Pho-TOY-graphy: Some exceptional photos of vintage Fisher-Price toys found around the internet

Photo by Dutempsaperdre78

Fisher-Price absolutely takes the cake when it comes to picking my favorite vintage toy brand. Those toys made me very happy as a child, and they still comfort me as an adult. Even just seeing them in a photograph tends to really excite me. And this li'l group of toy pics is a fine example of some that have turned me on lately...

Photo by Chris White

Photo by Lolie Jane

Photo by Cracklin Tulip

Photo by The Aunt with Gum

"Oh, boy! Tin toys!"

Tin toys are certainly among my favorite types of toys to collect. I find all of the colors and different characters quite charming. Not to mention how neat the mechanics are on the ones you can wind-up. But just as interesting as the toys themselves, is their rich history.

Tinplate was used in the manufacture of toys beginning in the mid-19th century. The toys were made from thin sheets of steel plated with tin, hence the name tinplate. They were a cheap and durable substitute for wooden toys. The toys were originally assembled and painted by hand. Spring activated tin toys originated in Germany in the 1850s. In the late 1880s offset lithography was used to print designs on tinplate. After the colorful designs were printed on the metal, they were formed by dies and assembled with small tabs. The lightweight of the toys allowed them to be shipped less expensively and easier than the heavier cast iron toys.

Germany was the major producer of tin toys in the world during the early 20th century. The most famous German manufacturer of tin toys was Ernst Paul Lehmann who is said to have exported 90% of his toys. France and England joined the fray and it wasn't long before hundreds of thousands of these tin toys were being manufactured.

Production of tin toys in the United States started earlier, but began in earnest when tin ore mines were opened in Illinois providing easily available and cheap raw materials. A number of manufacturers scrambled to catch up in the beginning of the 20th century, but it wasn't until after World War I, with anti-German sentiment high, that they began to make real gains. There was a growing demand for American produced products and by the 1920s American firms had overtaken the competition. The largest and most successful firm from the 1920s to the 1960s was Louis Marx and Company. Marx produced a huge number of designs and depended on large sales volumes to keep prices down.

The production of tin toys was discontinued during World War II because of the need for raw materials in the war effort. After the war, tin toys were produced in large numbers in Japan. Under occupation and the Marshall Plan, manufacturers in Japan were granted the right to resume production. The idea was to give Japan all of the low profit; high labor manufacturing and the US companies could sell the imported product. It worked better than they had expected and Japan became a tin toy manufacturing force until the end of the 1950s. In the 1960s cheaper plastic and new government safety regulations ended the reign of tin toys. Presently, China has taken over the role of the leading tin toy manufacturing country.

And there you have a brief historical summary of where tin toys came from and what they went through so that you and I could enjoy them today.

What I wouldn't give to be that kid for a day... He's just having SO much fun with his robot! And those goggles, I wonder what he's seeing through those? X-ray vision, perhaps? Whatever the case, today is Saturday and we should all go out and play, with our tin toys, or not!


~ Information Source: Wikipedia,  Photo Source: Google Images ~

Kollage Korner

Hello, friends! Sorry about the delay in posts. I guess you could say that I've just been exploring other creative avenues, lately, such as the fun and expressive pastime of collaging! I've dabbled with collage over the years in very small ways, but now I'm finally starting to work on a bigger scale. Ha! I say, "bigger scale", but for me that's only graduating to an 8-and-a-half " x 11" sized worksheet... Ah, well. You gotta crawl before you can walk, right? Maybe, someday, I'll be showing wall-sized canvas pieces in a gallery. You never know, it COULD happen!

That first piece you see up there I call, 'Moonlight Express', and the stars are actually all glittery (even though you can't tell from the scan I did). It's very simple, but that's what I was going for because it's also my most recent work, and I hadn't done any for quite a while previous.

This second piece I call, 'Vintage Rainbow', and in case you can't tell, those color bars are paint chips. I did it back in 2009 as part of an online contest/experiment thingy. Come to think of it, I don't think it was an actual contest because I don't recall a winner... Well, anyway, it was still fun just the same! And this remains one of my favorite pieces simply because it always makes me smile. The colors are cheery, and of course those vintage toys make me happy!

