From a time when parents made toys

[lifeonearth]

From a time when things seemed much simpler. Before games consoles and mobile phones...Clearing out my loft i found an old forgotten friend, a toy made by my father and given to me one christmas in the early 70s.....He would always tell me that his father always made him toys for christmas and birthdays....how many of us still do.... And do you have or remember a special toy that was made for you?...Here is the toy that was made for me my dad called it a shaking sid....http://youtu.be/999EVAppmqw

[Twocky61]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

I remember in the early seventies when I was about ten, my Grandad made me a carpark for all my toy cars It was on a wooden board complete with white-lined parking bays & entry & exit barriers made of those long fire lighter sticks. The sticks I also used to make roads

Then along came a mega present: A Steer'n'Go:

[battyrat]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

Dad make me a wooden garage with a parking lot upstairs and a showroom downstairs and a little ramp joining the floors. He also make a caravan for one of my cousins Barbie and Cindy dolls. Both items stayed in the family passing from one cousin to the next then onto nephews and nieces. The caravan eventually passed outside of the family and the garage ended up with a family who left it outside to rot one winter. I tried to get the garage back when it left the family but could not get my hands on it. I had a lot of fun with the garage and remember fondly the little petrol pumps he brought and added to it. Both items were made in the early part of the 70's.
I have been making fully jointed traditional teddy bears.Sold three this month to collectors. At the moment I am putting two little white and pink tinged girls together for my lovely nieces for Christmas. I know my nieces look after their toys.

[darren]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

Great thread and stories so far.


My dad made us go karts.
Thats the first thing that came to mind when i saw this thread.

[Twocky61]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

Dad make me a wooden garage with a parking lot upstairs and a showroom downstairs and a little ramp joining the floors. I have been making fully jointed traditional teddy bears.Sold three this month to collectors. At the moment I am putting two little white and pink tinged girls together for my lovely nieces for Christmas. I know my nieces look after their toys.

Similar to the carpark, but like a dolls house at an entirely different level Your Dad must be really talented. Is he a master craftsman by any chance Battyrat?

[battyrat]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

Hi, No he just like making things. I can remember all sorts of odd things like wooden cotton reel snakes ,and a pull along wooden train. Like Darren mentioned a go kart. Dad made us boys one out of pram wheels and decent planks. It was so heavy it took 2 of us to get it up the hill, but once on the way down if it hit anything it would of made a real dent. Made to last toys. Wonders what happened to Go kart?

[Twocky61]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

If you still had that go-kart Battyrat just think how much it would be worth

[Richard1978]

Re: From a time when parents made toys

I remember my Mum making me & my brother body warmers one Xmas.

My Dad made a farm playboard for my brother, it was a sheet of hardboard painted with a road one, & different colours for different fields, with some old cut up cords for a ploughed field.

It's still round at my parents house, & might get passed on to some younger family members.