Antiquing in England

Hi everyone: sorry for my slowness in responding to all your comments...been on my first antiquing abroad trip, in England!!! Almost done.... had to get an extra suitcase to fit all the finds. Lots of teddy bears, some dolls, a dollhouse (hence the extra suitcase)...and assorted other bits. Posts coming in a few days!

Fisher Price Fire Trucks: Looky, Winky Blinky, and Snorky

Fisher Price made a wide range of paper lithographed wooden fire trucks over its long history, and they were some of the most popular toys in its line. Today, they are highly sought by both Fisher Price and firefighting collectors.

The earliest is the Looky Fire Truck from 1950-1954, so named because of its anthropomorphic face made from the bumper and headlights. Measuring 12 inches long, it came with 3 permanently attached round headed firemen, precursors of the famous Fisher Price Little People.

All the fire trucks had lots of action features. As this one is pulled, the bell clangs; Looky's eyes move as if he's searching for the fire, or perhaps watching for pedestrians; and the two firemen holding on in the back spin around and bob up and down. This early in the Little People evolution, they are only heads, as can be seen below:

The truck is beautifully lithographed in rich colors with lots of details, including ladders, axes, oxygen tanks, hose connections, and gauges.

Looky was followed by the Winky Blinky Fire Truck, made from 1954-1960.  The two toys were very similar, but Winky had all new graphics with a cutesier truck face. The firemen and action features were the same, but included the addition of a (non-working) wooden siren.

A radical redesign arrived in 1960 with the introduction of the Snorky Fire Truck. Made for only 1 year, the 15 inch long truck is much sought for its firemen, now full bodied. They, along with their dog, represent some of the earliest iterations of what would become the Fisher Price Little People.

Snorky is a no nonsense fire truck: gone are the goofy headlight-and-bumper face and the merrily bouncing firemen in the back. Instead, it features a real hook and ladder which can be raised, and the firemen can hold the hose in their attached plastic arms.

The Snorky dog is one of the very rarest of Fisher Price figures. He may look odd lacking ears, but that's how he was originally made.












 

This first version of the Snorky Fire Truck featured old fashioned illustrations in its design:





The next and final model of the Snorky was also made for only one year, in 1961. It featured updated lithography resembling more modern fire trucks,  but for some inexplicable reason, it didn't come with a dog.

The Snorky Fire Trucks, with their single-year production runs, crankable ladders, and fragile-armed firemen, are some of the rarest, priciest, and most sought after vintage Fisher Price playsets. If you ever spot one of the firemen (or, even more impossibly, the dog) while yard saling, snatch it up: it's a treasure!

Miniature Tin Toy & Candy Shop

I found this antique miniature tin shop on display with a whole town full of other buildings, including a movie theater (with a marquee that read "Moving Pictures"), a drug store, and a red schoolhouse. Sadly I could only afford one, and this was my favorite, of course. Dating from 1914 and measuring just under 3 inches tall, the lithographed tin shop was originally a candy container.

The detail is remarkable
for such a tiny piece.
In the toy window,
you can just make out
a teddy bear, doll,
and red wagon:

Fisher Price Pop-Up Kritter: Tailspin Tabby

Fisher Price Pop-Up Kritters were a line of inexpensive, novelty type toys introduced in the company's first year, 1931. They were constructed of a series of wooden beads, strung together with heavy line, and mounted on wooden paddles. Metal rings on the underside of the paddle gathered the strings together, and by pulling on the rings, the Kritter could be made to move, rather like a marionette, wiggling, flopping down, and springing up.

This cat Kritter was known as Tailspin Tabby, and was part of the first series. The earliest versions of the Kritters came with poems, and Tabby's read:

"Tailspin Tabby is my name --
Action is my claim to fame.
Who can resist my tail to twist?
To pass me up would be a shame."

The first version of Tabby dates from 1931-1939, and featured a yellow painted face with oilcloth ears (now often missing). It came on a round or long guitar shaped paddle, stamped with the Fisher Price logo. This Tabby stands just under 5 inches to the top of her head.

This later version of Tabby is from 1948-1950, and was much redesigned, with a cuter face, big feet, and more diminutive proportions. Instead of a stamped Fisher Price logo, it has a colorful label.

Meow!

 

Their low price (.75-$1.00), pocket-sized portability, and comical movement made the Kritters a huge hit with both children and adults, and they were mainstays of the Fisher Price line for decades. The most popular Pop Up Kritter was Disney's Pluto Pup, but the range included giraffes, storks, donkeys, elephants, geese, a dinosaur, Donald Duck, and a mouse that looked suspiciously like Mickey.

Silly Billy: Vintage Mr. Potato Head Knock-Off

Vintage Mr. Potato Head toys are some of my favorite collectibles. Besides Mr. P-head himself, there are lots of related items to search for, including many knock-offs made during the early years of the craze. This set, Silly Billy, was particularly bold, even including the manufacturer's name and address on the box.

The contents appear to have been molded right from the originals, and the illustrations are virtually identical. Naughty, naughty. I can't imagine they got away with this for very long.

You can see lots more Mr. Potato Head knock-offs (and rare vintage Potato Head stuff) at www.mrpotatohead.net.