin Japanese pail is probably Pre-War vintage. It shows a boy samurai subduing an ogre, or Oni or Demon on one side while the the other side shows the same boy offering a treat to a dog, pheasant and monkey (animal spirit creatures).

Colors are intense and the surface is shiny. There is some minor wear and some scrapes here and there and along the inside top edge of the pail. The handle feels slightly rough. Both handle and base are darkened with age.

It almost appears that the whole pail was lacquered after some of the wear occured.

ST-5

$265.

One Only

Japanese Tin Baby Queen Boat in Box

6.25 inches (15.5 cm) long

Good Plus in Box

This non-mechanical tin 1950's Japanese speedboat with driver has lots of litho details and comes in the original box with the original flag. This flag has a tall pole. A bit of the pattern on the soft thin vinyl flag has transfered to the deck of the boat and there is fading to the red color of the litho. Condition, taking all this into account is Good Plus. The box with colorful paper label is in excellent condition.

ST-6

$155.

One Only

1950's Japanese Sand Pail Set in Net Bag

Pail 2.5 inches (6.3 cm) tall without handle

EX in original Net Bag

This 1950's Japanese tin sand toy set is still in the original net bag with paper tag. The set contains a pail showing a group of happy animals out for a spin in the Roketto boat on both sides, a tin sieve , a fish watering can (with rare dressed musical frog litho) and a tin shovel with a wooden handle. The toys are unused although there are some tears in the net bag. Condition is excellent.

ST-9

$115.

One Only

1950's Japanese Sand Toy Set-Sieve, Shovel and Sand Forms

6 inches (15.2 cm) in diameter

EX Plus

This 1950's Japanese sand toy set is in unused condition. The set contains three colorful tin sand molds in the shape of a fish, a crab and a small fluted dish, along with the wooden handled tin shovel. All are still attached to the tin sieve with the original string .

ST-14

$45.

One Only

1950's Japanese Tin Funnel-Kids, Train, Helicopter

4 and 1/8 inches (10.5 cm) in diameter

This tin Japanese funnel goes well with the water pumps and other sand toys. In fact, the scene shows two Japanese children playing with a water pump, pail and sand toy. In the background a train is leaving a tunnel and a helicopter flies overhead. There is a gold undertone to the litho and I might be inclined to think this toy was pre-war except for that helicopter. Condition is very good. There is some darkening and wear to the underside and a thumb size dent along one side just below the edge.

ST-19

$40

One Only.

Vintage Japanese Tin Toy Funnel- Girl and Boy with Flower Border

3.75 inches (9.5 cm) across

VG

This 1950's vintage Japanese tin toy funnel is a litho variation of one in my collection that I have never seen before.

A boy wearing a sailboat print shirt is on the right while a girl on the left pours water into a bottle using a funnel. A small toy truck and some other objects are between the children. The main difference between this funnel and the more common one is the morning glory border arched over the children.

Condition is very good with rich, deep colors and no real play wear on the inside of the funnel. The back has darkened with age and has light rust around the edxge under the rim.

ST-56

$35.

One Only

1950's Vintage Japan Tin Toy Funnel-Boy and Girl Playing in Sand-D

3 and 5/8 inches (9 cm) in diameter

height with spout 2.25 inches (5.7 cm)

VG

This vintage 1950's tin Japanese toy funnel has the nice early 50's colors.

A boy wearing a Hawaiian print shirt sits on the left while a girl on the right pours water into a bottle using the funnel. In the background there is a small fenced garden on the right and the hood of an auto coming into the picture on the left. A small toy wheelbarrow and some other objects are between the children.

Condition is very good with minimal play wear on the back of the funnel.

ST-82

$30.

One Only

My Japanese Fish Rattle Collection

There are so many variations of these 1950's Japanese tin fish that you can drive yourself crazy trying to differentiate them. Most are rattles. All are colorful embossed lithographed tin. They are mostly 1950's era.

Look for different sizes, slight shape variations, different colors and/or patterns on fins and scales, different fish or plants on the tails and added embossed figures to the backs of the fish. Some of these are quite rare, while others show up fairly frequently.

Image
Name
Description
Price
#13

Vintage 1950's Japanese Tin Fish Rattle-Musical Frog and Fish

3 inches (7.6 cm) long

VG-EX

This is another fairly rare fish rattle. It is an unusual size, nice early 1950's colors and the musical guitar strumming frog and top hat wearing shrimp on the tail are quite unusual. I have seen this particular fish rattle repurposed as a watering can. It is also included with the sand pail set #ST-9.

Colors are nice but a bit muted. The plain metal back has some age darkening.

JFC-13

$22.

One Only

1950's Vintage Fish Rattle-18A

4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long

VG

This large size tin fish rattle has a single red and white Koi fish and white water lilies on the tail. The fish scales are embossed and there are litho details on the side fins.

