Classic Vintage Old Fashioned Retro Toys
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Remember those old-fashioned, timeless toys from yesteryear?
Those of us who are old enough (ahem) remember what childhood was like before the invasion of electronics. We remember those classic retro toys with which we filled the blissful hours of our childhood. Most did not even have batteries. But... how well do we remember these great classic timeless toys of days gone by? These quick quizzes are designed to find out! Test your knowledge, and let us know in the guestbook how well you did.
Old-timers (like me) probably will remember all these retro toys and ace the quiz. You younger sprouts may need a little help, so get your toy mo-jo on and spin through these quizzes to see how much you know about the toys that entertained your parents and grandparents for hours on end.
Original Photo Courtesy of claranatoli at morgueFile
Contents at a Glance
Angel Blessings and Purple Star
hank you to the wonderful SquidAngels who have blessed this tribute to the timeless toys. Knowing how busy you are, I am deeply honored!skiesgreen — Wednesday_Elf — marsha32 — GrowWear
Special thanks to the SquidTeam who awarded this lens a Purple Star in June, 2010
Clipart Courtesy of OCAL on Clkr.com
Squidoo-ers Know a Lot About...
Those Old-Fashioned, Retro, Vintage, Timeless Toys
You can find a lens or two on Squidoo that probably will answer every one of these questions. Squids love talking about these timeless toys and the impact they had on their own lives. I am going to include a Featured Lenses section where you can learn more about vintage toys.
However...
You should know that I am calling your grandmother right now! If you cheat, I'm gonna tell her. Then, boy, oh boy, are you going to be in big, big trouble.
Quiz about Timeless Toys
Okay, if you are a Boomer, you probably remember all these classic, vintage, retro toys and this will be an easy quiz for you because these are truly timeless toys. I tried to trick you on a couple of them, though, so pay attention now! If you're younger, you may not know about any of these timeless toys, but have fun with them anyway. Old things (like me) are still good things. :-)
Fabulous Classic Timeless Toys
from your past to your present
My Favorite Timeless Toy - Paperdolls
Growing up as a child of poverty, I didn't have store-bought toys. However, at that time, Sears catalogs were delivered to homes for free and without asking. Oh, how my sisters and I loved getting those catalogs. There was no money to buy anything from them, so we were free to do what we wanted with them.
We spent countless hours cutting out pictures of the models and the lavish bedrooms, kitchens, and living rooms. We designed elaborate homes on the floor using the room pictures. Then, we made up wonderfully detailed stories about the lives we were living inside those houses. The catalogs were huge back then, so we had tons of paper friends to invite over to our houses to play with us. For many hours we were able to escape from the dreary, impoverished world of our reality.
At some point, a lady who lived near us subscribed to McCall's magazine. When she finished with the magazines, she passed them on to us. Ah, how our world grew then. With the McCall's magazine came the Betsy McCall doll with her cute clothes, hats, shoes and purses. By the time the new issue of the magazine was passed down to us, we had already worn out the last ones.
As an adolescent, I began creating my own dolls out of cardboard boxes and designing clothes for them. Once, I made several dolls, with complete outfits, as a birthday gift for a younger relative.
The paperdolls eventually passed out of my realm of interest, but I never lost the love of creating unique things or telling stories. It was one of the most significant experiences of my youth.
Paper Dolls to Delight Your Little Girl!
Begin a new era of love for these timeless toys!
Just kidding, but these little paper ladies come with 150 different outfits to help your little girl make good fashion choices when that time comes. Check below for even more wonderful paperdolls, both retro and new! So many to choose from and such a delightful way for a young lady to pass a rainy afternoon. It can also create a wonderful time of mother-daughter sharing as you talk to her about the dolls and listen to the stories she will make up about them. Simply fascinating!
