Toys - 2/16 - Retroland

Crayola Crayons

Long before most of us were entrusted with things like paint and permanent markers, those wishing to explore their artistic talents were limited to the simple, non-toxic pleasures of crayons. And there is simply no other brand that ever came close to capturing this market like Crayola. With their rainbow of vivid colors, and an intoxicating smell that still lingers in the minds of many, Crayola is now synonymous with the crayon and, as such, accompanied just about all of us through our pre-adolescent creative endeavors. Today, we take a look back at one of the most iconic drawing tools ever to land in a child's hand.

Army Men

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Some say it’s hard to keep a good man down. Nothing more true could be said about Army Men: green plastic soldiers fixed to a molded base, which stand defiant in the face of oppression, tyranny, and latent childhood aggression - as they have for over fifty years. Let's take a look back at these valiant toy servicemen from yesteryear.

Little Professor Calculator

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In the 1970s, electronic games began to emerge as an exciting new form of entertainment that was quickly embraced by the nation’s youth. Arcades were no longer rooms containing pool tables and pinball machines, but now allowed for a rousing game of Pong and a few other modern marvels. The Atari game system even allowed this emerging technology to become available from the comforts of home. With the kids completely enthralled by everything electronic, it was even possible to sneak in an educational game or two under the radar. One of the more successful ones was the Little Professor, a hand-held device that taught math to unsuspecting kids. Let's take a look back at this fondly-remembered teaching toy.

Big Wheel

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In the world of toys, there is the neat, the cool, the trendy, and the classic. But every once in a while, sometimes only once in a generation, comes a toy that defines the decade. Today, we look at one such toy, the beloved Big Wheel.

Lionel Trains

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Trains have long held a nostalgic place in people’s hearts. Walt Disney was particularly enthralled by them and made sure to include them prominently in Disneyland, as well as having his own private railroad in the backyard of his Beverly Hills home. Of course, most folks don’t exactly enjoy the freedom to do things quite on the same grand scale as Walt, but Lionel Trains have allowed many a train lover to enjoy the experience of having their very own railroad, running in the privacy of their own home. And they have been doing so for over 100 years now, with no signs of running out of steam.

Trouble

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Sometimes the simplest of challenges are the ones most frustrating, which pretty much encapsulates a little board game called Trouble. Introduced by Kohner in 1965, it brought out the competitiveness in everyone who played, sometimes raising their stress levels to the point that the game maker thought it wise to protect the lone die behind a globe of plastic, lest it get flung across the room.

Blip

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When Atari released Pong in 1972, the immediate popularity of this electronic version of table tennis would give birth to an entire video game industry. A few years later, the game would become one of the first available on the newly emerging home game systems. But, what if you didn't have one of those expensive systems? Furthermore, what if you wanted to play this game on a road trip or in a school cafeteria? The solution was a small handheld game called Blip. Released by Tomy in 1977, Blip was portable and certainly challenging. But, in the truest sense of the word, it wasn't really a video game; it just looked like one. Let's take a look back.

Chatty Cathy

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Dolls have always happily provided companionship to little girls, acting as security blanket and trusted companion. But Chatty Cathy offered something more, something special. Not only could you talk to Chatty Cathy and share your woes but, thanks to the tug of a ring on a string, Cathy could talk back. And talk she did.

Fisher Price Movie Viewer

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Sure, if you compare it to the technology introduced in recent years, the Fisher Price Movie Viewer looks pretty darn antiquated. But for a youngster growing up in 1973, the idea of being able to play your own movies on a handheld device, wherever and whenever you wanted, was cutting-edge stuff. Let's look back at this well-remembered toy.

Super Ball

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It looked like an innocent little ball, nothing so special about that. But how many ordinary balls are made of a space-age sounding material called “Zectron”? And more importantly, how many balls have the ability to leap to staggering heights with a simple toss? Only one, the oft-imitated ball of legendary status, the little rubber sphere that managed to live up to its lofty name - the Super Ball! Finally, science put its efforts into something that everyone could enjoy.