I plan to continue sharing my work with you here at Kollage Korner, so if you're interested, watch for it! Until next time... Keep on kuttin' up!


~ All collage images by Anthony See. ~

I so WANT that!: The Nintendo 3DS

My poor husband. All he's heard from me for weeks, now, is how much I want the new Nintendo 3DS portable video game system. And if it were reasonably priced I might have one by now, but, unfortunately, it is NOT! You know what the thing retails for? $250.00!! Yep, you read that right. Pretty crazy, huh? That's the kind of dough you'd normally pay for a major game console. All things considered, though, I think it might be worth it... Read on if you're interested in what this baby can do.

3D without glasses, dude! I don't know how they do it, but it truly is amazing! I tried it out at a Nintendo display in a local store and I was blown away. A cool thing about the 3D is that there's an adjuster switch so you can fix the intensity for what works best with your own eyes. Or the effect can even be turned off completely, if you prefer. Aaand the 3D madness doesn't end there. No! There's also 2 (two) built-in cameras on the outside of the unit for taking photos in 3D (possibly video, too, but that hasn't been confirmed). How cool is that? What I've described here only scratches the surface of everything Nintendo's latest toy actually does. So if you're at all interested, I strongly recommend checking one of these bad boys out in person at a retailer near you. No amount of description could possibly do it justice - you HAVE to experience it first-hand in order to really appreciate it!

Maybe I'll do a follow-up post if/when I get one of my very own. That way, after spending more time with one, I could give a more thorough and educated review. Hear that, Nintendo?

What A Book!: 'Catalog - The Illustrated History of Mail-Order Shopping'

Hello, everybody! Today I want to tell you about a terrific book I discovered. Whilst poking about the shelves of our local Border's book store, I stumbled upon 'Catalog - The Illustrated History of Mail-Order Shopping' by Robin Cherry. I tell you, this gem of a book is FILLED with wonderful examples of mail-order consumer products, and it is a visual pleasure to be sure!

"In 'Catalog - The Illustrated History of Mail-Order Shopping', Robin Cherry traces the timeline of these snapshots from American history and discovers along the way how we dressed, built and furnished our houses, worked, played, and got around. From corsets to bell-bottoms, from baby-doll dresses and Doc Martens all the way to iPods, the history of these catalogs is the history of our lives and our culture."

With a book like this, you hope for more images than text, and, fortunately, this one really delivers! And guess what? I selected some of my faves to share with you. I'll bet you didn't see that coming...

Montgomery Ward, 1930

Men's Flannelette Pajamas

Boy, they must've felt REAL manly

wearing their "flannelette" pajamas.

Sears, 1928

Women's Hats

Ladies, measure your

head size carefully...

Sears, 1971

Men's Body-hugging Underwear

Ssssexy!

J.C. Penney, 1974

Women's Polyester Bell-bottoms

Wow.

Sears, 1959

Erector Set

Consult your physician if you

experience any toy creation

erect longer than 4 hours.

Sears, 1958

Dolls

Be a doll, would you?

Johnson Smith & Co., 1940

Novelty Toys and Masks

Holy crap, that Hitler mask

gives me the willies!

Sears, 1961

Play Kitchen

Now, get in there and fix my dinner, bitch!

Sears, 1971

Shag Bath Carpet

All this talk about "pile" makes

me have to use the toilet...

Sears, 1961

Aluminum Xmas Trees

Aluminum-minum-minum!

That'll do it for this edition of 'What A Book!'. I sure hope you had as much fun as I did. But if you didn't, well, lighten up, would ya? See you next time...

Photo 'a Go Go!: Even MORE of my 365project

Hello, everybody! It's time, once again, for another installment of everyone's favorite photo-viewing pastime... Photo 'a Go Go! [APPLAUSE]

Folks, it's been so long since I last shared any of my 365project photos with you that I thought I'd go ahead and torture you with some more, now. You knew I was gonna sooner or later, so I might as well, right? Thus far, I've been making a point to present my photos to you in the same order they've been taken for the project, so I figure I'll just continue on with the same method. Let's jump right in, shall we?





Happy toy [2]

I felt like I had to revisit this one, photographically.

