Writegirl you asked if there might be somewhere that sells nostalgic toys and I remembered the place that does. Its called BETTY'S ATTIC and they have a delightful catalog with thing like the Beatles memorabelia, Kewpie dolls, Coke a cola stuff, Campbells soup collectibles, Betty Crocker stuff, Betsy Wetsy dolls, Fashion designer paper dolls, you name she has it....ta ta da, even has Pink satin poodle skirts in many sizes. It feels like your back in the 50's again. Over 160 new items and they are open 24/7. The number to call for a catalog is 1-800-294-4068 and the site is:
www.bettysattic.com
Enjoy ladies...some great Christmas things in there. Youn have to see this stuff to believe it. Time warp.....

Chatty ,
That sounds exciting and have to check that site out . Oh, Lousia and know that you are away this weekend. I remember have those pop beads they were plasic and had the color pink and just wore them out popping them all the time Ha! Good one for me.

What a great site Chatty. I saw a bunch of stuff I want to buy for my family for christmas!!!!!

speaker, I had a Chatty Cathy doll. She was the only thing I wanted when I was four or five. I don't have the doll, but I did find one of her white records in a box of chilchood memorabilia.

I'm back. Didn't see any pop beads, Nancy, but oh the things I saw in this wonderful antique store in Ogunquit, ME! Old dolls, old paper dolls, vintage clothes and jewelry. The old hats are a hoot. I saw an old metal spinning top. Anyone remember those? I saw a metal dollhouse or two. I swear it used to be mine. Also saw this glass powder box with a french poodle on the cover that is just like the one my grandfather gave me many moons ago. I kept saying to my daughter, "I had one of those." I told her I've been wondering where all my stuff went and now I know it must have ended up in that store.

JJ - today we saw a handmade wooden dollhouse with windows that opened and closed. I couldn't find any furniture worth buying though.

Louisa

Lousia,
I had a metal dollhouse with furniture and did not come with people as my daughters did . My metal dollhouse fell apart one day and not sure why . I had a metal stoller for my doll and a metal baby bed also. I know what happen too them . I had a betsy wetsy doll and still have her , but she does not went anymore I put milk in her bottle and it cloged her tub .

Sounds like you had a good trip .

[ July 11, 2005, 10:10 PM: Message edited by: Nancy50 ]

I posted something last night and it isn't here. I must have forgotten to hit the button or something. That's strange. Anyway, Nancy, that's so funny about putting milk in your doll's bottle.It's a wonder she didn't get moldy. Isn't it amazing how we survived all those metal toys?

I'm writing a newspaper piece about the old drugstores in our city. Do you all remember going to the corner drugstore and flirting with the soda jerk? 10 cents for a cherry coke? Frappes? The swivel stools? The phone booths? The pharmacist knowing his customers? Candy Cupboard chocolates?

Louisa

Coke floats, their crisp white uniforms with the little boat hats that they wore sideways (to be cool), and the JUKEBOXES!!!!!! I loved sitting in a booth. I can remember a bunch of us girls all squeezing into one booth and giggling and acting silly. Don't you know the owner thought "oh boyyyy" when he saw us coming? It was something straight out of Happy Days!

JJ

Jukeboxes...

I played He ain't heavy, he's my brother. It was the same one a cute boy played all the time. We had a Jukebox affair, ha ha.
I dated him for the summer when he was visiting Newfoundland.
Haven't seen him since (JJ leave that statement alone)

chick

I remember one of my favorite toys when I was a kid was Spyrograph. I liked using the different colored pens and making cool designs.

Vicki, my sister had one of those. I loved those things. Remember Etch-a-Sketch?

Did drugstores have booths and jukeboxes or were those malt shops? The drugstores here, that I remember, just had the fountains. The jukeboxes and booths were in diners and the old malt shops or ice cream parlors. I remember an ice cream parlor on Cape Cod. Thinking about it now, I can almost smell the salty air and hear Patti Page singing Old Cape Cod.

I do remember those hats the soda jerks wore, root beer floats, and twirling around on the stools.
Louisa

Lousia ,

I remember the soda jerks with the hats and the 5 cent cokes and the chairs that would swirl around and around and the cherry cokes and the vanila cokes Jukeboxes also . I remember Winky Dink we would draw with crayons on the plastic on the the TV . Fun show on TV. Oh, I remember Patti Page singing old Cape Cod .

