A quick browse through a 1940s catalogue for old lead toys will tell you why girls would often beg for boys toys or steal their brothers.
The boy’s figures are dynamic and daring. A soldier with a machine gun, a cowboy on a dappled horse with a moveable arm and pistol (the cowboy, not the horse), and a whole troop of Prussian Grenadiers.
The dullest ‘boy’ figure is a gardener – but even he has a large sickle
The female figures are a largely dreary lot. Egg collectors, milkmaids, floor washers and an Old Mother Hubbard with a black Labrador.
It’s quite revealing to consider the adult roles the toy makers envisaged for their young customers. While boys were destined for adventure, science, exploration, farming – even war – girls were the home-makers.
Which probably explains why Angela Arnison, who I met while visiting Chesterfield Flea Market, was so jealous of her brother’s toys.
“I wanted to play with his Meccano,” she explained to me as we sifted through a lot of vintage toys piled up on the stall of Janet Parks.
“This was the 1940s and girls didn’t play with boy’s toys. The Mecanno seemed more exciting than my dolls – especially as my dad used to sit on the floor with him. I’m not sure what I wanted more, the Meccano or my dad’s attention. They always looked like they were having more fun.”
I can see Angela’s point. While dolls are just dolls, Meccano could transform into anything from roadster to a robot. Which is really the nub of the whole boys v girls toys. As Michael Lyons (a fan of models – see below) observes, a pre-teen boys in the early 1960s spent most of his time outdoors in trees, playing superheroes or cowboys and Indians so any toy had to work super hard just to keep him and his pals at home.
You could do so much more with boys’ toys. They even took a certain amount of skill and dexterity to play with them. You had to build them or, at the very least, paint them. After a few days of gluing, painting and chopping off your finger ends – you’d end up with a model army, a tank or glider which you could take outside for an afternoon of active play.
Small wonder, girls often ditched their play ‘cookers’ and asked for cars, footballs and go-carts for Christmas – even at the risk of being labelled a ‘tom-boy’. As my friend Helen Read says; “I loved playing with my brother’s cars and Lego. Why they were considered boys’ toys is beyond me.”
Boys toys are really good for girls. While researching this article, I encountered a lot of men who’d gone into a career in engineering, IT, science and construction because of toys like Lego or Meccano. In the UK, just nine per cent of engineers are female. Experts from the Institute of Engineering and Technology believe gender stereotyping toys can discourage girls from engineering and science at an early age as the majority of construction, mathematical, scientific and technological toys are still aimed at boys.
Jess Day, from Let Toys Be Toys , campaigns to stop retailers categorising toys by gender. “It’s not just the toys which are the issue, but the whole idea that some things are just for boys or girls,” she says.
“If children learn that early, it’s hardly surprising that they go on to apply this logic to their career choices, too.”
Jess and her colleagues from the group interviewed female engineers and scientists about their own toy choices. While they don’t recall playing with cowboys or chemistry kits, they all said their parents made no distinction between boys and girls toys.
Things are getting better. Psychologist Dr Brenda Todd of City University London said: “Girls have started to play increasingly less with female-typed toys over more recent decades, which may possibly indicate moves towards greater gender equality in Western societies.”
It seem that modern-day girls are just putting into practice something we all already knew.
Boys’ toys are better than girls.
Jolly Volley presents a guide to the top ten best vintage boys’ toys.
Number Ten; The Space Hopper chosen by Janet Parks who stands at Chesterfield Flea Market every Thursday with vintage buys including oodles of toys.
What? The inane-faced inflatable has been with us since 1969. It was designed by Aquilino Cosani of Ledragomma, an Italian company which manufactured rubber balls. Hence, it was a giant rubber ball – with ears.
Why? I mean come on – everyone wanted one of these; not just boys. But their popularity – they were hot well into the 1980s – was more of an intermittent craze. Once played with; it was often relegated to the garage. The reason was it’s weight and speed…while skates and scooters could increase your speed; the Space Hopper was slower than an arthritic snail on a glue spillage. It was just too heavy, which is probably why it was more popular with boys…you also had to show quite a bit of your knickers.
Still around? Of course – these bulbous beauties often to hop back into fashion – especially with adults. Argos currently stocks one for £14.99.
Collectable? Now here’s a thing – if you have got one in the garage it could be worth anything from £10 to £185 according to June/July 2018 sales on eBay. Don’t jump up and down too much – they usually sell for under-40 depending on age and condition.