It's just so colorful, and the first shot I took of it

for the project didn't even show the dial or the

receiver/handset! So I think I'm finally satisfied.

I think...



Verdant growth along

the old weathered fence

I've always liked this sort of juxtaposition;

something young, fresh and healthy set against

or alongside another that looks old, run-down

and has some character. I'm also happy with

the textures here, even though the fence IS

mostly out of focus.

The Great Stromboli

Marionette Show

I spent a fantastic day at Disneyland with

my husband and two of our dearest

friends. We spent 12 hours there filled

with laughter, screaming (on the rides, of

course), great food (Blue Bayou) and

even better company! It just doesn't get

much better than that.

While in Fantasyland, I spied a wonderful

window display of Stromboli's Marionette

Show from the animated Disney classic,

'Pinocchio'. Both Jiminy Cricket and

Pinocchio, himself, were also "dancing" on

the stage of this wee puppet theatre, but I

was particularly taken with the pretty little

lady, above. I'm guessing that she's

supposed to be Heidi, or a close facsimile?



Beautiful imperfection

While walking along some unusual

shop windows, I came across this

attractive copper bust and instantly

knew that it must be visually

documented. Isn't she/he lovely? I

was especially drawn to its color,

along with all of the scuffs and

imperfections. AnyTHING, or

anyONE, that shows this sort of

aging character truly IS beautiful to me...

A few of my favorite things

Since I enjoy both photography and board games

a whole lot, I thought I'd get creative and figure out

a way to combine the two subjects, visually.

And so... Voila, this was what I came up with!

My father's hippo

About a week ago, my mom dropped by to give

me something very special. It was an old porcelain

hippopotamus from somewhere around the 1950s

or '60s. But that's not why I think it's special. It

was my dad's, and he kept it on top of his bedroom

dresser. The body is hollow, so my dad mostly kept

pocket change and other odd 'n' ends inside of it.

Plus, that awesome gaping mouth was the perfect

place to rest his glasses for the night. Or, maybe,

even a few business cards from his day at work...

My dad died 21 years ago, and after all that time,

I'd completely forgotten about his hippo. That is,

until my mom just appeared with it one day, and said

I should have it. I'm quite touched that she held onto

it for all of these years.

I didn't receive this priceless knick knack with any of

my dad's old pocket change, business cards, or

ANYTHING inside. But what DID come with it was

some wonderful (temporarily forgotten) memories of

my dearly departed father.

Starship Victoria

Sinking into the plush, red velvet cushioning of

my chair in a most fearful anticipation, I stared

out through the huge, glass viewing-sphere and

watched as our magnificent spacecraft approached

the foreign surface of planet Zebulon.

1958 Murray Champion

This is a miniature reproduction of a classic,

kiddie pedal-powered car, like they had

back in the 1950s. It's made real well, too.

In fact, it has a bit of heft to it because it was

made out of some kind of heavy-duty metal.

I received it as a gift years ago and I still really

dig it! The color combo is perfect. That shade

of blue is my favorite, and I've always liked

red. If only I could shrink down to the

appropriate size in order to ride it... Just

imagine how much money I'd save on gas

AND car insurance!

"Like sands through

the hourglass..."

I'm real pleased with how this shot

turned out! I always find the seemingly

random patterns of light reflection that

you can capture within different types

of glass to be very fascinating, so I do

like that element. But the thing that

really made me giddy about this photo

was that I managed to capture lots of

individual grains of sand falling through

the center of this hourglass!

How cool is that?!

Hello, my BUZZZY bee-like friend!

I almost feel as though most of the credit for this

wonderful photo should go entirely to the magic

of serendipity. My original intent was only to snap

off a few macro shots of this dandelion, I wasn't

planning at all on trying to catch an insect in any of

my compositions. But then, as I was focusing this

shot and about to take the picture, that nice little

flower fly zoomed down into the frame only long

enough for me to press the shutter release, and then

it quickly buzzzed away! Like it was flying by, saw

what I was doing and thought, "Hey, I can help a

brotha out... I think I'll just swoop down there for a

sec and pose for the guy."

Peering 'neath the pier

I absolutely love being at the beach.

It's just about my favorite place of all, next to

Disneyland. But I don't enjoy going there to

sunbathe, or for a dip in the ocean. I just enjoy

being there and absorbing the peaceful energy.

