Category Archives: Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff

lunch box love

Vintage Pop Culture, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff

Back in the day, your lunch box was something you treasured. You eagerly picked out a new one each year…and carried it with a sense of pride. For some reason I feel like lunch boxes are much more utilitarian now. Sure, they still have cartoons and what not on them, but more and more kiddo’s on the elementary school playground have unbranded nylon totes. Even bento boxes, which can be darling, don’t have the same cache and magic of a Knight Rider lunch box, ya know? This photo sums it all up for me—and totally reminds me of my brother Karl. He worshiped Star Wars and looooved his awesome Super Friends lunch pail.


image: Benjamin_oderwald

Lunch boxes were SUPER trendy amongst collectors back in the 90s….kinda like Pez. Prices became so inflated that I wouldn’t even really look at them, knowing they would cost a pretty penny. But the other day I stumbled upon a great Snoopy lunchbox and it reminded me that I DID still love them. What kind of lunch box did you carry back in the day?

images: lunzerland

image: Kevin Rej

TV show based lunch boxed were especially popular in my day (the 70s). That Charlie’s Angels lunch box?? I sooo wanted one. Ironically, often lunch boxes were for TV shows that your parents would never really let you watch….or for bands you never really listened to at age 8 (KISS, Charlie’s Angels, the A-Team….LAUGH IN!). But you knew of them through pop culture and you wanted to be a part of it all!

image: christian montone

image: Sarah Kennon


image: gtykal


image: apricot x

image: dani senske

 

image: fleece boy

 

image: stacy monakey

image: Pastor Future

I understand why they have evolved….tin lunch boxes get a little rusty, and nylon/vinyl is easier to clean. But man I miss those days. Wolfie likes his lunch box, and we got him a sweet Pokemon one, but I know he doesn’t feel that same reverence we all did when we were kids.


image: big brown house


image: Greg Koenig

Do you have these same memories? What was your lunch box? And how about your kiddos….what are they carrying their lunch in these days? I’m curious!

Vintage Flashback :: The Cutest Little Critters Around.

Best of Alix, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff


It’s FRIDAY! Whoo hoo! So today I thought it would be fun to take a look at one of my favorite vintage toys—Dakin Dream Pets. Dream Pets are wee little stuffed animals that are like cuddly cartoon characters. They all have amazing personalities and great little details—like hats, handerchiefs and more. Over the years I’ve managed to collect quite a few of them and they always make me smile! These little suckers are super cute and make for adorable little room accents, but they have an equally interesting history too!


image: Kitsch and Curious.

Back in 1957, R. Dakin & Company began importing electric toy trains from Japan. As they unpacked the trains, they made the unusual discovery that the boxes were packed with several small, quirky stuffed animals—apparently the Japanese workers had handcrafted these whimsical little animals from scraps of velveteen and used them as padding to protect the trains on their long trip. Unexpectedly, these sawdust-filled little critters became more popular than the trains themselves! The story goes that the Japanese workers had begin calling them “Dream Pets, ” because they said they could pretty much make any kind of animal you could dream up—and the name stuck. The people at Dakin weren’t fools and quickly realized that they should be producing these sweet little animals instead of trains!

Roger Dakin (who was the president of the company) placed an order by cable to Japan for 25 dozen of these little whimsical guys, but after showing them around and seeing the positive reaction he got, he quickly changed his order to a whopping 300 dozen. By 1961 production of the little Dream Pets had moved to the states where they were designed by Dakin’s Senior toy designer Virginia Kemp.

Let’s check some of ’em out:


images: Make Something Happy.


image: PinkyJane


image: KitschCafe


image: Lollygomez


images: Tiramisue


image: Nascar Trophy Wife

These little guys are so full of personality! The best part is, they can still be found very affordably (we’re talking $5-7 a pop, perhaps a little more for rarer ones). In 2004 they did a re-release of the classic Dream Pets so you can also find some that are in more minty condition. I think they would look adorable on a book shelf in a kiddo’s room or on a display shelf. You can also try hanging them in a little framed shadow box on the wall!

One things for certain….these little cuties are certainly dreamy.

Vintage Flashback:: Big Wheels Keep On Burning!

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Oh, the Big Wheel.


Image via The Cabin.

Do you remember that very specific gritty sound it made while your rode it? Plastic meeting concrete? So wonderful.

Even more awesome than an Eames Chair.

I remember seeing mine under our glorious snow-flocked Christmas tree gleaming in the California winter sun.  I almost swooned with joy.  I know this girl’s unbridled joy.


Image via: melinnis.

If you think about toys from the seventies, I bet the Big Wheel comes to mind pretty quickly. As it should. It seems to always be in the background of many a photo taken during that time period.


Image via: The Season of Plums and Cobblestones.

Heck, it was even featured in The Shining as the kid’s favorite mode of transportation around the hotel. Perhaps the twin girls wanted to take a ride?

Really, who could resist the wonders of the Big Wheel? Not even CAPTAIN CRUNCH!

