Schoenhut was an American toy company based in Philadelphia which began production in 1872. They are famed for their toy pianos, Humpty Dumpty Circus playset and figures, and many other fine toys.
The Alphies, first patented in 1916, are five inch tall wooden blocks with lithographed paper characters on both sides. One side depicts "Alphie Dollies," the other an "Alphie Zoo." Each character bears a letter of the alphabet on its front.
The Alphies were intended as multi-purpose playthings, as depicted in the possibilities shown on the box cover. They could be used to practice the alphabet and spelling; for stacking and building; and could even be set up as a bowling game, using the included wooden balls.
The lithography on the character blocks is gorgeous; here are some of my favorite pieces.
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| A tiger sipping soda. |
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| "O" ogles "P." |
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| A frantic looking frog. |
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| "D" is for dolly. |
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| An alligator in an apron. |
How sweet for you to recieve something you've been wanting... Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hope you had a happy holiday too!
DeleteTracy, I stumbled on your blog quite recently and love it! These blocks above look in amazing condition....what a fabulous pressie.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Glad you're enjoying the blog!
DeleteWhat great blocks and they look to be in great condition. I love the colors and the artwork. Nice find.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked 'em! They're hard blocks to find even in poor condition, so these were really special.
DeleteThe faces on the tiger, the lion, and the crocodile are so sweet and wonderful. The entire set is absolutely enchanting.
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic! Thanks for the show-and-tell.
ReplyDeleteMy brother just found a set of these in the trash... They look very similar, but us there a way to tell if they are authentic?
ReplyDeleteBasically just seeing if they look "old." Is the paper aged, faded, torn, or does it look like modern computer or copier printing?
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