Number Nine; The 1970s Evel Knievel stunt cycle chosen by Bobby of Hatch Vintage
What? Everyone knows Evel Knievel – he was the stunt rider who decided the best way to put food on the table for his wife and family was to jump over things – snakes, cars, buses and a canyon (in more of a rocket than a bike; and he failed). Spin-off toys included Evel bikes, dragsters, crash cars and a rocket.
Why? He was a hero throughout the 1970s and children wanted to emulate his stunts. The toys could not only jump in the air – they could do wheelies (allegedly). It was the excitement with none of the risks – apart from grazing your knuckles as your cranked the winding wheel (energizer) or smashed the plastic figure into your mum’s Ming vase.
Still around? No, sadly Evel’s popularity had waned by the end of the 70s when his spectacular stunts kept ending in failure. There was a brief re-issue of the toy in 2005; even that version is collectable/valuable in itself.
Collectable? Hell yes, you post one on eBay and collector’s around the world will be posting notifications. The prices rise year on year. “Used values on the collectors’ market have risen annually, the advent of the sites like eBay being godsends for them,” says Jackie Robins who runs the Facebook page Evel Kneivel Stunt Cycle Toys says. “Collecting is addictive, and once you start, you find yourself seeking out the obscure and also then having to have every derivative.” Expect to pay from £50-200 for ‘new in the box’ 1970s toy versions. A first edition toy could be worth up to £1,000.
Number eight; Mecanno chosen by Angela Arnison, who lives in Chesterfield.
What? It’s a metal construction ‘system’ which has been with us since 1898 thanks to creator Frank Hornby. The aim was to teach children about the principle of mechanical engineering. ‘Make and know’ is said to be the basis of the name. So far – so dull. But give a child some tin plates, nuts and blots, levers and gears and you never know what they are going to build. Robots, tractors, trains – even space shuttles and life-size versions of a locomotive.
Why? It’s a fun way to train the brain. Don’t take my word for it. The late Sir Harry Kroto, a joint winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, said the toy helped him understand how structures stay together. “My father bought me a Meccano set and I think one of the disasters of modern life is that Meccano has been displaced by Lego,” he said. “I think 99 per cent of all British engineers were brought up on Meccano.”
Still around? Indeed, it remained in the hands of the Hornby family until 1964. It’s had a few owners since and is currently under the control of Spin Master Ltd of Canada. A ten model truck set will set you back £16.99 on Amazon.
Collectable? At the Specialist Toy Auction at Bamfords, a collection of vintage Mecanno sets was estimated to reach £180-220. It sold for £960. On eBay, a No1 Aeroplane set (incomplete) of a bi-plane sold for £95.99. Complete, mint condition kits could be worth thousands.
Number seven: Cowboys & Indians chosen by Diane Abbott of Chesterfield – Diane loved the dressing up and the toy versions
What? In it’s purest form, cowboys & Indians involved running around a small area – garden, wood, settee – ducking, diving and pointing your finger at friends and shouting ‘Bang’. A more textured version would have you donning dressing up gear – including feathered headdresses – and chaps (leggings for cowboys) and pointing a toy pistol and shouting ‘Bang’. But you could also buy many version of cowboy and Indian toys – from the cheap packets of plastic toys from Hong Kong; to the beautiful lead versions by Britain’s.
Even the plastic ones are collectible – especially if they have all their tiny accessories. In the 1950s, Britains decided they needed a plastic version of the lead toys as they were likely to get chipped and damaged by play. These toys could be pulled (popped) apart – at the head, waist and hat – to allow boys (and girls) to swop the figures around. Ingeniously, they were called ‘Swoppets’ and you might want to swap any you have in the attic for a few quid (see what I did there). A recent eBay sale saw a box of 1960s Indians selling for £59.99.
Why? Cowboys and Indians was fun to play with your friends and – if your pals were otherwise engaged – the play could continue inside with your pocket-money figures. As Diane says “The games brought you, your friends and your siblings together,”.
Diane (pictured left), loved dress-up play her love of nostalgia sparked a life-long love of vintage toys and artefacts – she collects period toys from the 1940s for the home front/military-inspired WWII group Bird Dog at War.
Still around? Playmobil do a Western-themed gold mine set for £49.04 on Amazon. A ‘cheap’ plastic bag of figures costs £3.60!
