Cthulu Lego Set
…trivializing the insanity and brilliance of Lovecraft is usually lame,but this video is rather good. I like the kids weird face when he cries “awesome”
Collecting Vintage Car Memorabilia
The rise in popularity of the motor car in the twenties had a good knock on effect for the advertising industry.
Cars were seen as luxury items, driven by those who could afford a glamorous lifestyle. The advertisements at this time portray a care free way of life which many aspired to. The ads were colourful and bold, eye catching and elegant.
Who could predict, all these years later, that vintage car memorabilia would be in such demand? Despite the fact that we now have the fastest, most technologically advanced cars ever, we are still fascinated by these images from the past.
Maybe this is to do with the historical context of these ads, we can imagine a time when life was somewhat more care free, and motoring was more relaxing.
There is also the immense pleasure to be had of having these images scattered around our homes. You may collect vintage car memorabilia to adorn your rooms, or to sell later on for a profit.
Hanging these car ads in suitable frames can give depth and character to a room. If you are a lover of art and antiques, you will soon realise that these old car advertisements can add great interest to your collection. People are drawn to them, and the older generation will always have a story to relate about their own car passions and experiences.
Hunting down and finding vintage car memorabilia and ads is all part of the fun of collecting. You may have a particular model or make in mind, or you may prefer an eclectic selection. Antique and collectors shops are a good place to browse, but maybe an expensive way to buy. Garage sales, car boot sales, flea markets are another good source, if you have the time.
Probably the best place to browse and buy, however, is the Internet. Auction sites such as eBay are stuffed full of information. There are also many websites on which you can find others who share your passion. Whatever your reasons for collecting vintage car memorabilia, whether it is for fun, profit, or both, you will never tire of the wealth of fascinating material that is easily available.
Toy Model Trains and Collecting
While toy model trains may seem, at first blush, to be purely kid’s stuff, those who are familiar with this hobby will immediately understand that it is nothing of the sort. Train sets, in fact, come in scales which are wholly unsuitable for children and which take a level of manual dexterity and patience to assemble which is only present in adults. Some of these sets are very expensive and, when the hobbyists who put them together finish the job, the detail is remarkable, approaching museum-quality reproductions of the trains that once criss-crossed the nation.
Toy model trains come in various scales. The most common scale is HO, which corresponds to about .14 inches equaling 1 foot on a real train. This size is popular for several reasons. It is a happy medium between the “O” size trains more suitable for young people and the N, Z and T scale trains which are among the smallest on the market. This allows a hobbyist to lay an impressive amount of track in a small area and to enjoy assembling an intricate and accurate landscape through which the train can travel. These trains, of course, do travel!
Toy model trains are powered by electric current. In most American models, this is a DC-direct current-flow which is much safer than the alternating current that emanates from wall sockets. The mechanisms which power these trains are incredibly simple. To go faster, one simply increases the amount of power being delivered to the train. To reverse direction, one reverses the polarity. Of course, in keeping with the spirit of being a train engineer and not an electrical engineer, the controls are not marked in terms of the changes they make to the electric flow but, rather, according to the changes they make to the direction and speed of the train.
Toy model trains come in various levels of complexity. Ready-to-Run trains are the simplest and the best ways to get young people involved in the hobby. These trains are put together in the box and one simply assembles the track and gets them on their way. Shake-the-Box train kits are a bit more complex but just enough so that most individuals will get some satisfaction out of assembling the various components. Craftsman kits are the most complex. These are only appropriate for the most knowledgeable, and patient, model railroaders.
Toy model trains tend to be a hobby that’s picked up in childhood and carried on into adulthood. While children may just appreciate the “cool” factor of the devices, adults oftentimes become more concerned with recreating history through their models and with making very accurate and detailed trains. These trains can be worth a good deal of money to collectors, especially for particularly rare types in proper working order. Some of the sets that model railroaders create correspond to scale miles of track with depots, towns, switching yards and other facilities that work to create a very realistic environment.
