Just when we thought all of the great toy collections have been unveiled, along came the Michael O’Hearn collection, which will be auctioned at Morphy’s on July 16 and 17. Mr. O’Hearn is a retired San Francisco Bay Area architect renowned for his visionary use of “green” technology and insistence on retaining original appointments in the more than 30 Victorian homes he restored at a time when most of their type were destined for the wrecking ball.

Over the last three decades, Mr. O’Hearn also quietly built one of the finest mint/boxed antique toy collections we have ever seen. It serves as the featured collection in Morphy’s sale, which also includes a spectacular selection of antique advertising. A highlight is the grouping of monumental Art Deco-era storefront neon signs discovered in a warehouse in Duluth, Minnesota.