Doll News October 27, 2003

By John Medeiros

Nostalgic and Replica Toys by Schylling-

Perfect Gifts for the Kid in All of Us

The Schylling Brothers have been specializing in making wonderful nostalgic toys and collector quality reproductions for almost thirty years. Each year, they manufacture toys that take us back to our childhoods and toys that recapture the simpler times when all we needed was a little imagination. Nostalgic toys are not just a fad; they fill a need that most modern-day electronic and plastic toys don't provide.

Here are some great holiday gift ideas for the collectors on your shopping list or perhaps even for yourself.

Mickey Mouse and Friends:
Mickey & Minnie Fun-E-Flex Wooden Dolls-Walt Disney's first licensee was
George Borgfeldt & Company. They distributed a variety of wooden Disney
characters under the Fun-E-Flex Co. name. These classic wooden dolls will
put a smile on anyone's face. Moveable arms and legs. These come in two sizes..5 pi" and 3 pi" tall. Their beautiful boxes feature vintage Disney graphics.

Retro Disney Push Puppets- Remember these? I had several as a kid in some of my favorite cartoon characters. These thumb operated toys are great fun for all ages Made of wood and jointed just like the originals. Mickey, Minnie and Pluto are available and are approx 4" to 5" tall.

Mickey & Minnie Hand Car-This wonderful tin litho toy windup is a beauty.
Mickey and Minnie pump the handle up and down animating the hand car as
it runs on O-gauge tracks. Can also operate on hard surfaces. Comes
packaged in a colorful vintage style window box and a Schylling marked
key.

Nostalgic Barbie Collection:

Retro Barbie Vinyl Doll Case- Just like the one you got in 1961.This is a
replica of the 1961 Barbie Doll Case. Inside there's a spot for your doll, a Clothes bar to hang her beautiful outfits and a spacious drawer for her accessories. A great way to keep your doll things organized. The graphics feature four Barbies wearing Sweater Girl, Enchanted Evening, Let's Dance and her classic zebra print swim suit.

Retro Barbie Vinyl Travel Case- This great keepsake is perfect and like
Barbie herself, irresistibly appealing. It is also very functional. It features the same graphics as the replica doll case. This would make a great lunchbox, purse or stash for your smaller Barbie collectibles... Full zipper and satin-like lining .Measures 7 " across.

Retro Barbie Vinyl Photo Album-What better way to show off your latest portraits of friends and family (or dolls) than with the Barbie Vinyl Photo Album. Holds 24 4X6 pictures. The cover features a vintage graphic of blonde bubble cut Barbie dressed in her classic ensemble, "Solo in the Spotlight". Great for those digital camera print outs or snapshots. Every Barbie collector needs a "brag book" and this none is perfect. Measures 6.5" tall.

Retro Barbie Vinyl Diary/Day Planner-Designed for the diverse lifestyle of today's woman, this organizer will keep track of your important events with style. The black vinyl cover features a blonde bubble cut Barbie in lavender Belle Dress on the phone. It includes a front section for cards and ID and has divided sections for Diary, Communications, Projects, Expenses, Goals and an address/telephone section. A pad of blank pages is included in the back. Measures 6 " tall.

Retro Barbie Paper Dolls-These magic-stick paper dolls feature paper versions of vintage blonde swirl Barbie and blonde Skipper dolls and many wonderful paper doll versions of their classic vintage and matching outfits. The folder set is like the paper doll sets of the 50s and 60s with a pretty cover and pockets inside to organize the dolls and clothes. What's different about this set is that the dolls are on magnets, and the clothes are printed on a special magnetic paper that sticks to the dolls without using tabs. But, you still get all the fun of cutting them out with scissors. Also available is a "Dolly Dingle and her Little Kitty" Magic Paper Doll set for those whose nostalgic memories reach back to the turn of the century.

Schoenhut Wooden Reproductions

Wooden Elephant-This very special elephant is a reproduction of a wood toy made in the USA about sixty years ago. It was part of the Schoenhut "Humpty Dumpty Circus" It is beautifully made with posable feet. legs, head and nose. He also comes with a small wooden stool. He is 10" wide and 6 " tall. This piece is one of my favorite toys in the Schylling line and I hope they do more of the "Humpty Dumpty Circus" figures in the future. Also available is a 10" high jointed wooden doll named "Grace" inspired by the wood dolls made by Schoenhut over 100 years ago.

Tin Windup Robot Reproductions

Atomic Robot- This 11 " high guy towers over the competition. He's imposing and has three mechanical functions. Switch him on after winding him up and he walks forward, his arms move back and forth and his head turns from side to side! The impressive size and complicated movements make this a very special robot. The box is absolutely fantastic with graphics of him walking down city streets towering over the buildings.

Numbered Limited Edition with COA and his Schylling marked key.

Roxy Robot-Get your chores done quickly with the help of this Robot Maid. Her arms swing and she's holding a spatula as she walks along performing
her house work. Numbered & Limited Edition. Comes with windup key in her
colorful retro box with vintage style graphics. 5 1/2 "tall.

Electra Girl Robot-Electra doesn't speak. She just walks around swinging her arms. In her right hand is a lightning bolt. She stands 5" tall. Some think she is beautiful. Others think she is scary. We hope she makes a good companion for all the guys: Atomic Man, Neutron Man, and Proton Man. Just don't provoke her! Numbered & Limited edition. In retro gift box with Schylling key.

This is just a small sample of the hundreds of wonderful nostalgic toys these folks offer. Other character items include Classic Superman, Curious George, Dr. Seuss, Olivia, Winnie the Pooh, Roy Rogers, Lionel Trains, Madeline, Raggedy Ann & Andy, Thomas & Friends, Little Orphan Annie and Miffy & Friends.

Schylling toys are sold in retail stores, specialty stores and also
directly from their website at www.schylling.com.