Kreskin's ESP Game

Been finding a lot of great vintage board games lately. This is good news for me, as I LOVE playing board games, but bad news for my sweetie, who I suspect is growing tired of being asked to "play it just one more time, pleeeeeease?!"

Anyway, today's discovery is a 1960s Kreskin's ESP game, featuring a youthful Kreskin himself on the cover. As an aside, I've actually met the Amazing Kreskin (his full title) and was forced to participate in one of his mind-reading effects in front of a theatre full of people. As I am painfully shy, this was not fun. Hopefully the game will be, though!

Vintage James Bond Board Game

Got this 1960s James Bond Secret Agent 007 Game last week. It has a great likeness of Sean Connery on the cover, and tiny plastic James Bond figures to use as markers ("Pawn, James Pawn"...) The game play seems rather complicated, but then, so do the plots of most Bond movies, so I guess that's suitable.

Vintage James Bond Toys

I've been in a vintage Bond mood lately: so far this week I've watched Dr. No, Goldfinger, and my favorite, On Her Majesty's Secret Service (it's such an appealingly goofy alternate reality, plus the heroine is named Tracy). Just in are these two cool playsets made by Gilbert Toys in the 1960s, featuring Bond on Goldfinger's laser cutting thingy and the secret map/pool table from his Kentucky ranch lair. (Inexplicably, the laser playset also includes Dr. No, who was, of course, killed in the first film...or was he? Hmm.)

Magnetic Spy Toy

Found at an antique market this past weekend was this great 1960s magnetic toy, similar to the classic "Wooly Willy", but with a spy theme! I have a bunch of Wooly Willy type toys, but I'd never seen this variation before, so it was a pretty thrilling find.

Addams Family Card Game

Just found this vintage Addams Family game at my local antique mall. I was trying to save it to post around Halloween-time, but I just couldn't wait that long! I'm a big Addams aficionado, so there'll be more of their stuff coming later, including my favorite piece: an original Colorforms set...

Peng Peng Buddha Bear

This tiny teddy bear, only about 5 inches tall, is one of my favorites from the Chicago artist Peng Peng. Peng Peng makes this bear in an incredible variety of materials and designs, all called "Buddha Bears" because of their short stature and portly proportions. (You can see more at her website: http://www.peng-peng.com/.) My little Buddha Bear likes to visit this vintage 1950s toy refrigerator, complete with some original items. Looks like he's got a little box of ice cream at the moment. (Maybe that's why he looks the way he does...)

Birthday Bears

While decorating for my birthday party last weekend, I made this arrangement of vintage toys on an antique cake stand. The big bear wearing the straw hat is a funny English teddy from the 1930s; next to him is an old mechanical bear who "drinks" from his red wooden cup; down in front are a 1920s Steiff duck on wheels and a miniature Steiff lion; to the left is an original set of Bill Ding Clowns; perched just below the mechanical bear is a tin-faced Shuco monkey; and riding the duck is Ting-Ting, a fabulous bear made by teddy artist Peng Peng from Chicago.

1930s Hoosier Cabinet with Vintage Kitchen Toys

Just got this 1930s Art Deco style Hoosier cabinet made by the Sellers Company. I'm using it to store my vintage board game collection and to display some of my old kitchen toys. (Just visible at the top right are some 1930s Woolworth's lunch counter signs, too.)

Marx Electric Robot and Son

The Marx Company made this fantastic robot in the 1950s. Called the Electric Robot and Son, he stands over a foot tall, and has some really cool features, like a pull-out tool box in his tummy (the red rectangle just above his "belt"), a metal radar antenna on his head, and light-up eyes. If you're wondering what the "Son" in his name refers to, well, originally he came with an adorable little robot who dangled from his pincer hand. Sadly, my robot's son has gone missing. We all hope he'll turn up someday...

Ideal Robert the Robot

This is one of my favorite robots: Ideal's Robert the Robot from the 1950s. He's big: over a foot tall, and comes attached to a cabled, ray gun styled control box that makes him move backwards and forwards. (For some reason, mine will only go backwards now. I just consider it an interesting personality quirk.) He also has a tiny record inside which is played by turning a crank on his back. When he feels like working properly, the message he plays is: "I am Robert the Robot, the Mechanical Man. Drive me, steer me wherever you can." (As long as it's in a backwards direction, that is...)

Gardening Gnome

It's spring, which means it's time for the gardening gnome to get busy. This wooden cutout gnome was used in holiday window displays at the downtown Detroit Hudson's store in the 1930s. He's about a yard tall, and likes to hang out next to the mushroom dollhouse.

Vintage Dexterity Puzzle Games

I'm somewhat obsessed with collecting old dexterity games. They're like fascinating little worlds behind their glass or plastic windows, they often feature beautiful lithography, and they're just fun to play, too. Here's a small portion of my collection.

Mr. Potato Head Picnic Pals

From the 1960s, the Mr. Potato Head Picnic Pals! Mr. Potato Head has led a very sociable lifestyle. Besides the Mrs. and the tots, he's had a lot of friends. These are some of the hardest to find. They were typically sold in sets of 3 consisting of Mr. Potato Head, a "main character" Picnic Pal, and a condiment or side. From left to right: Frankie Frank, Mr. Mustard Head, Mrs. Ketchup Head, Frenchy Fry, and Mr. Soda Pop Head. Sadly, I am still looking for the final Picnic Pal: Willy Burger.

To learn more about Mr. Potato Head's history, click here: http://www.mrpotatohead.net/

Mego Batmobile

I grew up in the 1970s, which means I grew up with Mego toys. I had Spiderman (who went everywhere with me and had to have his arms reattached on a weekly basis), the Planet of the Apes guys, Captain America, and a few Star Trek figures. But I never had this beauty: the Mego Batmobile with Batman and Robin. 30 years later: oh, what a happy day it was when I brought this home and installed it in a place of honor on my dining room table. (Visible in the background is a Mars Attacks theater banner and an original Ideal Robert the Robot from the 1950s.)

A great Mego information site can be found here:
www.megomuseum.com

Tiny Toy Assortment

, This antique printer's tray full of small old toys sits on my coffee table. Everyone who visits tends to gravitate toward it: its pull is seemingly irresistable. The tiny compartments are filled with vintage Cracker Jack and gumball machine prizes, antique china dolls, miniature figures, toy trains and playsets, miniscule books, and lots more.