The leaping deer from the range of wooden toys from the Seiffen region is an international symbol in the gleaming eyes of children and collectors alike. It was designed by Max Schanz (1895-1953), who as a teacher and director of the Spielwarenfachschule [Technical College for Toys] informed the production of toys in the Erz Mountains. His designs were implemented through the division of labour in family-oriented cottage industries, achieving the standards set by the Werkbund [German Work Federation] for attractive aesthetic and professional production: from small carol singers to six-meter-high Christmas pyramids, all basic components were turned on the lathe and thus display the design idiom typical of Seiffen. Spielzeug Gestalten im Erzgebirge portrays a significant chapter in German design history, from the late Empire, through the Weimar Republic and National Socialist rule, to the early GDR.

Action figures are more than toys or collectibles - they are statements on race, gender, class, body positivity and more. This collection of nine new essays and one interview argues that action figures should be analyzed in the same light as books, movies, televisions shows and other media. Through an examination of the plastic bodies that fill our shelves and toy boxes, ""action figure studies"" can inform the next generation of toys.

Collecting diecast toy cars has become an increasingly popular hobby over the last 25 years. Many of the classic diecast cars of the 1950s and 1960s are now valuable collectors' items, and surviving examples in mint and boxed condition regularly fetch significant sums at specialist auctions.This book provides a comprehensive survey of the companies that made these toys in the 1950s and 1960s, not only in Britain but in other European countries, the USA, Japan and beyond. Major names such as Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, Spot-On and Matchbox (Great Britain), Solido (France), Marklin and Gama (Germany ), Tekno (Denmark) and Tootsietoy (USA) are examined, but a unique feature of the book is the wealth of information provided on many smaller and more obscure brands. These include Crescent, Budgie, Chad Valley and Lone Star (UK), CIJ and JRD (France), Dalia (Spain), Buby (Argentina), Gamda (Israel) and many others about which information is hard to come by. A special chapter is devoted to early Japanese diecast models by Cherryca Phenix, Model Pet and Diapet, which are among the rarest and most sought-after of all diecasts. Fascinating insights into company histories are provided, together with 300 photographs of rare examples of the toys themselves, in mint condition with their original boxes. A further unique feature is the inclusion of a large selection of colourful and evocative illustrations from catalogues and period trade advertisements. For the newcomer to the collecting hobby, this book will provide an ideal guide to the history of the manufacturers active in this field, while experienced collectors will make many new discoveries. At the end of the book, readers will find a handy glossary listing the names of many of the companies that manufactured diecast toy cars in the 1950s and 1960s.

Model engineering is generally considered to be a man thing, as men in sheds everywhere don overalls and shape metal into models. But arguably the world's greatest model engineer, Cherry Hill, is, in fact, a woman. And the word 'models' hardly does justice to what she produces. For the past several decades Cherry has created scaled-down versions of traction engines - and not just run-of-the-mill types, but elaborate Victorian flights of fancy. Extensive research and meticulous design are the secrets of her success. She has created almost twenty models over the sixty-year period since her father gave her an old lathe from the workshop of his agricultural machinery business. One of the most impressive aspects of Cherry's work is that all her engines are fully working and what comes out of her workshops in Worcestershire and Florida is perfection, both in terms of design and craftsmanship. Every last part, even tiny chain links, is made in the workshop from metal stock. No parts are bought in. Once completed, all her models are given away: early ones to friends and family and later ones to the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Each model typically occupies 7,000 hours' work, and Cherry's staggering efforts have been rewarded with the highest honours, including nine gold medals and an MBE from the Queen for Services to Model Engineering. Here, for the first time, the fruits of her illustrious career are displayed in all their intricate glory for your inspiration and enjoyment.

With this book, readers will discover machine made marbles from the early 1900s to the 1930s that revolutionized the glass marble industry. Over 700 beautiful color photos display marbles produced by both Ohio-based companies, M. F. Christensen & Son Company and Christensen Agate Company. Among the examples displayed are bricks, cobras, guineas, opaques, slags, single pontil slags, swirls, and hand-gathered swirls. Additionally, early slag marbles known as "transitionals" are featured. The text includes histories of these two important glass marble companies, descriptions of their various marble types, and their methods of manufacture. Values for the marbles displayed are found in the captions. This book will be treasured by all those who collect and enjoy marbles.

Aurora slot cars are legendary. These tiny racing cars captured and held the imagination of American kids for over a decade and their unparalleled popularity made them coveted Christmas presents between 1960 and 1977. Aurora slot car races were staged everywhere, from home basements to the Johnny Carson show! Relive those competitive days with this exciting book filled with hundreds of photos of slot cars plus engaging text and background information. Here are Thunderjets, AFX Flamethrowers, Dragsters, Super Speedsters, and more, reproduced in 1/24, 1/25, 1/32, and 1/48 scale. The informative text provides readers with the Aurora company history, and detailed information on colors, model variations, and prices. An extensive price list and photo cross-reference index is included. Learn to recognize them, then collect them all!

An amazing display of graphic design and artistic imagery appears on skateboards made over the last forty years. Early "Plain Janes" gave way to many diverse colorful designs, some closely in step with developing rock music. Boards that rock include images of favorite musicians and bands, like Black Flag, Agent Orange, Sublime, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, as well as memorabilia from the Dog Town movie...revealing a major subculture. Over 500 dazzling color photographs show hundreds of distinguished skateboards chronologically arranged, including construction details that make some collectors' items, and related stickers, memorabilia, and racing team clothing. Today's collector market is reflected in the values with the captions. Nostalgic riders and hot new blood alike will race through this 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!

