Thursday, May 1, 2008

My Favorite Childhood Toys



My Favorite Childhood Toys

Wow, I was a cool chic in a convertible waaaay back when! Picture it ~ 1960 ~ !! Only back then, my choice of colors for the speedy little metal pedal car was baby blue. These days I think I might have to go with a pink one!!



Scrappy Jessi is hosting a party for all fellow bloggers today that want to share photos & childhood memories of their favorite toys, so cruise on over to her blog to see who all is participating when you are finished reading my ~ two ~ posts!




Above, I'm playing with my dear great-grandmother & my favorite red rocking chair. My first doll, a rubber one that I posted here on Doll Party day, is laying in the floor. Her name is Suzy & I still love her!




Here is Suzy again, along with my 2nd baby doll, another sweet dear also named Suzy (I wasn't a very imaginative child, was I?). Suzy II looks to be having a bad hair day, but as I was telling Mother that I was going to blog about her, she informed me that I cut Suzy's hair when I was little......I don't remember that. I just know I always loved her because her hair was the same color as my mother's!





These dolls are in our master bedroom, along with my daughter's very favorite book called BABY DEAR that she & I used to read every day at least twice ~ she & I both still can recite all the words in this book!





Here I am feeding & nuturing my ALL TIME FAVORITE toy ~ Zip the Monkey.




I simply adored Zip & my Bassett Hound, both made by the Rushton Company in the late 1950's. I always ALWAYS slept with Zip ~ at least til I was in the fifth grade! Many times when we were traveling, if I forgot Zip, my sweet daddy would turn the car around & go back & get him. I just could NOT sleep without him EVER!


Here he is today a little worse for the wear. Something has eaten on his shirt, I lovingly spelled out his name with a magic marker when it faded on his shirt, & his neck broke, so my sweet Granny added the stiff white band around his neck so he wouldn't lose his head.



I really & truly used to want a real monkey because my book about Zip explained that HE was real. Must have been hereditary, as my mother always wanted a monkey, too!




He performed on the Howdy Doody Show & the Ed Sullivan Show & was 3 1/2 yrs. old when this little book was printed in 1953....anyone know the life expectancy of a chimpanzee? And if he is gone, just don't tell me, I don't want to know it!!!





One Christmas I received my panda bear. He was much loved & now has only one eye, as you can see in the pics below.



The above Christmas picture shows not only my panda, but the little FP oinker piggy pull toy that I still have below......along with some of my favorite childhood books. I was especially fond of the "fuzzy" feeling books. And A PRESENT FOR THE PRINCESS is still one of my favorite all time stories EVER. Beautiful story about a little blind boy that searches for the perfect present to give the little princess when she comes to visit!


The pic below shows my love for furniture & teasets even back then!! Also showing is my little FP monkey pull toy called Chatter Chimp. My Rushton Bassett Hound




I've always been an avid reader. Still have zillions of my childhood books. The bigger they were, the better. I love the biggest one here that has the scalloped edge pages. The graphics were so sweet back then, too! Most of my little books were bible story books, or about animals or Santa or fairy tales. Hmmmm, STILL my favorite things!!


Me & my handsome daddy with my new Coca Cola dispenser. Gosh, I had tons of fun serving drinks with that. Now it has a permanent home in our gameroom.
It still has the four little original plastic Coca Cola glasses that came with it. You can also see a Roy Rogers lunch box & a reproduction tabletop juke box in the picture. My parents & I would eat at a place called Keene's Cafe every Friday night & they would give me nickles to play the juke box just like this one!




I also made many MANY potholders like this one when we first moved to Waco ~ sold them to my grandmothers when we went home on visits for 10 cents each!

I always had a fascination with the little kissing couples. This set decorates my granddaughter's room.
I was a champion hula hooper, I tell ya! Not really, but I did have fun with it. Our daughter won a hula hoop contest in the late 80's tho! And she was so cute doing it, that as she went to pick up her prize on stage, a man in the audience gave her a $5 bill. We were lucky she didn't go on to become an exotic dancer after seeing what the public would pay for such fun skills!!

I always loved Silly Putty, never left home without it.

It was great fun to copy the cartoon pages of the paper with it!
I loved my Viewmaster & had quite a collection of reels!


I had a cute Tammy doll just like this one, but my main love was .....BARBIES!! More about those in the post below.


