Vintage Fisher Price Toys Christmas Ad

Here's one of my favorite vintage toy ads, from Fisher Price for Christmas 1967.
The Goldilocks and the Three Bears Playhouse (in center of ad) was one of my favorites when I was little.
And how cool is that funky aluminum tree in the corner?!

Have a happy holiday everyone!

Vintage Comic Book Ads

I love looking at the old ads in vintage comics and monster magazines. So many treasures to be had for such small amounts of money...Why, you could order your own live squirrel monkey from Monster World magazine in 1966! The ad claims the monkey will be "almost a member of the family soon after you get" it. (Hmmm. Wonder how many 1960s moms felt that way when their son's monkey arrived with the daily mail?) If a live critter was too much, other ads offered 10 foot rubber snakes for only $1.98, and promised that "people will admire your courage" when they see it wrapped around you. If crafts were more to your taste, a mere .98 would get you "Madame Tussaud's Chamber of Horrors Guillotine" model which, in a seemingly incompatible pair of testimonials, claimed both to "really work" and provide "harmless fun!"

Click on the pictures for more details. I don't recommend trying to order the squirrel monkey, though. I think we have laws about that sort of thing now...

1940s American Toy Grocery Store

I just love these little toy grocery shops! They're perfect for using in displays with small antique dolls and teddy bears (who like shopping too, you know!).
I'm thinking this is American, probably from the 1940s, and many of the products shown are original. The set measures about 10 1/2 inches high. The little cans and packages are all wooden with paper labels, while the breads, ham, and steak are plaster.
(See the entry for the 1914 Cass toy grocery for an antique example, the 1950s British toy grocery for a very different style, and the 1930s German shop for another.)

1950s British Toy Grocery Shop

A wonderful find from England: a toy grocery shop from the 1950s, complete with original products (lots of tea, of course!). The shop is 15 1/2 inches tall.

1914 Cass Grocery Toy

A recent find was this fragile toy grocery, made by the Cass Company in 1914. The little counter in the front folds up into the base for storage. The whole thing is about 9 inches tall.










I was also able to find an original ad for this item, which gives precise dating and also shows the products that came with the grocery. It's always an added thrill to find ads like these: they add a lot to a toy collection!