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Antique Postcard: Halloween Pranks
Happy October! My favorite holiday will be here soon, so it's time to start posting Halloween stuff.I'll begin with an antique postcard I found recently. Even though the card is in rough shape, the...
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Halloween Witch Candy Container
Every fall I hope to add a piece or two, if I'm lucky on the hunt, to my collection of antique Halloween stuff. This year, I found a wonderful old candy container.Measuring just under 6 inches tall,...
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1960s Monster Colorforms
Classic movie monsters were all the rage in the 1960s, thanks in large part to the showing of Universal's 1930s-40s horror films on television.At the height of the monster craze, the Colorforms line of...
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1960s Addams Family Puppets
It's nearly Halloween, and so time for a visit with the Addams Family.These hand puppets were made in 1964 by the Ideal Toy Corporation, and feature molded vinyl heads in the likenesses of the...
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Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces
Presenting one of the creepiest and most unsettling toys ever made: Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces, released by Kenner in 1975.Hugo was a 12 inch vinyl puppet/mannequin head who came wearing an artist's...
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German Antique Die Cut Skeleton
Found in a local antique shop just in time for Halloween, this heavily embossed, die cut skeleton was made in Germany circa 1920, and measures 19 inches tall.It had long been on my Halloween wish list;...
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Antique Santa Claus Postcard
December is here at last, the toy collectors' favorite time of year. This month I'll be featuring a variety of Santa Claus themed items from my collection, including candy containers, decorations, and...
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Christmas Candy Containers
Ninety years ago, children were delighted to find candy in their Christmas stockings, just as they are today. But while modern children might see plastic PEZ dispensers peeking out of their stocking...
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Vintage Chenille Santas
These little chenille Santas were made by the millions in Japan and sold in American dime stores from the 1930s to '50s. Averaging 2.5 inches tall, their little faces are usually made of molded clay,...
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Antique Diecut & Cotton Batting Santa
Made in Germany circa the 1890s, this large diecut Santa is 18 inches tall and features a cotton batting cloak with gilt paper embellishment.He has an exceptionally soulful expression on his face:The...
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Antique Christmas Board Game
What better way could there be for a Victorian child to while away the days until Christmas than by playing this board game? The Game of Merry Christmas, or, What Will Santa Claus Bring, was produced...
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This year, Santa brought an assortment of toys from the 1890s-1900s, including:-an unusual, beautifully lithographed, folding dollhouse room box with its original furniture, made in Germany-two early...
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1890s German Dollhouse Room Box
My favorite Christmas present this year was a German folding dollhouse room box, circa the late 1880s - 1890s. It was clearly a favorite of its original owner as well, as she carefully treasured the...
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Early American Tin Pull Toys
The latter half of the nineteenth century was positively awash with these little tin pull toys, made by companies like Althof, Bergmann of New York, George Brown of Connecticut, and James Fallows of...
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Tin Toy Grocery Stores by Wolverine: the Corner Grocer and the General Grocery
This tin grocery store playset was one of a variety of such miniature shops made by the Wolverine Supply and Mfg. Co. of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1903, Wolverine began as a tool and die...
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Antique Tin Toy Kitchens
Tin toy kitchens, also known as doll kitchens, were made in Germany and America through the 1800s in a wide range of styles and price points. All were based on an open, three sided room box model....
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Heinz Pickle Ride-On Toy
The winter weather has finally begun to lift here in the north, and that means it's time to get back outside. Let's head out with one of my favorite vintage ride-on toys: the Heinz pickle car. Made in...
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Chiquita Banana Ride-On Toy
It's been a busy summer here, with not much time left for posting my latest finds. In fact, today is really the last day of summer for most people, as schools reopen tomorrow. But today is all about...
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Antique Halloween Postcards Coming
This October I'll highlight some favorites from my antique Halloween postcard collection.Not too long ago, Halloween postcards commanded high prices that were truly scary (heh!) But their prices, like...
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Ellen Clapsaddle Halloween Postcards, 1909
These are two antique Halloween postcards by iconic illustrator Ellen Clapsaddle. They were copyrighted and mailed in 1909, and have a delightful, whimsical charm.
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