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.

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.

The very popular, high quality tinplate toys of the mid-20th century from Nuremberg, Germany, are discussed in a historical setting in this delightful book. The chapters include 300 color photographs, information about the manufacturers(especially Schuco and Bing) and their markings, and essays on the past, present and future of this special toy industry. The mechanical figures, automobiles, trucks, trains, machines and associated buildings that are presented will remind many of the best toys of their youth. They are avidly collected today. Many of the toys shown are from superb private collections and the Toy Museum of Nuremberg.

Since 1991, the Rugrats (R) gang has trooped across our television screens on their hilarious adventures, entertaining anyone who knows just what an adventure "baby-hood" can be! In fact, the Rugrats have become the biggest babies on television, and their movie debut has lauched them into super-stardom. With their fame has come a colorful variety of toys and merchandise that Rugrats fans have been snatching up to build their collections, including dolls, action figures, school supplies, and promotional items. This full-color handbook and price guide is just in time for our favorite team of tykes to take their place on the collectibles market!

This superb reference work provides a newly revised, comprehensive overview of the entertaining world of battery toys. Battery operated robots, animals, people, character toys, banks, monsters, and cars are shown, compared, and fully analyzed in this first specialized book on the subject. Vehicles and figurals from the mid-fifties and the sixties comprise the major portion of this book, but some choice examples from the late forties and the seventies are also included. A detailed desirability chart will enable enthusiasts to estimate the value of potential additions to their collections. Spectacular full view and closeup photographs in color and black and white will delight toy collectors worldwide.

Chatty CathyTM and Her Talking Friends, an unauthorized history of Mattel talking dolls, documents the famous dolls that were the rage of the 1960s. When you pulled the string they talked! They're all here in this first book devoted entirely to talking dolls-Chatty Cathy, Chatty Baby, Beany Boy, Matty, and Barbie, to name just a few. Read along year by year as Sean Kettelkamp lets you see for yourself why these dolls were so popular. Over 240 color photographs illustrate the adorable dolls, their clothing, accessories, even the talking mechanisms. You'll have great fun looking back at the era of talking dolls. This comprehensive book includes a value guide, making it an indispensable addition to a doll collector's library.

Four of the world's most beloved storybook characters are the focus of this delightful new book. A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh, Johnny Gruelle's Raggedy Ann Stories, Florence K. Upton's Golliwogg's Adventures, and Seymour Eaton's Adventures of the Roosevelt Bears have inspired related books, art works, beloved stuffed toys, licensed products and interpretations for several generations--highlighted here in this delightful collectors' guide. Each of these famous four storybook characters has an individual history which is charmingly related after extensive research by author Dee Hockenberry. The other books in each of their series, major playmates of the principal characters, dolls inspired by the characters, and modern products based on the characters all are featured in this interesting presentation. Over 600 color photographs show the tremendous variety of material that can be found relating to these characters. The useful price guide provides current market value. Readers will be enchanted by these stories and their far-reaching influence world-wide.

In 2003, My Little Pony collectors had something to celebrate as Hasbro reintroduced their beloved brand of brightly colored ponies for a third time. For collectors, this third generation (commonly called G3) has not only recreated the thrill of the hunt, but also offered a chance to pass the hobby of collecting down to the next generation. Summer Hayes has compiled the first guide to these new MLP items, complete with hundreds of full color photos of all ponies, accessories and playsets both with and without their packaging. With in depth coverage of each MLP item released since 2003 until today, online sellers or collectors will find on each page not only detailed photos for easy identification, but also handy checklists to keep track of accessories and other items that originally came with each set. Covering all sets, variants, and special offers throughout the My Little Pony Celebration, Friendship Ball, Butterfly Island, and Crystal Princess sets, The My Little Pony G3 Collector's Inventory is designed to assist the collector of any age or experience level to identify, organize and complete their collection

Here, at last, is the first comprehensive guide to those ingenious amusements which have delighted visitors to the seaside, fairground or exhibition for over a century. The book features many of the unusual coin-operated models and tableaux built to entertain the public from the 1860s to the 1970s. The models are based on a variety of themes including haunted houses and churchyards (made for a time when people were more superstitious), drunkard scenes (to warn against the perils of heavy drinking), executions (when capital punishment was commonplace) plus laughing clowns, sailors, puppet-shows and miniature locomotives to name but a few. There are also chapters devoted to American machines (such as fortune-tellers and vendors) and mechanical music - the precursor to the modern jukebox. With over 200 colour illustrations, including many of the rarest surviving examples, plus a price guide, this unique book will be a comprehensive source of reference for automata and working-model enthusiasts, as well as collectors of penny-in-the-slot machines, mechanical music, toys and miniatures. The author has had several articles about penny-in-the-slot automata printed in the Antique Amusement Magazine and is currently in the process of establishing a dedicated working model exhibition in the North-West of England.

This book is an excellent course in a legendary art form; for less than its price, a reasonable model of a ship in a bottle can be made. Five projects of graduated difficulty are explained clearly step-by-step through drawings, black and white, and color photographs. Now in its second edition, this very popular title includes both new models and new materials. Historical background is woven into the instructions, giving the ships and bottles greater interest and authenticity. Guy De Marco leads the modeler slowly through each step, building confidence through the process and finishing with a work of art that is certain to invite compliments and conversation.

Scale plans in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 of the Polish RWD-8 aircraft. 8 A3 size scale plans of RWD-8 versions.

Scale plans in 1/32, 1/48, and 1/72 of the Polish RWD-14 aircraft. 8 A3 size scale plans of RWD-14 aircraft.