Restoration: Mechanical Coin Operated Horse Kiddie Ride

I have an amazing mother. She has a gift for repair and restoration, and she can do just about anything: restore a Model T, re-key a vintage gumball machine, reupholster a Victorian sofa, rewire an old lamp, or refinish an antique oak bookcase (all projects she's completed). That she's doing these things in her 60s is even more remarkable to me.

Earlier in the summer, I bought an old coin operated kiddie ride horse at an antique fair. It had been sloppily re-painted in very drab colors, including a heavy coat of black paint over the entire base, and mom was just itching to tackle it. I could see her looking appraisingly at it the first time she saw it, and after that, every time she stopped by, I heard, "You know, I could rewire that thing in a few minutes, and then we wouldn't have to worry about it catching the place on fire when you run it. And, while I'm at it, it would be nothing, nothing, I tell you, to just go ahead, strip it, and repaint it." This went on all summer. Finally last weekend I agreed I was ready to let him go, and before I knew it he was gone, whisked away to mom's workshop of wonders, where he was completely disassembled in mere moments.

Within a day, she had painstakingly stripped all the nasty black repaint off the base to reveal the original colors and even the lettering. The base was originally red with yellow trim and the words "PONY RIDE 5 c" stencilled on the side. It was so exciting to discover this had survived! We debated whether to completely restore the base by repainting and restencilling, but decided to leave it as is, showing all its use and wear. This horse was ridden by a LOT of kiddies back in the day (1940s), as the paint is worn almost completely away on the base top, where they would have been climbing on and off. To me, this wear is an important part of its history, and I enjoy seeing it. How someone could have just slapped all that nasty black paint over it is beyond me...


The next day it was reported that the mechanism had been thoroughly cleaned and regreased. And the rewiring job was finished, complete with a new electrical switch (mom: "like I told you, it took less than 20 minutes!").


Yesterday the primer was applied, and we picked out the paint colors. The first picture below shows the stripped horse, followed by the primer stage. The next picture shows his first coat of paint, and the final image is the finished project. He's a black circus pony now!

Vintage Dexterity Puzzles

Vintage dexterity puzzles are some of my favorite toys to collect. The little worlds behind their windows are so inviting, their lithography is lovely, and they're just fun to play. Here are some of the highlights of my collection. These were all made in England by R. Journet & Co., I'm guessing in the 1940s.



























Besides the games on the front side, each of these puzzles features this tongue-twister on the back. See how quickly you can say it!

Antique American Teddy Bears

Presenting two of my favorite antique teddy bears, both by unknown American makers. The larger bear is about 24 inches tall, and dates to around 1910-1915. He wears my little brother Jody's handmade sailor suit: Jody wore this during his "terrible twos". Bear's little friend is a 10 inch ted from the 1920s.

They like to sit in the big armchair and watch the squirrels in the maple tree outside.

Old Homemade 3 Bears

When hunting for antique teddy bears, I'm usually after fully jointed mohair versions, made by major German, British, or American makers. I was consequently surprised to discover how much I liked this lot: a handmade set of the 3 Bears, made from a distinctly "low end" fabric, in a floppy, rag-doll style.

Dating to the Great Depression, I imagine they were some loving parent's attempt to create toys for their child who would otherwise be lacking. It's clear a lot of love and care went into their construction, from their painstakingly embroidered faces to their handsewn outfits (daddy bear even has a teeny-tiny hemmed handkerchief peeking out of his pocket!) It was love at first sight for me, and I simply had to bring them home.

Several years after finding the bears, I came across this vintage cookie jar, decorated with 3 bears who closely resemble their stuffed counterparts. Though not technically a cookie jar collector, I found I had to have this too...

Fisher Price Wooden Pull Toys Display Case

I originally began collecting Fisher Price with the intention of replacing the long-lost classic Play Family/Little People playsets of my 1970s childhood. But, as so often happens with toy collecting, one thing led to another, and before I knew it I had accumulated a whole display case full of Fisher Price's wonderful lithographed wooden pull toys, some dating back to the company's founding in the early 1930s. How different these beautiful toys are from the plastic, battery-powered, noisy, flashy products Fisher Price currently imports from China...