1 00:00:01,835 --> 00:00:07,807 GUEST: This is a pump cart that was manufactured by Buddy L toys in Moline, 2 00:00:07,807 --> 00:00:16,249 Illinois. And my father-in-law's uncle was a toy designer there. And this is a prototype. It was 3 00:00:16,249 --> 00:00:19,019 never put into production, we're guessing because it's pretty dangerous. (chuckles): 4 00:00:21,187 --> 00:00:27,160 GUEST: It's very tippy, and when the handle gets moving at any speed, it's difficult to 5 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:31,631 control. It's just the right length where you could smack a child under the chin. 6 00:00:31,631 --> 00:00:37,670 APPRAISER: Right. Frederick A. Lundahl. His company started in 1910. He actually 7 00:00:37,670 --> 00:00:44,944 made auto parts. He worked with the farm machine companies. In about the 1920s, 8 00:00:44,944 --> 00:00:49,716 there was a downturn in needing the parts. And so he had a five-year-old son... 9 00:00:49,716 --> 00:00:50,617 GUEST: Hm. ... 10 00:00:50,617 --> 00:00:52,485 APPRAISER: and decided to take some of that scrap metal... 11 00:00:52,485 --> 00:00:53,586 GUEST: Mm-hmm. 12 00:00:53,586 --> 00:00:56,689 APPRAISER: ...and make a good, sturdy toy that was educational... 13 00:00:56,689 --> 00:00:58,425 GUEST: Mm-hmm. 14 00:00:58,425 --> 00:01:02,462 APPRAISER: ...in that it had working parts that the kids could learn from, they could have fun, 15 00:01:02,462 --> 00:01:06,266 and it wouldn't fall apart. His son's name was Arthur, but he went by Buddy. 16 00:01:06,266 --> 00:01:07,834 GUEST: Oh, okay. 17 00:01:07,834 --> 00:01:10,804 APPRAISER: And the L, of course, for Lundahl. This toy is made out of the heavy pressed steel... 18 00:01:10,804 --> 00:01:11,738 GUEST: Oh. 19 00:01:11,738 --> 00:01:14,707 APPRAISER: ...which Buddy L was known for. On the bottom, 20 00:01:14,707 --> 00:01:19,379 we have a patent number. It was given to Frederick Lundahl for a velocipede. 21 00:01:19,379 --> 00:01:20,814 GUEST: Oh! 22 00:01:20,814 --> 00:01:28,521 APPRAISER: And a velocipede is just a human-powered land vehicle. When you pull 23 00:01:28,521 --> 00:01:34,794 up the patent information, the illustrations show that while this probably is a prototype, 24 00:01:34,794 --> 00:01:38,131 this is not the first. This is a slightly different product. 25 00:01:38,131 --> 00:01:39,299 GUEST: Oh! 26 00:01:39,299 --> 00:01:45,205 APPRAISER: They had a rectangular base instead of a shaped base. It 27 00:01:45,205 --> 00:01:47,574 was four wheels rather than three wheels. 28 00:01:47,574 --> 00:01:48,775 GUEST: All right. 29 00:01:48,775 --> 00:01:50,276 APPRAISER: And it had two handles. 30 00:01:50,276 --> 00:01:51,544 GUEST: Oh. 31 00:01:51,544 --> 00:01:55,782 APPRAISER: So if you think this is dangerous for one child, 32 00:01:55,782 --> 00:01:59,119 can you imagine... (laughs) ...one child on each end, with one going backwards down a hill? 33 00:01:59,119 --> 00:02:01,654 GUEST: No, I can't imagine. 34 00:02:01,654 --> 00:02:04,791 APPRAISER: So there were some changes that were made. This piece actually did go into production. 35 00:02:04,791 --> 00:02:06,726 GUEST: Oh, it did? 36 00:02:06,726 --> 00:02:09,262 APPRAISER: This piece would have been made in 1929. Your 37 00:02:11,164 --> 00:02:15,034 family probably were the test for this particular piece... 38 00:02:15,034 --> 00:02:16,469 GUEST: (laughs) Could be. 39 00:02:16,469 --> 00:02:18,104 APPRAISER: ...as they went flying down the hills and tipping over. 40 00:02:18,104 --> 00:02:19,005 GUEST: Yeah! 41 00:02:19,005 --> 00:02:22,575 APPRAISER: The actual pieces that went into production and 42 00:02:22,575 --> 00:02:26,179 were sold were over a foot wider at the base... 43 00:02:26,179 --> 00:02:27,013 GUEST: Mm, mm. 44 00:02:27,013 --> 00:02:32,018 APPRAISER: ...and the handle was actually four inches shorter. I 45 00:02:32,018 --> 00:02:35,855 would put an auction value on this piece of somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000. 46 00:02:35,855 --> 00:02:44,297 GUEST: (gasps, laughs) W, whoa! (both laughing) 47 00:02:44,297 --> 00:02:48,501 APPRAISER: So hopefully nobody got their teeth too badly cracked with this one. 48 00:02:48,501 --> 00:02:51,371 GUEST: (laughs) I have to say, I am really amazed. 49 00:02:51,371 --> 00:02:52,839 APPRAISER: What were you expecting? 50 00:02:52,839 --> 00:02:55,275 GUEST: I thought maybe $500 or $600. Yeah, yeah.