But back to the topic at hand. Probably at the very top of my list are vintage Fisher Price toys. And although I love all of the old F-P toys, like the Popper and the pull toys, my absolute favorites are the Little People. (It goes without saying I am not talking about those fat stubby remakes--I'm all about the original, people.)
You almost never see the vintage stuff in thrift stores. And when you do, it is usually grubby and scuffed up seemingly beyond hope. I often buy it anyway, and after some quality time with a Magic Eraser, it cleans up well enough for my kids to play with. But once in awhile you strike gold. I will never forget the time I found two mint-condition 1960s pieces--the ferris wheel and the carousel--for 75 cents each at a church rummage sale. They have wind up parts that play music and they work perfectly...I was pinching myself all day after that find.
What I found yesterday wasn't quite that amazing, but since I've been in a Little People drought, I was thrilled nonetheless.
On my first run by the toy aisle, I spotted this:
I had this when I was a child, and in fact, I still own mine. It came with a camper top and a rowboat that sat on top of the camper. I have the camper top, but am missing the boat. I keep looking for it, but have been told that missing parts like that are rare. While I'd love to encounter the boat someday while I am out and about, I am still very excited to have found this truck. It is in very good condition, all the decals are securely fastened, and there is no grime to speak of.
Finding the truck made me very happy, but after quickly going through the rest of the toy department, I moved on to other areas of the store. Thank goodness I was with two of my children, because they kept insisting on going back to the toys. If they hadn't, I would have missed this:
On my final trip through the toys, I found this:
If he hadn't been in such pristine condition, I think I would have left him but then I would have regretted it. I am glad he came home with us. Even my husband was nostalgic when I showed this find to him! Who in our generation did not have this toy?
When I got to the cash register, the lady in front of me spied these goodies in my cart and was so jealous I almost gave her the dog. But then she said something about them "being worth a fortune" (not exactly true--they are collectible and all but I wouldn't go that far) and I figured she would just sell them on Ebay or the like. Whereas I will clean them, pamper them, love them, display them, and let my children build their own happy memories with them. What more could an old toy want?
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