Classic Toys | Step Back in Time | Toys From The 1950s

Rock ‘n’ Roll emerged in the 1950s with the arrival of Elvis Presley on the music scene in 1956. Elvis is still celebrated today as the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll with an enormous amount of impersonators around the globe still paying tribute to ‘The King’.

Fun Fact: Parkes in NSW has been hosting an Elvis Festival since 1993, including a special "Elvis Express" train from Sydney to Parkes.

In 1959 a charted plane with Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson went down and all of them, including the pilot perished. This tragedy was later known as ‘the day the music died’ and was forever memorialised in Don McLean’s hit ‘American Pie’ in 1972.

Fun Fact: Freddy Martin and Sammy Kayne’s hit single ‘I’ve got a lovely bunch of coconuts’ was number 1 on the charts in Australia for 3 weeks in April 1950.

The 1950s were also known as the golden age of television, with 4.4 million American families owning a television set in their homes. Americans spent most of their free time watching television and it became a huge influence on what to wear and buy. This American influence spread to the UK, Europe and Australia.

Fashion changed greatly during the early 1950s with young men and women being released from the disciplines of the Armed Forces. They opted for a more relaxed up-beat style with Hawaiian shirts, striped t-shirts and bright cotton frocks leading the way.

Fun Fact: In 1951 Melbourne women started to wear short dresses with full skirts over stiff petticoats and the trend took on Australia wide.

1950 was a big year for comic books when Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts crew were introduced to the world by creator Charles M Shultz in the classic comic strips. This was closely followed in 1951 by comic classic Dennis the Menace in The Beano comic.

Fun Fact: Dennis ran in more than 1000 newspapers and in nearly 50 countries around the world and still continues to this day with his trusty sidekick Gnasher.

We saw a new Queen in 1953 with the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, hundreds of millions tuned in on their TVs to watch Queen Elizabeth II taking over the throne. We also saw a new on-screen princess in Walt Disney’s movie Cinderella in 1950, which was marketed as ‘A love story with music’.

Fun Fact: TV dinners where introduced to America in 1953 and featured a Thanksgiving style dinner with Turkey and Potatoes!

Dr Seuss released his iconic book Cat in the Hat in 1957 and it quickly became a family favourite, later being made into a movie of the same name in 2003. How The Grinch Stole Christmas was released in 1957 and has now just premiered as The Grinch just in time for Christmas this year (we loved it here at The Vintage Toy Box!!).

Another book which has also been translated to the big screen is Horton Hears a Who! which was written in 1955 and released in 2008 as a movie. Dr Seuss had written 60 books in his career.

“You’re never too old, wacky or wild to pick up a book and read to a child” – Dr Seuss

In the mid 1950s Play-Doh first hit the shelves. Originally made in off-white, but later re-introduced in a three-pack of red, blue and yellow. Advertisements were regularly shown during children’s television shows which furthered product sales, leading to a high spike in children’s toy advertisements on TV.

Fun Fact: During the 1930s Play-Doh was actually used as wallpaper cleaner and it wasn’t until the 1950s that it was reworked and re-marketed as a children’s toy!

Disneyland first opened its doors in 1955 with the grand opening of the Disneyland Resort in California. It took one year to construct and since then has undergone continued construction time and time again to add and extend. New additions included New Orleans Square featuring the Pirates of the Caribbean, Bear Country (now known as Critter Country), Splash Mountain and the homes of Winnie the Pooh and Piglet and Mickey’s Toontown, a small sized recreation of the Mickey Mouse Universe where visitors can meet all the characters and visit their homes.

Fun Fact: Mickey’s Toontown was actually inspired by ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ and resembles a set from the Max Fleischer cartoon.

During 1958 the Hula Hoop twirled into the shops, invented by Arthur K ‘Spud’ Melin and Richard Kneer. The men first marketed the Hula Hoop as an exercise hoop. 20 million hoops were sold in less than 4 months and reached a whopping 100 million sales in 2 years. Due to the ever growing love for the Hula Hoop it was inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1999. Hula Hooping is still extremely popular with entertainers using Hula Hoops with fire and light effects to wow the crowd.

Fun Fact: The most Hula Hoops twirled at once was an impressive 160 which was set by Marawa the Amazing!

In 1957 the modern day Frisbee flew onto the scene, being the first registered trademark of the Wham-O Toy Company. By 1994 one hundred million Frisbees had been sold, and there is now even an association dedicated to Frisbee enthusiasts called the International Frisbee Association founded in 1967. Here at The Vintage Toy Box we stock an awesome Frisbee with a vintage style seaside design. Perfect for family picnics over the summer months.

Classic Toys | Return of the Retro Robot

Kids in the 1950s and 60s didn’t have computers or smartphones and tablets. The only way they could get in touch with electronic tech is by watching TV shows, talking about space travel or by playing with the coolest new release toys. One of the most desired toys of this era was the toy robot.  

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Of course, we are not talking about our modern day sci-fi robots, complete with artificial intelligence, but simple, tin-litho robots with simple wind-up mechanisms.  The first tin toy robot to be made is believed to be the yellow, box-like Robot Lilliput from Japan. Lilliput was always thought to date from the 1930’s, but it is now believed that he was actually made after the war, around the mid-1940’s.