Fabulous Fashion (Paper Doll Book): Barbie
Amazon Price: $5.06 (as of 02/13/2012)
Nothing but 5-star ratings for this one! Reviewer Laura B says: "I ordered it online, so I didn't know what a good buy it was until I got it in the mail. I have purchased many children's paper doll books, and this one is the best. ...There are three dolls (Barbie, Teresa, and Nikki) and literally a hundred clothing pieces for them. It took me a while to just flip through and admire all the pages of clothing and accessories. The book is filled with fashionable clothing options of a multitude of colors and styles; I even think they represent stylish outfits that teens would wear in real life, without any immodest designs. You also get a bunch of cute accessories, shoes, and even pets! And what's best is that all the items will fit any of the three dolls. Also, both the dolls and their items are punch-outs, so there won't be much down time before your little girl can begin playing with this book. All the content is printed on nice stiff cardstock paper, so these will last longer than old fashioned paper dolls."
Magnetic Paperdolls
Too young for scissors?
Melissa & Doug Tops and Tights Magnetic Dress-Up Set
Amazon Price: $11.48 (as of 02/13/2012)
5-Star Ratings All the Way! Reviewer CG5 says: "My 2 1/2 yr old loves this doll set. Her 1 1/2 yr old friend loves it as well. My daughter will sit and play w/ this endlessly. The vinyl bag is perfect as it is easy to keep all of the pieces together and to travel with it. We take it to church for quiet play. There are enough pieces/dolls to share. This is one of her favorite toys of all time (and there for mine too!). This is one of those toys I would consider stocking up on for future gifts. The perfect gift for any little girl."
Paper Dolls - A Truly Timeless Toy
Let your little one see them as YOU did!
Vintage Paperdoll Gifts
Many of these designs have matching greeting cards and invitations. Consider paper dolls as a theme for your child's birthday party and send these lovely invitations with matching stamps to all her guests! Just click the image to purchase the stamps and continue in that store to find the matching invitations.
If your child or grandchild has just discovered a passion for paperdolls, present her with a unique mousepad featuring sweet little vintage paperdolls. She will love it!. These mousepads featuring this timeless toy would make a great gift for any little girl.
Queen of the Jacks!
Another Fabulous Timeless Classic Vintage Retro Toy
I had several brothers and sisters who were married and had children of their own by the time I was born. All of them lived far away from us. Every summer, those older siblings would come to visit, bringing their children, who were close to us in age. With them came lots of store-bought toys. One niece brought jacks into my world. When she went back home, she was kind enough to leave them. Thus began my first position of royalty in this world for I became the Queen of Jacks. I was simply the best. Competitions were often held at school during recess, and I won them all.There are many, many variations on the game of jacks. All of them, in one form or another, involve little star-shaped pieces of metal and a bouncy rubber ball. In its simplest form, the game is called Onesies. The object of the game is to throw the ball into the air, pick up all of the jacks, one at a time, with one hand, place each jack in the other hand, and then catch the ball before it hits the floor a second time. You were "out" if you touched any other jack while picking one up, or if you did not catch the ball before it bounced a second time. The person who got all ten jacks before the others was the winner of the game.
Now that seems pretty simple, yes? Hold on now. Assuming one or all players achieved the lofty goal of that game (and most did accomplish that very quickly), then came the Twosies. Simple enough: You played the game exactly the same way except this time you had to pick up two jacks at the same time. Then came the Threesis, the Foursies....well, you get the picture.
When almost everyone was a master of those superb acts of hand-and-eye coordination, we learned new versions of the game. Those were as limitless as our imaginations. There was "Pig in the Blanket" which still involved Onesies, Twosies, and so forth, but instead of putting the picked-up jacks in your opposite hand, you cupped the non-throwing hand on the floor, making a little cave. Then, you slid the jacks into the cave, first as singles, then in groups of two, three, etc. That is no where nearly as easy as it sounds, especially when you got beyond the smaller numbers. Our youthful hands made very small "caves" and sliding the jacks into them without having some of them go off to the side or remain outside was very difficult. If either of those things happened, you were "out".
