New Toy Shop Opens at Dirty Janes Canberra
We have some super exciting news to share!! We’re delighted to finally be able to share with you all the news that we’ll be opening a space at the fabulous Dirty Janes when they open their new emporium in Canberra in March 2020.
We have some super exciting news to share!!
We’re delighted to finally be able to share with you all the news that we’ll be opening a space at the fabulous Dirty Janes when they open their new emporium in Canberra in March 2020.
We can’t wait to have a store front again, and in, what is sure to be an Australian iconic location! We will be 1 of 90 stallholders in the former Geological Survey building in Fyshwick, which will have a new café, with an outdoor area, a veggie patch and a playground for kids! What more could we want!!
Be sure to follow @vintagetoybox for our updates and @dirtyjanes_canberra so you don't miss any news or updates on the build of this exciting new Canberra Vintage shopping and dining destination!
Dirty Janes Canberra officially opens on 25th March 2020, seven days a week between 10 am and 5 pm, and is located at 80 Collie Street, Fyshwick, directly behind Domayne Furniture.
We can’t wait to be part of this amazing new venture! In the meantime check out our online store for cool Christmas presents for the whole family.
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The Benefits of Classic Toys and Games
Bonding with children over toys is enjoyable and beneficial to all involved, but there are also some other fantastic advantages to keep in mind when picking out toys for your little cherubs.
Bonding with children over toys is enjoyable and beneficial to all involved, but there are also some other fantastic advantages to keep in mind when picking out toys for your little cherubs.
Completing a puzzle helps with advancing a child’s fine motor skills as they learn to place puzzle pieces in the correct spot and the right way round. Puzzles also assist with hand-eye coordination and help children to understand patterns. We have a wide range of puzzles that are different sizes, shapes and a variation of pieces to challenge young ones and to ensure that will not get bored.
Do you remember the feeling you used to get from completing a puzzle? The experience leads to an immense sense of satisfaction, which in turn leads to a boost in self-esteem.
Playing a memory game or matching game with your child can help them to increase their attention span, and improve their cognitive skills. It is a great way to exercise and train the brain for visual memory. As memory and matching games are simple to play they can be enjoyed by children of all ages - younger children can bond with older children over a simple game. We have a large range of memory and matching games in store.
Craft can be enjoyed by all, whether it is painting, modelling with PlayDoh, building with blocks or drawing. Craft builds self-confidence, assists with decision making and gives children a sense of identity as they discover their creative flares whilst being their own person, (all while having fun!). Craft toys are also a great way for children to express themselves. We love to encourage children to be their own person and express themselves and have a fantastic range of craft activities in-store to help them do this, including Paper Dolls, Origami and paper craft sets, knitting dolls, stamp sets, stickers and flower presses.
Imaginative play has infinite possibilities and we stock a large range of play sets where children and adults can bond over tea parties, cook with wooden utensils, cut up wooden fruit and much more. Imaginative play builds a child’s self-confidence and it is a stepping stone to social play as they invite others to play with their tea cups filled with imaginary tea, or in their kitchen making imaginary dinner for their toys. Imagination play is also great for a child’s emotional development as they can express their feelings through re-enactment of certain experiences with their pretend play toys.
Musical instruments ignite all areas of a child’s development and skills. Playing musical instruments is great for toddlers and even if it doesn’t sound like anything rhythmical or melodic to us, it helps their body and mind work together. Music is a great way for young ones to express their creativity and they get a sense of accomplishment as they make sound come out of a piano, drum, harmonica or guitar. At The Vintage Toy Box we believe that it is important for children to express themselves by making music with instruments and we love to hear them making music in-store with all of our instruments and music toys.
Stuffed teddy’s, dolls and other soft toys provide comfort and security for your little one, giving them a friend to tell secrets to and confide in. They are also a great gateway to imaginative play as they role-play with their much loved toys. Children may for example act like a parent to other toys, putting them in charge of a situation, which in turn then builds up their self-confidence. We have a large range of soft toys which could easily become your child’s next loving best friend.
Sitting down as a family to play a family board game is a great way for a child to feel a sense of belonging and security as they play. Introducing family games at a young age can help with learning, teaching children how to share, how to take turns and how to loose without getting offended or upset. Another great benefit of family games is that it teaches children about planning and problem solving. We have loads of family games in store to intrigue adults and children alike, including all time classics such as Snakes and Ladders, Chess, Draughts, Ludo, and Game of Goose to name just a few. Enhance your family bonding time by grabbing a vintage inspired game today.
To check out all of these toys and games and much, much more, visit us in-store or browse or online store.
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!
Vintage Toys in Australia
Vintage toys in Australia are fast becoming a sought after commodity, but where do they come from?
After moving over from the UK over 8 years ago, we've noticed that there is a wide shortage of vintage toys in Australia, compared to the UK. This really isn't surprising, considering the brief history of Australia, compared to Europe, where there's a huge abundance of toys from yesteryear flooding the market.
This makes it all the more exciting for us though when we go foraging and come across an old toy from decades ago, often still in great condition. We take great pleasure in then finding out from the owner a bit of history about the toy, particularly details about all the children who used to play with the toy, and who've had so many hours of pleasure holding it in their little hands.
Often though, more times than not, we find that whoever has the vintage toy in their hands often has no idea about where the toy has come from, perhaps picking it up from a market themselves, an antique fair, or perhaps a house clearance. In these instances we need to do a bit of research, in tracking down the history of the toy. Things to look for are details of the manufacturer, the year it was produced, which stores it was sold in, the location of the stores, and the original selling price of the toy. This will generally give you an indication of the demographics of the family that was the likely original holders of the toy. From there you can piece together your own little story about toy ownership, the child, and their family. We love doing this, as it takes us down memory lane, without ever needing to have our own memories to fall back on. It's like stepping back in time, but without the step - what could be more fun?!
A Toy Shop with a Twist
We are delighted to announce that after many months of deliberation, we have taken the plunge and changed our name! We will no longer be known as Dreamclouds & Palmtrees, and will now be known as The Vintage Toy Box.
This change has been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier with our choice - we think it sums up what we do perfectly - selling fun & funky vintage & retro inspired toys, games & gifts.
To celebrate our new name change we are also undergoing a complete makeover, so you may well notice some big changes happening on our site. All will finally be revealed soon. Exciting times!
New Website Launch
We are delighted to announce that our new website is now officially up and running!
We are still working around the clock to make it as user friendly as possible for you, but in the meantime, you can browse, and more importantly buy to your heart's content, while we work in the background to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Please keep checking back regularly for new stock items, as we're constantly on the look out for new and exciting toys to add to our collection.