Early 50’s, my brother’s western town playset. Painted metal, with a sheriff’s office and jail, saloon, general store, and lots of molded plastic people, horses, etc.
Also from the early 50’s, my cousin’s “doll furniture”. The couches folded down, and the family had moveable parts. Not as realistic as the miniature furniture made later, but lots of fun.
And paper dolls! I loved paper dolls. For some reason, the movie star dolls were what we’d call B-List today. Lots of Vera Miles, no Bette Davis or Liz Taylor.
OK, born in '55 so some of this stuff may not be available now or may not be PC for kids.
My all-time favorite present was a working stationary steam engine. It had an actual boiler and was fueled with sterno. There was a large flywheel that turned a bicycle generator and powered an oscillating red lamp. There was also a whistle. The whole thing was mounted on a board maybe 1 square foot. The only downside to this was getting it away from my dad.
Aside from that there were slinkys, superballs, a .22 single-shot rifle when I was 12, and when I was 14 I got a Walther P-38 which was nice. Chemistry sets were good as were microscopes and telescopes.
Strange, but I’d like to get any of this stuff now for Christmas.
That’s so great! However, are you sure you want to take them out of the box? Since the metal tipped jarts were banned, they’re probably worth a lot of money, especially brand new, still in the box.
OTOH, I’d be tempted to play with them, too.
Blame people like my husband for the ban. When he and his stupid little friends used to play with them, they’d throw them up in the air above their heads and dodge out of the way. Dumb, dumb, dumb! :rolleyes:
Yeah, I suppose that if it’s illegal to sell them, it’s probably difficult to find out the average price you could get for them on the black market, too.
In that case, enjoy them! I would! It seems like Jarts are the holy grail of old toys. My husband and I hope to find some from an unsuspecting old couple in a garage sale, but haven’t been successful so far.
Oh, besides Jarts, my vote would be Spirograph. I’m so glad they still make these, so when my 8 month old is old enough to hold a pen, I’m buying a set. I’m looking forward to playing Uncle Wiggly, Candyland and Chutes and Ladders, too.
I was born in 1949. There were big trucks by Tonka and Nylint that were tough enough to stand on. They were made from stamped and welded steel. We played all kinds of combative games with cap guns. The caps were a rolled-up strip of red paper with little blisters filled with gunpowder. The roll fit inside a cast metal pistol, and each pull of the trigger advanced the strip and snapped the hammer on a fresh cap.
Then Mattel came up with a line of more detailed cap guns. The cylinder rotated, and you’d put Greenie Stick’em caps on the back of each faux cartridge.
The coolest toy was something a kid down the street had; an Irish Mail. It was a low-slung speedster a little longer than a Radio Flyer wagon. The rider’s feet steered the front wheels, and the thing was powered by a rowing bar. Without much trouble, it would go really really fast! I don’t remember that it had brakes, though. I found out much later that it was made right here in Anderson.
You can buy all of the parts… You know, as spares for the ones you already have. It’s expensive, though. ‘Grade A’ fins go for $20 each, and you need six of them. And then there are the metal shafts, upper- and lower plastic shafts, and rings. Figure on about $260 for a DIY set. Maybe $275 with a Jarts logo tote bag.
AFAIK it’s not illegal to own Jarts or other lawn darts. They just can’t be manufactured or sold.
It’s expensive, though. ‘Grade A’ fins go for $20 each, and you need six of them. And then there are the metal shafts, upper- and lower plastic shafts, and rings. Figure on about $260 for a DIY set. Maybe $275 with a Jarts logo tote bag.