Vintage Toys & Games

First introduced by Ideal in 1971, Rebound is a table-top shuffleboard for 2 to 4 players, ages 10 and up.

“Think quick, act fast, text your reflexes,” that’s the modus operandi of the Reflex game from Lakeside.

Collecting toys can be a wild ride, with various factors unpredictably affecting a toy’s value. But LEGO products are historically reliable, climbing in value year after year, thanks in part to the company’s practice of retiring sets after about two years. Check out these five LEGO sets that stand out as collectors’ Holy Grails.

Standing a whopping 19” tall, Robot Commando represents one of Ideal Toy Company’s most memorable playthings for children.

Despite its name, The Doodler from Kenner has nothing to do with the popular pastime of scribbling absentmindedly on a piece of paper.

Released in 1963 by Ideal, and designed by Marvin Glass & Associates, Mouse Trap was one of the first mass-produced, three-dimensional board games.

Designed by Marvin Glass & Associates and released by Schaper in 1970, the Moon Blast Off game is set on the moon’s surface, and players race to return their astronauts to Earth.

It’s pinball-inspired target practice with The Junk Yard Game from Ideal.

Released in 1979 by Milton Bradley, Big Trak was a computerized, battery-operated, futuristic-looking tank.

Released in 1959 by Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Hubley the Tic-Toy Clock was lauded by Science & Mechanics magazine with a Merit Award as one of the best toys of 1959.

The Toy Manufacturers of the U.S.A. was founded in 1916, resulting from a meeting of more than 45 American toy makers in New York City.

In an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of the show, Emergency! Milton Bradley released The Emergency! Game in 1973.

For budding cinephiles in the 1960s & ’70s, Kenner rolled out a whole host of toys for watching movies and cartoons of popular characters of the day. One of the more short-lived and quirky toy lines was the Cassette Movie Projector.

Was it Colonel Mustard in the Conservatory with the candlestick? This is just one of the potential outcomes in the classic murder mystery game of Clue.

Yee-haw! In 1982, Tomy released Pony Plates, a Western-themed variant on its popular Fashion Plates design kit. Children ages 6 and up could create personalized ranch scenes complete with horses, barns, and wilderness landscapes.

Released in 1968 by Schaper, Big Mouth combines two of my favorite things–food and humor–into a single game.

Graham Hancock, LEGO collector and deputy editor of Blocks magazine, examines one of the most widely recognized LEGO building kits from the iconic manufacturer.

Released in 1979, Guess Who? from Milton Bradley is a variation of the classic game of 20 Questions – a spoken parlor game that rose to popularity in the 19th century.