Collectable: You betcha bottom dollar. Swoppets can trade hands from anything from £1 to £73 for a rare and complete stage coach (shown above). As for lead; a Timpo ‘Lucky’ mounted cowboy from the Hopalong Cassidy series realised £37.66 when it sold via eBay in July 2018. A vintage bundle of cowboy clothes – with tassels – sold for £10.50.
Number six: Airfix toy kits chosen by Michael Lyons of Sutton-in-Ashfield
What? I’ve read a few modellers/collectors talking about the ‘gooey, nostalgic’ feeling they get thinking about their Airfix kits. It’s hard to believe this global phenomenon started as a cheap, promotion model used to entice farmers to buy Ferguson tractors. It was in the 1950s that Woolworths’ toy buyer Jim Russon suggested the Airfix company make a model Drake’s Golden Hind for children. By the 60s and 70s, the hobby was huge. Matthew Green, of war-gaming website The Dining Table Napoleon, says he recalls hours ‘In seclusion working on my kits or reading up about WW2 aircraft, tanks and ships without needing to do any tiresome social interaction.’
Why? Although you needed the patience and steady hand of a saint and thousands of little paint pots – there was something so satisfying about turning a sheet of cheap polystyrene into a Spitfire.
Still around? Absolutely, now owned by Hornby, you can still buy ‘vintage classics’ including a model of the Golden Hind for £32.99.
Collectable? When Airfix started out at Woolworths, the kits had to adhere to the ‘two shilling’ pricing rule. These days, a rare BMW motorbike kit (1975) will set you back in excess of two ten POUND notes.
Number five: Super Flight Deck chosen by Jack McGrath of Ashbourne.
What: My husband (Jack) isn’t the only 50-something who remembers how exciting it was to wake up on Christmas morning to find Father Christmas had left Super Flight Deck. Now this was often the problem with 60s/70s toys – pre-computer age, the boxes and advertising on toys promised so much but delivered so little. Super Flight Deck promised a completely realistic experience of landing a phantom jet on a battleship. Here’s the reality described by Simon Moore; “I remember asking for this for Christmas. I didn’t get it, but my mate did, and when I saw it in action, even in 1974 as a nine year old, I remember thinking ‘I’m glad I didn’t get it now!’. A model plane on a bit of string. Good grief.”
Why? Who wouldn’t want to experience the rush of landing a jet? All the grown-up little boys I spoke to got misty eyed thinking about the thrill of it; including the frustration of not being able to get their hands on it until Boxing Day because their dad and uncles monopolised the game all Christmas Day. There’s also a very real possibility that people joined the RAF as a result – like Neil Beresford; “Failed the (pilot) training, but I did join the RAF as a radar tech. For reference, having large amounts of flying hours recorded on flight deck – did help during the interview process!”
Still around? Seriously? Of course not. Any cheap computer console can give you a flight simulation experience which is nearly identical to that of landing a real plane/jet/space craft. Your sons and daughter would laugh if you put a plastic plane on a wire in their stocking.
Collectable? Naturally. There’d be no appeal whatsoever to computer-age children; except to indulge dad if he begs them to join in with his retro toy fun. But for the 50-plus – it’s the Christmas toy of 2018. Expect to pay anything between £25 and £200-plus (mint condition and boxed) for a 1970s version.
Number four: TV and movie tie-in action figures. Dave, of Somerset, runs the YouTube channel Toypolloi has chosen ‘Howling Mad’ Murdock from the 1980s action adventure series The A-Team.
What? Movie merchandise has been around since the advent of the mass entertainment. The Lupino Lane “Doing the Lambeth Walk’ doll was based on a character from a 1937 musical. Take a short stroll though any decade since and dolls and action figures have been produced in their millions to capitalise on the popularity of a (often children’s) film/TV series. Murdock was one such figure; “He was the character I liked the most because he was strange and had funny lines,” says Dave. “At the time, these figures were more expensive than the Star Wars figures. It took me a good few weeks to save the pocket money but I absolutely loved it.”
Why? “Movie and TV toys are great as they allow you to recreate scenes,” says Dave from Toypolloi. “More so back in the 1970s when you didn’t have access to video to rewatch them over and over again.”
As for the appeal of Murdock. “Not only did you get the figure but you got weapons, grappling hooks and things like that. I played with him for absolutely ages. He was the only A-Team figure I ever had so it was just him getting into scrapes in my parent’s garden.”