I was lucky enough to receive a Candy Fashion doll just like this one from Santa one year. I still have her, but couldn't locate her for pictures. (Think this might be where my love of dressforms started, as she came with ~3~ of her very own!) I also have the exact same doll as a brunette, but she is dressed as a bride so I will save her to share in June during Wedding Week!
Chatty Cathy was the very first speaking doll I ever owned.
When I got Mr. Potato Head, all you got were the pieces. Had to use a REAL potato!!!!
I also had tons of fun with my Slinky.
My absolute VERY BEST PRESENT EVER was the adorable dollhouse like the one at the very top of this post. The Ideal Toy Company manufactured this dollhouse in 1964 & Santa brought it to ME! when I was 9 yrs. old. The furniture is simply magnificent & the house came with very upscale accent pieces, too. So upscale that places like K-Mart couldn't sell the expensive little things, so manufacturing ceased in 1965. It has accessories like paintings, floor lamps, cigarette lighters & ashtrays, picture frames, perfume bottles, tea carts, wine glasses, pillows, ottomans, & be still my heart ~ even a crystal chandelier that REALLY lights up! My 3 story house was cardboard & fell apart years ago, but I still have the original furnishings & accessories. Still on the hunt for a few more pieces that I need to finish it up!



This is so much fun sharing some of my childhood memories. I have tons of Barbie Love in the following post below, just for Jessi!!!! Please continue to read about my Barbies there, as this post was just getting too loooooong & I was afraid I would lose my pictures!



Hugs,






36 comments:

Rebecca said...

I enjoyed taking a peek at your childhood toys. Hope you can come take a peek at mine!

Hugs and Blessings,
Rebecca

Alison Gibbs said...

Hi Stephanie great post. Thanks for sharing some of your childhood toys with us.
It has been fun participating in Jessi's party.
Alison

Connie said...

I've never ever seen so many toys kept by someone, Lucy!! Only you! LOL But I soooo enjoyed your trip down memory lane and the photos of you and your daddy were precious, sweetpea. I know how much you miss him. Do NOT forget my smoochies for mum!!!!!
Smoochies,
Connie

Ele at abitofpinkheaven said...

This was the best post ever!!!! I loved seeing everything. I just about cried with excitement when I saw the Tammy doll. I had one of these too! Would you believe I named all my dolls Suzy? Isn't that crazy that we named our dolls the same name? Great minds think alike, ha! Thank you Steph for the trip down memory lane. You have the best stuff, ever!

Jessi Nagy said...

WOW WOW!!! so many awesome toys!
you were a GORGEOUS little girl!!
i can't believe you still have some of the things from the pictures!
how cool is that!
you had so many wonderful childhood memories!
and yes you were smokin in your convertible.
thanks for coming to my party!
oxoox,
jessi

Mya said...

Love the dolls but Zippy my long lost Zippy I had him too. Wish I still had my old toys or pics.
-Mya

Lori said...

Stephanie, Hope your sitting down! I have Candy Fashion!!!! I've the doll and clothes, no other pieces, maybe one shoe! I remember they had her here at either Krogers/Frys or the A&P grocery! I recieved her for Christmas and figured Santa grocery shopped in IN!I found one two years ago complete in the box as new in MI and so wanted to buy her, it was a steal at $35.00! Now sweetie ya know I love ya, but your Monkey is scarey!!! Guess you know how I feel about clowns too!LOL Later,Lori

Sherry said...

I love your convertible and your dolls! I have just recently started collecting the old Golden Books. I love, love the pictures in the older ones like the one your daughter likes (I'm not saying she's old or anything though!). You have some wonderful stuff!

vickie said...

Wow Miss Stephanie! I can't believe you still have all those toys and books. That's wonderful!

Shirl said...

Oh Steph it was so much fun to look at all your toys, and you still have them all and the pics of you when you received them. What wonderful memories, I love Rushton he was so cute. I had so many of the same toys, hula hoop, slinky, alot of the same books and the view master was my favorite, I guess that is where I get me love of taking pics from. I was always amazed at the beautiful pics in theme. I used to love to make the pot holders too!
Love You & thank you for the trip down memory lane!
Shirl

~Becca~Bluebird Rose said...

Oh, what fun! I enjoyed browsing through your childhood toys, and will be back to take a closer look. My very first doll was named Suzy also!! I got her for my first birthday, and she was as big as me!!
Thanks for sharing! :)

Dawn said...

Wow! You have so much to share here. So enjoyable to read about. My DH had an identical red rocker!!

Not sure where it is...maybe at his mother's somewhere.

I was of the hula hoop generation, too. I don't think I could do it very well these days.
:)

Thanks for the memories.

Pam Mattick Art and Stuff said...

Wow, so many wonderful photos and toys. I remember that monkey. The hard faced stuffed animals. And I'm so sorry to admit that I ALWAYS bit Barbie's fingernails. They felt good to the tooth, like al dente pasta :)
Toes were flattened too. And, as a budding famous beautician, I always hacked their poor hair off and just kept going, trying to make it better...note the bangs in my avitar. I must also admit that it took a few times before my husband would not let me touch he or the children when I was in my "beauty parlor mode".
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Pam

Kristin said...

I had a Zippy, too! Actually, it was my aunt's Zippy and she had him for years. She passed away right before I was born and when I would visit my grandma I loved to play with Zippy. I loved him so much that my grandma gave him to me! Thanks for sharing your memories!

