Help identifying very

[Tydot]

I inherited this old tricycle from my grandad. He was born in 1927 and it was his fathers when he was a kid as far as he knows. It has metal wheels, leather seat and the only identifiable mark is a 1 on left side of frame around the steering column. The leather seat is intact but very brittle. I’ve included serval photos but more can be added if need be. I’ve researched this thing serval times over the years and always come up with nothing. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ridingtoy]

Welcome to the CABE. You really do have a family heirloom there. It's going to be nearly impossible to nail down a manufacturer for your tricycle. It appears to date to the late 1800s and there isn't much historical material in the form of tricycle ads or catalogs for reference. Also, there were several machine and hardware mfrs back then making ride on toys as a side line that were out of the trike business just a couple decades later. The #1 on the frame could possibly be a simple model number for the company's line of tricycles. If there was originally a mfr name on it, it would most likely have been painted on the frame somewhere. Nice that a beloved toy has stayed in your family for over 100 years.

Dave

 

[Tydot]

Welcome to the CABE. You really do have a family heirloom there. It's going to be nearly impossible to nail down a manufacturer for your tricycle. It appears to date to the late 1800s and there isn't much historical material in the form of tricycle ads or catalogs for reference. Also, there were several machine and hardware mfrs back then making ride on toys as a side line that were out of the trike business just a couple decades later. The #1 on the frame could possibly be a simple model number for the company's line of tricycles. If there was originally a mfr name on it, it would most likely have been painted on the frame somewhere. Nice that a beloved toy has stayed in your family for over 100 years.

Dave

Thankyou for the info, I was afraid it would be near impossible to identify a manufacturer. Is there much of a collector value associated with an item like this. Not that I intend to sell it but I am curious none the less.

 

[ridingtoy]

I've seen tricycles around this age go for as much as $300+, probably just on age factor alone. The fact that they are fairly simple in design probably keeps their value lower than say the younger, fancy, big fendered art deco trikes of the 1930s. I'd give it a $300 value just based on the fact, as a child's toy, it has survived intact for a good bit over 100 years. That's amazing to me in itself! If that tricycle could only talk...

Dave

 

[Tydot]

I've seen tricycles around this age go for as much as $300+, probably just on age factor alone. The fact that they are fairly simple in design probably keeps their value lower than say the younger, fancy, big fendered art deco trikes of the 1930s. I'd give it a $300 value just based on the fact, as a child's toy, it has survived intact for a good bit over 100 years. That's amazing to me in itself! If that tricycle could only talk...

Dave

Ain’t that the truth, it has set in the same basement for the last 90 years. I used to ride it a little as a child. Anyway, thankyou for your time and information.