Did anyone have the Revlon Doll ? That is before they came out with Barbie . I still have my Revlon Doll today but her body is in two pieces now . Her hair is still lovely and still have her clothes and some my mothers friend made for her . I will think of more . I did very well playing jacks and still could play today if I find some around . Ha!

I didn't have the Revlon doll, I don't think. I had a beautiful teenage doll, but she was more like a grown-up. She had pretty brown hair, pearl earrings, and gorgeous dress and a little fur jacket. They still have jacks out there. Pick up stix too. And in Ogunquit, I saw Tiddly Winks and jack straws.

I still have my metal weaving loom for making potholders and it's in the original box.
Louisa

Lousia ,
Now that I think of it she did come with pearl earrings and a fur jacket . I bet that was the same doll she was a lot like barbie and barbie came out the next year . I had a Jenny Doll also and she was a lot smaller then the Revlon Doll. Oh, the pick up sticks they were fun

I have today my brothers glass marbles in a metal tobacco can . I wonder what they are worth ? Hum...

Louisa,
The jukeboxes we had were tabletop and we would all crowd in the booths and play Elvis, of course!

JJ

That's funny. I remember the jukeboxes, but not in our drugstores. At least not the ones I hung out in. I remember one drugstore that had round tables with marble tops and the old wooden chairs with the round seats. But, that one didn't have jukeboxes. I'm trying to remember where we had booths. If I can remember it, I can use it in my story. This is a big city. We had lots of drugstores. I wasn't in all of them.

Nancy - maybe it was teh same doll. I'm surprised I didn't find her in the antique store the other day. I thought about buying the powder jar with the poodle on top because I swear it was the one I had, but they wanted $40 for the thing. I didn't like it that much.

Louisa

Did anyone else have a "Mama" doll? I have a picture of me when I was about three, holding two Mama dolls. I searched for years for one like one of those in the photo, and finally found one. You can see the picture of her here:

http://www.suite101.com/mypage.cfm/thesacredcircle/21824

It may take a while to load, as there are other pictures too.

I also have a vinyl Kewpie, a Baby Giggles and many other dolls. I collect things from my past. I have marbles too, but they aren't worth much, just the good memories. I have a penny bubblegum machine, a Lionel train set, and many teddy bears.

Two other good places to look for toys from our past are:

http://www.tias.com/stores/tiasexchange/
http://www.rubylane.com/

Just go there and do a search for what you are looking for. Their prices are reasonable too.

Thanks for the memories!

I had a doll that I loved I think she was called "Little Miss No Name" She had a teardrop on her cheek. I just loved her. I have to check out those sites to see if they have one, I'd love to see her again.

Wow, I just checked on ebay....For one Little Miss No Name in the box they are up to $263.00. At least I got a peek at her again! LOL
Why did I have to play with mine? Why didn't I keep her? Darn!

Here are two places you can see Little Miss No Name:

http://www.sowatzka.com/dollstory/jean.html

www.whitless.com/littlemissnoname2.htm

Thank you word,
I just read the stories and they are great! I especially liked the part where it said that the girls who recieved Little miss No Name for christmas that year ended up to be much better people than the ones who got Malibu barbie...LOL
(I think I got both, call me spoiled!)
In case everyone is wondering...it was 1965!

Growing up with a lot of sisters, we "shared" dolls. I remember one sister always wanted a Baby Alive. Every year she'd ask for a Baby Alive but she never got one. Finally, I remember when she got older, she bought one for herself, even though by then she was past the doll playing stage.

As for me, I never got over teddy bears. I have about 400 of them now in various forms such as stuffed, porcelean, etc. I even have the first teddy bear that came with a belly button.

Vicki, I'm not telling my daughter about your collection. She has so many bears. I don't want to give her the thought of collecting more. What makes you buy more? Do you get them when you travel? Get them as gifts? How do you display them?

My younger sister got Baby Alive.

Oh my gosh what memories!

I took my son roller skating today to escape the heat and could not stop thinking of you all here at this site.

I admit I was a sight trying to get around those turns and avoiding the little kiddies on their training skates! I did begin to get the hang of it but not like I did 30+ years ago. I only fell once and that was enough!

