Collecting: Wooden Toys

I love toys. I (of course) loved them as a child. I love them as an adult. And as a collector, I adore them. The world of collecting toys is quite vast. There are dollhouse miniatures, Barbies, View masters, paper dolls, comic books, Fisher Price, wind-up toys, music boxes, mechanical banks and Tonka Trucks to name a few. I'm sure I will end up talking about toys many more times, but I thought I'd start with a personal favorite,  wooden toys. 

Building Blocks $50.00

I'm sure it's safe to say that wood was one of the first materials used in crafting toys. A hundred some years ago, hand carved, one of a kind toys were it..The first wooden toys sold in the United States were largely from Germany. They were made with water powered drills; water wheels moved by flowing rivers sent power to the drills. Each toy was slightly different than the next, not like today's assembly line toys.

Tug Boat (Sold)

During the 19th century wooden toys were the standard. Children were playing with wooden trains and tracks, toys soldiers, tea sets, wooden food, alphabet blocks, pull-behinds, dolls, and jigsaw puzzles. Many children were only allowed to play with toys on Sundays, making many wooden toys available, of a biblical nature e.g. Noah's Arc.

Alphabet Blocks $32.00

After World War II the manufacturing of wooden toys declined. The plastic business was booming. Though you could still find wooden toys or hybrid wooden/plastic toys. Wooden toys had fallen out of fashion. They seem to be making a comeback these days, with spiking interest in Waldorf education and a desire to return to simpler times. 

Gymnist Hand Puppett $23.00

There are a few good manufactures making quality wooden toys these days. Melissa & Doug are quite popular and can be found a number of places. I really love the German company Haba and have invested in some great Haba toys for my daughter. The site Mookla offers the largest selection of modern wooden toys I've ever seen. But I prefer antique and vintage wooden toys. My daughter loves the springy tail with the wooden tip on her Lil Snoopy Dog pull-behind (the same Lil Snoopy Dog I drooled all over.) Wooden toys last much longer than plastic and can be heirlooms, shared between generations. 

Tiny Teddy Pull $18.00

If you are interested in learning more about collecting wooden toys there are many books available on toy collecting, which you may have to scan through to find wooden specialties. It is always helpful to ask your friendly librarian. The Wonder Of American Toys 1920-1950 is available for only $13.95 on amazon.com. Old Wood Toys.Com  is a very helpful website, full of links and answers to questions. And Wooden Toy Museum has a good list of links available too.

Remeber to care for and clean your wooden toys to insure their lifespan. Fauxgrain.com gives us this helpful adivce: 

NEVER SOAK A WOODEN TOY.

*Direct sun can also damage a toy over time, particularly those that are unfinished or oil preserved.

*Wood that is overly dry is prone to cracking and splitting.

*Rough or splintered edges should be smoothed with fine sandpaper.

*The character of your wood can change with humidity, therefore it is essential that you routinely inspect the toy for parts that may have loosened.

*DO NOT use furniture polish on wooden toys...it is toxic to children. It is helpful to know what type of finish is used on your toy; this will determine the maintenance required. 

If you follow the link you will also find information regarding stains, finishes, glues and assembly.  

Bill Ding Clown Blocks and Bowling Pins $15.00

Reminder: Not all wooden toys are safe for children, especially vintage wooden toys with their lead based paints and their small parts. Always use caution and supervision where necessary.

All of the wooden toys you see here are available for purchase on Etsy. Thank you Etsy sellers for the use of your spectacular photographs!

Unplanned Collection

A few times in life I've found myself the confused owner of collections I hadn't planned. For example; as a kid I once posed for my annual school photo in a tee shirt with an embroidered Betty Boop on the pocket. My family saw this and immediately decided that I was "into" Betty Boop. I simply wore the shirt because Betty was in fat pants with big hoop earrings and I thought it was funny. Suddenly I had Betty Boop purses, coffee mugs, and figurines.

 When I left Minnesota and moved to California, I really missed the intimate Christmases I had with my mom and dad. I love the holidays, and I especially love to decorate. My grandma Lola had painted a ceramic snowman, when my mom was a child. It's covered in glass glitter and plays "Frosty" when you turn the crank on it's butt. My mom mailed it to me so California Christmases would feel like home. I love the damn thing (even though it's cumbersome, breakable and I moved with it 4 times!) My roommate Alison, whom I lived with in California for 5 years, gave me a miniature toy box one year for Christmas. When you turn the crank it plays "Toyland", and some of the teeny toys inside spin around. The year after that she gave me a little match box that pushes out a small ice rink on one side. When it's wound up it also plays a Christmas song, and tiny ice skaters spin around!! Now I'm the proud owner of a Christmas music box collection. I always look for them when thrifting during the holidays.

 My newest unplanned collection happened last summer when I was at a flea market with my parents. I was pretty pregnant and hot and broke. I had enough money in my pocket to procure one treasure. I spotted it on the first table we went to. It was a 1930's wooden, red children's piano. It had one key that wouldn't play, but all 3 legs. The guy was selling it for $25 and I was in love. I followed my dad around the rest of the flea market-2 more hours in the hot sun. I wouldn't buy anything, because I couldn't find a thing I liked more than that piano. At the very end I drug my overheated pregnant booty back up the hill, to that first table. I talked the guy down to $20, and rode home happily with my new toy....each bump on the way making the keys tink. A few months later my dad appeared at my house with a bag and an big smile on his face. "For your collection!" He said. I looked in the shopping bag and it was another small piano. "I don't have a miniature piano collection." I told him. "You do now!" He said. The new piano plays a little jazzy number when you lift the top. Here is the old red one that started it all: