If you have collected Transformers*TM action figures and think you have it all, this book will open your eyes! Over 1,000 stunning color images display the vast armada of Transformers collectibles beyond the action figures. The volume includes PVC figures and cold cast porcelain busts, arts and crafts, battery operated toys, birthday party decorations and favors, clothing, comics, DVDs, puzzles, radios, videos, and walkie-talkies, all with a Transformers theme. The engaging text draws the reader easily and quickly into each chapter and the captions provide current values for the items displayed. This book is a must for every Transformers fan, whether you have been following them since the 1980s or have just discovered their heroic exploits today!

Raggedy Ann and Andy continue to be among the most treasured of all dolls. Children everywhere have fallen in love with these rag dolls and cherished them through adulthood. And avid collectors are found around the world. With 525 color photographs, this newly revised guide to Raggedy Ann and Andy collectibles documents the dolls themselves, as well as the books and other products that Johnny Gruelle's lovable creatures have inspired. For collectors this is a delightful and useful addition to their libraries. This guide includes historical and pricing information for the collector, and plenty of photographs for those who simply enjoy the doll's timeless appeal. Raggedy Ann and Andy will be a welcome addition to those who cherish their Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls...young and old, children and collectors alike.

This comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable reference features hundreds of tin toy cars from toy makers around the world. Included are toys from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, and the United States. The toys represent cars of the 1900s to the 1970s, with a major emphasis on toys produced in Japan during the 1950s and 1960s -- the peak period for toy cars made from tin. Showcased are commercial delivery and public service vehicles organized alphabetically by make, as well as hot rods, jalopies, and race cars. A companion volume features passenger, sports, and concept vehicles. With over 1,140 photographs of toys and detailed information not previously published, this is the most complete work in the field. Each listing contains the make, model, year, body style, size, graphic markings, operation description, producing company, country of origin, trademarks, a scarcity rating, and current values based on condition. Many photos feature the original boxes. A list of the toy companies and their respective marks rounds out this valuable collector's guide. Return to your childhood with this delightful look at colorful toy cars produced in tin!

"Absolutely essential reading for every LEGO fan." -Blocks The definitive history of LEGO, based on unprecedented access to the company's archives and rare interviews with the founding family who still owns the company "This book tells the story of how my family built the LEGO brand." -Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, former President/CEO of the LEGO Group and 3rd generation owner It's estimated that each year between eighty and ninety million children around the globe are given a box of LEGO, while up to ten million adults buy sets for themselves. Yet LEGO is much more than a dizzying number of plastic bricks that can be put together and combined in countless ways. LEGO is also a vision of the significance of what play can mean for humanity. This book tells the extraordinary story of a global company and a Danish family who for ninety years have defended children's right to play-and who believe grown-ups, too, should make the time to nurture their inner child. The LEGO Story is built on Jens Andersen's unique access to LEGO's own archives, as well as on Andersen's extensive conversations with Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen, former president and CEO of the LEGO group and grandson of its founder, Ole Kirk Christiansen. A riveting cultural history of changing generations' views of childhood and the importance of play, The LEGO Story also a fascinating case study of how innovation and creativity helped leaders transform LEGO from a small carpentry business into the world's largest producer of play materials and one of the most beloved brands in the world. Richly illustrated with never-before-seen photos from the family's private archive, this is the ultimate book for fans of LEGO, revealing everything you ever wanted to know about the brand. An International Bestseller

Both American and Japanese Beast Wars Transformer toys, popular from 1995 to the close of the millennium, are discussed and displayed in this all-encompassing guide. Robots from Armordillo and Cheetor to Megatron and Optimus Primal, are shown in over 870 color images. These shape-changing robots, both in their boxes and loose, are often displayed in multiple transformations of the figures. The development and distribution of Beast Wars characters and TV shows is provided, along with current market prices for the figures. This guide is a must for every Transformer and action figure collector, and for pop-culture enthusiasts everywhere.