Vintage Batman Toys
Toy producing companies have always been attracted to batman because the comics, television shows and movies have always shown batman with many different tools, gadgets and rides. They have always shown a fondness to him dating back to his original beginnings in 1938. The following are some of the more famous vintage batman toys that are still been collected today. There are highly sought after and prized, as well as the fact that they’re worth a considerable amount of money.
The Batman Water Gun (1960s) – the gun was created in a more innocent time and its release date coincided with Batman’s television beginnings. Collectors of vintage batman toys like this item for its kitsch appeal.
Bump-N-Go Batmobile – The world famous batmobile is battery operated. It is highly sought after for its display appeal and is a favorite among vintage batman toy collectors
The Batman Bicycle Ornament – This was released in 1966. It’s a hollow piece of plastic made in the figure of batman that was intended to be clamped around the bars of a bike. This item is very difficult to for collectors to find. And is a favorite at that.
The Batman Ray Gun (Japanese version) – This was a tin ray gun lettered with Japanese writing; this in itself has made it extremely sought after. It’s one of the most famous vintage batman toys around. The Japanese love batman and this vintage toy is representative of that! Japan has a huge sub culture devoted to Batman; it could be nearly said that it’s bigger than the whole batman craze in the United States.
Batman utility Belt Play Set – Produced and sold in 1966 this item is extremely sought after and extremely expensive. Last year one was sold at auction for $16,000 (mint condition) and this highlights the above facts. It’s called by vintage batman toy collectors as a “museum piece” – the price tag shows why!
Big Wheel Tricycle
Big wheel tricycle is said to be one of the classic toys that children have been using right from 1969 when it was being introduced by Louis Marx Company. Big tricycle was an instant hit with the kids all around the world, just not only in America. A lot of progress has been made in toy manufacturing field and newer and newer versions of toys are coming into market like battery operated cars and bikes. But the classic toys of the past like a high wheel tricycle either made of plastic or metal are still thought to be there in the liking of the children and their parents.
Big tricycle is one such type of toy that has been treasured a lot by many parents when they were kids in 1970’s. It is a type of tricycle with a front bigger wheel and a low ride seat that not only makes it quite interesting and appealing but make it easier for the child to ride it, keeping in mind the safety point of view. This is the reason that those parents who have ridden these big wheel tricycles in their childhood, try to relive their past by seeing their own kids riding and enjoying these tricycles. Though the production of these tricycles stopped in 2001, but they are again back with a bang now, with an ever increasing ratio of popularity.
Most of the parents choose it as the first memorable gift to be given to their kids because a big wheel tricycle is not only meant for an enjoyed ride but it is also meant to enhance and develop the motor skills of their kids. The physical activity involving the synchronization of hands and feet turns out to be very beneficial for the kids. These tricycles are meant to be used indoors and outdoors simultaneously. The designs and styles are of different ranges both expensive and cheap. In this modern era, where all the businesses seem to be handled online, this big wheel tricycle can also be bought online were you need to go through different websites, proclaiming to sale these classic toys.
In many families, it has become a tradition where the kids are gifted with a big tricycle. It as proved not only a safer option as compared to other types of tricycles but it has proved to be a favorite pass time for a large number of children who take great pleasure in enjoying the ride of a big wheel tricycle.
Paranormal energy capture in old toys
Is it possible to capture energy that may be retained in objects? How about old toys. Just think of the stories they could tell. Well, I attempted to capture imprinted energy in three sets of old toys using one of my paranormal prototype devices and an old reel to reel tape recorder. I used Diode Device #2 on a Mr. Machine plastic robot, a mechanical monkey with cymbols, and a Laurel and Handy doll set. No microphone is used with this diode device and I processed the captured files using Intel sound morpher software. For more on my paranormal devices go to www.ufogeek.com
2009 Top Trends For Toy Industry
With the economic crisis faced by all the industries worldwide, toy industry is also tightening purse strings and the prevailing trends of the year 2009 is showing this very well. Lets check out the toys and games that will be manufactured by the toy industry and looked for by the consumers this year.
Budget Toys
While the consumers becoming tightfisted, cutting back on avoidable expenses, the toy manufacturers are introducing economically priced toys and games. The basic toys will all the more become popular. Classic toys will make a comeback. So, this year, the remote controlled cars and snack machines could be found more easily than the last few years.
Movie Toys
Movie- licensed toys based on popular movies such as Iron Man, Superman and Batman were some of the most popular toys in 2008 and they will continue to be so in 2009 too. Movie makers keep aside a considerable promotion budget and also there is much liking for action figures in the target market. As such, the reel action heroes will rule the real world of toys too.
Organic and Green Toys
New laws for toy safety will force the toys manufacturers to make green and organic toys from eco friendly raw materials and also from reused or recycled materials. Rising environmental awareness among the general public will also lead the parents to go for green toys.
Interactive and Digital Toys
Toy manufacturers will continue to incorporate the computerized or virtual world into the toys of 2009. Computers and web searching abilities have greatly influenced childrens play patterns in recent years. Links to website and added content will be offered through websites dedicated for this purpose only. Video games will also try to inspire the couch-potato kids to get up and do some activity or exercise while playing.
To sum up, the toy industry in 2009 will focus on toy safety, value, cost and product durability.
Collecting Post War Lionel Trains
From their humble beginnings around the turn of the 20th century Lionel trains rose to become one of the premier makers of trains in the world and especially in the United States. There are two types of Lionel trains that tend to get the most attention; Prewar Lionel trains and Post-war Lionel Trains.
Post War trains refer to those built from 1945 to 1969, which was a turning point for the company which had ceased production of trains during WWII. During the war, Lionel, like many other companies was asked to shut down production and shift production to equipment used in the war. With Pre-War Lionel trains, the distinguishing feature was their bright colors which were popular among women buyers as well as their children. Post war Lionel trains reflected a new era which did not include the same bright, unrealistic colors as the pre-war trains, but they did however have many new features which made them unique. Post war Lionel trains added new and exciting features like the ability to add oil or small tablets which produced smoke, just like a real train. During this time it was O-Gauge trains that played the largest part in the companies return to normal operations and children were quite pleased with these new features.
During the post war era, Lionel trains were selling fast and the only other company that came close to rivaling Lionel was American Flyer, yet Lionel still outsold American Flyer by at least 100%. The company was not without competition though, and their main competition came from Marx toys which had a sales volume more than Lionel.
Lionel train sets were the foundation of a train set and then other pieces were added over time. These train sets were boxed sets that came with all pieces needed to setup a basic layout. Today a full Lionel boxed set has become a hot commodity among collectors as they are fairly rare. Once a train set was purchased, then came the real fun of adding individual pieces to build a large train empire and a new Lionel locomotive was the next piece that was often purchased. Lionel introduced diesel locomotives in 1948, which included the now very famous Santa Fe F-3 as well as the New York Central F-3. These two locomotives would become a turning point for the company, which up until that time was dominated by steam locomotives as this was what was being used by train companies at the time. Diesel however became popular in the 1950’s as well as electric power and the days of steam powered locomotives was coming to an end. Since the design of the real diesel powered locomotives were different, they allowed for graphics to be added to the sides of these locomotives and Lionel followed suit by adding these colorful graphics as well. From sets and locomotives there came a need to keep adding and growing the train set and this included many other post war items including crane cars, boxcars, flat cars, coal dumps, barrel cars, passenger cars and of course cabooses.
Today collecting post war Lionel trains is more popular than ever. These beautiful and unique trains take us back to another era when life was simpler and toys seemed to have much more character.
Old Toys Make Excellent Gifts
A Sacramento antique mall offers great old toys.






