Antique & Collectible
Child Size / Toy & Small Irons

History / Background

Way back when in early America Monday was designated as Washing and Laundry Day, and Tuesday was considered the designated Ironing Day.  Young girls helped with the washing, ironing and household chores back then, and they were expected to learn to iron at an early age.

Many of these small pressing irons have unusual patented features and other design attributes that help make them a special and fun category of antiques to collect.   They give a vivid reminder of what was expected of America's children during this period, and they make for a great display of antiques because of their dainty size and graphic appearance.

Many small antique irons were specifically made as "toys" to help children learn by playing at this important task with mom.  Other little pressing irons or sadirons were made for laces and fancy work which their delicate little hands and hearts could handle while helping Mom with the day's chores.  These irons hold a special place in America's heritage and history, and are an important piece of Americas past, giving us a glimpse into what these earlier days were like.

At first glance these children's irons might be mistaken for their typical full-size counterparts, but their diminutive size and delicacy puts these antique child-size clothing irons in a special class of their own.

What could make a youngster of yesteryear feel more grown up or more important than being allowed to iron her doll clothes, her hair ribbons, or even the family clothing with her very own "real" iron, side by side with her Mom!  And how better to learn the fine points of someday providing her own future family with a wrinkle-free wardrobe than by being taught the lesson in the guise of childhood play.

Iron manufacturers of the day of course saw the marketing potential here with this younger audience, and like today's entrepreneurs they produced an incredible array of different choices for the child, and her Mom, to chose from.  Each manufacturer wanted their iron to be distinctive and appealing.  Take a look at the different handle styles.  Look at the differences in the ways the bases are designed.  Note the way the manufacturers decorated them and marked them in interesting ways with names and numbers that were sure to attract attention then, and still do with antique iron collectors and antique toy / doll / and bear collectors today.

Rare & Special Little Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Rare Decorated French Cap Iron
• Child Size Alba "Split Chimney" Charcoal Iron
• Child Size Brass Ox Tongue Iron with Matching Companion Trivet
• Decorated Miniature Brass Iron
• Child Size Mini Heart Shape Iron 
• Paint Decorated Red Swan Iron
• 3 Tailors Iron Advertising Paperweights
• Removable Top "Baby" Childs Iron   SOLD!
• Miniature Figural Cast Brass Nickel Plated Decorative Iron
• Chalfant Mfg. Co. Gas Jet Iron
• European Child Size Box Iron
• Little "Electric" Streamline Iron
• Deco Style Cast Lead Toy Iron with Wood Handle
• "Fertaron Ferro-Bifacton" Advertising Iron
• Advertising Tailors Iron Paperweight Flat Iron

Crossrib Handle Spade Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• A Nice Selection of Child Size Cross Rib Handle Toy Irons

Children's / Toy "Primitive" Spade Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Mini High Base Primitive Iron Pictured in ETM
• Primitive Long Point Mini Iron
• Chamfer Edge Mini Iron
• Rolled Handle Spade Shaped Primitive Iron
• Primitive Iron w/ Brass Sheath on Rod Handle
• 3 Mini Primitive Spade Shaped Irons
• Strap Handle Primitive Sad Iron
• Child Size Rounded Strap Handle Sad Iron
• Cast Iron Rod Handle Sad Iron
• Little Angular Strap Handle Sad Iron
• High Handle Rolled Grip Primitive Little Sad Iron
• Child Size Strap Handle Sad Iron
• Child Size Rolled Strap Handle Sad Iron
• Miniature Cast Iron Sad Iron
• Rolled Handle Spade Shape Mini Sad Iron

Little Spade Irons with Numbers and Letters

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Strap Handle #1 Child's Iron
• 2 Different Round Block Handle #1 Irons
• 2 Rolled Handle Pointed Toe #1 Irons
• Cast Iron "Falk Toy" Child's Iron
• W. Bullock & Co. #2 Toy Iron
• Child Size #3 Sad Iron w/ Unusual Keystone Logo
• Rolled Handle Spade Shape Child's Iron Marked FG
• UDX Miniature Cross Hatch Design Iron
• Unusual Fixed Handle "M Co" Childs Iron
• Small Sad / Pressing Iron with Unusual Mark
• Small "CR" Rod Handle Sad Iron

Tri Bump, Curl & Rounded Handle Spade Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Several Graduated Size Tri-Bump Child's Toy Irons
• Miniature Thin Base Cast Iron Spade Shaped Iron
• 2 Curled Handle Little Irons    SOLD!
• Curl Handle Toy Sad Iron w/ Trivet   SOLD!
• Mini Geometric "Curl" Handle Toy Iron   SOLD!
• Child Size Spade Shape Cast Iron Block Handle Toy Sad Iron
• Child Size Spade Shape Block Handle Sad Iron
• Toy Spade Shape Block Handle Sad Iron

Cast Block Handle Spade Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Miniature Spade Shape Cross Hatch Block Grip Iron
• 2 Different ACW Child-Size Irons
• Small Child-size Copper Iron     SOLD!
• Child Size Rope Handle Spade Shape Sad Iron