If you grew up in the 1940s, '50s or '60s, you will surely recognize the delightful toys and figures that spring from these pages. Made of colorful, durable polystyrene plastic, these novelties were originally found in five and dime stores, hardware stores, and department store catalogs. Cheerful, inexpensive, and often holiday related, these are the things that dreams were made of. Today, these same nostalgic and charming figures are eagerly sought by adult collectors at antique shows, flea markets, and online auctions. In this enjoyable and informative book, Jean Rossi gives readers a tour of the major companies that produced these plastic delights, including E. Rosen, Irwin, Knickerbocker, and Union Products. Hundreds of color photos showcase chubby Santas on skis and snowshoes, bunnies pushing carriages and wheelbarrows, roosters that rattle, Valentine hearts and figures, Halloween pumpkins, beguiling witches on motorcycles, and more -- all guaranteed to evoke warm childhood memories. Background information on the development of plastic, tips on evaluating and caring for your collection, and current values all are included.

When Carter Bryant began work on what would become the billion-dollar line of Bratz dolls, he was taking time off from his job at Mattel where he designed outfits for Barbie. Later, back at Mattel, he sold his concept for Bratz to rival company MGA. Orly Lobel reveals the colourful story behind the ensuing decade-long court battle. This entertaining and provocative work pits MGA against Mattel, shows how an idea turns into a product and explores the two different versions of womanhood represented by Barbie and her rival. Lobel's story is a thought-provoking contribution to the debate over creativity and intellectual property as American workers may now be asked to sign contracts granting their employers the rights to and income from their ideas.

Here is a grand review of the home video games that entertained the nation, and much of the world, during the 1970s and 1980s. In over 1000 color photographs, many of the video games for the extremely popular Atari, Colecovision, and Intellivision systems are displayed, ranging from Asteroids and Donkey Kong to Pac-Man and Zaxxon. Games from less familiar systems, such as Bally's Astrocade, GCE's Vectrex, Magnavox's Odyssey, and RCA's Studio II, are featured as well. Also included are examples of each system for which games are displayed, a wide variety of hand-held, table-top, and stand-alone games, video game memorabilia, an engaging text, and current market values both in the captions and listings in the back of the book.

Volkswagen (R) Beetle (R) toys and models from the late 1930s to today are all displayed in this lively book dedicated to this enduring, endearing automobile. Over 350 color images display tin, die cast, sheet metal, and plastic Beetles by major manufacturers, including Corgi (R), Matchbox (R), Hotwheels (R), Lledo (R), Tonka (R), and many others. Also included are examples of glass and ceramic Beetles, along with a Beetle Transformer*TM. Additionally, a history of the Beetle and Beetle toys, guidelines for developing and maintaining a Beetle collection, current market values, and a bibliography are all included. This book is a must for anyone who has an affection for this unique little car that has been on the roads for over seventy years!

The image of the horse is so popular and appears in so many forms that there are literally millions of fascinating equine collectibles to seek out, accumulate, and admire. Collecting them is a passion for thousands of people; this wonderful new second edition was put together with them in mind. With over 500 examples, it covers major toy manufacturers like Breyer, Hartland Plastics, Hagen-Renaker, Marx, Hasbro-My Little Pony, and North Lights, plus a wide range of horse collectibles in a variety of materials and forms, gathered from around the world. All of these have newly revised pricing information to reflect today's market. Horse collecting is a hobby suited to any budget. It's not hard to find horses to buy, and many of them are priced very reasonably, even in antique shops. With the wonderful color photographs and its current price guide, this book will be a useful delight for horse enthusiasts.

The perfect vintage collectible is one with a beginning and an end, and yet still numerous enough to enable enthusiasts to build collections. Here's a comprehensive guide to just such a collectible. Coin operated trade stimulators and counter games got their start in the saloons of the 1880s. Things changed with the coming of the Prohibition and the disappearance of saloons in 1920. Checkout counters in stores, restaurants, and cigar shops became the primary locations, where these counter games helped stimulate trade. The Great Depression, followed by the Repeal of Prohibition in 1933 propelled the industry to new heights and prominent makers such as Groetchen Tool, Buckley, Bally, Pierce Tool, and many others were kept busy until the 1960s. You'll get to know all the makers and their machines by name, date, and appearance in this colorful collector's guide. Over 800 photos, detailed machine descriptions, manufacturer production data, and an interchangeable machine name list will make you an instant expert, ready for shows, auctions, and collector trading. The accompanying price guide will insure that you buy or sell smart and well. Plus, you'll enjoy every page for its interesting history and content in the most complete book on this subject to ever see print.

