Action Figures and Toys Showcase 1970s and ’80s Fun

The 1970s and ’80s were golden ages for entertainment geared toward kids, a time when movies and TV shows were dominated by brave superheroes, out-of-this-world sci-fi adventures and action-packed cartoons. To have an amazing time, all you needed was a little imagination—and the kinds of treasures sold at Heritage Auctions’ June 8, Action Figures and […]

July 2021 Prices

ADVERTISING Dispenser, Curtis Baby Ruth Chocolate Fudge, warmer, removable china insert, flip top lid, tin body, red paint, aluminum Baby Ruth tag, ladle, paper tag on bottom, No. 3, instructions, Fountain Maid, Chicago, 9 x 6 in., $230 Tin, Thurber’s Best Yeast Power, revolving cylinder for different spices, lithograph, woman in oval, red & black, […]

All the Moves: Windup Toys

Whimsical windup toys first gained popularity in the 1800s, as large, windup automatons enjoyed by the wealthy gave way to smaller, affordable windups. A wide range of windup toys were up for grabs at a recent Pook & Pook Inc. auction in Pennsylvania. Top price was $8,540 for a Baranger Studios animated lovebird store window […]

“Old” Toys for Christmas

Old toys are back for Christmas. They are similar, but different enough to be recognized as new. Don’t be fooled. Parents might want to extend their collections; kids just think they are familiar and are made for 2020. But nostaligia sells the toys to parents with the box label, not the toy. Look for this […]

Japanese Robots Getting High Prices

Japanese tin robot toys in original boxes were sold in a recent Morphy auction in Pennsylvania. The highest price was $41,205 for the Mighty Robot made by Mitsuhashi Japan. The original box with graphics and bright colors contributed to the high price but this toy is probably the rarest of all wind-up robots made in […]

Toy Timeline

    This is a timeline of when some famous toys were created and/or became available for sale. Date 1890 1890s European stamped-tin cars   1890s Electric trains 1900  Early 1900s Pedal cars 1903 Teddy bears 1907 Character dolls (The Yellow Kid) 1910 1911 Kewpie dolls Tootsietoy 1913 Erector sets 1914 Tinkertoys   1915 Raggedy […]

List of Toy Makers

This is a list of toy manufacturers with location, dates of operations, and other useful information to help date and value your vintage toy. Manufacturer Location Dates of Operation Toys Made and Other Company Information American Flyer Chicago, Illinois 1910–1966 Trains, airplanes, accessories American National Company Toledo, Ohio 1894–1941 Pedal cars, pressed steel trucks, bicycles, […]

Iron Toys

America’s first cast-iron toys—pressing irons made with trivets, miniature garden tools, and a few wheeled toys—were produced about 1825. Cast iron banks, cap guns, and doll furniture were made in the 1870s, and American production of cast-iron toys reach its peak in the 1880s. During the following years until the 1920s, cast-iron toys became larger […]

Popular Toys and Games Pre 1900

Most of the toys and games popular today were invented years ago. This table helps to date toys by furnishing the approximate dates some toys and games were first manufactured. Toys Starting Date of Commercial Manufacture Board games Late 18th century Cap guns and cap exploders Mid-19th century (most popular 1885-1915) Card games (Authors, Old […]

Erector Set

The Erector Set, invented by A.C. Gilbert in 1913, was a collection of steel strips with evenly spaced holes that could be connected with nuts and bolts. Children built models of ferris wheels, bridges, skyscrapers, railways, robots, and more. The sets included gears, wheels, pulleys, motors, and other accessories, and in 1924 parts that would […]