My muscles are sore in my legs and my six year old whized past me so many times I was dizzy trying to keep an eye on him.

We made two laps together during the couples skate and then he ditched me for a girl from school that could skate better!

After 2 hours of the theme song from "SpongeBob Squarepants" and the limbo etc, I think the owner had pity on me and played Bob Seger "That old time Rock and Roll". I was skating then girls! The speed demon that I was, I was in my own little world of nostalgia and you all were right there with me. Hope I didn't embarass you much!

Just had to share.

Lynn

Chatty ... not sure where I've been the last few days (lol)... I missed your post with the web site. I just spent some time there. Oh boy, I can't wait to give my husband my Christmas list this year. Thanks a bunch.

Nancy50 -- I have a Revlon doll ... not the one when I was younger. But I bought it at an antique shop, paid about $75 for it but it was worth every penny. She's in great shape ... even down to her pierced earrings and high heels. I do have a coat my mother made for my original doll and one of the doll dresses my mother made for her porcelain dolls.

I am loving reading everyone's posts here. It's kind of overwhelming to find other women who treasure some of the same things I do. Thanks for the memories.

Blessings, Francine

Write girl ,
Don't you just that doll My Revlon Doll is in two pieces and hope to get her fixed one day. My Revlon Doll had a fur coat or jacket with it and the pearl earrings and high heels . I have the Jenny Doll also and she is in good shape . I never did get a Barbie Doll .

I never had a teddy Bear , but my daughter bought me one years ago . I had purple stuffed bunny rabbit and not sure where he went , maybe the cat we had go him . Ha!

How many remember the old test pattern on the TV's when you would just set and wait for something to come on the TV like Howdy Doody show . Oh, I loved that show.

Now I'm in search of the doll I had. I found the Revlon doll online but it didn't look like mine. Were there different ones maybe?

Howdy and Dilly Dally and Buffalo Bob. Didn't we all want to be in the Peanut Gallery?
Louisa

Louisa, I believe there were several versions of the Revlon doll. Not sure where you looked but I remember doing a google search and finding a site that had pictures of different ones.

And Nancy, you made me laugh ... yep, test patterns. That was when the National Anthem played either right after the 11 o'clock news or maybe Johnny Carson????

Loved Howdy Doody.

Oh boy, I forgot about the national anthem and the tv test pattern coming on at the end of the night....I think I'd prefer going back to that instead of all the infomercials they put on all night now-a-days!

Hi all, I had forgotten about pop beads. Loved them. My twin and I were the last to get any because we were the babies of the family.

Talk about our dolls. Sure brings memories. Twin and I had, at one time, twin dolls, bridesmaid dolls that were dressed in pink lace and they had teardrop earrings and high heeled shoes. We also had these huge baby dolls that were called "Linda" dolls. Mine had a yellow coat and hat with a blue print dress, hers had pink hat and coat with darker pink print dress. From what we are told, for our first christmas, we got these little rubber dolls called "so-wee" dolls. We had them up till about ten years ago when we forgot they were in some boxes that got put in the garage during the summer heat and melted to each other.

I remember one year our parents decided to see just how many dolls we four girls had. We gathered them together and took a picture of our dolls. We had 54 in all.

What about "storybook" dolls? Does anyone remember them. I had maybe two of them. They were so cool.

I also loved Howdy Doody and the gang. I think everyone wanted to be in the peanut gallery. We couldn't wait for it to come on TV. My hubby is from Arkansas and when I first mentioned it to him years ago he was clueless as to who or what a Howdy Doody was. I guess their TV channel line up didn't carry the show. Poor him.

Lots of fun remembering with you all. Great fun!
Sandpiper

Reading these posts sure brought back some great memories from the fifties and sixties......Made me remember my Toni doll, loved giving her perms. Also my "walking" doll, which was quite the rage in the mid-50's. And all the board games I played with my mom, along with paper dolls, those metal doll houses you've mentioned. Yup....it was a great time to be a kid. I almost feel bad for kids today....they seem consumed with the high-tech "play?" stuff but guess I'm an old-fashioned girl at heart.

