Vintage Toys & Games

Mattel’s 1972 Toys and Hobbies catalogue introduced new and updated product lines ahead of the annual Toy Fair trade show.

Released by Aurora in 1967, The Rat Patrol hobby kit drew inspiration from the World War II television series of the same name, which aired for two seasons on ABC in the mid-1960s.

Released in 1966 from Ideal, the Mission: Impossible board game immersed players in the high-stakes world of espionage, challenging them to outsmart their opponents and complete a series of covert missions.

Released by Coleco in 1986, My Friend Talking Toby was an electronic playmate for children that combined simple educational games with a digitized voice and synchronized facial expressions.

“No motor and no batteries but something really moves that thing.”

In 1968, Ideal released Funny Finger, a novelty matching game for two to four players.

Released in 1991 from Bluebird, the Polly’s Dream World playset inspired imaginative play with its many pastel-infused environments and tiny figures, allowing children to create countless miniature adventures for Polly and friends.

Hubley Toys’ 1965 catalogue featured the company’s line of Mighty Metal toys.

Toy companies have long created products that let children imitate the activities they observed in their parents’ daily lives. A great example of this was the line of pretend shaver sets that Hasbro released in the 1960s.