The first picture is obviously Christmas, but Lori is cuddling a toy rabbit, and whatever that other toy is.
The Ding A Lings were a series of robot toys. You can watch a commercial for the Ding A Lings HERE. The huge structure they are running around on in the commercial makes me think of The Doozers from Fraggle Rock, and King Ding and his huge machine make me think of the Power Rangers Megazord. The bridge set came with some Ding A Lings, but there were others that were available separately. Down in the bottom right corner, you'll see Lori's stuffed Lassie toy. My sister had one too, which I think she actually still has. Even more surprising, since Norma, Lori's mom, threw out or sold all of Lori's toys, Lori still has her Lassie toy too. Of course, Lori's Lassie is bigger than my sister's. because Lori had the best stuff.
This picture of Lori and her nephew features the same cowgirl outfit and toy German Shepherd I showed you in an earlier post.
Th next picture looks like Easter. The toy five year old Lori is holding looks like Mother Goose
Another Easter and a bunny and...what is that cute thing? An elephant? (Those ears are pretty big.)
Another Easter and another dog. (Or is that a lion? Hard to say really.) That's no surprise. These days Lori has EIGHT dogs!
Okay. The plaid animal is a bunny.
It must be Lori's nephew's birthday. Charlie Brown is sitting behind them. Looks like the birthday presenst included a five piece truck set. Anybody recognize the toy right below the cake?
That's it for today. Next time on The Toys of the Past we'll see some toys from my childhood pictures. There weren't many from Christmas, but there are pictures of my toys.
Note the tiger slippers. I had several pairs of slippers as a kid in the 60's that had rubber animal heads on them. I had a few pairs with duck heads, and one with cat heads. Apart from the animals, I had a pair with clown heads. Everything wasn't licensed characters then.
As per most of the rest of Lori's gifts, the one she's sitting in front of here is pretty valuable these days. It's the Ding a Ling Bridge set by Topper Toys.
The Ding A Lings were a series of robot toys. You can watch a commercial for the Ding A Lings HERE. The huge structure they are running around on in the commercial makes me think of The Doozers from Fraggle Rock, and King Ding and his huge machine make me think of the Power Rangers Megazord. The bridge set came with some Ding A Lings, but there were others that were available separately. Down in the bottom right corner, you'll see Lori's stuffed Lassie toy. My sister had one too, which I think she actually still has. Even more surprising, since Norma, Lori's mom, threw out or sold all of Lori's toys, Lori still has her Lassie toy too. Of course, Lori's Lassie is bigger than my sister's. because Lori had the best stuff.
Here's another Christmas picture. In this one there's a Toss Across game on the right. Do they still make Toss Across? It was produced for decades, but I bet they don't make it any more. It was basically a bean bag version of Tic Tac Toe. These days it has pretty much been replaced by video games and 'corn hole'. There's a play pen with a doll. The doll looks like possibly an Ideal Snoozie Thumbelina or Snuggle Softee, or a Horsman doll. I can't find any doll online wearing that outfit though. It looks a lot like a Horsman Sofskin doll, but this doll looks like it has a soft, stuffed body. The Sofskin has a solid body. If anybody can recognize the doll or the boxes in the background and to the left of the play pen, let me know in a comment. **UPDATE** I don't know where my mind was, but Teresa F., a reader pointed out that the box in the background says 'knit'. I did some more looking, and it seems like it's probably a Kenner Knit-O-Matic automatic knitting machine.
This picture from the same Christmas shows Lori with that doll, and her niece and nephew with something in a box, a helicopter, and an airplane. (Lori's sister is much older than she is, and her niece and nephew are closer to her age than her sister is.) The airplane looks like it might be remote controlled. The little rocking chair next to Lori's chair was really common back then too.
Speaking of Lori's older sister, here she is on her second Christmas in 1948. It looks like she was pretty spoiled too! Look at that haul! There's a doll with a stroller, a drum, an ironing board, a top, a wagon of blocks, a ball, another doll, a little red wagon, what looks like maybe Tinkertoys or Lincoln Logs, in the cannister right behind the smaller doll and the red wagon, a stuffed Panda bear, and a rocking horse. There are some other things I can't see well enough to recognize under the ironing board.