Hello Terri ,
And welcome to the boomersite. I am love the 1960's so much and I remember the Toni doll and I had a friend that gave her perms . I remember the walking doll also. Oh, Loved those paper dolls and played all day with the . Remember the Doris Day paper dolls ? and the Annie Oakley ones.? We did not watch a lot of TV in those days we played outside all day and did not come in only for lunch and dinner.
I guess I am a year older then you.

[ August 01, 2005, 12:31 PM: Message edited by: Nancy50 ]

I DO remember those particular paperdolls. And you're right...TV was minimal. Although....I also remember my favorites all these years later....My Little Margie, Father Knows Best, I Remember Mama and of course, Howdy Doodty (sp?) I really wish I could get copies of those for my grandchildren. Today's TV for children leaves a lot to be desired...just my opinion.

Terri,
I think there is a web site that was posted on here by Chatty and you would have to check the remember thread to find it . I should put it on my favorites. I loved the show My little Margie and Father knows best I remember Mama and of of course Howday Doody show. Sunday it was the Ed Sullivan how of course .

I had a walking doll. I remember her well. Don't remember the Toni Doll though. How'd I miss one?
Louisa

My grandmother gave me an old "3 faced doll". Her head was in a plastic bonnet. I cheerished her!

d.

(sounds like some women I know).

Opps, did I say that outloud?

(3 faced with their head in a plastic bonnet) lol

I had a walking doll also!

d.

(sounds like some women I know).

Opps, did I say that outloud?

(3 faced with their head in a plastic bonnet) lol

I had a walking doll also!

d.

Danita ,
Now that is and interesting doll . So you turned the head of the doll and did one side have a smile and what did the other two side do? I have never seen or heard of any doll like that .

Hey Louisa....oh NO....you never had a Toni doll? That just might qualify as a "deprived childhood"
I think we all need to pitch in around the holidays and try and find this beloved doll for Louisa. Growing up without that doll (not to mention the stinky perm solution!) is like, well, like never having had the pleasure of twirling with a hoola-hoop. (FYI...I detested those silly things...lol)

I did have a hula hoop. I also had perms. In fact, I still do my own perms today. They still stink, but they come out better. I was always changing the hairstyles on my dolls, but I never gave one a perm.
Louisa

Oh, Louisa,
I had those home perms and my hair I have a lot of body and they would frizz and curl up so much . One day mother had given me a perm on the weekend and it frizzed when I went to school in jr high and the kids got a good laugh out of me. I don't have perms at all , but hair dye well another story .

Hula Hoop I still have my red one and in fact I am getting that thing out again it will keep your waist thin or become thin again. Either one. Good excersie for you

[ August 03, 2005, 04:09 PM: Message edited by: Nancy50 ]

Hmmm, no wonder I was a chubby child....never learned the mechanics of that hoola hoop!

Nostalgic activity: We lived close to a pond. There were little fish that never grew bigger than about 2 inches. We called them cobblers. Dad would rind out a stick for us and tie a piece of thred about two feet long on it. Then we would tie the thread around a worm just enough to keep him on there, not cut him in half(it was an art). We would go "cobbling" almost every day in the summer. Sometimes we would catch one with a blue eye. What fun!
chick

Was watching some mindless TV last night and they showed some kids blowing huge bubbles. Is there a child you know or didn't we all have those bottles of liquid and the plasic thingy to blow bubbles with? Some of the kids in our gang could really make some fantastic bubbles...

We were forever blowing bubbles. Today they do that at some weddings. My sister-in-law and her husband got married in our condo about 6 years ago. We blew bubbles off the patio after. Well, rice would have attracted the sea gulls and been frowned on by the condo association. I just would have been too messy.

Even kids today still play with bubbles. My nephew loves them.

Louisa

I remember Barbie dolls, hoola hoops, tinker toys, Lincoln logs, Patty Playpal, record players for my 45's. Those were the days.

I just received my Vermont Country Store catalog 1-800-362-8470 and they are featuring candies from the past like;

Boston Baked Beans
Charleston Chews
Spearmint Leaves
Malted Milk Balls
Chocolate Babies
Licorice Babies
Root Beer Barrels
Red Licorice Scotties
Black Licorice Scotties
Wax Bottles
Gumdrops
Bit-O-Honey
Assorted BB Bats
Mary Janes
Slo Poke
Reeds Roll Candies
Beemans Gum
Fruit Slices
Squirrel Nut Zippers
Coconut Rainbows
Banana Split Squares
Mint Wafers
Jelly Nuggets
Necco Wafers
Charms
Milk Maid Royals
Cherry Mash
Mallo-Cup
Skybar
Valomilk
Walnettos
Marshmallow & Caramel Modjeskas
French Chew Taffy

Someone was looking for Chocolate Coconut Clusters for their mother, they have them here.