Wood Grip Spade Shaped Children's Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Stevens "Star" Spade Shaped Iron #14
• "The Gem" J & E Stevens Child's Iron   SOLD!
• "Our Pet" J&E Stevens Toy Iron   SOLD!
• "Rio" Child Size / Toy Flat Iron   SOLD!
• Child Size Wood Handle Sad Iron
• Child's Toy Iron with Wood Handle
• Toy Iron marked "Koback"

Child Size French Spade Shape Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Child's French Sad Iron with Fox and Crow
• Embossed Rooster French / Belgian Little Sad Iron     SOLD!
• Child Size Wintenberger French Flat Iron
• Child Size Cast Aluminum Wintenberger French Flat Iron
• 3 Different Toy Size "PG" French Flat Irons
• Child Size Raised Floral Design French Flat Iron
• Child Size Gendarme French Flat Iron
• Toy Size Nickel Plated French Flat Iron
• Children's Toy French Iron Marked "JM"
• Embossed French Toy Iron with Lady Ironing
• "Cherub Warming Hands Over Fire" High Relief French Child's Iron

Detachable Handle Little Pressing Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Child Size Spade Shape Removable Handle Sad Iron   
• Mrs. Potts-Style 2 Piece Little Iron 
• Streeter's Sensible # 6 Removable Handle Childs Iron

Small Dover Type Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Child Size Dover Asbestos Sleeve Irons
• Detachable Handle Dover Irons with Rainbow Grip
• Little Dover Miniature Irons with Swinging Latches
• 2-Piece "Dover-Style" Child's Iron with Sliding Latch   SOLD!
• Dover Child Size Irons with Lever Latches
• Dover #602 Double Point Child's Iron
• Small Dover Lace Iron
• "Made in USA" One Piece Dover Style Wood Handle Iron

Charcoal and Slug Heated Box Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Child Size Portuguese Charcoal Iron   SOLD!
• 3 Miniature Danish Brass Box Irons
• Child Size "Augeneisen" Charcoal Iron
• Child Size Brass Ox Tongue Iron
• Small English Slug Box Iron
• Miniature English Box / Slug Childs Iron
• Small Brass Ox-Tongue Iron
• Open Handled Miniature Ox-Tongue Iron
• Two Little Ox Tongue Shaped Slug Irons
• Early Single Post Drop in the Back Mini Sad Iron
• Cast Iron Child Size Antique Ox Tongue Slug Iron
• Child Size Strap Handle Ox Tongue Slug Iron w/ Swing Gate   SOLD!
• Small Brass Antique Child Size Ox Tongue Slug Iron
• Nickel Plated Child Size Ox Tongue Slug Iron
• Child Size Antique Ox Tongue Slug Iron w/ Unusual Handle   SOLD!

Oval Cap Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Three Little French Cap Irons---6 Point Star and Gendarme
• 2 Different French Antique Cap Irons
• 2 French Antique Cap Irons---Decorative Edge and Cast Handle
• French DC Oval Cap Iron
• French FB Oval Shaped Cap Iron
• French Wintenberger Oval Cap Iron

Teardrop Cap Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• French FB Tear Drop Cap Iron
• Cast Aluminum Teardrop Shape Cap Iron
• JVD Tear Drop Cap Iron
• French DC Tear Drop Cap Iron with Flat Strap Handle
• French "STAR" Tear Drop Cap Iron
• Primitive Teardrop / Heart Shape Iron
• Thin Base Teardrop Cap Iron
• Round Back Antique Iron Marked "0"

Half-Round Handle Double Point Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Patented Enterprise Little Irons with "Cold Handles"
• Variations of "The Pearl" Child-Size Irons
• Rare Large Size "Jewel # 6 Sad Iron" Childs Iron
• "The Pearl" Child's Iron---the little size one!
• "The Jewel" Child-Size Iron   SOLD!  
• Floral Decoration Childs Iron

Rope Handle DP Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

Cross Hatch & Cylinder Grip DP Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

Child Size Sleeve Irons

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

• Child-Size Cast Iron Antique Sleeve Iron 
• Mini Cast Iron Twisted Rope Handle Sleeve Iron
• Walker Boston Small Sleeve Iron
• Center Mount Removable Handle Child's Sleeve Iron     SOLD!

Child-Size Swan Irons

*** Click Page # to see Items ***

Page 1           Page 2

• Child-Size Antique Swan Irons in Various Sizes
• "Folks Fesch" Child-size Swan Irons
• 1 7/8" Swan w/ Trivet
• 2 1/4" Toy Swan Iron
• 2 7/8" Toy Swan Iron
• 2 3/4 " Swan with Gold Paint
• Small Swan with Original Blue Paint
• Swan Iron with Original White Paint

Child-Size Trivets

*** Click Heading to see Items ***

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

**** We Sell Antiques! ****

We want to Help you Sell Your quality Antiques

If you have a single antique, or a collection of antiques to sell please contact us at LCM@patented-antiques.com giving us your PHONE NUMBER  and other contact info and we will get back to you ASAP. 

To view examples of the types of antiques and collectibles we have previously sold and are always interested in helping you sell please visit our Past Sales Archive Pages.

Please see our FAQ page, the Appraisal / Selling Page and the Selling Your Collection Pages for further info.

Thanks!!

Larry & Carole