Original Listing Description

eBay This Gold Plated Tonka Truck was given to Lynn Baker a.k.a. Mr. Tonka. It has a nameplate on the front with his name on it. Only a few of these were ever customized, and only this particular Truck had Bakers name on it. Lynn Baker was one of the founders of the Tonka brand. He passed away in 1964 after which most of his Tonka collection was disbursed and disbanded. This particular truck was, as stated by his grand-daughter, sitting on Lynn Bakers personal desk. I came across this truck after purchasing a storage unit that went to auction due to non-payment. The owner of this unit was a girlfriend of Fred Baker, Lynn Bakers son. I have pictures of the two together as well as documentation of the owner of the storage unit. This truck went missing for many years after the passing of Mr.Tonka. This is an AMAZING piece of Tonka and pressed steel history. This could quite possibly be the apex of a Tonka guru’s collection! There were other types of salesman awards, such as the Gold Plated Volkswagen Beetle, that were given to executives and board members. Lynn Baker owned some of these as well. This Gold Plated Jeep Tonka Truck might be the ONLY piece, of this style, that has Lynn Baker’s name on it. An extraordinary piece, for sure!! Some paperwork was also found within the storage unit that must have been in possession of Fred Baker. I have a Tonka quarterly report from the 60s stating the board members shares of Tonka stock and its value. I do not have any documentation proving the authenticity of this truck other than messages from the grand-daughter and other Tonka enthusiasts whom knew the family and identified the Truck right away. I do have the possession lineage to show where it came from. Documentation of the owner of the storage unit, photos of this owner with Lynn Bakers son, Fred… stories from family members stating that Lynn Baker’s son took possession of this truck after Lynn’s passing, and then messages from a family member stating this truck sat on Lynn Baker’s desk. Please bid responsibly. This truck will be packaged properly to ensure no damage happens during shipping. Absolutely NO CANCELLATIONS or RETURNS. Ebay has the Buyers and Sellers best interest in mind, so bid with confidence! On Dec-09-23 at 11:06:13 PST, seller added the following information:I have put together a collage of documents and photos related to this Truck. Some random photos of the Gold Plated Truck. A yearly Tonka Report from the 70s. Some newspaper articles related to Tonka. A black and white photo of Lynn Baker with his grandson Mike, “BIG MIKE”. Some photos of Fred Baker, Fred accompanied by Judy Forrest (the owner of the Storage Unit contents before the unit went to auction), paperwork showing Judy resided in the area where the storage unit contents were stored. (Condition: Pre-Owned)

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for Tonka collectors and appraisers.