Welcome
I can still remember playing with a Mr. Machine. It was a big wind-up toy shaped sort of like a walking figure and made a noise. I played with a lot of toys as a kid.
Collecting an antique toy can be the most rewarding hobby there is. It's much more than the money value, it's the memories also.
And if you remember, a lot of times playing with the box the toy came in can be as much fun as the toy itself. And for that very reason when you can find a toy with original packaging this can be a real score.
Of course with some toys this doesn't matter but for serious collecting this is always an added bonus.
Another joy of collecting is kids can be rough on their toys by leaving them outside for months at a time, another reason a vintage antique toy in good condition is always a nice find.
The most valuable toys these days are in mint condition and in their original box or packaging. Since packaging is usually the cheapest grade of plastic that will possibly work, it will usually degrade
first even without the abuse.
Toys that pre-date plastic are much rarer. These toys were made of breakable or biodegradable materials like china, bisque, wood, iron and glass.
Here's a wind up toy that is cool:
I remember my Dad going nuts for a troop of hand painted metal army men in really good condition. He was an antique dealer.
Almost anything that was hand painted is valuable as a result. The hand painting or any other labor intensive processing adds value to the toy. This is especially true with the advent of mass production
automation.
In recent times, though, plastic is king. As such, heat, dust, sunlight (especially UV or Ultra Violet) and moisture are really powerful destructive factors for most toys.
Because of the plastic nature of toys, they are a lot more fragile and subject to degradation. Again, the stressful use they get from kids is only one factor.
In the 1980s, toy prices went through the roof. This was because of a rise in the cost of oil, the source of plastic.
For the modern toy collector, it is best to pick a toy category and become very knowledgeable about that topic. This is a case where throwing your passion into your chosen category is really a good idea.
Action figures are a huge topic, but there are as many to collect as there are stars in the sky. There is no shortage of action figures to choose from. Action figures now and from the past.
Dust is something that is a really destructive force for anything furry, like a stuffed animal. To get the dust off something with fur on it, a ride in the washing machine is the best thing.
Unfortunately, washing a stuffed toy degrades it's condition. Keep those furry things under glass or in a display case to avoid a visit by the dust monster.
If you are starting out from scratch, buy the best quality toys you can afford. That way, you are more likely to get a toy with higher grade materials that hold up better.
Here is an excellent Video about Vintage Metal Toys:
A little History:
In the US from the early days of the 19th century rocking horse all the way into the 20th century metal toys, vintage toys have been capturing the imagination of children and the appreciation of collectors.
This was also a time when there were excellent toys on the market that you may not remember such as the Marx Toys.
And once you start studying toys you find unusal and fascinating stories. For instance a page like this one on vintage toys would not be complete without the mention of model trains. Did you know that the first model trains were not intended to be toys? They were made to educate the public on the use of real railroad trains to promote the railroads.
Of course with toys there is nothing older than spinning tops and yo yos. For instance the yo yo is considered by some experts to be the 2nd oldest known toy there is.
I was fascinated with vintage robot toys and still look for them every once in awhile. Mainly because I understand electronics and I always marvel at how some of the early Japanese robots worked. It gives a real glimpse of the technology and even the culture at the time.
Model Airplanes were another area that go back as early as 1912 with all kinds of planes and catalogs.
Whatever direction you go in, vintage antique toys is one hobby that will bring hours and hours of pure entertainment.
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