Board games are flat out fun! They continue to fascinate players and collectors alike, long after their lives on toy store shelves, and their appeal is rapidly growing. Demand for games has only increased worldwide with the growth of the Internet fueling the collector market. From Monopoly to Battleship, Annie Oakley to Magilla Gorilla, this completely new book presents over 1,000 color photographs of board games, from current favorites to great classics dating back to the 1920s. It includes an informative text, vintage advertisements, and current market prices. There is a special chapter on Remco Industries, which had a small but sought after output of games in the 1950s and 1960s. More Board Games** continues where the author's first book, Board Games**, left off. It is sure to satisfy the game-playing appetites of collectors, dealers, and enthusiasts everywhere.

Promotional cars and trucks are miniature vehicles used by car and truck dealerships and manufacturers to promote the sale of their vehicles. Each example was produced for one year, then discontinued when the new models came out. For this reason, and their appeal to the car lover in general, promotionals have a popularity enjoyed by comparatively few collectibles. This new book presents a complete list of promotional cars and trucks, including manufacturer and current value, in a model-by-model chart. The charts are heavily illustrated with over 500 beautiful color photos, showing the full range of vehicles available. This comprehensive book will appeal to promotional vehicle collectors, toy collectors, and automobile and truck buffs alike!

This authorised book is the perfect gift for fans of the #1 plush property Based on the bestselling squishy toy, this adorable collector's guide is the perfect gift for any Squishmallows fan! They're lovable, they're squishy-they're Squishmallows! This OFFICIAL Collector's Guide is packed with quirky tidbits, top-ten lists, bios & stats, and a "rarity factor" for Squishmallows' collectible characters. Filled with hundreds of colorful photos and unique art styles. Avid fans, new collectors, young or old, Squishmallows: The Collector's Guide is perfect for just about anyone! Squishmallows are plush toys that are here to fill your hearts with love and affection. Since 2017, the versatile Squishmallows have grown into an international phenomenon and offer comfort, support, and warmth as friends, couch companions, bedtime buddies, and travel teammates. With more than 500 Squishmallows characters to collect, young fans can aspire to be like their favorite characters. Each Squishmallow has its own unique name and storyline to add to the fun.

Since the turn of the century, the automobile has captured the imaginations not only of adults, but of children as well. As quickly as the new vehicles rolled off the assembly lines, foundries were making thousands of cast iron miniatures of the most popular automobiles, trucks, and farm equipment of the day. Today, rare and exquisite cast iron toys are coveted by collectors of all ages. This book presents a delightful, in-depth study of the marvelous products of leading American cast iron toy manufacturers, including Kenton, Dent, Hubley, Arcade, Kilgore, Vindex, and A. C. Williams, along with select pieces by Champion, Globe, Grey Iron, Freidag, North and Judd, and Niederst. This spectacular collection includes the best in toys, original catalog advertisements, signage, manufacturers' marks, and much more. Over 850 magnificent toys are displayed, including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, tractors, farm and construction equipment, and aeronautics, each with detailed photographs, exacting captions, price guide, and historical data on the manufacturing companies. Toy collectors, cast iron aficionados, and dealers will welcome this most complete book.

Raggedy Ann and Andy are among the best loved and most long-lived dolls still available today. The original Raggedy Ann dolls were created in 1918 by Johnny Gruelle in response to requests from readers of his very popular Raggedy Ann series of books. Later their design was licensed to various maufacturers who produced not only the dolls, but toys, books, games, puzzles, and many other items. This informative collector's guide features hundreds of these endearing dolls of all different ages, as well as many other Raggedy Ann and Andy items. This new fourth edition provides insight into the companies who made the dolls, helpful advice on collecting and caring for them, and up-to-date pricing information to guide collectors through the marketplace.