SUGAR FREE CANDIES as well:
Almond Bark
Almond Butterscotch
Vanilla Butter Creams
Coconut Clusters
Cashew Clusters
Gourmet Belly Beans
Chocolate Jellies

Also a wide variety of cookies with and without sugar are available....soooo good too!

[ September 09, 2005, 10:46 PM: Message edited by: chatty lady ]

Sounds great Chatty. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow and get the catalog. They bring back good memories. Thanks.

Sandpiper

CHATTY! How in the world do you think I am gonna lose weight with this list in front of me? I could eat the catalogue right now.

Life is not fair.

It's a butterfinger for breakfast today now...see what you've made me do...

chick

Sure..today I start fresh n' see that list!!

I want: chocolate babies,malted milk balls,bit-o-honey & charms for lunch!!!

This reminded me of when we would go to the Catskills every summer with my aunt & uncle & cousin. On the trip back we would stop at this general store & we were allowed 1 soda & 2 candy bars for the ride home.

I would always pick Oh Henry bars! My cousin would get 2 candies that had itty pieces and lasted awhile!!!

Going on vacations we would stop at the bakery before hitting the highway...and I'd always get a big chocolate chip cookie & a chocolate milk! Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!! And I was always amazed by the little cheeses w/ crackers that you had to put together!!!

If nothing else call and get the free catalog it'll take you way back to when you were a kid. It is truly amazing the stuff they sell and I have tried most of it and the food is all really good. I love the clam chowder. Sorry chickadee couldn't help myself....

Chatty,
I have that catalog and love it . I have ordered from it lots of times . Deb , I still have my old green 45 record player and it still plays 45's if I could find some around here. I think I have mentioned that I still have my red hoola hoop in the storage room . I should get it out , but my husband and I are taking ballroom dancing next week for ten weeks and expect to lose ten pounds . I hope.

Even if you don't lose any weight you will have a ball. Did you watch 'Dancing With The Stars' it was such a good show and the dancing was wonderful. It will be back again in the fall.

Chatty,
Yes , we did watch Dancing With The Stars and can't wait to see the show back on TV this Fall. This show got my husband inspired to dance . How luck I am .

My memory is about a doll I had as a child...She was a "Tiny Tears" doll and I loved her so! Way back in those days there were not many places to stop whenever you took a trip. My grandparents lived a four-hour drive from our house. We lived in North Georgia and they lived in South Georgia. Well, we were a family with four kids at the time...two boys and two girls with me being the oldest! We would take the road trip down south to my grandparents about four times a year. It seemed to take forever! Well, when nature called, it called...and it usually called on one of the looooooong stretches that had no stops! On this particular trip, night had fallen and I had to go! So, daddy pulled over to the side of the road and "Tiny Tears" and I got out to potty...right on the side of the road! I rushed as fast as I could with my siblings all still sound asleep in the car. Daddy was not a patient man and he had said to "hurry"! So I rushed back to the car and jumped in and settled myself back down to sleep as daddy sped back onto the highway. A few minutes later and a few miles down the road I suddenly realized that I had left "Tiny Tears" lying on the side of the road! In my hurry, I had left her there all alone! I was heart broken! I cried out to daddy and he wanted to know if she had to go potty too! I knew my doll was lost to me forever! Daddy would never turn that car around just to get my doll! As I was counting my losses, I felt the car shifting and daddy did one of his famous "donuts" right in the middle of the road! The back-end of our car fish-tailed around as we headed back in the other direction! I was so happy! But...how would we ever find the same spot we had stopped at before? And would she still be there?? As these questions were spinning around in my head, I felt the car bumping as daddy pulled over and said "here we are, baby, get out and get your doll"! I jumped out of the car and ran to the front of the car where the headlights were shining....and there she was! She was waiting for me right where I left her! Well, this was a source of laughter for my family as we got to my grandparent's house and daddy told them we would have gotten there sooner except we had to go back and get my doll! Daddy teased me about letting my doll go potty until the day he died! It has been one of my favorite memories. I never knew what happened to "Tiny Tears" but she disappeared over the course of my childhood. A few years ago I was remembering this story and I really wanted my "Tiny Tears" doll....so I got on my favorite site, EBay, and found one!! I bid on her and got her and when she arrived she looked identical to my "Tiny Tears" baby that I let go potty with me. My daddy was my hero that night and he remained a hero to me for the rest of my life! I look forward to seeing him again one day in the sweet by and by! I'm sure we'll recount our "Tiny Tears" story one more time!
Good Night, everybody! Rose

