It's Official | Our Canberra Toy Store is Re-Opening
We’re so excited — it’s official - we have a re-opening date for our Canberra toy shop in the fabulous Dirty Janes Emporium in Fyshwick with the easing of ACT lockdown restrictions.
We’re so excited — it’s official - we have a re-opening date for our Canberra toy shop in the fabulous Dirty Janes Emporium in Fyshwick with the easing of ACT lockdown restrictions. Yippee!!!
Drum roll please …
We will be re-open from 10am Friday 29/10/2021, 7 days a week!
We are so happy to be able to once again share the happiness and spread lots of fun and laughter from our delightful physical toy store. We can picture all the smiles now, and oh, what a vision, and how good it feels!
Strangely, whilst our Fyshwick toy shop itself is set to re-open, we’re still not quite sure when we ourselves will be able to visit it from Regional NSW, as we’re still awaiting the big announcement of reaching NSW 80% targets. Rest assured though, we’re all stocked up and ready to go, go, go!!
We have been so busy behind the scenes, making up so many of our fantastic Stocking Filler Packs - great value stocking filler bundles made up of some of our best selling classic toys and games. We knew they’d be popular, but we have been delighted to see how fast they’ve been flying out the door!
This amazing pack includes the following guaranteed fun, classic toys and games:
Juggling Balls
Dominoes
Little Box of Marbles
Jacks
Push up toy
Yo-Yo
Flying Bird
Thank you to all of you for supporting our small, independent family business, during the last 18 months. We’re not going to pretend; it’s been tough, but we’re starting to see the light, (and Christmas, who could forget Christmas?!)!
We wouldn’t be here without you, and we’re so appreciative of the support you’ve shown us by trusting in us to deliver joy.
So, to celebrate the exciting re-opening of our Canberra toy store, and to say a big thank you to you, our customers, we’re giving you, our loyal followers 15% off at checkout to blast away the last few days of September, and to welcome in the exciting October, and all the hope that it brings. Shop online and use the promo code BYESEPT21 to claim your 15% discount at checkout. Hurry though, as the code will turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight on Thursday 30th September.
Don’t forget too that we’ve recently introduced some new ways to pay to help spread the cost of Christmas, so you can now enjoy more, without the stress.
Our Classic Toy Shop | Take a Peek Inside our Toy Box
Just as we close up the Moss Vale store to spend more time with our family, we wanted to capture the essence of one of the most rewarding adventures that we’ve been on.
We have been very lucky to have the awesome Emma working for us here at The Vintage Toy Box in our Moss Vale toy store - she has been a breath of fresh air, a trusted and much valued employee, a window dresser extraordinaire, and now a great friend. Just before we close up the Moss Vale store in a couple of weeks to spend more time with our family, we wanted to capture Emma’s experience of sharing one of the most rewarding adventures that we’ve been on. Thank you Emma for being such a fabulous member of our toy store family - we couldn’t have done it without you!! Over to you Emma …
“Goodbye #UpperArgyle” by Emma Stuart
When I first applied for the job at The Vintage Toy Box I never imagined that working here would be so much fun. I mean, I knew working in a toy shop would be fun, but the vibe and energy that comes from the shop is way better than an average run-of-the-mill generic toy shop. There’s something really special about The Vintage Toy Box. The shop has been such a great place to work, the atmosphere and being around toys made my day – everyday. Not many people get to work in a place that they love to work in, nor do they get to have as much fun as I did as they work.
What made it more fun was the people. Customers, people just popping in to say hello, the local kids running in for their lollies after school, the local businesses that support each other, and of course my boss, Saskia (edit: Emma had to say that!).
I am so lucky to have had this experience. Saskia is such an awesome boss lady (edit: and again!). She accepted my areas for development and pushed me to the full potential of my strengths. She has helped me build my confidence and encouraged my creative side, which has expanded so much since I started working at The Vintage Toy Box.