Feliz Navidad! Your grandmother's ceramic tree has been given a modern, Southwestern facelift in the Teeny-Tiny Christmas Cactus. A bulb inside this fun ceramic cactus illuminates the tiny lights and casts a cheerful glow on your desktop, mantle, or any place in need of a festive touch! This adorable mini kit includes: A 4" ceramic cactus with 20 multi-colored lights A 32-page mini book exploring the fun, quirky ways people celebrate the Christmas season across the world

This comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable reference features hundreds of tin toy cars from toy makers around the world. Included are toys from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Spain, Taiwan, and the United States. The toys represent cars of the 1900s to the 1970s, with a major emphasis on toys produced in Japan during the 1950s and 1960s -- the peak period for toy cars made from tin. Showcased are commercial delivery and public service vehicles organized alphabetically by make, as well as hot rods, jalopies, and race cars. A companion volume features passenger, sports, and concept vehicles. With over 1,140 photographs of toys and detailed information not previously published, this is the most complete work in the field. Each listing contains the make, model, year, body style, size, graphic markings, operation description, producing company, country of origin, trademarks, a scarcity rating, and current values based on condition. Many photos feature the original boxes. A list of the toy companies and their respective marks rounds out this valuable collector's guide. Return to your childhood with this delightful look at colorful toy cars produced in tin!

The art of history in motion, with the thrill only motorcycles can bring! Between these covers is a spectacular collection of clockwork motorcyles from Europe, Japan, and America. The beauty and complexity of these early toy designs is matched only by their extreme rarity, making this reference book a truly special edition for collectors of all levels. See police chases, stunt riders, elegant cruisers, and spacemen, all with fantastic motorcycles that are ready to roar into action! In addition to current market pricing, this book allows the reader an opportunity to view and become acquainted with the world's finest toy motorcycle designs.

Watch out--you'll be turning "blue" with delight once you open the pages of this encyclopedic guide to the world of Smurfs! Covering more than 250 categories, this is the definitive reference for identifying and organizing Smurf collectibles from all over the world. Over 450 exciting color photos display PVC figures, mugs, glasses, villages, pins, buttons, plushes, animation cells, books, posters, games, and much, much more. The text includes a complete listing of all items illustrated, plus values and a helpful index.

Patti Playpal*t life-sized companion dolls were an enormous hit in the 1960s. These gorgeous dolls could actually wear the clothing of the children they belonged to! Patti Playpal dolls are in demand on today's collectors' market, although surprisingly little information has been available about them. This wonderful reference not only chronicles the Playpal Family with their original outfits and play sets, but also all of the other life-sized dolls of the era that have been a source of confusion to collectors and dealers alike. Finer points like original hair colors, hairstyles, and outfit variations are finally documented. Over 250 color photos, original catalog and television advertisements, and valuable information about the dolls and the prices they command today make this long-awaited resource an excellent addition to the library of all doll or toy enthusiasts.

PEZ made it OK to play with your food, and now those imaginative, colorful candy dispensers are sought after by collectors worldwide. After PEZ candy and dispensers were brought to the United States in 1952, more than 250 different types of character heads were made. Licensed cartoon characters, movie and TV personalities, and original designs are divided chronologically into five series, usually indicated by patent dates on the dispensers. In this newly revised and expanded edition, most of the variations of PEZ dispensers are shown in 281 color photographs, as well as the premiums and store displays that helped sell them. The captions identify each item and give the current estimated values.

When today's Barbie (R) doll collector puts together an outfit for the world's most fashionable doll, they soon find out that the bulk of the value lies in the shoes, hats, gloves, jewelry, and other important accessories. This revised and expanded, lighter edition is decked out with more than 1,200 images of accessories for Barbie, Skipper (R), Francie (R), Ken (R), and other fashionable dolls available from 1959 to 1972, including stands and travel brochures. Complete with values and a cross-referenced description of the outfits each accessory came with, this identification guide is an authority for collectors and a fun addition to any fashionista's library.

Teddy bears have been made and loved for more than a hundred years. Over 600 beautiful color and black & white images present the toy in all its forms, from the earliest produced in 1902 right up to today. The manufacturers include Ideal, Steiff, Bing, Columbia Manufacturing, Gund, North American Bears, Merrythought, Bruin Manufacturing, and many others. An engaging text provides a history of the toy bears, their manufacturers and artists, and the passionate collectors who have pursued them. Additionally, valuable information covers associated memorabilia and teddy bear auctions. A bibliography, index, and values in the captions complete this loving tribute to teddy bears. Collectors, connoisseurs, and everyone who had a teddy as a special friend will enjoy this book.