Virtual Tour: Toys of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s
Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the Heinz History Center is the state’s largest history museum, and offers a virtual tour of tour of the Toys of the ’50s, ‘60s, and ‘70s exhibit.
Link Roundup: Crayola, Blockbuster Video, Pac-Man, and more
Crayola has announced a new Color of the World crayon set made up of skin tones from across the globe and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.
Collector Spotlight: Stan & Mardi Timm
Mardi Timm and her husband Stan collect novelties. Here, Mardi provides insight into their vast collection and explains the historical significance of collecting.
MoonDreamers from Hasbro (1986)
The MoonDreamers dolls were based on characters from the children’s animated television series of the same name. The series aired in conjunction with My Little Pony in 1986.
World’s Smallest Barbie Dreamhouse 1978 from Super Impulse
Super Impulse has turned the iconic 1978 A-Frame Dreamhouse model into a tiny home.
Garbage Pail Kids were known as The Snotlings in Italy.
We all used to collect baseball cards that came with bubble gum. You could never get the smell of gum off your cards, but you kept your Yankees cards pristine.
– Penny Marshall
Play Meter
Play Meter was a US-based trade periodical focused on the coin-operated entertainment industry, published by Skybird Publishing between 1974 and 2018.
Skill-It – The Frying Pan Maze from Milton Bradley (1966)
Released in 1966, Skill-It – The Frying Pan Maze was both a play on words and a skill-testing game from Milton Bradley.
The Henry Ford – Dearborn, Michigan
The Henry Ford offers a virtual learning series to encourage curiosity and promote play while the museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19.
Link Roundup: Pandora x Hasbro, Scooby-Doo, Flash Gordon, and more
Pandora has released thematic playlists for 12 classic Hasbro games and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.
Johnny Seven from Topper Toys (1964)
The 1964 Johnny Seven toy line of playsets and facsimiles of military equipment from Topper Toys was marketed exclusively to boys.
Spirograph from Kenner (1971)
A mashup of educational toy, creative design tool, mathematics lesson, and arts-and-crafts project, Spirograph was first marketed in the UK and migrated stateside in 1966.
Back to the Future Sets from Playmobil
Playmobil has released Back to the Future themed playsets to celebrate the sci-fi franchise’s 35th anniversary.
LEGO YouTube Channel
The official LEGO YouTube channel is packed with inspiring ideas and entertaining videos to keep LEGO enthusiasts of all ages dreaming and building.
Easylock Bricks from Reliable Plastics Co. (1956)
In the late 1950s, Reliable Plastics of Toronto, Canada released Easylock Bricks, realistic-looking building blocks made and moulded of unbreakable Polythene.
V&A Museum of Childhood – London, England
While the V&A Museum of Childhood is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, it offers online archives and play-oriented activities
Link Roundup: Rancho Obi-Wan, Nickelodeon, Monopoly, and more
You can view Rancho Obi-Wan’s collection of 500,000 Star Wars items via virtual tour and 7 other things we wanted to share this week.