The bottom of this example is a darkened gold (even though it looks like silver in the photo) with age darkening and some spidering along the edge. Colors are bright with little wear.

JFC-18A

$18.

One Only

$15.

#19A

1950's Vintage Large Tin Fish Rattle-Swimmer on Back

4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long

VG-EX

This is another of the fish rattles with a swimmer on the back of the fish. The swimmer holds the life preserver in his hands and his whole body is visible ( and wearing a colorfully patterned swimsuit.) The tail area has many water lilies: red, pink and white. There is a band of yellow on the head between the eyes of the fish.

The top litho sides have bright colors and almost no wear. The blue painted underside shows overall wear, but no rust.

JFC-19A

$75.

One Only

#20B

Small 1950's Vintage Tin Fish-Flowers on Tail

2.5 inches (6.4 cm) long

EX

This small fish has three red flowers decorating his tail. This is unusual as they are not water plants. Colors are bright with a gold painted bottom. Condition is excellent.

JFC-20B

$18.

One Only

#21A

1950's Japanese Tin Fish Rattle

3.5 inches (8.3 cm) long

VG-EX

The rattle pictured here is a standard size for the 1950's fish rattles, 3.5 inches (8.3 cm) long.

The fish rattle has striped fins and different scale colors.

JFC-21A

$20.

One Only

#21B

1950's Japanese Tin Fish Rattle

3.25 inches (8.3 cm) long

VG-EX

The rattle pictured here is a standard size for the 1950's fish rattles. Both variations also seem similar to JFC-26A and B but there are many small variations even though this is the closest to JFC-26.

This fish rattle has dark pink fins and different scale colors ( from 21A and 26. The lilies are pink and the blue on the tail has a turquiose hue with more white between the turquoise and red. The green water plants are a slightly lighter color.

The plain metal back has darkened with age and has a small spot of rust..

JFC-21B

$20.

One Only

#22A

Large Japanese Tin Fish Rattle

4 inches (10 cm) long

EX

This large tin fish rattle has a different set of fish on the tail. Instead of a single red Koi fish there are two colorful striped fish , one yellow and turquoise and the other pink and purple. The water lilies are pink.

There is no wear on the top side and the gold tone underside has only some light wear. Colors are bright and the surface is shiny.

JFC-22A

$25.

Quantity-2

#23B

1950's Japanese Tin Fish Rattle-Fish on Back

5 inches (12.7 cm) long and 3.5 inches (9 cm) wide

EX

Another of the rarer fish rattles and one with an unusual litho design that is unlike any other. This large size Koi fish rattle has another raised Koi fish on its back along with two skinny fish and some water plants on the tail. Lots of embossed details and bright but delicate colors. This version is a slightly darker color. Condition is excellent.

JFC-23B

$40.

One Only

#24A

1950's Japanese Tin Fish Rattle-Colored Ovals on Tail

4.25 inches (10.8 cm) long

VG-EX

Again we see the alternate fish rattle shape with the tiny side fins bulging out. This large size rattle has an almost abstract rendering of lily pads (or perhaps bubbles) on the tail area. Fabulous 50's colors and stylized details make this a different looking fish rattle.

There are some tiny flakes in the litho and the plain metal bottom is darkened with age. This one has a semi-matte finish on the litho surface.

JFC-24A

$35.

One Only

#28A

Large Japanese Tin Fish Rattle

4.5 inches (11.4 cm) long

VG

This large fish rattle has essentially the same litho design as JFC-21A. Differences are that the shape is larger and thus more elongated, the water lilies are white and there are yellow lines on the tail.

There are a few scattered chips in the litho and wear along the raised back spine. The gold tone underside has no wear. Colors are bright.

The two additional examples I have are about the same condition, but the backs are silver and one is darkened with age.

JFC-28A

$25.

Quantity-3

.
#32

Tiny Fish Rattle with Red Carp on Tail-C

2.25 inches (5.7 cm) long

EX

This small fish rattle has a standard shape. The red carp seen on the tail on the tail of the fish is the distinguishing factor..

This is also one of the smallest size of the fish rattles (2.25 inches). Condition is excellent.

JFC-32

$3.

Quantity-2

Lot of Five Vintage Japanese Tin Fish Rattles

Size Varies

VG

This lot of five extra fish rattles has three different sizes.

#1 and #2 are 3.5 inches (8.25 cm). They are color variations of the same litho design. Colors are bright, there is minor wear on the tops and age darkened bottoms with some spots of light corrosion. VG.

#3 is 4.5 inches (11.4 cm) . Rattles #4 and #5 are each 4 inches (10 cm). Condition is very good with bright colors, shiny top surfaces and metal undersides with only some age darkening. (more on #3)

JFC-51

Lot of Five

$48.

One Only

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