Saskia asked me to put together a little write up about my favourite experiences working in the shop. It was so very hard to choose just a few, but here goes ….
I loved working on the window displays because not only did it showcase some of the awesome toys waiting just inside the door, but I loved watching people walking by, stopping to have a look and walking off with a smile. I’ve often wondered what triggered those smiles, was it a memory from their childhood? Maybe they played that hopscotch game at school; ran around the backyard with Spud Guns with their siblings; they could have had a toy robot similar to the one staring back at them through the window or maybe they played that board game with their family on family game night. It didn’t matter the reason behind the smile, it was just nice to know that just a peek through the window was enough to make someone smile.
I really enjoyed doing research and learning about the history of toys. How they used to be made and played with in the past is so intriguing to me. It is fascinating seeing through the decades how the toys have changed and what became popular based on the world changing, during and after war time and the difference new technology impacted the sale of toys and changed the way they were made.
Another personal favourite thing of mine about the shop is the stories that people would tell while they were shopping. Whether it was a story about begging their parents for a wind-up tin plane and how happy they were to open one up on Christmas morning, how they’ve treasured it over the decades and how it still sits on their shelf, or how they used to save the bone out of a lamb hock after a Sunday night roast and after they collected them up over a few weeks they would have enough to play Jacks with them. Stories about how they used to make knitting dolls out of old sewing bobbins and nails, or sitting down with a sibling or parent to draw and cut out outfits for paper dolls. Eagerly waiting outside the back shed door for their father to put the finishing touches on their wagon so it was ready to race with the kids down the road. It is so interesting to hear of the way toys used to be made by families who couldn’t afford to go to the shop and by the latest toys. I also enjoyed hearing the friendly bickering between family members as they reminisce about playing and there was always one cheeky cheater … who still denies it!
One day I was sitting at the front counter doing some history of toys research and I had Fleetwood Mac up full volume through the speaker, singing along as I worked and a nice lady worked in. I awkwardly laughed with embarrassment as I rushed to turn down the volume, she just laughed and said ‘turn it back up, I love Fleetwood Mac!’ so up went the volume and she sang as she shopped; it was great!
So there you have it, a few of my favourite memories from working at The Vintage Toy Box and what is next for me? Well, I’ll still be around, in the background, still researching, writing, putting together social media posts and helping Saskia with community events and all the new exciting things that she has planned and of course – turning up Fleetwood Mac until the speaker beeps at full volume.
Until next time, Emma. x
If you want to show your appreciation for Emma, as much as we do, vote for us in the Australian Local Business Awards https://thebusinessawards.com.au/business/48911/The-Vintage-Toy-Box . Go on, it’ll make Emma’s day.
Classic Games | Marbles
Everybody knows of the classic game of marbles, and it is just as popular now as it has been over the decades.
Everybody knows of the classic game of marbles, and it is just as popular now as it has been over the decades. Marble crazes continuously grip schools across Australia, the UK, America and no doubt the rest of the world!
Marbles are small spherical toys most commonly now made from glass, but started their early days being made from clay. They were referred to as ‘little balls with which schoolboys played’ as early as the 15th century, and let’s face it, not much has changed!
There are many variations of the marble game, but the most classic game is where you need to knock your smaller marbles (ducks) out of the ring with your larger shooter marble by flicking it with your thumb (the knuckledown slingshot) without fudging or fouling the shot. If you manage to knock any marbles out of the ring, keep the marbles and add them to your pile. The winner at the end of the game is the one that has the most marbles. Players can either play for keeps (keepsies), or for fair (everyone gets their own marbles back). Players also have the option to call quitsies at any point during the game without consequence, effectively calling a halt to the game.
The large marble is known by many names, but some of the most common that we’ve heard of are:
Shooter | boulder | smasher | bowler | toebreaker | masher | bonker
In the North of England (where we grew up) the game and marbles were called ‘Taws’ and the larger Taws were called bottle washers. They were called this after the marble found in the codd-necked bottles that were used to hold carbonated drinks. The bottle was opened after use and the marble was collected to play with. Across the world Taw still refers to the name of the person taking the shot. We still have our taws from when we were a kid!