Still around? Like Star Wars, movie/TV merchandise always be with us. Ironically, a lot of the 2018’s hot property toys are re-boots from Marvel Comics; even the Transformers toys are back (big in the ’80s). As for the vintage toys, adults collect the things they had or – and this is very common – the things they wanted as a child but couldn’t afford. “I’m making my own Imperial Army from Star Wars,” explains Dave. “Always wanted one as a kid. Never got it – so I’m building it now.”
Collectable? Oh yes. To paraphrase Buzz Lightyear, prices can go from ‘Infinity – and beyond’. Even Lupino Lane has his fan-base; a doll sold for £95 at Bamford’s Specialist Toy Auction in August 2018.
If you’re talking classic movies you can bet your Ghostbusters Marshmallow Man that someone, somewhere, collects the associated merchandise. If this hasn’t put you off, I suggest you get yourself a brew, get settled in a comfy chair and watch the Toypolloi YouTube videos for advice on collecting Star Wars figures.
Number three: Action Man Red Devil Parachutist chosen by Rob Wisdom. Rob is the curator of the definitive website Action Man HQ
What? Gary Lineker aside, Action Man is the most famous thing to come out of Leicestershire (from Coalville-based Palitoy way back in 1966). The first figures were imaginatively called Action Sailor, Action Soldier and Action Pilot. With the scar and a dog tag as a given, Action Man also had a mind-blowing range of accessories (that’s girl’s speak for weapons/vehicles). As the years went by the figures improved – eagle eyes, gripping hands, nicer ‘flocked’ hair and they also expanded their market to include cricketers and footballer. Figures from the golden age (1966-1984) are known as VAMS – vintage Action Man.
Why? “I thought he was great because he was an extension of me – I imagined me in his place,” explains Rob Wisdom, talking about the Red Devil Parachutist he was given in 1970.
“I played with him a lot but throwing up high enough was a ‘get-your-dad-to-do-it’ thing. Some kids were lucky enough to live in blocks of flats, so they had an advantage. Action Man was a tough playmate and a dependable friend in that he was always ready to do what I wanted – no matter how daft.”
Girls loved them too…they were often press-ganged into becoming a best pal or ‘boy’ friend to their dolls.
“I borrowed my brother’s Action Man as Sindy’s friends,” says doll collector Helen O’Brien who runs the Instagram account @poorlittlenell.
“I called them Archibald, Godfrey and Modesty. Archibald was a bit of a nutter – he once locked Sindy in her caravan. Godfrey and Modesty were much more timid.”
Still around? According to Rob Wisdom, New Action Man figures and accessories were available for Christmas 2018 (capitalising on the interest show in Vintage figures shown on that MoneySuperMarket advert). Expect to pay as little as £13.99 for a soldier figure from Toy & Gift Emporium.
Collectable? Since that MoneySuperMarket advert’, an already heated market for vintage figures became red-hot. At Bamfords Specialist Toy Auction (August 2018) the auctioneer instructed everyone to ‘Just ignore’ the estimate value of £50-70 on a box of Action Man toys and accessories. They sold for £240 which, with commission, is the best part of £300. To put this in context, a rare Queen Victoria doll in mourning (made when she was on the throne) achieved £190.
Number two: Matchbox cars chosen by David Tilley, of Northampton, who runs the Instagram account @davidjtilley
What? It’s only fitting that such a quintessentially British classic toy car should have a legendary story. The company was started by three men Jack Odell, Lesley Smith and Rodney Smith – hence ‘Lesney’ (a combination of Lesley/Rodney). It Jack who had the car-in-a-box brainwave. His daughter needed to take something into school no bigger than a matchbox – so he scaled down the Lesney road roller to fit.
After the launch in 1954, the Matchbox series mostly focussed on British cars like the MG Midget and London bus; but as the years rolled by – and the market expanded – they introduced European and American models. By 1968, when the company was the biggest seller of die-cast models world-wide.
Why? They looked like real cars. The designers took pictures of popular cars and, in some cases, blueprints so their scaled-down versions were fabulously detailed. Then you add the cute little box = swoon.
As David Tilley says: “I was crazy about cars growing up and Matchbox were the best and most realistic.
“I have been a serious collector since my teens and now have around 14,000 cars.”
Still around? Very much so. After a spell under Tyco and Universal Toys – which saw ‘China’ on the chassis for the first time – the Matchbox brand was acquired by Mattel, owners of the arch rival brand Hot Wheels. You can only guess what a stink this created in the Matchbox collector’s community – an unholy row which only settled when Mattel started to produce realistic, traditional cars for this range and, in some cases, even sold then with retro matchboxes. Hurrah.
