Why Are Old Toys So Awesome?
Grandma went to a garage sale recently and bought a duffel bag full of toys. One of the items in that bag was this adorable Tonka Dune Buggy:
This toy is about 4" long. It has a metal body, plastic wheels, and a removal plastic top:
The bottom of the toy says TONKA 55340 MADE IN U.S.A.:
This very satisfying toy got me thinking: why are old toys so much better than new ones? This little car is beautifully constructed. It has thick metal axles and wonderful detailing. The use of metal and plastic is appropriate: metal for the body and axles, plastic for the interior and fine details. Look how cute this thing is in my hand:
Now, compare this toy to the current Tonka offerings:
(image unavailable)
(photo by Jose Camba)
One wonders what lead to the garish colors and disturbing anthropomorphization of ‘Chuck the Truck’.
I realize that plastic toys are less expensive and easier to produce (in China) that metal toys made in the USA. We as a society have decided on a path of more is more. But does every child really need 5 ‘Chuck the Truck’ toys? I think every little boy would really enjoy one metal 1960s Tonka Dune Buggy instead, especially if that toy lasted forty years and could be passed down to your children.
Update: this toy first appears in the 1970 Tonka Look Book as the Fun Buggy. I encourage you to spend some time browsing the Neat Old Toys site for more old Tonka goodness.
Update 2: On a related tangent, modern homes burn much more quickly than older homes.
Comments
Phil, as someone a LOT older than you (3 years), I can appreciate your paean to all things old. Watch out though, that you don't turn into that most loathsome of things, a conservative.
Anyway, here's the thing: I'm sure the study's been done: paint eyes on toys and more kids will be drawn to them. What I have a problem with are the imagination-sucking, low-quality, cheap toys that kids get bored with in a half second. If you read Dr. John Medina's Brain Rules for Baby, you'll read one of the things he recommends is giving a kid a big cardboard box and some crayons then getting out of the way to watch the mental fireworks.
Wow Fred, awesome point about eyes on toys, didn't think about that (and don't worry I'm in no danger of becoming a conservative).
Maybe the eyes on modern toys actually point towards an infantilizing trend in toys? I understand that eyes on toys might engage babies more, but I can't imagine a 6-10 year old would care about that at all. My eldest boy is four and he seems very interested in realism in his play. What does it say about our culture that we want all children to play like babies?
I know, the conservative comment was tongue-in-cheek. I'm one of those loathsome conservatives myself and know you to be otherwise! :-)
If you want to talk about an infantilizing trend in society, you only have to look at the delayed, everlasting childhoods of 40-year-olds who refuse to have any kind of committed relationships (including children, the most committing of all committed relationships!), dressing like they're still 17 and playing Black Ops on ALL their play consoles. No one wants to grow up so it doesn't surprise me that there's this trend in toys.
Here is told the exact thing that old toys are better than any other toys. The are looking really awesome. The toy which has been given in that link is looking very cool.