You know, the powerful crashing waves, the

wonderful distinct smells (SOME of them), and

the unmistakable euphony of sounds (i.e. seagulls,

buoy bells and ship horns). Not to mention the

visual aspect of nature's oceanic beauty... Of

course, the only times that are best for appreciating

any of those things are either in the early morning,

or late afternoon/evening. It's pretty hard to feel

connected with the ocean's calming energies during

the middle of the day, when there's hundreds of

people sunbathing on the beach, kiddies building

sandcastles and teenagers surfing and/or boogie

boarding.

I'm glad that I shot this late in the afternoon, so

nobody else was around to walk into my frame.

What you see is the underside of Balboa Pier in

Newport Beach, CA. What you don't see, thank

goodness, is me tripping and falling down in the wet

sand as waves washed over me (shortly after I took

this shot)!! Aaand, as if I hadn't suffered enough

indignity, my friend, Matt, immediately busted out

laughing! But it was okay because I laughed pretty

hard, too.

Innocence

I sure hope y'all have enjoyed this latest edition of 'Photo 'a Go Go!'. Stay tuned for even MORE of them in the not-too-distant future... 'Til then, we'll see what other trouble we can get up to around here! So make sure to check back often. Bye-bye!


~ All photos were taken by Anthony (AKA antvision), and are not to be used or reproduced without written permission from me. 'Photo 'a Go Go!' dancers were found in a back alley, behind Google Images, playing Connect 4 and drinking Earl Grey tea. Clearly, they needed something to spice up their lives. ~

Show & Tell: Our Playmobil Victorian dollhouse, a Christmas tradition.

I have mentioned before that I never really outgrew toys, right? Well, here's even more proof of it! Yes, this beautiful Playmobil Victorian dollhouse has graced our home for the holidays, proudly displayed by, or near, the Christmas tree for almost 18 years. And it is certainly one of my favorite Christmas traditions!

When it isn't out at Christmastime, it's tucked away up in a closet the entire rest of the year, so you can imagine how dusty it gets. I actually kind of enjoy the whole process of taking it down, meticulously cleaning it (inside and out), and then, the BEST part of all... placing the furniture and people inside!!

The following photos are a somewhat goofy gallery of interior shots (plus a few exterior) just to give you a closer look. Btw, for some reason, I had a devil of a time getting the lighting just right. So if they seem a bit funky, that's why. Enjoy!







Here is the back side of the house, with
"handy" access to all rooms and floors.

 

These lovely ladies are relaxing in the living room and
enjoying a command performance by the pianist
on the left (you'll see his piano in the next shot).

Here is the artist at work, on a piano that really plays!
(Well, technically, it's just an electronic tune when
you press down on the keys...)



One of many maids, Sophie arranges place
settings at the formal dining room table.

Meanwhile, out in the nearby moonlit forest, a small
family of deer is seen grazing along the barren, icy floor.

Jane, the kitchen maid.

Jacques, the house chef.

Maxwell, the family dog.

























Grampa enjoys his newspaper next to a toasty fire.



Unbeknownst to Grampa, a fiendish
imposter lurks in the shadows nearby...

Look out, Grampa... She's right behind you!

Between the den and the veranda lies one of the
bedrooms simply referred to as the Flower Room.
(Notice the detail of the chamber pot sitting on
the floor, next to the bed. Sign o' the times!)

Out on the veranda, a professional photographer
takes a lovely holiday portrait of a fine couple.



Here we see the other bedroom, aka the Red Room,
and it looks as though we've caught a young couple
just settling in for a nice, long Winter's nap... 

Yet another maid, Louise, ensures that sanitary
standards are upheld at all times in
the house's one and only bathroom.
(It ain't a fun gig.)

As we progress up the stairs to
the attic nursery, we can see both
kitties AND kiddies.
(Har, har! Get it?)

Like typical children, this close to
Christmas it's real hard to go to sleep!

Well, folks, that concludes our tour of the Playmobil Victorian dollhouse. Sure hope you liked it! Until next time, I wish everyone a very merry Happy Holiday and a shiny New Year!!


~ All photos property of Anthony See. ~