Vintage Toy Replicas and Memories of Yester Years

The pictures above are of vintage toy replicas and memories of yester years. If you were born in the baby boomer years you may find yourself during the Christmas season yearning to locate some of the toys that you played with way back when. Remember the time when you had to be creative and use your imagination rather than having everything electronic already moving in animation. There were toys like clocks, building blocks, small dining room sets to big kitchens that always require a kid to utilize hand and eye coordination and of course to use their imagination.

Such toys were created to combine learning with fun and specially designed to enrich a child’s early development. These toys promoted physical and intellectual development while stimulating the child’s imagination. Some of the learning tools required assistance from an older sibling or adult which also assisted in creating special family time. This hub is dedicated to a time when toys were simpler but still offered a lot of fun to everyone!

If you like to avoid plastic toys that are bad for the environment and may later become toxic then natural wooden toys may be the option you are looking for. The manufacturer Plan Toys was the first company to manufacture toys using wood from rubber trees that no longer provided Latex.

They practice green living by reducing waste saving energy and recycling material. This European brand of toys is made of a non-toxic natural material such as organic rubberwood. Imagine starting a collection that will be fun for your great, great grandchildren to play with and build dreams upon.

Back Down Memory Lane

If you are like me you may not have been fortunate enough to have saved your toys when you were a child; today's replicas are available for your enjoyment and bringing back those fond memories. Growing up on a farm with plenty of love but not much money, children toys were limited to one new toy per child and many times the toy received was not the exact toy you wanted. In all the years that I played with dolls there was only Barbie look-a-likes and never the real thing. A vintage toy replica can be like an 'oldie but goodie' recording in that you never grow tired of the way it looks and or sounds.

Did you perhaps wish for a Cherry Hill Dollhouse with all the furniture and small people along with it? Or perhaps if you’re male you wished for a special train set or a car garage set like the Plan Toy sets above. Well now that you are grown, one might want to provide those ‘wished for toys’ for your own children and or grandchildren. Personally as a child I dreamed about having a big kitchen set and would have loved to have one like the one below. No I'm not going to purchase one for myself now; however, if the opportunity happens maybe I will get to give it to a loved one and help them assemble and bake on it. LOL!

The manufacturers at KidKraft helps a child to act out their childhood dreams of becoming what they dream they want to be when they grow up. Even today some little girls still dream of getting married and having a family. Some boys still want to be fireman, soldiers, and or owners of numerous cars.

One thing that is great about this toy maker is that the manufacturer will allow you to personalize a product to with the child's name. If you have a unique name like mine, just imagine how wonderful one might feel seeing your name on a special gift from a parent or other family members. Another thing that is great about this heirloom-like line of toys is that the products are bright and cheerful colors that are easy to clean while keeping quality and safety in mind. The product line has been around for 40 years and was created to inspire children to stretch their imaginations while enjoying furniture and toys made just for them.

Ever been rummaging up in the attic or to an estate sale and found a wonderful vintage toy or a replica, but did not know what to do next. Or perhaps your favorite toy as a child was recently found in the family’s old basement tucked away in the corner. Regardless of the circumstance of how the keepsake was found an individual must make decisions on how to take care and clean the item.

Of course, if you have a vintage collection and plan to resale the item then by no means should you clean the item prior to asking questions and learning about the care of a vintage collectible. Some collectibles are worth more if they remain in their unaltered state while others value increases when restoration has been handled correctly. If you decide to take the ‘look but don’t touch’ approach then a display case or curio in a favorite spot for all to see might be the answer. However, if it’s a hard to find game that you want others to enjoy then an encasement will not work for this situation.

Regardless of which decision your keepsake one will need care and cleaning to have dust and dirt removed dust off the toy. Keep in mind also that another factor one will have to considered prior to cleaning and restoring is the material it is made from. Cleaning plastic, tin, or wood all would be handled differently. With painted items one must remove with care especially if a lead-based paint was possibly used. Rusty and or sharp edges will have to be polished over and or repainted. Restoring old toys can be a tedious and time consuming process so see the additional information section provided:

True collectible vintage toys unlike the reproduced ones can be recognized by going to an official collector’s website to familiarize you with what specific marks, colors, and other identifying traits can be found on the toy.  Collectibles that are still intact with original packaging will have more value than items that have been handled over the years.  If you are looking for a collectible vintage Barbie Doll, Britains Toy Soldiers, Stars Wars Toys, or Toy Trains it would be important to research  and  learn as much as you can about the items you wish to purchase.  Seek mentors and or collectible clubs that can provide additional guidance on making wise purchases of a true collectible piece rather than paying too much money for a replicate.

Even during this money glitch recession you can find vintage replica toys that you can afford to give the special children in your life for Christmas, birthdays, or just because you love them.