Art of Toys Blog
Tin Toys
Tin toys are very desirable as collectables currently thou most do not meet safety standards for toys so are no longer labeled "toys" but "collectables" and this is usually accompanied by 14 years and up. Prior to the mid-seventies tin toy collection with the...
Drug Dealer Barbie
Drug Dealer Barbie I just read the funniest Barbie story on the internet in awhile "Drug Dealer Barbie"... poor Barbie cannot get a break. I was going to put the link to the Daily Mail but my computer alerted me to virus ad ware so I will cut and paste it! A huge haul...
Uncle Goose
I have always loved this line and am proud to have their wonderful products online and in the gallery. It is wonderful to still see a toy line made in the USA! Other than the silly-yet-sophisticated mascot, no one at Uncle Goose wears a suit to work. It's not that...
The Treasures of Childhood -Struwwelpeter
The Treasures of Childhood -“Struwwelpeter” When looking for inspiration and or themes for the blog I often go to my collection of toy reference books. This morning I rediscovered the book “The Treasures of Childhood” by Iona Robert Opie and Brian Alderson. This is a...
Google Words
Google Words Have you ever used the wonderful tool Google Words from Google where you can choose key words for Google to send you info on what is happening with that word in the current news! Wow what a help and yet I cannot decide if there truly is no news in the...
Thinking Toy – Erector Sets
Thinking Toy - Erector Sets The holidays will be on us before you know it and a great toy for all ages is a thinking toy - Erector Sets. Take a toy that is timeless fun and requires a child or adult to put some thought into planning and construction. The doing is as...
How Condition Affects Value for Collectables
How Condition affects value for collectables Well the obvious answer is the better the condition the more value. In these days of ebay and shows like Antique Roadshow and American Pickers thou many are buying toys and just leaving them in the package so this is about...
Christmas in July…ho ho ho
Christmas in July...ho ho ho It is hot outside, 104 today, and it is hard to think about the holidays but this is the time of year when retailers have to start making commitments to manufacturers and artists for the holiday season. Every year it is a guessing game as...
SPAM
Sorry to have missed a few days but the site was hit with a explosion of SPAM (not the food) ...drove me nuts! We were so excited to finally get the Review tab functioning correctly so you could start listing your wonderful reviews and comments directly but...
Paper Toys
Paper Toys Paper toys have been around since the mid-1600s when they were called Pantins. Almost every toy can be found in a paper or cardboard version. American companies began turning out paper toys by the thousands around 1900. McLoughlin/Milton Bradley, the most...
Art Copyright – Who Retains the Rights?
Art Copyright - Who Retains the Rights? Art Copyright is the right to copy or reproduce an artwork and consequently sell, exhibit, etc. If you are an artist who has created an original work of art (it could be a drawing, an oil painting, a photograph, a digital art...
Can Monsters be cute?
Monsters are wonderful for the artist for there are no boundaries in creativity... anything goes! T. Oliver Kopian of Creatures Delight has been creating cute monsters for years but since Disney did the Monster. Inc. movies I hear oh that is just like "Monsters Inc."...
Collecting Toy Reference Books
Collecting Toy Reference Books I love buying old toy reference books at the local used book store...I guess I have started a collection of toy reference books...help me! Yes I know there is the internet but guess what someone has to put it on the internet first and I...
Toy Blocks
Toy Blocks Blocks the universal toy that are a treasure in the simple lines of design that can be discovered by all ages and cultures. I was surprised to find that, according to Wiki, the first historic mention of blocks was not until 1693 by English philosopher John...
Who is Monster Painter Jared Konopitski?
Who is Monster Painter Jared Konopitski? This month at Art Of Toys in the Sacramento Gallery it has added the creative work of local artist Jared Konopitski in a series of fun monster paintings. We first met Jared thru in house artist Chris Cinder who suggested we try...
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