But nostalgia comes at a price – the limited edition Superfast Lincoln Premiere will set you back £61.25 with delivery.
Collectable? Deciding to collect vintage Matchbox cars could have you on the road to disappointment. Collecting vintage cars (50, 60s) from the big three – Matchbox, Dinky, Corgi – will put you into the running with people who see collecting as a serious endeavour rather than a whimsical hobby. At a recent auction in Derby, I parked up thinking I could buy a few cute models – circus trailer and camper van – only to find I was in the room with collectors who will go to any length (and money) to put something on their shelf.
While some battered, play-worn models will set you back a few pounds – anything rare and in mint condition will be a few thousand. Just today (August 31 2018) a rare, vintage 1958 Matchbox 45 Vauxhall (pictured above) sold for approximately £3,800 ($4963) on eBay.
Number one; Lego, chosen by Nick, from Armenia, who posts Lego photographs on the Instagram account @whitechapp
What? Lego invariably tops every top ten toy poll for a reason. These little construction bricks belong to the biggest toy company in the world. The history goes all the way back to when Danish carpenter Ole Kirk (Christiansen) started making wooden toys in 1932. In 1934, the company was named Lego (a derivative of leg godt or play well). However, it was 1947 when the company first clapped eyes on the interlocking brick (originally patented in the UK). It was Ole’s son Godtfred who recognised the potential of the toy – so he set about improving the design and materials. Those first Lego bricks, produced in the 50s, will still lock with the ones produced today. Simple – yes. Genius – undoubtedly.
Why? Since the 50s, the company has proved it’s motto ‘det bedste er ikke for godt’ (the best is not too good). Thanks to a hundred-plus designers, the company consistently stays ahead of the game; while the brick stay the same – the sets and the merchandising (movies, theme parks, clothing) keeps the brand fresh. Year after year, a Lego product tops the most-wanted list for children across the globe. It’s popularity lies in the fact that it’s fun for kids and educational enough to please their parents…’little Johnny built a fully function human heart from Lego‘.
For enthusiasts, allegiance to Lego runs deep. Nick (20), says it made him the person he is today; “When I was a child I admired Lego, I used to spend hours and hours plays with Lego Harry Potter and Star Wars. It has almost unlimited creative potential – you can make anything you want from these little bricks,” he says.
“Now I am a photographer and Lego is the main subject of my photographs.”
Still around? In 2015, Lego trounced Ferrari to the title World’s Most Powerful Brand. Of all of the toys featured, it’s the one which has maintained it’s popularity; the company is forever evolving and making alliances with other powerful brands – Harry Potter, Star Wars, Batman. Also, the mini-figures (with us since 1978) have taken on a social media life of their own.
Collectable? Yes but…don’t assume vintage Lego is more valuable than non-vintage. The recent sets have been eye-wateringly expensive and desirable. A twenty year old Western Fort attained a re-sale price of £349.99, whereas a pirate ship – 30 years older – sold for £80. The City Airport set (above) might only be ten years old, but it achieved an impressive re-sale value of £119.99.
The future for boys v girls toys?
The major toy retailers – Argos, John Lewis, Amazon and other toy experts – have already released their top 40 Christmas 2018 picks for the most popular toys.
It’s dominated by cuddly toys, dolls, finger puppets and play kitchens, fire engines, laser guns and train sets. The most striking about the whole collection is they look curiously vintage rather than cutting-edge.
While there are some which will appeal to box sexes – Gravitrax Starter Set (marbles) – it is still possible to run through the list saying ‘boys’ and ‘girls’ just from the packaging. So, I’m going to pull out three toys from the list which will fit the criteria of appealing to both sexes – and because they look like the best fun.
3. PJ Masks Headquarters Playset, £49.99
Recommended by: DreamToys, Hamleys, Tesco and Argos
2. Nickelodeon Experimake Sludge ‘n’ Slime, RRP £20, and currently £10 at The Entertainer
Recommended by: The Entertainer
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LEGO Harry Potter set – Hogwarts Great Hall £89.99
Recommended by: Amazon
Source 40 best Christmas 2018 toys
Sources
The 13 Most Influential Toys of All Time; Time Magazine
Gendered toys could deter girls from career in engineering; The Guardian
Bamfords Auctioneers and Valuers
BBC News; Do you remember the Evel Kneivel stunt cycle?
Retro Game Emporium YouTube