The next robot to make an appearance, was the late 1940's Atomic Robot Man, also born in Japan. This robot was given out as a promotional item at the New York Sci-fi convention in 1950. The box for Atomic Robot Man showed a scene of the robot marching through a decimated city, complete with an atomic mushroom cloud.

Battery operated robots became the next big craze, with the release of the movies Forbidden Planet, introducing Robert the Robot in 1956, The Day the Earth Stood Still in 1952, and finally by the launch of Sputnik in 1957.  Robert the Robot ended up becoming the most re-produced robot ever, now coming in multiple variations including Planet Robot, Robby The Robot or the simpler named Mechanized Robot.

It turns out that these retro toy robots are still one of the most highly desired toys by kids. In the last few years, we have witnessed the increased interest in almost everything retro from clockwork wind-up robots to retro toy cars. Everyone just loves vintage and retro everything! 

With a retro robot, children experience many play related benefits. For instance, they are more physically active, using their imagination to set up whole planets for robot destruction and decimation. Kids can now go a step further, by reenacting their own robot show, for example with Clockwork Soldier’s Robot Puppets. With this amazing craft pack, children can create their own robots; stimulating their creativity too.

When we say retro robots, we just don't mean the robots themselves, we mean every toy that is inspired by this science fiction theme. For instance, the Robot Jigsaw Puzzle is a robot-themed puzzle. This is one of those classic toys that are here to support children’s cognitive development. By finding different pieces of the puzzle, children can create a beautiful image that depicts one of the most well-known robot toys. The toy contains just 24 pieces which means that even small children can finish it in a relatively short period of time.  Of course, this doesn’t mean that the puzzle is not challenging. On the contrary, there are some parts where placing the right pieces can be very tricky indeed!

Space Robots is a retro toy that contains three tin robots, which as the name suggests come from a different planet. Or maybe they were sent to space? In any case, this is one of those toys that promises many hours of fun and entertainment. The robots spin and roll,  changing directions whenever they hit an obstacle.

If you are interested in a classic robot toy, you can’t go wrong with High Wheel Robot. This old-school toy features windup walking and it was inspired by the popular toy from the 1960s of the same name.

Origami is a popular paper folding technique that originates from Japan. If you want to introduce this technique to your children early, you should consider our Spacecraft Robot Origami. This set comes with five nicely illustrated cards and an instruction booklet. With the help of these cards, your kid (with or without your help) can create a unique spacecraft and imagine how space exploration would look like.

Finally, if you want to revive the times that most people have forgotten, then you can check out our Robot Hands Temporary Tattoos, which turn the hands of your children into fun robots. This set comes with 8 unique robot tattoos that are easy to put on and remove and will guarantee hours of imaginative fun and storytelling!

Retro robots are guaranteed to be loved by generations to come, in whichever form they take - a timeless classic and fun for everyone!

Classic toys from the 1950s, 60s, 70s & 80s

The 'good old days' were a lot of fun for kids. In the past, children had more engagement with their toys than they do today, and they formed a longer attachment.  There weren't  countless number of toys to choose from and to play with. Children bonded with their toys, and allowed their imagination to take over in their creative play. This article gives a quick glance at those toys from the 1950s to the 1980s which have created wonderful memories for kids throughout the decades. 

The 1950s saw a surge of toys in the market, as post war indulgence changed the way that people spent. Tin toy cars flooded the market (Dinky & Matchbox), along with friction cars, Tonka trucks, kitchen sets, Tiny Tears dolls, Hula hoop, Barbie and farm equipment.  These toys are the essence of vintage toys and all to this day still remain. Most have evolved over time, but their timeless, classic design still ensures that generations of children still love to play with them. 

A large number of toys which were introduced back in the 1960s are still also around today. The 1960s heralded a golden era for toys, with bigger families, and more disposable income paving the way for greater choice and variety. If you take a close look at toys available in the 60s and 70s, you will not see a great deal of difference between the offerings. The toys were quite similar and still hold great enjoyment for the next generations of kids. 

A few toys and games like Ker-Plunk, Twister, Etch A Sketch, Slip 'n' Slide, Rubik's Cube, Spirograph and  G.I. Joe can still be found in children's toy boxes and toy stores now. 

Another major influence on toys was the introduction of TV into people's homes.  Toy manufacturers realised that they could theme toys on popular TV shows, and the toys would fly of the shelves. The batman comic books became hugely popular and batman-themed toys started filling the shelves of toy stores. This was a huge profit making game-changer for all the toy makers.  

As time moved on, and families had more disposable income & greater spending power, toy manufacturers had to start thinking outside the box if they wanted to increase their sales. 

To make things a bit more fun and exciting for the kids, toy manufacturers started introducing electricity into toys, and a whole other world of new, innovative toys came into being with the dawn of electronics.  Toys would never be the same again. Every Christmas, we now see the release of the newest, biggest, flashiest toy. In amongst all of these toys though, and still standing the test of time, are the classic toys from the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s & 1980s. 

These toys and games passed on from decades before are still famous, popular and loved even now. Grandparents give the retro toys to their grandchildren, and watch with delight as the children play. Old memories flooding back of the joy that they themselves used to feel playing with the same toys when they were young. 

There's nothing like playing with an old toy to bring back happy memories.