Toy Tales | Vintage Toys & Games, History and Exploration of Play

Toy Tales Weekly: Tim Burton, Caroll Spinney, Elf on the Shelf, and more

Tim Burton-inspired recipes inhabit the pages of new cookbook 'The Nightmare Before Dinner' and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.

The Friday Five: Andrei Cimpian

Doctor Andrei Cimpian studies the effects of gender stereotypes on young children in his cognitive development lab at New York University. Here, he explains his work and expands on his contribution to Mattel's Dream Gap Project.

Drive Yourself Crazy from Tomy (1976)

Tomy’s Drive Yourself Crazy handheld game put kids ages 6 and up into the driver’s seat.

If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older.

Tom Stoppard

Planet of the Apes Monopoly from USAopoly

Planet of the Apes Monopoly pays homage to the iconic science fiction franchise

The board game 'Careers' was initially developed and self-published by sociologist Dr. James Cooke Brown as a way to demonstrate that being successful in life can take many forms.

Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item

If you enjoy the harmless pranksterism of silly things like joy buzzers, whoopie cushions, fake dog poop, or snake nut cans, Cheap Laffs: The Art of the Novelty Item will be right up your alley.

Trouble from Kohner (1965)

Trouble is a simple “roll-and-move” board game for 2 to 4 players that features the Pop-O-Matic, a small, clear plastic dome housing a single die.

Interactive Museum of Gaming and Puzzlery – King City, Oregon

Interactive Museum of Gaming and Puzzlery (IMOGAP) is home to one of the world's largest publicly accessible collection of games in the world.

Toy Tales Weekly: Bruce Lee, Geoffrey’s Toy Box, Masters of the Universe, and more

Diamond Select Toys has announced a new Bruce Lee line and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.

Ernő Rubik: STEM Pioneer

Ernő Rubik evolved his idea for a simple teaching tool into an international bestselling exercise in frustration and triumph.

Q*bert from Parker Brothers (1983)

"The longer I hop around, the more they're out to get me."

Harry Potter Chibi Playing Cards from Hot Topic

The Harry Potter Chibi Playing Card combines fan-favourite characters with Japanese illustration.

Found Footage Festival

Found Footage Festival spotlights the absurd, funny, and peculiar VHS products of decades past.

Construct-o-Straws from Parker Brothers (1974)

Parker Brothers’ Construct-o-Straws combined multi-coloured drinking straws with red plastic connectors to create an easy-to-use construction set for children of all ages.

Castle Halloween Museum – Altoona, Pennsylvania

Castle Halloween Museum offers the public a chance to view the private Halloween collection of author and Halloween Queen™, Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell.

Toy Tales Weekly: Segway, ESPN Magazine, Mego, and more

Segway is taking aim at playtime with an electric drifting go-kart and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.

The Friday Five: Meghan Melvin

Winnie-the-Pooh's world comes to life at a new exhibit hosted by the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Curator Meghan Melvin shares her thoughts about why Pooh's world remains universally popular.

Hop ‘n Stomp from Kenner (1969)

The Hop 'n Stomp offered kids an "indoor game with outdoor action." After all, we could all use a little "hopping, stomping, romping fun" from time to time!

The initial run of 400 Slinky toys sold out in 90 minutes when they were showcased at Gimbel Brothers department store in 1945.