Eventually, all the little girls began to have more fun chasing the little boys, and my fiefdom came to an end. The sheer pleasure of playing the many variations of this game, however, remain with me even now.
Make This Timeless Toy Hot Again!
The last two items shown here contain multiple sets of jacks. These are perfect for any of you who might have an after-school care center or a youth group.
Become Queen of the Jacks!
Your kingdom shall bow before you.
Most of these stamps have matching invitations. Why not consider the a jacks-themed birthday party for your child and send these marvelous invitations with matching stamps. Your child and her guests will be so amazed. Just click the stamp image below to purchase and then search within that store to find the matching invitations.
Isn't it wonderful that Zazzle allows artists and jacks enthusiasts to create amazing shoes for you and your children by adding their own jacks artwork to them? These too-cute shoes from Zazzle sellers are available in many sizes so you will be sure to find one that is perfect for you. Just click any image to order or find other items with creative jacks themes!
Time Again for Timeless Toys!
Classic Vintage Retro Toys Are Back!
Remembering the pleasure of these timeless toys from their own childhoods is causing many parents to seek out the toys of yesteryear. Those toys involved physical activity as little hands and bodies, not batteries, operated gizmos, gadgets, and games. Many of these timeless toys were great learning tools as well. Often whole groups of children would gather to share the joy of these toys, providing that essential growth of social skills.
In response, many manufacturers are relaunching those classic retro toys. Some have been updated a bit, and some are being relaunched exactly as they were.
So, get up off the couch, pull your kid away from the game box and go shopping for some of those great timeless toys and games!
One of the Most Timeless Toys Ever!
Still in production and going strong!
This incredible timeless toy was invented in the 1940s by Richard James, an army engineer. The price of the Slinky has remained on the low end throughout its history because Richard's wife, Betty, wanted it to remain affordable for those of lower incomes. According to Wikipedia, the Slinky has served many purposes beyond that of a toy. It has "...appeared in the classroom as a teaching tool, in wartime as a radio antenna, and in physics experiments with NASA."
If your children don't have a Slinky, you should get one for them . Let them chase it down the stairs just as you did as a child. They will love it, too!
Retro Toy - New Age Challenge
Concerned About Safety and the Environment?
Slinky or Flexy
Retro or Eco?
I don't own one yet, but I am seriously considering buying one of the new eco-friendly flexible cardboard toys for all of my grandchildren. It really appeals to my earth-friendly nature. Besides, you wouldn't believe the number of hours I spent straightening out the messes my boys made with their Slinkys. Regrettably, I wasn't aware enough at that time to not pitch them in the trash bin when they became hopelessly tangled.
Flexy is no longer available. Please see the update below.
Will You Get a Slinky or a Flexy?
OOPS! The choice is no longer yours!
UPDATE! While the Flexy seemed to be a very viable eco-friendly alternative to the Slinky, it was not a successful product. Priced way too high to compete with the Slinky timeless toy, it has been pulled from the market, apparently, as it is no longer on either Amazon or eBay and is listed as "no longer available" on most other sites. However, if we keep in mind the need to recycle, the original Slinky is still a wonderful, timeless toy for this generation!
Queen of Jacks - How to Play Jacks
and Variations of the Game of Jacks
Squids Talk About Timeless Toys
Check out the offerings in these great lenses!
Rainy or Cold Days Are Perfect Days for Paperdolls!
Coffee with Timeless Toys!
Timeless Toys Quiz Spoiler
The Truth About Betsy Wetsy and Dy-Dee
Unfortunately, the early Dy-Dee dolls were made of materials that did not stand the test of time. Because their little mouths were constantly being filled with water by the little girls who loved them, the materials around the mouth began to deteriorate and left the dolls with only a hole where the mouth should be. I do believe later models corrected this design flaw; but, by then, the Betsy Wetsy doll had claimed the dominant position in the market.
