1920s Teddy Bear

A local antique dealer found this minty 1920s American teddy bear at an estate sale and saved it for me. The 10-inch tall teddy appears absolutely unplayed with, and the faint mothball odor that attends it suggests it was carefully packed away when originally received 80 years ago.
I always have mixed feelings when I find an old toy in such shape. While it's wonderful to see a toy in this beautiful, original condition, it's also a bit sad to realize no child ever got the chance to play with and love it. Often the wear on a toy gives it a unique charm all its own, along with a sense of its history. Still, I'm delighted to have this minty-fresh little guy, and he looks very happy to be out of his box at last!

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.

1860s China Dolls

Just got this family of little china dolls, all circa the 1860s. The 8 1/2 inch doll on top has such a sweet face, I thought. She just looks like she wants to bake you some cookies and hear all about your day. The two tiny dolls on the bottom are dollhouse sized, 6 and 4 inches, respectively. Although worn, they've got a lot of character, I felt. I wonder what they've seen in their 150 years...

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...

1895 Cooke's Fairy Furniture

Just found this wonderful piece of miniature furniture made by Cooke's Indestructable Toys way back in the 1890s. It's held up quite well for such a fragile item, so the company was apparently well named! Cooke's called this dollhouse accessory line their "Fairy Furniture," as can be seen in the accompanying original ad. Printed on heavy cardboard, the ad actually forms the base of the sofa, and makes this set readily identifiable.