Fisher Price Play Family A Frame House

The Fisher Price people in the previous post (1960s Nifty Station Wagon) might be traveling to this lovely vacation resort, the Play Family A Frame house, made in 1974. These kitschy structures were all the rage as holiday homes across the United States in the 1960s and '70s, and Fisher Price's 11 inch tall version is absolutely adorable. From the aqua green roof tiles to the faux-Bavarian balcony, built-in kitchen, cozy fireplace, and comfortable patio, they got all the details just right.

The roof opens to form a patio, revealing the two story rustic interior:

The patio includes a picnic table and barbecue grill, and I've added an umbrella table from a different FP set:

Inside, the built-in kitchen is done in classic '70s orange, and there's a cozy fire and braided rug (well, sticker versions, anyway):

Outside, there's a balcony and a deck on each end. You can see bunk beds through the doorway on the top floor. I've added a FP checker table and a couple of visiting cousins to the deck.

 It all looks so inviting, it makes me wish I could visit!

To see more (real-life) a frame homes and learn about their fascinating history, take a look at the book A-frame, by  architectural historian Chad Randl: 

Fisher Price Nifty Station Wagon: Updated with Original Advertisement

If I were forced to choose a favorite from the hundreds of pull toys Fisher Price has made over the years, this would be it: the Nifty Station Wagon from 1960, a miniature version of America's beloved family road trip vehicle.

This 13 inch long kitsch classic sports a removeable roof, lovely fake wood side panels, stylish white wall tires, moving headlight "eyes", and a little wooden family (mom, dad, child of indeterminate gender, and dog) who were precursors to the classic Little People.

 Dig the funky tweed interior! I think my little sister and I had matching pants in this pattern back in the '70s.

Mom has her eyes closed. Maybe Dad is a crazy driver, and she can't bear to watch...

 Besides the headlight eyes, the front grill also has a "smiley mouth" bumper.

A simple mechanism causes the kid and dog in the back seat to spin wildly to the accompaniment of a raucous noise as the car moves, just like in real life. Those Fisher Price toy engineers were geniuses.


Updated August 11: 
Several people commented that they had never seen this vintage Fisher Price toy before, so I thought you might enjoy seeing the original advertisement, from the April 1960 issue of Playthings magazine (a trade journal). I have a small collection of vintage toy ads, catalogs, and brochures, and this is one of its highlights. Click on the pic to see it bigger and read the text.

Vintage Car Travel Game

I love the fantastic period art on this 1958 Milton Bradly Travel board game. An aqua green station wagon (with fins!) carries dad, mom, and the requisite two children away on a vacation. Everyone is so nattily dressed, like they just stepped out of a "Leave It To Beaver" episode: dad in a suit and tie, mom in a smart hat, the children in starched and pressed "play clothes"...what a difference from today's standard vacation ensemble of t shirts, shorts, and flip flops!

The game play is pretty simple (just spin, move, and follow the directions on each space that can help or hinder your trip) and typically '50s moralistic (one space reads: "children behaving --- driver speeds ahead 2").

I played this on my trip last week and sadly must report it's rather dull. But it still has great kitschy art value!

Been on a Road Trip...

We went on a little road trip last week, and spent a couple of nights relaxing in this teeny tiny beach house:

which had this beautiful cupola and weather vane:

It may look from these photos as if we were on the ocean, but no: this is the shore of Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes. Scientists often refer to the Great Lakes as "inland seas", and you can see why. They are vast, and deep, and this coastline is littered with dozens of shipwrecks, dating back to the 1800s.

That's fascinating, but what does it have to do with toys? Well, my road trip has inspired me to post some summer vacation themed playthings! Keep an eye on this horizon, and see what coasts in...

Tiny Toy Treasures

Lots going on in my "real world" this week, so I won't get to do any blogging. I thought I'd post something to occupy everyone's time until I get caught up.

Here are some pictures of:

1. My kitchen "junk drawer", where I stash small toys. (People are always pulling it open, looking for spoons or such like, and they find this instead.) Some old things, some new, some childhood treasures I've saved since I was little...have fun rooting around!

2. An antique printer's tray that rests on my coffee table, filled with tiny toys and treasures. It started out as a sorting and display area for my vintage Cracker Jack and gumball machine prizes, but it's expanded beyond those categories. Click, zoom, and see what you can find!