Here's her sister and a friend on Christmas 1955, There's a doll, a doll crib, and possibly some doll house furniture on the table in front of the doll.
This picture from January of 1956 shows her with what is probably that doll she got for Christmas.
This picture from the same Christmas shows Lori with that doll, and her niece and nephew with something in a box, a helicopter, and an airplane. (Lori's sister is much older than she is, and her niece and nephew are closer to her age than her sister is.) The airplane looks like it might be remote controlled. The little rocking chair next to Lori's chair was really common back then too.
Speaking of Lori's older sister, here she is on her second Christmas in 1948. It looks like she was pretty spoiled too! Look at that haul! There's a doll with a stroller, a drum, an ironing board, a top, a wagon of blocks, a ball, another doll, a little red wagon, what looks like maybe Tinkertoys or Lincoln Logs, in the cannister right behind the smaller doll and the red wagon, a stuffed Panda bear, and a rocking horse. There are some other things I can't see well enough to recognize under the ironing board.
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| Sister's second Christmas, 1948. |
Here's her sister and a friend on Christmas 1955, There's a doll, a doll crib, and possibly some doll house furniture on the table in front of the doll.
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| Christmas 1955. |
This picture from January of 1956 shows her with what is probably that doll she got for Christmas.
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| January 1956. |
There aren't any more Christmas pictures, but there are still plenty more pictures with toys.
That German Shephard looks pretty awesome.
The doll in this birthday party picture looks like an Ideal doll, maybe a Belly Button Baby. (You can see my Belly Button Baby HERE and HERE.)
Th next picture looks like Easter. The toy five year old Lori is holding looks like Mother Goose
This picture is from another Easter. This time Lori has a cute pink poodle
Here are Lori and her nephew on yet another Easter, with their bunnies.
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| Her niece has some sort of plaid animal. |
Okay. The plaid animal is a bunny.
It must be Lori's nephew's birthday. Charlie Brown is sitting behind them. Looks like the birthday presenst included a five piece truck set. Anybody recognize the toy right below the cake?
That's it for today. Next time on The Toys of the Past we'll see some toys from my childhood pictures. There weren't many from Christmas, but there are pictures of my toys.
How sweet to see these little pieces of family history! Those old outfits are so stinkin' cute; kids just don't know how to dress anymore! It's nice too, to see how happy these kids are together; my mother wasn't close with her oldest cousin due to a fifteen-year age gap. Thanks for the post! Hope you're staying warm!
ReplyDeleteI prefer older clothes. I like the matching coat and hat set and the checked skirt and jacket. Most of the clothes from the late 60's and 70's are not my thing though.
DeleteLori's nieces and nephew were more like cousins because they were so close in age. Some of my cousins kids were more like first cousins, and their parents ere more like aunts and uncles because my dad's brother had his kids so long before I was born.
I'm thinking I might be close to Lori's age with the toys she has & clothes she is wearing in various years. The white knit 'leggings' in the Easter picture (although that's not what they were called back then) look familiar. As does the poodle.
ReplyDeleteThe toy in front of her nephew in his birthday picture looks like one of those toy stations (gas, train, bus stop, etc.) that mini cars can run around and stop. I can see the track going around it.
In the picture with the Toss Across game, the box behind the baby doll in the playpen looks like it says 'Knit' on it and maybe it's a miniature knitting machine?
I loved looking at the background of the pictures - the decorating style, wallpaper and furniture. Took me on a nostalgic journey for sure.
Teresa F.
Lori is a few months older than I am, and I'll be 60 in March. When I was a kid we called those tights "leotards". I figured that thing is some kind of car ramp, but I don't know exactly what it is, or who it's made by. I didn't think of gas station though. Maybe I can find it now.
DeleteThanks! I don't know why I didn't see 'knit'. I have updated the post and given you credit.
LEOTARDS! Thank you! I've been trying to think of that word. And I am older than you & Lori, which explains why I couldn't remember 'leotards', lol. I enlarged the pictures and that's how I saw 'Knit' on the box. The mini car toy/station could be a car wash, too.
DeleteTeresa F.
Wonderful photos..thanks for sharing!
DeleteI thought it was only my mom who called them that, but Lori and I were discussing it recently and she said her mom called them that too. I enlarged it too, but I think I was more concerned with identifying the doll, and forgot all about the other stuff!
