Vintage Advertising

Locomotives equipped with Magne-Traction had driving wheels that were magnetized through the insertion of Alnico magnets in the driving axles.

An advertisement from 1992 for the Playskool Tape Recorder, reflecting a time when cassettes were still king.

Mattel’s Beany-Copter was inspired by the Beany and Cecil Show, an animated cartoon series that ran for eight seasons on ABC.

Paying homage to the space-faring exploits of sci-fi fan-favorite Buck Rogers, Norton-Honer released an official Sonic Ray Gun in the 1950s.

Kenner’s Steve Scout High Adventure Scout Base was a 28-inch tall log-constructed lookout tower, proportioned to the size of the company’s Steve Scout action figure line.

In an attempt to make a child’s daily ritual of brushing their teeth as thrilling as jumping over Snake River Canyon, Kenner released the Evel Knievel Battery Powered Toothbrush.

This iconic learning toy allowed children to learn to spell, draw, and count using letters, stencils as well as chalk and an eraser.

In the 1960s, amateur detectives had a new game to test their skills of reasoning and deduction.

Released in 1966 from Mattel, Flea Circus is a three-dimensional skill game where players score points by making magnetic fleas perform a series of circus tricks.