CRT COLLECTORS CORNER Number 9, Winter 2008 Bowles Full-Pack Front Loader Dana Gregory built this incredible replica of a 70's Bowles full-pack on a Tonka chassis 
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And now check out this model of a Glover, Webb & Liversidge Musketeer screw loader: 
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These pretty much speak for themselves, and I hope we see more from Dana in the future. (Photos courtesy of Bill Tetreault) EBAY AUCTION HIGHLIGHTS 
Tonka front loader prices remained strong this fall, though not as high as they had been over the summer. This square-body version fetched $597.00 in December, an original, un-restored copy with two refuse containers.
The listing informed us that the lift arms worked perfectly, rising slowly over over the cab. Those of us who owned hydraulic powered toys will recall that the cylinders would often work too rapidly, or not at all if the fluid leaked out. With the exception of the rear door on the truck body, this is a pretty close replica of a Bowles non-compaction loader of 1950's vintage. I have little doubt that it was inspired by the early California front loaders. They have also perfectly captured the Ford truck styling on 1958-59. Unfortunately, refuse truck enthusiasts must compete with Tonka and steel toy collectors, and the scarcity of these particular models insures continued high prices.
Another scarce collectors item is the super-rare Child Guidance #2500 Loadmaster sanitation truck. This battery operated truck is not only a perfect replica of a 20 yard LM-120, it features a working packer and ejector! No commercially available model has ever achieved this level of detail, before or after it's brief run in 1970. These were plastic, and subject to breakage even with moderate play wear, so it is not uncommon to see examples with the tailgate assembly separated or missing. The tin wheel drive transmission was also a weak point, frequently cutting through the rear axle in short order.
This example looked to be in good shape, except for corrosion in the battery box area (from being stored without removing the batteries). It came with one can, sans lid, and a damaged carton. It brought a hefty $625.00, which was actually a low price compared to recent results! Impressive as the looks, pictures simply do not do this model justice. I have posted several videos of this model in action, which can be viewed on by clicking here 
The 1/75th scale Marx Lightrucks series dates to the late 1960's to early 1970's, and were comparable in size to Lesney-Matchbox and Hotwheels toys. The Sanitation truck, shown here is good replica of a GMC tiltcab truck of that era, which was frequently used in refuse hauling service. The packer on this toy seems to be loosely based on an early 1960's Gar Wood LP-625, except for the back of the tailgate which is embossed with bar doors. Obviously, the working feature here is headlights, powered by a AA battery. These might have sold for $1.50 when new, but this boxed example fetched $104.00 in November. As with Tonka, collectors of Marx Toys, and the Lightrucks series in particular, will probably keep bidding competitive. All Prices in U.S. Dollars (USD) Unless Otherwise Stated
Another popular steel toy was the Structo bucket loader, which came in about a dozen variations during a run from the late 1950's through about 1970. One of the founders of Structo was a former Leach employee, so it's easy to see the influence of the old Refuse Getter on this toy $102.00 was the winning bid in October
This plastic bucket loader was made in Canada by Reliable. The bucket and arms appear to be missing on this one, which still sold for $54.00 in December. Another variation of this has a red cab and white body
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