Murray Pedal Car, ca. 1950

Appraised on: July 31, 2004

Appraised in: Memphis, Tennessee

Appraised by: Eric Alberta

Category: Toys & Games

Episode Info: Tomorrow's Antiques (#917)
Memphis, Hour 2 (#909)

Originally Aired: February 28, 2005

IMAGE: 1 of 1  

Appraisal Video: (2:31)

GUEST: It's a pedal car that was passed down to me from my grandfather to give to my son, and it was given to me when my son was only six months old. He's now eight years old.

APPRAISER: So you didn't get to play with this when you were a kid?

GUEST: I was a lot bigger than the car by the time my grandfather got it.

APPRAISER: How many years ago did he get the car?

GUEST: Probably 25 to 30 years ago.

APPRAISER: So you weren't tempted at all, or did he just tuck it away so you couldn't find it?

GUEST: He put it away.

APPRAISER: Your grandfather was a smart man. It really explains why it's so stunning-looking today. Where did you say this was stored?

GUEST: My grandfather got it from some friends of his that had a business. It was a Memphis Bicycle and Memphis Motorcycle company. They gave him this and... I believe it was three antique tricycles.

APPRAISER: There's a decal back here that's Murray Manufacturing, Cleveland, Ohio. They were founded around 1908, and before World War II, for about 30 or 40 years, they produced a lot of Steelcraft Toys and a lot of pull toys. And after World War II, they really concentrated on items like this-- the pedal cars and bicycles. And we have the original seat inside, and there's just very little wear on it. Pedal cars have been around since the turn of the century, almost since the car itself. But they're usually in pretty rough condition, because they took a lot of heavy-duty beating, and they were left out in the rain. Parents didn't want them in the house because they got muddy. But the colors are so bright, they're so perfect, and everything about it is just what we call "new old stock." The chrome is just gorgeous. There's just a little bit of dirt up here. When in doubt, don't rub and don't clean, and don't put a lot of chemicals on it. It's about as clean as you can possibly get for a pedal car. You never took it out for a test spin, but did your son?

GUEST: He rode around in it about four years ago on the carpet at my mother's house, and that's about it.

APPRAISER: It's just in marvelous condition. I think that this is from the early 1950s. I would say that this would sell in the $1,500 to $2,000 region. It's just gorgeous condition.