Tootsietoy Graham Series

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The Tootsietoy Graham series toys were sold from roughly 1933 until 1939. They are one of the more popular lines of Tootsietoys but their core group of collectors are ageing out and prices will probably fall in the future. As of 2016, the average price range on eBay runs from US$20 for a parts car to US$125 for a mint original.

The line was offered in six bodystyles - coupe, roadster, sedan, towncar, wrecker and van. Each type and it's variations are discussed in detail below. Thjey were produced in a limited number of colors but the palette depended on the specific variation.

Subject ID: 31541

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The Tootsietoy Graham series toys were sold from roughly 1933 until 1939. They are one of the more popular lines of Tootsietoys but their core group of collectors are ageing out and prices will probably fall in the future. As of 2016, the average price range on eBay runs from US$20 for a parts car to US$125 for a mint original.

The line was offered in six bodystyles - coupe, roadster, sedan, towncar, wrecker and van. Each type and it's variations are discussed in detail below. Thjey were produced in a limited number of colors but the palette depended on the specific variation.

It is difficult to describe the available colors because wear, sunlight and other factors have caused wide variations in what's now available. There may have been small differences between paint batches over the production run. My experience has revealed these to be the core colors, listed as body then chassis. In the interest of simplification, I'll list them as light and dark even though there may be different shades within that classification.

  • light blue / dark blue --- medium blue / dark blue
  • brown / maroon --- tan / brown
  • light green / dark green --- dark green / red --- dark green / dark green
  • orange / brown
  • red / black
  • silver / black

Silver cars are the rarest but are more susceptible to zinc pest than other colors. This may be a problem with the paint formula or the alloy formula in use whn the majortity of silver cars were produced. The problem was more pronounced for roadsters. Zinc pest causes the body to crack into pieces and is irreversible.

Like other Tootsietoys produced before WW2, castings can be rough with fine scratches in the metal. Many paint flaws are actually flaws in the casting. Cracked (not chipped) paint always indicates zinc pest. There are at least five different chassis variations on Tootsietoy Grahams. None have any affect on values except to the most anal-retentive of collectors. One chassis variation is proof of a genuine promo sedan and that will be covered in the section specific to the bodystyle.

Unlike earlier Tootsietoys, all Grahams had "button" wheels with white rubber tires. With the exception of the promo sedan (pink wheels), all wheels were black oxided. Painted wheels are an indication of restoration, oxided wheels are a dull black but in perfect condition are difficult to differentiate from paint.  

This series is more fragile than earlier Tootsietoys and breakage is common. Reproduction parts are easily available from Thomas Toys and on eBay but can have a large effect on values. Some prefer the original patina and hard flat tires. Some prefer round tires that don't crumble upon handling.

  • The weak points are the loops on the body that the axles go through, which hold the body to the chassis. These can be repaired but the toy will lose everything but sentimental value.
  • Front bumpers should be straight across the entire width of the chassis. There is no rear bumper.
  • The chassis should have a pan that extends forward underneath the grille.
  • The tires are white rubber and original ones are discolored, hard and usually flat. Replacements are available and look better if soaked in a cup of coffee for a few days so they aren't as white. Repro tires often look a bit too "fat"as well. The new tires are almost never rubber and some people really like the look of the degraded ones. An important consideration on six wheel cars is that you must remove the axle to change the fender mounted spares. Some collectors are insistent that all axles have the same crimp as when they left the factory.
  • Windshield breakage is common on towncars and roadsters but they can be replaced with a little effort. The steering wheel is attached to the windshield. It's a common flaw and causes the least loss of value, even above a tire change. If this is your 1st replacement, think about buying two because there's a good chance you'll bust it the first one you try to install. This piece should be nickel plated.
  • Unlike some earlier Tootsietoys, all Grahams should have a headlight on each side of the grille. Buyers have strong feelings about how the grille should look, even as regards the shine and color of reproduction parts. After the axle loops, this is the most decisive factor in the value of the toy. Very late issues of the Graham suffered from an impure mix of zinc that caused the nickel plated grille to turn completely black. This is unattractive and lowers value but is not strictly a flaw. Most original grilles have a moderate amount of tarnish and loss of plating. Beware of white scale anywhere on the car. That's corroded zinc caused by wet storage conditions and usually can't be cleaned up nicely. Vinegar will remove it but damages plating.
  • The grille has a button on the back that goes through a hole in the body, then is expanded with a peen. It can be replaced with moderate effort that involves removing the axles and the body, then grinding down the button. On a repaired car you'll often find that the panel behind the grille is broken and the grille has been glued on. It's rare that you'll be able to see the front panel in online auction photos. There should be one round hole with two smaller rectangular holes above it.
  • The six wheel chassis is more delicate overall than the plain one. Be careful if you decide to do any polishing, replacing of tires, or yanking out remnants of the old windshield.