Cami said...

Well, I haven't enjoyed a toy party post more than I did yours. Read every word and looked @ every picture.

And darn that Angela! A girl named Michelle made my beloved Skipper do the splits and let's just say it didn't end well...

Did you name your daughter Suzi?!

Sugar Bear said...

Oh gosh how I loved my View Master! All of your photos are do darling. Such a cutie!
Karla

bluemuf said...

What a wonderful post. Thank you for sharing your childhood toys.

Karen

Barbara said...

I love my toys, but I always yearned for Chatty Cathy! Lucky girl!

mendytexas said...

That monkey is so FUN!! Great assortment of photos! I loved looking at all your fab toys!
:)mendy

blessings said...

Oh my gosh - I had a monkey like that too!! Still have it and I've even found a friend for him. My kids think they are the scariest things ever but wuv 'em! Blessings... polly

Anonymous said...

I am absolutely amazed that you have all of your toys - and you even have some of the original packages! Impressive and very entertaining - a trip down memory lane for me! I wish we had the foresight to save more.... you're very lucky to have all your wonderful goodies!
the fan (saucy's mommy)

Debbie Doughty said...

Oh my goodness! You are so fortunate to have so many of your favorite childhood toys and pictures of yourself with them! Reading your post brought back some great memories, so many of your faves were mine too ;) Thanks for sharing, and TFL at my blog too!

Cathy said...

I love the toys! Silly putty was one of my favorites that I forgot about!! Thanks for stopping by my blog...you may want to check back again...YOU WON my giveaway!! Send me an email so I can send out your package!
cranberrycottagegifts@yahoo.com

Adla said...

Isn't Zip the cutest, What a wonderful collection of toys you had and have kept. Enjoyed this post :)

cheers, Adla

Unknown said...

Why Miss Steph...I cannot believe all of the wonderful play things you have lovingly kept. I too had one of those cars, but can't remember if it was blue or red..and my Chatty Cathy, poor dear is glued together, but she still talks!!! It was a trip down memory lane!
Thanks for the memories!
Hugs...Lorena

Jennifer said...

you were such a cute baby and i love that you kept so many of those great toys. hope you had a great may day.

jenny

Alisa Noble said...

Wow... all of those great toys! It's a shame they don't make dolls like Candy Fashion anymore... so classy! Thanks for sharing!
Alisa

Sherry said...

Great toys Stefanie...so many that I had and when I see your childhood books it just brings such a smile to my face -- I had so many like that...really make me feel like a little kid again!

Julie L. Light said...

I'm so glad to see that you have so many toys from your childhood, I have very few left :-( This party was so much fun!

Have a fabulous day!
Julie

Secondhandrose said...

Girl, did you save everything or what! My you are lucky to have so many of your original toys. Especially like Zippy. Love the monkeys although I think they are kind of scary too, but still like them. Isn't that weird?
Karen

Celestina Marie said...

Stephanie, my gosh did I ever enjoy your post. Seeing all your favorites was like looking back at my own. I had nearly every toy you show here including the piano and the same car in light blue. Loved seeing you in the pictures when you were a little girl. You were a gorgeous child and still are! Great picture of you with your daddy and the coke machine. What wonderful memories and how amazing that you still have so many fabulous toys in great condition. Just remarkable post. I can't remember enjoying something so much and all your explanations too.

Hugs,
Celestina,
La Rea Rose

Sharon said...

Steph what a great post. I can't believe you still have all those toys. You were such a doll baby yourself, love you photos especially the one of you in the blue car.

Charmingdesigns said...

First:What a fun journey to see things I remember...
Second: THANK YOU!! I got the most wonderful package just a bit ago!! Oh my I kept opening goodie, after goodie. I love everything!! Thank you! Laurie

Unknown said...

OH MY GOSH STEPH!!!!! This is fabulous!!! I LOVE that you kept all of these toys, oh my goodness! These are wonderful! I ADORE the dolls, I am going to have to show this post to my mom! She will LOVE it! The monkey is so cute and the book too! My son Dylan LOVES monkies :) This makes me so upset that I didnt keep my toys! Thank you so much for sharing these and for your ever so kind comments on my blog!
I love you Steph and I miss you so much!
Amy

Natasha Burns said...

I love your pictures Stephanie and your trip down memory lane! How cute you were in that little car!

Laume said...

I have very few things left from my childhood - most of my books were destroyed in a flooded basement. Don't know what happened to a lot of the toys. But I loved the walk down memory lane, especially - THE MONKEY! I had a monkey instead of a doll or other stuffed animal when I was a kid too. We have photos of me taking him everywhere. I'd forgotten all about that. Nowadays my husband is the one that loves monkeys and I'm constantly having to remind him we don't need a REAL one.