Tonka Toys

[KromeDome]

Re: Tonka Toys

TONKA! Wow - I had the Dump Truck (of course) and... (thinking) - yeah - the Cement Mixer, Road Grader and the awesome Back-Hoe (cool rubber tracks w. bucket scoop on front and the digger-arm on the back. Also had the big-boy Front-End Loader. These were the old-school Tonkas, with steel bodies and rubber parts. All of the plastics were tough and heavy duty. And these toys worked - I never broke anything on any of these, and I drove roads all over the yard. The later Tonkas suffered as all toys have - lighter and cheaper - more fragile.

I really don't like the retail world's concept of "built-in obsolesence" where products are carefully designed to last exactly long enough that you don't mind replacing them. Seriously, a neighbor is having a tag sale and has an old-time chromed toaster with these cool sloped sides and little doors. I bet this is from the thirties maybe? A new electric cord for safety and it'd still work just fine even today! Big market and interest in these retro-appliances, by the way.

[Emettman]

Re: Tonka Toys

[/B]

I was looking through the thread for somebody mentioning this.

I had a big yellow car transporter. It was big enough to sit on and ride around the house. I had a us army jeep as well. This often used to fly off the top of the stairs to test its durability.

Of course much lates I found the definition:
unbreakable toy: what a child uses to break all his other toys.

[Morcar]

Re: Tonka Toys

Not quite my era, but I remember the slogan:
"Real tough toys for real tough boys: Tonka"

The one I remember was something like

You'll never conquer a Tonka

[branny]

Re: Tonka Toys

Not quite my era, but I remember the slogan:
"Real tough toys for real tough boys: Tonka"

I was looking through the thread for somebody mentioning this.

I had a big yellow car transporter. It was big enough to sit on and ride around the house. I had a us army jeep as well. This often used to fly off the top of the stairs to test its durability.

[Emettman]

Re: Tonka Toys

I remember having a yellow dump truck as a kid and you just could never break them. So tough then and still are today. One of my favourite toys bar meccano.

Not quite my era, but I remember the slogan:
"Real tough toys for real tough boys: Tonka"

[dexterity]

Re: Tonka Toys

I remember having a yellow dump truck as a kid and you just could never break them. So tough then and still are today. One of my favourite toys bar meccano.

[Sculpher]

Re: Tonka Toys

Nerd moment - 'Tonka means "Great" or "Big" in Dakota-Sioux

[m344p]

Re: Tonka Toys

hey all you tonka buffs, this grandaddy has been handed down some really really worn out tonka legends. I would like info (if its out there) as to where I can buy spares to bring these icons up to a playable standard for my two little gentlemen just new to this world (well they are 9 and 2 year old)
Item 1 is a cab for my dumper truck complete with windows
Item 2 are the axle end which keep the wheels on the machine
any threads would be vv grateful.

[Flood]

Re: Tonka Toys

Unfortunately they were not immune to the influence of a sledgehammer, demonstrated to aghast parents and siblings by my youngest brother...:cry:

[astrabug]

Re: Tonka Toys

Son has now got his Dads Tonka Crane, and yellow dumper truck to play with in garden, there quite tatty now, but winter time, there put in the shed.

[sixtyten]

Re: Tonka Toys

Yep, I was forveer catching the skin between finger and thumb in it

[Justneil]

Re: Tonka Toys

They were lethal, you could easily lose a finger.

[Garry Turner]

Re: Tonka Toys

Nice pics Daz,
I had the big car transporter with 2 VW beetles and a Jeep, what would i give to have a good ole Dump LOL

[PWC1973]

Re: Tonka Toys

I got my nephew the Cement Mixer a few weeks ago from the Charity shop I work at for £5 and he love's it,except he carries it around at the moment because he's only 18mths....

Me and brother had quite a few when we were younger,we had a Crane and the Dumper truck......

[Mulletino]

Re: Tonka Toys

I never had a big Tonka, but I did have a Tiny Mighty Mo - it was the army truck one with the cannon on the back and you pushed it forwards to rev it up then let it go. Still have it at my mum's somewhere hopefully.