chatty, I love that catalog. It's one of my favorites. We visited when we were in Vermont. It was like stepping back in time. Such a comfy feeling.

Rose, you held me in suspense. I am so glad your dad turned around. Phew. I wans't sure since you mentioned his impatience. What a hero! My sister had that doll. I had Chatty Cathy.

Good to know about the Betty's Attic site. I have a "Patty Playpal" doll, got it when I was around 3 or so, she had hair at one time but I cut it off with Mom's cuticle scissors, it was like mine when I got her.She was as tall as I was and we had matching plaid dresses. She walked when you held her hand! My best doll ever, other than my Thumbelina that cranked up in her back and rolled her head somewhat, as a newborn "would" do. Mom, before she passed, made sure I have that Patty Playpal doll. She scares me every time I go into our closet, as she is laying on one of the top shelves without clothes and her arms are laying beside her. A scary sight at that. As I have adult sons and no grands, someday I will get her repaired to save for nieces or grands, God willing. Good to be here and read some of your great posts, looking forward to chatting with ladies that know "from whence I came". God knows there aren't many that understand that. I miss my Mom.

Well in reading my post it is the doll(!!) that is on my shelf in the closet!! Sounds kind of hideous without that rejoinder!! Sorry for that

Knew that, was sure you weren't collecting bodies in the closet. I too had one of those dolls. My Godfather bought it for me when I was having my tonsils out. You will love Betty's Attic, so many nostalgic delights and by the way WELCOME to our site, glad to have you here judym.

Judy, welcome! I'm glad to hear you aren't a body collector.

Do you find your memory being jolted by this forum? I do. I had forgotten how my daughter had cut the hair off her Barbie dolls when she was little. She was always giving them new looks.

Thanks,chatty lady, made me LOL. I loved that doll, still do!! Glad to hear from you! Obviously new to the site, read about it this am in the Hartford Courant, was doggone excited to get here and log in! Didn't even know this existed, a good place to be!

Oh yeah, Dotsie, and ain't it grand!! I find the memories of the past are much easier than where the car keys are! Trying to cope and finding a lot of hope here! The trouble with cutting off Patty's hair, I thought at the time hers would grow back as mine did! The things you think of! A good grin and a nice warm feeling, so good to be here!

Well,
My Betsy Wetsy stopped weting when I put milk in her bottle . I should have just used water . I think I have told this story and still have the doll today . She had the china head not rubber . She is so cute today. She is hiding in a closet in my spare room . I put perfume on her head to make her smell good . That poor doll what she went thru with me. I still have my old table and chairs . My daughter used the table and chairs when she was little. They were brown in color . Did anyone have a table and chair set ?

No table and chairs but still have a rocking horse that I got when only about 6 months old and its still in great shape and very colorful..Also have a Cupie doll dressed in a train Brakemans uniform, it was my mothers so is very old....pretty good shape however.

Oh, my twin and I had a table and chairs set. It was painted white with a red vinyl top and the chairs had red vinyl seats. We had it forever. Played tea time and school under our Willow tree with it.

I still have a big "Linda Lee" baby doll and a big bridesmaid doll from when I was smaller. I have storybook dolls also. Does anyone have or remember those? I love them.

Sandpiper

Oh the table and chair sets! They were so much fun! I remember them. The little tea parties with the cute metal dishes. They were great.

How about books? Does anyone remember Mrs. Ticklefeather? That had to be my favorite childhood story. I talked about it for years. Told my daughter so many times about it. I recently bought it online. I got 2! One for my daughter so she can save it. (Well I couldn't give her the one I bought for myself.) I was so thrilled to be able to find it still.