Marbles were often written about in Ancient Roman literature and archaeologists often find small round balls made of stone all over the world. Marbles are thought to originate from India as far back as 3300–1300 BCE , although it wasn’t until 1923 that the first set of rules were written by a ‘committee of playground and recreational experts’. (How we would love to have such an aptly named committee in our shop …. although we think the ore apt and modern day equivalent is kid toy testers!).
Fun Fact: Marbles arrived in Britain after being imported during the medieval era.
A German Glass Blower had a great idea for an invention called marble scissors which came onto the scene in 1846 that would revolutionise the making of glass marbles. The first mass-produced marbles were manufactured in Germany in the 1890s.
Fun Fact: Marbles were inducted into the Toy Hall of Fame in 1998.
Marbles is such a wonderfully classic game that there are still marble championships held across the world for those that like playing marbles - taking the game to the extreme. The British and World Marbles Championships are held in West Sussex, England every year. This event started in 1932 and has been held every year since. Britain however isn’t the only country with a Marble Championship event, Australia has the Australian Marbles Championships too which is held every year at various locations around Australia, playing their very own Brunswick Heads Rules.
Marble collecting is also a serious businesses among avid hobby enthusiasts, with people collecting low budget machine made marbles costing just a few cents, up to the rarer, more collectible antique handmade marbles worth thousands of dollars. Who would have thought that marble fraud was such a lucrative business, with unscrupulous tricksters imitating the most attractive mineral and agate or onionskin marbles and antique packaging. Thankfully marble experts have put together marble identification guides to help us get started with our marble identification and work our way through our Akro Agates or Peltier Glass collections. If all else fails however, we can always visit one of the many marble fairs to get them valued by one of the many Marble King marble experts there are in the world!
Traditional Games | Family Games Night
Looking for something to do with the kids on a wet and rainy day during the school holidays, or perhaps you’re thinking of a family game for Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Come check out our awesome classic games - we have so many blasts from the past, and we’re sure to have something to keep the kids, and the adults amused and entertained!
Looking for something to do with the kids on a wet and rainy day during the school holidays, or perhaps you’re thinking of a family game for Christmas, or like us, are bringing back family games night. Come check out our awesome classic games - we have so many blasts from the past, and we’re sure to have something to keep the kids, and the adults amused and entertained!
Snakes and Ladders
Snakes and ladders is one of our most favourite games and perfect for school holiday fun.
Can you reach the end first by climbing the ladders ... but watch out for the snakes! A timeless classic game for 2 - 6 people to enjoy!
The Magical Amazing Robot
This really is an Amazing Robot, a simple game that will have the family amazed at the robot that always gives the right answer.
All you need to do is place the robot in the tray in the centre of the questions circle. Turn the Amazing Robot to a question that you’d like him to answer, make sure his pointer is in the centre of the question that you would like to have answered then simply pull him from the circle by his head and place him on the magical mirror, and watch him spin to the correct answer. In addition to being amazing this game is also educational - encouraging children to learn as they play.
Bingo!
The aim of Family Bingo is to have the numbers on your card completely covered with white squares. The only way to achieve this is when the caller calls out all the numbers on your board. Once the number is called, search your card to see if you have it, then place a white square over the number. Don't forget to call out BINGO once all your numbers are covered up. The biggest Adrenalin rush!
Kitty Wampas
Check out our cute Kitty Wampas game! The idea of this game is to cover the white circles in your corner with your coloured pieces. To make this happen you must spin Kitty until its paw comes to a stop on one of the colours. If it is your colour that it lands on, you can move your coloured disk to cover a white circle. If it’s not your colour then it is the next persons turn. The first player to have their circles covered by the coloured playing discs is the winner. This game is great for little children as it helps with colour recognition.