So, now you know!
Did you love this look at the timeless toys?
Did it make you smile?
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Share the Love of Timeless Toys
Timeless Toys Are Unforgettable!
Aren't they?
Put your Slinky down for a moment and let us know what you think about this article and / or these wonderful timeless toys. We want to hear from you!
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MareeT
Dec 1, 2011 @ 3:32 pm | delete
- I had so much fun reading your lens! Oh the memories! My favorite toy was Spirograph.
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hughgrissettsr
Nov 10, 2011 @ 6:40 am | delete
- love this lens! brought back memories!
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bejeezers Sep 26, 2011 @ 1:43 pm | delete
- Enjoyed the visit and these retro toys certainly brought back memories.
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KAngelArt
May 27, 2011 @ 4:39 pm | delete
- Paperdolls should have a comeback. I loved designing paper doll fashions. I still do.
Great lens. Thanks for the fun read. :)
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aesta1
Mar 19, 2011 @ 12:16 pm | delete
- You really know your retro toys. Enjoyed your lens.
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aesta1
Mar 19, 2011 @ 12:16 pm | delete
- You really know your retro toys. Enjoyed your lens.
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EverydayMiracles
Mar 13, 2011 @ 9:46 pm | delete
- I'm fairly young and yet have a real interest in vintage toys. I would love to visit a toy museum some day. What fun!
Excellent lens!
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Wednesday_Elf
Mar 8, 2011 @ 7:59 am | delete
- Better late than never.... finally compiled my SquidAngel Lens from my 'angel flight' back in the Fall of 2010 :-) So.... returning to tell you that this lens has now been 'featured on' and 'lensrolled to' "SquidAngel Blessings by an Elf".
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guardianstar77
Mar 9, 2011 @ 5:07 am | delete
- Thank you, Wednesday_Elf for blessing my lens. I am deeply honored!
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tiff0315
Feb 27, 2011 @ 1:45 pm | delete
- My favorite is the paper dolls. What a fun lens!
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Classic Retro Toys Has Been "Scooped"
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Why I Wrote About the Timeless Toys
Visit the Timeless Toys Again
Meet the Author of Classic Vintage Retro Timeless Toys
guardianstar77 is a writer, graphics design artist, nature enthusiast and lover of everything that resembles a horse. She lives in Central Arkansas and shares her life with a husband of almost 40 years, 2 sons, and 4 fabulous grandchildren. guardianstar77 is not domesticated, finding that spending time doing almost anything else beats doing housework. Her passions include recycling, frugal living, feeding the hungry, old-fashioned vintage everything, nature, reading, writing, flea markets and yard sales, Christmas, mystical creatures, carousels, and artwork filled with glorious earthy colors or nature's warm, soothing colors of green and blue.guardianstar77 is a devout Christian, a staunch conservative, a passionate American, and a defender of capitalism. Although she is, by her own definition, somewhat of a "professional hermit crab" , guardianstar77 is deeply loyal to her family and those she chooses to have as friends. When not pursuing writing and artistic goals, she spends her time deepening those relationships.
guardianstar77 is a long-standing member of Squidoo, and she shares her royalties with many Squidoo charities. View all my lenses!
Blabbing about Retro Toys and Games
Er, I mean "blogging"; yeah, yeah, that's what I meant.
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Retro Parenting - For Those Seeking a Simpler Way of Life
Vintage Toys and Games and Lots More
- Government to distribute parenting resource kits beginning in March
- Education Minister Clyde Jackman displays resource kits for infants to be given to parents during a pilot project starting in March. The kits contain books, blankets, bath mitts and other items to help the babies' parents. ? Photo by Keith.
- Do French moms raise better-behaved kids?
- Is there a retro element to French parenting? Some of it's old-school ? the idea that parents are in charge. There's also this new psychotherapeutic stuff about listening to children. It's about having the child ?awakened? and ?stimulated.
