James L. Dundas provides his readers with a sweeping survey of the shooting toys that gladdened the hearts of children from near the turn of the twentieth century to the 1990s. Concentrating heavily on the decades from the 1920s to the 1960s, over 420 color photographs display a dazzling array of BB guns, cap shooters, marble shooters, squirt guns, and more. Reminding us all of the long car rides and rainy days of our youth, when shooting was impossible, are a selection of colorful key chain puzzles that round out the presentation. Included in the text is a brief history of the Daisy BB Gun--complete with a Daisy BB gun chronology, instructions for determining whether a BB gun is functional or broken, and valuable advice for dating shooting toys with patent numbers, area codes, and zip codes. Price ranges are also provided for the toys shown.

Bounce back to the carefree childhood days when you spent hours with your yo-yo learning to "walk the dog" or go "around the world". Yo-yos of many companies, decades (from the 1930s onward), and designs are displayed along with yo-yos that shriek, whistle, and spark. Whether you prefer wood or plastic, butterflies or teenies, Duncans or Whirl Kings, here you will find the yo-yos that you like best in over 275 color photographs. Also, yo-yo championship patches, tricks books, and trophies are displayed. Brief histories of several yo-yo companies such as Cheerio, Duncan, and Royal are provided. Methods are explored for roughly determining a yo-yo's age, through inscribed zip codes and patent numbers. Current market values for each and every yo-yo are found in the captions.

Toys purchased with box tops and pocket change in days-gone-by abound in this fascinating and sweeping survey. Over 850 color photographs display the wide range of items, including airplanes, badges, booklets, decoders, pins, rings, and whistles, offered to children throughout much of the twentieth century by bread and cereal companies and over the radio. Favorite heroes of the airwaves all had premium toys for their devoted fans to collect. Found here are the premiums of radio's legendary heroes, including Buck Rogers; Captains Marvel, Midnight and Video; Dick Tracy; Green Hornet; the Lone Ranger; Red Ryder; Sky King; Superman; Tom Corbett; and Tarzan -- among others! Also included in this wide ranging book are methods for dating premiums using patent numbers and area codes, brief reviews of many of the shows upon which so many premiums were based, and values for the toys displayed. Values are conveniently located in the captions. This book is must reading for toy collectors and dealers and for anyone who ever saved their box tops and then waited anxiously by the mailbox for some special item to arrive.