Louisa

We had a desk from the Catholic school! The one piece type. We would play Catholic school!
(I'm a public school child!!)

I remember a doll...where you could pull it's hair out & then it'd twist back in again. I gave that one a trim!!!

I think one of my favorite toys had to be my Barbie's palamino horse! You could comb it's tail & mane. I used to play with that for hours!!! We were a big Barbie & her friends house!!

I remember going every Saturday to Kresgee's & I was given $2. I would buy 2 outfits every week for my Barbie's!! My mom would give me $1 & my friend's grandmother would give me $1. I had a huge case full of clothes...with little hangers for them.

My niece got to my Barbie's....they ended up without any arms or legs!!! We found all our games when we were moving my mom. I have a box of stuff in our shed---a set of trains & some other things I didn't have time to go thru.

When playing hopscotch what did you all use for markers?

We used a hoppy taw.

I don't know if it was a Utah thing or what but most people I ask have never heard of hoppy taws.

A hoppy taw was a round rubber multi-colored disc about 3 inches around and 1/4 inch thick with grooves on one side and the other side was smooth.

The other thing we used for markers were old rubber shoeheels. I think we called them "laggers". I have no idea where that name came from. Guess I'll have to do some research.

I've never heard of a "hoppy taw", but I like the name. I don't think we can find a disc like that, but maybe we can find something comparable and I'll introduce it as a "hoppy taw" to my 4-1/2 year-old granddaughter who's just starting to learn hopscotch. She'll like that name too.

When I played hopscotch, we just used different shaped stones. Or bean bags.

Dotsie, and Eagle,
I remember hopscotch and ny friends would go up the road to the local shoe maker and get rubber heels that he would replace on mens shoes . Sometimes we would pay about 25 cents are get one free . Or get used mens heels . I love hopscotch and if I see one today I will jump on it and play and get a few laughs

Dotsie : I went into Kresgress's uptown . How about Ben Franklin's store uptown. Remember !We walked everwhere in to the movie house .

[ September 21, 2005, 10:38 PM: Message edited by: Nancy50 ]

Thanks Bookie, I want one! But they don't ship to Canada. But we're hoping to go do some cross-border shopping between now and Christmas, so I'm going to put that on my shopping list.

We used rubber heels to play hop-scotch. We used jar lids if we didn't have any heels. They didn't work nearly as well because they always rolled all over the place.

The Revlon doll! Gosh, I remember my aunt having her on her perfectly crisp bedspread! Does anyone remember the "Patty Playpal" doll? She was as big as me when I was six years old! She had long blonde hair, a red dress, white pinafore and black Mary-Jane shoes! What a hoot!

Alana
I had Patty play pal- supposed to be a real little girl- I cut her hair and painted her face-
I was a tomboy and my mom tried to turn me into a girly girl as i had 4 brothers and was the only girl

Nancy50
It's a miracle your Betsey wetsey didn't rot! I know mine was sooo full of stuff I shoved down her that I could have invented chemical and biological warfare!!!

Pattyann, that Betsy Wetsy comment sounds like the beginning of what could be developed into a really good horror story...it was a dark and stormy night and BW had just been fed cold leftovers - again. Lightening sizzled across the sky as BW's eyes suddenly wept misty green tears...

Oh you're good Eagle, you're good.......

Do you think we could carry this over to the October Featured Author forum for my story idea? I'm kind of curious to see what happens to BW...

PattyAnn,
My betsy wetsy is still as pretty as ever . Her lovely large blue eyes an her painted on brown hair . I got her about 1948-49 for christmas and still remember running for her Christmas Morning . How about that for memory . That was the only think I got that year . That was the best gift ever. I only had two dolls in my life . I had the Revlon Doll for which I still have today .and My brown table and chair I got for christams one year. My daughter played with that.

Mine were:

Gabby the doll (mom KNEW I was a chatter box even back then!)

Pussy Meow (a cat that wore go-go boots and cute outfits. When pushing a button, her head would turn and made the meow sound)

Snuggle Bun and Play-all-Six. It had a high chair, cradle, rocking chair, swing, playpen and stroller. My FAVORITE doll in the whole world!

