I have taken a trip down memory lane

[DammitJanet]

on Ebay. I have been looking at all these vintage toys and they are bringing back fond memories.

I went searching at first for an Easy Bake oven that wasnt the brand new one. I kept remembering the one I used to have had an oven door that opened. Well after much searching I finally figured out I didnt have an easy bake oven but I had a Suzy Homemaker oven. Needless to say I now own another one...lol. Along with some new muffin tins and cake pans. Then I kept searching...they have this little grill that really works where you can make a small hamburger and maybe two hotdogs! I ordered that too. Now I am looking for the mixer that will really work...lol.

Im giving Monkey the oven as soon as she comes back here but I will keep everything else for Xmas.

I have decided that I am not buying anything at the stores this year for Xmas, Im buying them all vintage toys. So many good memories. I just found a toy set of Revere ware that I remember having as a little girl.

Lisa, I know you will see this. I think one of these would be perfect for Nicoles little girl. They have several different types of the old electric stoves. You would love them.

Oh and I found one kitchen set that is tin but fully pretend play. I am watching that and if it stays pretty cheap I am going to get that for the mouse. She is too young to play with a hot stove but she can play with pretend food.

 

[Liahona]

I'm glad you are having fun. The girls will love them. (At least all the little girls I know would love them.)

 

[Hound dog]

I search out vintage toys all the time.

99 percent of the time they are far more fun and made better than new toys.

I picked up 2 tonka jeeps (huge) from when I was a child for the grandsons, no one in particular........all of them as long as they take care of them. ATM they are on the back porch because they've yet to get the idea I'm not kidding about taking care of them. No crashing or sitting on them or whatever. ugh

I've picked up endless items and I have yet to find one that wasn't loved and that a child did not have fun with it.

Mine are yard sale/thrift store finds. I don't want to fool with shipping and I don't want to learn how ebay works. If I just have to have something from there Travis takes care of it and I pay him. Easier.

Expensive electronic gadgets ect are not required to thrill a kid beyond words. Any parent that watch their toddler play with the boxes on xmas morning instead of the swarm of toys knows this. lol

While down shopping in the Amish community I picked up lots of tiny (pot pie size) foil pie pans for next to nothing. The grands will be learning to make their own pies this year. It is one of few happy childhood memories with my Mom that I have. She would save the foil pans the banquet pot pies used to come in and then let us make our own xmas pies. We felt so grown up. (and no, didn't help me a bit I still stink at pie crust lol )

 

[DammitJanet]

I am telling you folks....whatever toys your kids have right now, SAVE THEM!!! In 10 or 20 years they will put your kids through college. I never thought about it but even getting an entire set of the happy meal toys is worth a mint.

This year is the kids stove and fisher price year. I think i have spent close to $500 (or maybe more!) on all this stuff. I did make one mistake and bought a brand new fisher price airplane. I wanted the old one.

I even got an entire set of child sized blue willow china that is over 60 years old now.

 

[LittleDudesMom]

Janet,

it's wise if you have space. Fortunately, as long as I am in this house (and I want to put it on the market within the next year) I have the room in the attic. We did store some of the toys we thought either the kids future children would want or that might be valuable. We placed all of them in clear plastic storage boxes. We have collector barbies in their original boxes - easy child used to have them displayed in her room but we kept the boxes. We have the set of Tuskegee Airman GI Joes in the box. I have every single box for difficult child's wooden train set -- can't remember the name now -- boxes for every single piece of track, every extra, every train car, etc. The rest of what we have boxed up is difficult child's original micro machines - it was a passion of his - they don't make the originals any more. Not only did we buy them at the store when he was little, but we bought tons of stuff on ebay before folks got smart that the originals might be worth something (on difficult child's 100th day of kindergarten, he took a shoebox with 100 micro machines to school!). We have a whole box of transformers and another box full of gundams. Just for memories, difficult child saved all his GIJoe stuff and his huge box of Legos. easy child used to be crazy about Sailor Moon. Not sure any of you know about her and her fellow "super heroes" from Japan. She has some of the greatest stuff. On a spring break trip where I took the kids to New York, we made a side stop in a small town in Jersey that had the largest collection of Sailor Moon imports on the east coast. easy child was in heaven! She watches the stuff on ebay from time to time.

The tough part is when I move. I want to down-size big time (probably a condo) and I'm not paying storage fees for toys! Not sure what the future will hold for them.......

Sharon

 

[Hound dog]

I have to agree with the whole...........it is unwise to get rid of your kids most favorite toys, as usually you will find yourself desperately seeking the same toys for grandchildren. Especially many of the old standards in toys or anything of good quality.

I swear I've re-purchased nearly every Little Tyke toy my children have ever possessed..........at least once, but usually multiple times. Not only are they durable enough to last many many children.....most are very popular and become favorites. I've also purchased many "vintage" ones that I could not afford when my kids were small too.

Space IS an issue though. And it certainly was with us, which is why nearly everything found new homes.

I have to chuckle though. Nichole was nuts about Lion King as a little girl and she had the original super soft baby Simba they stopped marketing after a very short time frame replaced by not very soft or cute versions that were cheaper to make. She still has it. Aubrey became just as nuts over Lion King as her mother about the same age. Nichole did not want to share her Simba for fear he would be torn up........but would under very close supervision and especially if Aubrey was sick. It finally got to be such an issue she went searching for another for Aubrey. This turned into quite an ordeal......there were very limited numbers of these made to begin with. Those she was finding were waaaaaaaaaay too pricey, even in not so hot condition. That made her less inclined to share hers and quite frustrated trying to get Aubrey one of her own to love. Took a long time but she finally hit pay dirt on ebay with someone who had obviously not researched the worth of a nearly mint condition Simba of this type........she got it pretty darn cheap. Aubrey was thrilled, it's now one of her most valued possessions. Nichole is now in the same situation with Oliver. LOL And the hunt is on again.

Nichole also had the original large stuffed Meeko from Pocahontas. Her 2nd favorite. Her husband........threw it out. It's worth a LOT and also very hard to replace for much more weirder and disgusting reasons. Nichole can't afford to replace it right now. Ones in pristine condition (which she demands after discovering the weird disgusting reasons they are in demand, trust me you don't want to know) are a small fortune.