From the November 14, 1963 edition of the Lorain
Journal comes this
Hills Dept. Store Christmas-themed ad featuring a variety of toys designed to whet the appetite of every little girl and boy.
For girls, there's the Barbie Wardrobe Trunk, "in which to store your Barbie Doll," with "accessory drawers and plenty of room to hang her clothes." I'll have to ask my sister if she had this. I kind of think she did, because I seem to remember the illustration of Gold Digger® Barbie on the trunk.
There's also Chatty Baby from Mattel, "more lovable than ever." "She talks, cries, laughs... 18 different things." I wonder what the other 15 were?
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| Like Barbie, Tiny Chatty Baby is trapped in her own vinyl Alcatraz |
There were a variety of toys for both boys and girls, including the
Sno-Cone Machine, the
Lie Detector Game and the
Match Game. (They're all on eBay too, so it's not too late for you to get your hands on one or all, if Santa neglected to back in 1963.)
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| How about some ketchup on your snow-cone? |
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| The Lorain Police Department may want to get its hands on this device. |
And finally, for the budding scientists, there was this
Microscope from A. C. Gilbert. One of my brothers had a microscope, and I remember us putting all kinds of weird stuff on slides and taking a closer look. Yuck!
Gold Digger... You crack me up.
ReplyDeleteBarbie don't need no man, Stan!
That's Dr. Barbie, all dolled up and out for a good time, all her own.
I had microscope like that. The 'rents (successfully) tried to steer me towards science but were made cautious after getting me a Chem Set one year and having deal with me making a seemingly unending series of increasingly potent "stink bombs."
The Sno-Cone maker was coveted, but never realized. Probably "too messy."
Tiny Chatty Baby is kinda creepy lookin', sez me.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Alan on the baby. How can you give someone a baby doll that looks possessed?
ReplyDeleteI had that microscope myself, and my sister had the Barbie case. But for me the real prize in the ad was one that Dan didn't cover in his admirable post - the model racing set!
BUSTER - look up a Sixties doll called "Little Miss No Name"; imagine giving that to a kid. She looks like she should be hitch-hiking near a cemetery.
DeleteThat toy lever action Winchester rifle would be a very big no no for today's kids.And to think,a real live BB gun used to be marketed to kids like the famous Red Ryder of yesteryear.I remember when I was a kid of 11 or 12 I received an actual air rifle for Christmas once.I always wanted one and Santa pulled through.Air rifles are more powerful than a BB gun depending on how many times you pump it up.I still have it and shoot it from time to time and remember when Santa hooked me up.
ReplyDeleteAlan - One of my sons has an aversion to dolls (and clowns). If I got him that little beauty he'd never speak to me again. How did they ever sell that creature?
ReplyDeleteAlan, I looked up "Little Miss No Name" and you're right. Creepy as they come! It's currently selling for $350 on eBay and $449 on Etsy. (!!!)
ReplyDeleteI STILL want that neat looking snow cone toy.....
ReplyDelete