Spirograph

Candy Land

Go to the Head of the Class

Shenanigans

[ December 08, 2005, 05:20 PM: Message edited by: Di ]

I had a Tiny Tears doll. She was the first one who cried real tears, I think.

I still have a teeny tiny doll that I got for my 11th Christmas...(amendment from original post: I thought it was my fifth, but couldn't have been, because she's a Cheerful Tearful (Mattel, 1966)). She's been sitting on my dresser for as long as I can remember.

I tried to give her away once many years ago to a young girl I used to babysit. There aren't very many "things" in my life that I've ever been really attached to, so didn't think anything about giving this doll away. But two days later I had to ask this little girl if I could have my doll back! I explained to her that the doll had been given to me when I was a young girl and that I thought that I was old enough now to give her away, but in truth missed her too much. I had bought another doll to give to her as a trade, so she was happy - and profoundly understanding of my inability to give my doll away!

I've never tried to give her away again. She'll probably still be sitting on my dresser when I'm 105! LOL.

[ December 09, 2005, 04:30 PM: Message edited by: Eagle Heart ]

I have my Little Women's doll that Mom gave us one Christmas when we were really young. It's one my dresser and I guess some day will be Lea's...but for now, she greets me everytime I go into the bedroom. I love her because of the memory she evokes...sigh...how sweet it is!

JJ

I am beginning to believe that we are destined to be who we will be from birth. Why, because even at a very early age my favorite toys were my cooking stove and tiny utensils, my tea set and a big hairy black dog who slept with me...No JJ not my ex, this was an adorble furry stuffed doggy and I still have all of them...See what I mean!?

And my favorites were my baby dolls...is this how I ended up with 8 kids??

That's an interesting theory, because despite all the wonderful dolls and sewing kits I was ever given, my all-time favourite toys for most of my childhood were my brothers' Meccano and Lego sets...and my favourite job ended up being as a computer techie, which involved taking computers apart and putting them back together again.

I'm a little worried about this because my 6 year old loves guns and knives...

Bluebird, I also played with guns for the first 8 years of my life. Growing up with three brothers (and all of the other neighbourhood kids were boys as well) I was a real tomboy...playing cowboys, climbing apple trees, playing in the sandbox with tonka trucks, and constantly raiding my brothers' rooms for the "good stuff".

Despite all those years of delightfully playing with guns, I grew up to be an avid pacifist who abhors violence. So I wouldn't worry too much...

I loved to play with cars. I would make roads for them in the dirt. My "girly" dolls were a mess. I'd cut their hair off and put make up on them and basically ruin them. Hmmm...what does that say about me?

Do any of you remember the Pitiful Pearl doll? I had one and loved it but have never seen it since then. I'd love to get one for my granddaughter but nobody seems to remember it.

I guess I was a tomboy but had no brothers. I think I had a very complex personality and still do.

Dianne, what wonderful memories your line "I would make roads for them in the dirt" evokes! We were so very lucky when Dad built us a summer cottage by the lake when I was about 10 years old. The beach was rocky, but there was a a HUGE sandpit right by the edge of that rocky beach. Oh the hours and days and months my two younger brothers and I used to spend in that dirt pile every summer. We made whole cities with roads, houses, bridges and castles...and of course all those cars and trucks! It was glorious, and Mom always had a hard time getting us to come in for meals. To this day, all three of us heave a huge sigh of profound pleasure whenever we start to reminisce about that dirt pile.

I think this shows that children are happy with the simple things in life. It can cause the imagination to work.

Looking back, it was even at a very early age that I had a fascination with cars. It was a family thing too as my uncle had a huge warehouse full of cars, trucks and motorcycles. I come by it naturally I guess.

I only have one sister and she never played in the dirt like I did. She would read books by the hour and it drove me crazy. She refused to come outside and play with me. This is horrible but I was so frustrated with her that one day, I took a safety pin and jabbed her in the butt as she was sprawled out on her bed, on her tummy, reading, yet another book! She has never forgotten it either and did I ever get into trouble!

I do remember playing with a cap gun when I was a kid. I'd actually forgotten about that. They were probably dangerous, but what did I know back then?

I haven't thought of cap guns in years. I played with them too. I think I was a boy, trapped in a girl's body.