Old Maid
Old Maid is an all time classic! After dealing the cards between all the players, if a player has two of the same card they need to take it out of their hand and place them aside. Make sure you hold your cards up and out of sight from the other players. A player then offers their cards to the next person who takes one card, if it is the same as another in the hand then the pair needs to be put aside. You do not want to be stuck with Old Maid by the end of the game because then you are the loser!
Barnstormer
Barnstormer is one of our games that requires more skill and practice to play and win. The aim is to propel your discs onto the board and aim for the little wooden cup in the centre of the board to get 25 points (the highest on the board!). Be careful not to land on the various hazards on the board that will have you deducting points! Once you shoot all your markers onto the board, add up all the points and the first person to 500 points is the champion.
Chess
Chess is an all time classic. The objective of this popular game is to checkmate your opponent’s King. This means putting it into a position that it cannot escape from, by moving or taking an opponents piece. When starting the game, the white pieces always go first. Players then make their way around the board attempting to put the King in check. If your piece lands in a space that is occupied by your opponent then you can remove their piece from the board. This is a fun and challenging game for 2.
Draughts
For this classic game each player has 12 draughts, all placed on black squares, 3 rows up the board. This game doesn’t have many rules, but what you will need to do is move your draughts forward and diagonal one space at a time, whilst capturing all of your opponents draughts. You capture your opponents draughts by jumping over them when they in front of you and there is a spare for you to jump to. Once you have collected all your opponents draughts, you win.
Simply, easy and fun!
Goose Race
Came of Goose is a simple but fun game that the whole family will enjoy. Before you begin to play, each player must put an equal amount of counters (round white discs) into the pool. Divide the rest of the counters between the players; you will need them during the game. Beware ... if you land on certain squares, there is a price to pay. For example, if you land on square number 6 then 5 counters are charged. 15 counters are charged if you land on square number 31. The first player to reach square number 63 wins the pool and the game!
Snap!!
Here we have a unique set of playing cards for the game Snap, each card has a picture of a famous nursery rhyme including Little bow peep, Little Miss Muffet, Old Mother Hubbard and Jack and Jill.
Snap is a great game for children of all ages. Start off by dealing all the cards out to all the players until there are none left - everybody keep your cards faced downwards. Then, without peaking flip your card upright as you put it on the stack of cards.
If your cards match the card directly underneath then race the other players to slap your hand down on the cards first and yell “SNAP” to win. Be careful not to get your hands squished by the other opponents! The winner is the player who has managed to collect all of the cards at the end of the game.
Ludo
At the start of this game you place your coloured pieces in the start area, you need to roll a six to be able to move your piece out of the start and onto the board. Once your piece is out on the board you then roll the die and move your piece forward 1 - 6 spaces as indicated by the die. You can bring other pieces onto the board if you roll another 6. You need have all your pieces in the home square to win!
Whatever takes your fancy - we’ve got something for everyone - guaranteed fun for family game night or for some Christmas cheer.
All of these games and many more are available in store and on-line in our games section.
Traditional Toys from The Vintage Toy Box
We want boys and girls to enjoy their toys,
With festive times filled with oodles of joy,
So this year give them delights in their socks,
And get your toys at The Vintage Toy Box!
We have gifts all children will love,
Inside our magnificent treasure trove,
We have so many aisles to come and explore,
With toys and games and so much more.
With so many different kinds of toys,
For little girls and little boys,
From circus to rockets and dinosaurs too,
Oh that would be a hullabaloo!
It's the spirit of Christmas we all desire,
A sense of nostalgia that takes us higher,
Traditional toys are the kind to buy;
So come on in and give them a try.
When we compare gifts of our modern day,
With simple toys that are fun to play,
You'll see they last longer than most toys now,
Developing more creativity than time will allow.
We want boys and girls to enjoy their toys,
With festive times filled with oodles of joy,
So this year give them delights in their socks,
And get your toys at The Vintage Toy Box!
