Are these wooden toys worth anything?

Q. A family member who was a carpenter made these toys sometime during the late 19th century to circa 1900. They were passed to me and I was wondering if they have any value.

A. The proverbial “smell of the greasepaint, the roar of the crowd” has intrigued children and adults alike since the institution of the modern circus began in the late 18th century.

To the Romans, a circus was a place where chariot races and other public spectacles occurred, but to later Europeans, a circus was the entertainment that was performed in a circular arena surrounded by tiers of seats. These acts included animal and equestrian performances, juggling, acrobats, aerial acts and later, clowns.

A circus is also the traveling troupe of performers, and to do this traveling, wagons were needed. These could be fancy and colorful, and when they were driven through a town on the way to the circus grounds, these vehicles caused a great commotion and stirred up excitement among the townspeople.

Oftentimes, crowds would gather in anticipation just to watch the circus tents being erected. These traditions continued after circuses began to move about primarily by train — but the wagons came along, too, loaded in the cars so they could be used in a traditional parade.

The circus was so popular that toy makers began to manufacture all kinds of circus toys, which included everything from elaborate circus sets to performing seals, lions, elephants and clowns — among many other things. The circus wagon was a favorite theme, but many children in the U.S. couldn’t afford these playthings. Some, however, had fathers, grandfathers, uncles and even cousins who liked to make things for the enjoyment of children.

Many of these were elaborately carved and painted, and they can even attain the status of being American folk art. The best of these can be worth a considerable amount of money on the current antiques-and-collectibles market, and this value can be increased if the identity of the carver/painter is known.

You have an idea who might have made your pieces, but you need to do a little more research to make the identity more certain. This is important for monetary reasons, but it is perhaps more important for family reasons because these pieces are important heirlooms of your family’s past.

These pieces are cute, but do they reach the level of folk art? The answer is a qualified yes, but they are a little straightforward and utilitarian to really excite most serious collectors. The one that comes closest to this designation is not a circus wagon at all, but the piece painted white with “F R Wheaton Pure Milk” lettered on the side.

This item with the associated horse is adorable and would win the heart of many toy and folk-art collectors. Handmade toys such as these do not survive well, and this milk wagon has an insurance-replacement value in the $250-to-$300 range while the two circus wagons each fall more in the $150 to $175 range.

Ÿ Contact Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 18350, Knoxville, TN 37928.