Introduced by the Marx company in 1969, the Big Wheel became hugely popular in the U.S. partly because of its low cost to make and secondly because consumer groups said it was a safer alternative to the traditional tricycles of bikes since it was so low to the ground.


Image via: Deco Dog.

And thirdly, there were so many version you could buy!

(note the little seat up front, so your Barbie could roll in style with you…)

Oh, and don’t worry, they did have one for you Qbert fans out there. All four of you.


Images via: Original Big Wheel, Muppet Wikia, and Val*Jean.

Yes, you can buy a big wheel now for your kiddo.  But for the young at heart, there is BYOBW—Bring your own Big Wheel race down the world’s most crooked street in San Francisco. And it looks to be one part spectacular and one part terrifying.

 

But next year, I’m going!

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round Up–The Tax Man Issue

Kiddo Style: Vintage, Uncategorized, Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, , , ,

Well, I don’t know about you, April 15 is always a grim day. No one likes to write those checks, and feel a wee belt tightening, but it’s part of life, I suppose. So I’ve decided to that his Vintage Kiddo Retro Round up will feature vintage cuteness all under $10–take THAT Tax Man! I’m keeping mah monies for as long as I can! I gotta say, I’m kinda delighted with the deal I found here, so I hope you’ll take advantage of them!

Etsy seller, Snugglehouse has a great sale on three vintage Playskool puzzles for only $8.00.  Perfection!

Is A is for Apple or affordable?  Who knows but this wonderful little top from one of my favorite Etsy shops, BeInspired Vintage. So sweet!

I’m in love with this charming houndstooth boys shirt–with the Penny’s tag still on it!  From Etsy seller, Crayon Portraits.

OK—I know Easter is just a little hop skip away, but wouldn’t this sweet yellow dress be perfect for a little one for Easter? And at only $5.00 you can spend the rest going crazy on the Jelly Bellies.  From Etsy seller, Field of Dreams.

Man, I  loved these press and play stick boards and used to spend hours having fun with them. And your little one can too for the low price of $5.99. From Ricrac and Buttons.

I love that little guy on the horse or horse pool toy?

Send in the clowns, don’t worry, there are here with this hilarious vintage faux clown shirt.  From Ebay seller, TheWopper.

Who doesn’t love this little vest with belt? And it’s plaid corduroy, people.  Available for $2.00 from Ebay seller, SpiritandBride.

When I was looking for vintage Fisher Price on Ebay, almost all of the pieces were just Little People, which the exception of this wonderful little vintage Fisher Price lunch box with the opening bid of (gasp) NINETY NINE CENTS! From Ebay seller, gmin5810.

 

Miss Lish always has such a great selection of vintage goodies for kiddos, and at great prices to boot!  I’m particularly fond of this sweet yellow shirt for boys.

I’m a huge Raggedy Ann fan, so I was particularly chuffed to see this sweet vintage Raggedy that is just begging to be hugged and kissed! From Etsy seller, Jewelry Kaleidescope.

 

Etsy seller, FuzzyMama always features great stuff at great prices too, like this sweet vintage HealthTex cowboy long sleeved t-shirt, listed at $7.00.

Happy Monday, friends! And happy vacation to Alix, who I hope is enjoying every little bit of it!

Vintage Monday :: Kooky Kid’s Ads.

Vintage Toys + Fun Stuff, ,

Is it me or is the weekend just too dang short?? We had two back-to-back bowling birthday parties….a little league game….mountains of laundry. It feels like there’s never enough time. I think Mondays are tough. But that’s ok, because I found something to distract me….I think you’ll agree with me here, peeps. These ads rule.

I appreciate that this version seems to be just as scientific as the dudes—but in a delicate shade of pink.

I looooooove this type face so much! But let’s be real. The true stars of this ad are THE WIGS. It’s like these girls are the long lost love children of John Waters and the Oompa Loompas.

This kid is so freakin’ hip:

Oh Barbie. You wanna bash her. And you wanna say, “NO WAY is my daughter going to ever have a Barbie.” And I believe you mean it. Truly. But *every* single mama I know with a little girl succumbs at some point. This is why:

She’s Stylish!

The picnic set and resort set are my faves.

She’s Going Places! The rad beach van? The dune buggy? C’mon now.

She’s Sporty! I totally remember that gymnastics bar where she would spin around and around:


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She Moves Like a Model! And dresses like a fabulous stained glass window. HOT!


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See? You will be powerless to resist….


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OK. Moving on. Sea Monkeys. These ads ran in the back of magazines and comic books—and logically you KNEW that those damn sea monkeys wouldn’t look like the picture, but secretly we all hoped. A bowlfull of happiness!

What kiddo wouldn’t want these super bouncy sneakers??

Aw yeah, it’s time to HULK IT UP for Halloween! You can also CAMP IT UP in your muscle tee Captain America ensemble!

And speaking of camp…..whoooo mama! Check out this scary drag–o-licous dolly. Not sure what’s more terrifiying, the fact that  she has “rubber wonderskin” or a full-on Betty Page hair-do at 9 months. Heww!

I take it back. Happy Monday, indeed!