“The light of burning passion was lit, and I just went on,” says Jeffrey Levy, owner of Mint & Boxed, about his interest in antique toys. Established in London since 1983, Mint & Boxed (the name refers to the condition of the most valuable items) opened recently in New York. Prices for the autos, boats, fire stations, banks and toy soldiers indicate that the objects are no longer child’s play: A 1910 German fire station, one of only two known to still exist, goes for $575,000. Most of the toys in the New York shop will be antique American tin, as opposed to the cast-iron German toys featured in London.