- Raising iKids
- Sesame Street's Monster at the End of this Book - A delight to see this retro story re-enacted by Grover himself with funny antics that make my kids laugh out loud. I never hesitate to indulge when this is the story they are asking for.
- Mums-only privileges
- This is why paid parental leave is a no-brainer, freeing women from having to make a choice between motherhood and paid work. But the system we have ? the first in our history ? is embarrassingly retro and hardly enough to make it financially viable ...
Remembering Old Fashioned Games
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- Fallout: New Vegas developer plans Kickstarter fan game
- The success of Double Fine's fan-funded retro crusade has already inspired other developers, with Obsidian Entertainment pondering a return to old school isometric role-players. Obsidian Entertainment, makers of Fallout: New Vegas and Dungeon Siege III ...
- Tennis serves an ace
- ?Young & Old,? released today, lies somewhere between the guitar jangle of REM and the glistening retro of '60s girl pop ? accessible music with an old-fashioned verse-chorus-verse format. One strong element of this 10-song disc is the dynamic between ...
- 5 other things to do on Braves spring-training trip
- Phillies game in Clearwater: Enjoy a beautiful late-morning drive across the bay on the causeway from Tampa, then an afternoon at Bright House Field, with its perfect mix of retro ballpark construction and modern amenities. Leave early or get dinner at ...
by guardianstar77
Classic vintage old fashioned retro toys bring back tons of memories for some of us and are great for kids of today, too!
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Radio Flyer 32S All-Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon
Radio Flyer All-Terrain Steel and Wood Wagon
Amazon Price: (as of 02/13/2012)
143 customer reviews: 5-star rating One reviewer wrote: "We gave my daughter this wagon for her first birthday. She loves it! She wants to ride every morning before work and again in the afternoons. She brings friends along (human and stuffed) and there is plenty of room for four small children. The high rails allow a good view but keep her safely inside giving Mom enough reaction time when she tries to stand in it (which she does frequently!) The big wheels make for a smooth comfortable ride for all. I HIGHLY recommend this affordable, safe, classic toy."
Kidkraft Retro Kitchen and Refrigerator in Pink
Kidkraft Retro Kitchen and Refrigerator in Pink
Amazon Price: $690.00 (as of 02/13/2012)
88 customer reviews: 5-star rating! Reviewer Smile4Me2 writes: "My little girl loves it. She is only 18 months but she was starting to hit that pretend stage. I went ahead and purchased this kitchen thinking that there was a chance it would sit for a couple of weeks and we would have to store it for a year or so and bring it back out when she was a little older. She plays with is nonstop. We cook, we clean, we eat, and we clean up. There is plenty of storage space in this kitchen. Don't get me wrong, it's not organized at the end of the day but it is picked up. We also purchased the Melissa and Doug Playtime Fruit and the Melissa and Doug Playtime Veggies, which I highly recommend. Don't waste your money on anything else. They are true to size and look just like the real thing which is hard to come across which allows for your kids to actually learn their fruits and veggies. All in all, we have had no problems with the kitchen. It does take a little time to put together but these days what childrens toy doesn't. I would recommend this item and would have no issues purchasing it again."
ThinkFun Zingo
ThinkFun Zingo
Amazon Price: $13.79 (as of 02/13/2012)
205 Customer Reviews: 5-Star Rating! Review Paula says: "I bought this game for my children several years ago on the advice of the owner of my favorite toy store. I love board games, and my children were 3 and 5 then, and just starting to enjoy them as well. Well, we couldn't get the kids to stop playing Zingo. They played quietly for more than 2 hours. Since you can play with up to 8 players, we have had lots of neighborhood kids playing the game out on the front steps. Since then, I have bought at least 10 Zingo games -- I have given them to all my children's friends and I always keep a few around to give out for birthday gifts. Everyone loves this game."