DeleteThe baby in the playpen looks like a Vogue Baby Dear One to me? I have several of them, although I don't recognize the outfit. Lovely post!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I don't think it's Baby Dear, because Baby Dear had one of those sqwinchie eyed newborn faces. This kid has big, round eyes. Thanks though.
DeleteI love looking at these old photos! Wasn't it convenient to have the month and year printed on the border of the photo? I was in a lot of Easter photos with a matching coat and hat and knit leotards (we called them that here in northern WV, too), although I was born a few years later in 1964. I recall having colored patent leather Mary Jane shoes to match my dresses--I had a yellow pair that I loved. I still love shoes! What a nice walk down memory lane!
ReplyDeleteThe only problem with those printed dates is that they're the date the film was developed, not when the photos were taken. So if you were like my mom and left the film in the camera for months before finally finishing it and sending it away to get developed, the dates could be way off.
DeleteLovely toys.
ReplyDeleteIf anyone wants some for their dolls, I recommend Micro Toy Box and World's Smallest toys. There are Toss Across games, Lincoln Logs and Tinker toys, among other things.
I would also recommend Kenelephant Charmychan gashapons -- they look similar to toys my sister had as a child.
Although I have not read every entry to this blog, I have read a grate deal of it! I love the different topics you touch upon. It let's me know there are other people out there going through there daily lives. Sometimes, it's so easy to only be aware of your own life, family, and circle of friends. So thanks for reminding me that there are others in the world with interesting things to write about.
ReplyDeleteAll of your doll related posts have been so neat to read. I never knew there were so many types of dolls! It's amazing!
Although I don't want all the dolls you have, simply because I wouldn't know what to do with them or where to put them. I think I'd need an extra room or two to put them in! You see, I wouldn't be satisfied with putting just a few on display. I would want to look at them whenever possible, not take the time to dig them out. So storage bins and boxes wouldn't work for me. :D
Aside from that, I think my husband would have a cow or two if I suddenly acquired that many dolls! As it is, I'm already in need of a travel case for the ones I do own. But, I do wish I could at least "see" your collection. All though, I'd probably never go away! LOL
I tend to look at every detail. In fact, my Mom is regularly intrigued by how thorough I am when I'm touching something. Many times, I have felt her eyes on me while I'm examining an action figure or a raised pattern in an old wooden chair.
I even surprised her once when I told her what the engraved plaque at the doctor's office said. I remembered the shapes of the print letters from when some of my teachers were trying to teach me how to write my name. I still can't write it!
In any case, I was curious about what other letters looked like and asked to be shown. I found there shapes fascinating! I passed Geometry with a high B, can you tell! :D
Anyway, I also wanted to recommend two doll related books for your book of the month. I read both of these in audio of course, so if either of them have illustrations, I don't know. Sorry to say, neither of them are for kids.
The first is titled: Agnes Cecilia. I discovered it in my early teens. I don't remember who the author is or who wrote it, I'm afraid. I'm a little fuzzy on the details, but I believe it's about a girl coping with the death of her parents and shortly before receiving a mysterious doll, begins having ghostly experiences. After the doll arrives, the strangeness becomes more frequent. It's an awesome, long read. Truth be told, I wish I could find it again! I'd love to have it for my own personal collection!.
The second one is not for the faint of heart! It's called: Dolly: A Ghost Story by Susan Hill. I've had it for a few years and finally read it last year. I don't want to give much away, but let's just say, it's nearly as creepy as Behind The Attic Wall! I will NEVER read that book! This one was bad enough!
It'll make you think twice about how you treat your dolls! I have a crazy imagination and regretted reading this in the dark! I truly enjoyed it though. But it'll be a while before I can bring myself to read it again! :D
Thank you for all the nice things you said. As for the number of dolls, you do have to remember that we used to be dealers, so some of the dolls aren't my personal ones. Also, some of them, and some of the ones that were mine, aren't here any more. Somebody wanted one of mine just recently, and I let it go.
ReplyDeleteThe books sound good, but maybe too creepy for me! I did look them both up and read the plots. Your Agnes Cecilia is by Maria Gripe, and is apparently a Swedish book. There is a movie of it. It was made in Sweden in 1991. Maybe now you know the author you'll be able to find it somewhere.