Traditional Games Through Time
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time ...
There are many vintage games that have disappeared throughout the years, never to be seen again, but there are many that have stood the test of time . We take a look back through the decades and examine some of the popular games of that time that are still around today.
Pre 1920s Vintage Games
The Game of Life was originally created in 1860 by Milton Bradley and was America's first popular vintage parlour game. Originally known as The Chequered Game of Life, the game had a change of name to its more modern and better known name in 1960, 100 years later, when it was recreated by toy designer Reuben Klamer.
Tiddley Winks was first patented in 1888 and was one of the earliest traditional parlour games, distributed exclusively by John Jacques and Son. It became one of the most popular crazes of the 1890s, enjoyed equally by adults and children.
Ludo has been around in raw form since the 6th century, with its origins in India with evidence that it was played by the Mughal Emperors. The game then finally made it over to England in the late 19th century, and was finally patented under the name Ludo in 1896.
1920s Vintage Games
The "roaring twenties" brought with it a wave of fun & frivolity, which led to a boom in the game industry. Some of the most longstanding games were born during this era.
American Mahjong became a craze during the 1920s, and was commonly known as Mah Jongg or Maahj, a variation of the Chinese ancient version. The game sets were imported in huge numbers in 1923 from Shanghai to America, when a representative of the Standard Oil Company published simple rules for the game.
Chinese Checkers was actually invented in Germany in 1892 under the name of "Stern-Halma". The name then morphed in America to "Hop Ching Checkers", before finally adopting its common name of Chinese Checkers in 1928.
The classic board game Sorry was originally manufactured by British Card Manufacturers in England and was first registered as a trade mark in 1929. An English patent was then granted in 1933, before the popular parlour game was trademarked to Waddingtons, who sold it to Parker Brothers in 1934.
1930s Vintage Games
The depression era of the 1930s saw a wave of inexpensive and highly popular vintage board games.
Monopoly was the most played commercial game in the world at one point according to the Guinness Book of Word Records. The depression ironically led to the rise in massive popularity of this vintage game in 1935, as it allowed people to buy property and make millions, in a time where money in real life was sparse. The game was originally proposed to Parker Brothers in 1934 by an unemployed salesman named Charles Darrow. The idea was initially rejected. It turns out that Monopoly is actually pirated from a board game called The Landlord's Game which was patented in 1904.
Battleship was first published under the name "Salvo" in 1931, as a pad and pencil game, but despite its popularity wasn't actually turned into a board game until 1967. It was then one of the earliest games to be produced as a computer game in 1979, with a version released for the Z80 Compucolor.
1940s Vintage Games
Cluedo (also known as Clue) was probably the best known game of the 1940s. Bizarrely it was originally designed by a fire warden whilst he was walking the beat during the Nazi bombings in England. Waddington Games bought the idea in 1943 but had to hold off on production as the game included playing pieces made of metal which were being rationed during the war.
Chutes & Ladders (also known as Snakes & Ladders in the UK) is actually a re-incarnation of an Indian game Vaikuntapaali which translates as "the ladder to salvation". The snakes were meant to illustrate temptations in life, and show that the pathway was littered with numerous temptations that one must avoid in order to succeed in life. Chutes & Ladders was published in 1943 by Milton Bradley and has become one of the best loved children's games of all time.
Scrabble took a few decades to become the popular game that it is today and is now the most popular word game in history. The vintage game was first published under the name "Lexiko", then "Criss Cross Words", before being renamed Scrabble in 1948. The game was originally made by hand in an abandoned schoolhouse, before the President of Macy's discovered the game whilst he was on holiday and ordered some for the store. The rest is history.
1950s Vintage Games
Risk, one of the most popular world domination games of all time was invented by a French film Director in 1957, under the name "La Conquete du Monde", (The Conquest of the World). It was then bought by Parker Brothers and re-released in 1959 as Risk: The Game of Global Domination.