One of the most common questions I get from my customers is why it matters whether a dog is cast iron, versus some other kind of metal, and how you can tell the difference.  First of all, I would like to state that to me, it really does not matter all that much.  If I like the shape and posture, and most importantly the painting and expression of the dog, it really does'nt matter to me whether the dog is made of cast iron, spelter, brass, bronze, copper, brass, nickel, silver, etc.........  I firmly believe people should collect the types of dogs that appeal to them visually first, since they are the ones who will be looking at them on their shelves every day.  But, I think if you are going to be a collector of vintage dog figurines, it is important to know what your dogs are made of, how they were made, and who made them in order to determine what a fair price will be for them.  You certainly can't go by what most sellers list on their postings as to what their dogs are made of, as most sellers sell what comes their way and don't neccesarily specialize in metal figurines.  I have seen many dogs listed as cast iron, when in fact they are not.  But, if you know the right questions to email them about their listings, they can usually help you determine the type of material the listed item is made of.  Most simply, cast iron attracts a magnet, and the other metals do not.  This is the easiest way to see if an item is iron or not.  Weight does not matter, as some lead figures can be quite heavy for their size, and you certainly can't tell just by looking at a picture on the internet, as painted figures have the true color of the metal camouflaged to the naked eye.  Why is cast iron more expensive and coveted by collectors?  Really, sometimes I have no idea why, as some of the other materials are just as fun to own.  But, mostly, the iron dogs are scarcer.  There are fewer of them around, since during the WWII era, many localities had metal drives to help the war effort, and most of the toys or items made with iron were donated to be melted down for scrap to help make weapons, etc...  It was almost unpatriotic to hold onto your iron items, no matter how useful they were to you, nor how sentimental.  Iron was in short supply, and to make heavily armoured ships, etc... it was really the best type of metal to be used.  And conversely, after the war, in the late 40's, metal was also scarce due to the boom of construction and convenient items made for the home due to the pent up demand for all sorts of household appliances, cars, etc... So, thus, cast iron also dates an item as being more likely to have been made before the Second World War.  After that, metal toys and such were mostly made of a cheaper type of metal which was not nearly as durable and heavy, and is called "spelter", "white metal", and "pot metal" in the trade.  Chances are if you see dogs made of this lighter weight metal, it was made after the war.  This metal is easily dented, broken, and not as practicle for toys, and so is not as desirable to the collector market.  This metal was usually hollow as well, and easily dented and cracked.  The quality of production was lower too, as it became far more common to find things made overseas that did not have the same quality production standards of made in the USA items.  As any collector knows, there are three things that make something more desirable:  condition, scarcity, and quality.  Cast iron is often found in better condition since it is so strong, it is scarce since so much of it was melted down, and the quality is such that it holds up better for play and display.  So, when you see a metal dog listed on ebay as being made of Cast Iron, ask the question of the seller about "does the magnet stick to it".  Most sellers are honest, and will run around their house ton find a magnet to use to answer your question honestly, and will even change their descriptions accordingly if it is not.  The best key words to include for your search to help find metal dogs are the words "cast", "iron" (even if not iron, they will still throw it in there, and it is up to you to find out whether or not  it actually is), "spelter", "white metal", "original paint", and Hubley.  Hubley, a maker I will write about later,  screams to a real collector that it is a quality piece, and often they will use that word in their listing even if they have no idea whether it was actually made by them or not.   I personally like dogs of all kinds of metal, but the cast iron ones are my favorite, and the hardest for me to part with unless I have a duplicate, or it is a breed I don't really care for.  If you see an item listed on ebay, and are not sure if it is cast iron or not, email me the listing number or a photo, and I will be glad to give you my honest opinion as to what it is made of!!  We collectors need to stick together, and may even have some fun in the process!!!  Sincerely, Jay Kerch, Owner of Phineas Swann Bed and Breakfast and Antiques Gallery, Montgomery Center Vermont!