Vintage Toys & Games

Nicolas Ricketts, Curator at the National Museum of Play at The Strong, details Scrabble’s route to success and game-night domination.

In 1982, Remco introduced the Official Sgt. Rock action figure toy line, based on the fictional DC Comics character of the same name.

Released in the early 1960s by Hasbro, the Frosty Sno-Man Sno-Cone Machine allowed children to beat the summer heat by preparing icy treats themselves.

At the peak of the spy-fiction television series’ popularity in 1965, Milton Bradley released The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Card Game.

Long before Sony’s AIBO robotic dog hit the scene, Ideal released Gaylord the Pup, a mechanical pet.

As we look to unplug, spend less time online, and engage face-to-face, let us remember the enduring the popularity of tabletop games.

Released in 1964 by Ideal, Hands Down was a high-energy game that encouraged 3-4 active participants to get “slap happy.”

Before helping E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial find his way home in 1982, the Speak & Spell from Texas Instruments (TI) made a splashy debut in June 1978 at the Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago.

Kids play with the food they don’t want to eat. George Lerner, an inventor who figured that vegetables and fruits with a little personality might have a better chance, created a set of silly face parts that could be stuck into produce. The result is a toy that would evolve to become a beloved object of play for generations.

Originally released in 1964 by Parker Brothers, Probe is a Hangman-style word game fun for the whole family. Sets are still readily found in thrift shops and on eBay for an accessible price.

From the early 1930s through the ’60s, U.S. based Tru-Vue manufactured a series of stereoscope viewers that featured filmstrips of 14 stereo frames each.

It’s International LEGO Day and we’re celebrating the birthday of the classic LEGO brick with Graham Hancock, LEGO collector and deputy editor of Blocks magazine.

Dubbed “America’s newest game sensation” when it was released in the U.S.A. in 1958, the Bob-A-Loop was a short-lived fad.

Yakkity Yob’s quirky design, operation, and full-colour, store-quality display packaging make this toy a highly valued fan favourite in the world of collectible robots.

In 1965, amateur bakers were able to make cookies on their own, thanks to the Junior Chef Cookie Factory released by Argo Industries. Fully baked cookies emerged in about 12 minutes.

A year-end top 10 list of the most popular articles on Toy Tales based on readership statistics and engagement through various social media channels.

In 1962, Milton Bradley released Lolli Plop, a brainteaser in lollipop form.

With iconic toy manufacturer Mego returning to toy shelves, we’re faced with the wonderful notion that for the first time in 35 years, children (and many adults) will unwrap Mego toys this Christmas. We thought it would be fun to look at just a few of Mego’s most popular Christmas items from their glory days.