Coupe #512, #612, #514, #614

The coupe was available in four, five or six wheel variations. Four wheel cars were only sold in the Bild-A-Car gift set which is described in detail elsewhere in this section. In addition to the wheel variations, there were the 'convertible coupes'. These had a tan or khaki painted roof that represented an erected convertible top and were sometimes badly masked. Coupes were available in light blue, light green, silver, red and most commonly, orange. Tan/brown cars are known but uncommon. Convertibles were dark blue, light green, red, green/red and most commonly, brown. The light green convertibles are both the hardest to get and IMO least attractive.
#512 (five wheel) and #612 (six wheel)
#514 (five wheel convertible) and #614 (six wheel convertible)

Roadster #511 and #611

The roadster was available in four, five or six wheel variations. Four wheel cars were only found in the Bild-A-Car set and those always had red bodies. The core roadster was available in light blue, light green, silver, orange and most commonly, red. Neither the convertible top nor seats are painted on these cars. The rumble seat sometimes breaks off and is easy to overlook when excited to bid on an online auction.

Sedan #513, #613, #515, #615

The sedan was available in four, five or six wheel variations. Four wheel cars were sold in the Bild-A-Car set (#5360) and also a taxi set described farther down this page. In addition to the wheel variations, there were the 'convertible sedans'. These had a tan or khaki painted roof that represented an erected convertible top and were sometimes badly masked. Sedans and convertible sedans were offered in the same colors as coupes with the same balance of rarity. Light blue convertible sedans have also been recorded although they are uncommon. One would assume that there are also convertible coupes in this shade but I have not seen one. The Graham automobile company did not manufacture a four seat convertible during the 1932-1935 model years that these toys represent.

A six wheel yellow car with black fenders was available only in the Deluxe Gift Set. Although this set cost ten times (a whole dollar!) the price of an individual car, this variation doesn't seem to be hard to find today. They usually cost more because of the attractive color. This car does not have a specific reference number so I group it under #613

A promotional five wheel sedan was available from Graham dealers in 1933 in an odd metallic pink with the same color wheels. It is the only Graham that came in a box. The color is hard to replicate but the other indicator of the genuine article is that the chassis is marked TOOTSIETOY U.S.A. instead of TOOTSIETOY MADE IN U.S.A. This chassis is uncommon on the other cars. This will be an expensive model to acquire and good replicas should not be priced higher than any other restoration. Know what you're buying. This car does not have a specific reference number so I group it under #513

Towncar #516 and #616

The Graham automobile company did not manufacture a limousine during the 1932-1935 model years that these toys represent but the car was at the higher end of the market and introduced some advanced styling trends. It's not unreasonable to think that a custom coachworks company would construct a few.

The towncar was not produced in a four wheel variation and there are no convertible variants. The seat is never painted on these cars. There are only four colors possible on an original car - dark blue/dark blue, dark green/dark green, silver/black and most commonly, red/black. The fenders on the blue/green cars are a different and darker color than the body. To my eyes, it appears that the blue used on the body of the towncars is darker than the convertible coupe/sedan. The dark green is definitely a different color. I've seen several samples of dark green towncars and all have a metallic, semi-transparent paint on the chassis that looks inconsistent with the era. It's most noticeable on the lower edge of the front fender where the paint is often thinner. The blue may be the same way but my sample of one is old and dull.

Wrecker #806

This was sold individually but most children aquired it from gift sets. It always has four wheels.  The hook portion is often broken off and can't be repaired. It was found in the following colors and always had a black chassis: white, yellow, red, silver. This body style is very common and white ones are the least expensive Grahams available.

Van #808 and #809

This body style is most often seen as an ambulance but is also found as a dairy truck (#808 1933-1939) or a tire supply truck (no number 1935-1939). It always has four wheels. The dairy truck is always white/black. The tire truck was only found in the Bild-A-Car set and the body is always orange with varied chassis colors, usually ending up with brown or orange. Both the dairy and tire truck are common and have less demand than the car variations.

The ambulance (#809 1933-1946) likely has the most variations of any Graham series model. The color palette varied from white to tan and also a camouflage pattern. War shortages affected production. Grilles were plated prior to 1940 and painted silver afterward. Wheels could be black-oxide, bare zinc, or one-piece white or black rubber. From 1941 onward, the casting was lead instead of zinc. The numerous variations can drive up the prices on ambulances but in general they are less collected than the cars. The Graham automobile company did not manufacture a van during the period that these toys represent.

Bild-A-Car Gift Set #5360

This was a gift set available from roughly 1934 to 1939. It featured two sedans, two coupes and a roadster in colors that were usually different from the individual core collection. Estimates vary, but between 1936 and 1938 the roadster was replaced by a van that said 'Commercial Tire'. These toys were always four wheels, no spare tire. There are no reference numbers for any of the four wheel cars but I use the 500/600 scheme from the core collection and call these 400 series.

The novelty of the Bild-A-Car set was that it contained separate bodies and chassis that children could assemble in different color combinations. This was accomplished by using nails for axles that slipped into a separate sleeve. Normally cars had one piece axles that held the body to the chassis and were crimped at the end. All Grahams received the Bild-A-Car chassis in 1934 regardless of which axles they used. It can be distinguished by the rectangular pocket around the rear axle.

These were available in these colors:

  • coupe: light blue, light green, less commonly tan or yellow
  • sedan: orange, yellow, less commonly red or tan
  • chassis: orange, yellow, dark green, dark blue, brown, red, maroon
  • The roadster was always red. The van was always orange.

Taxicabs Gift Set

Contained four cars (dark blue, dark green, orange and red) with four wheels and black fenders. All four wheel, black fender sedans are from the taxi set and it is believed that colors in this set differed slightly from the shades normally seen.  The set also had a white Graham wrecker with black fenders.

Subject ID: 31541

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Subject ID: 31541