We first want to say how thankful we are for each and every person who has stepped into our store of collections! George – the ‘collector of collections’ – loves sharing his many finds and all the stories that go with them. We wish everyone a Thanksgiving filled with peace, love, and gratitude for all that we have. Remember, it’s not about quantity, but quality. Well, except for George – the collector! (chuckle)
It’s been George’s tradition to decorate the weekend following Thanksgiving. But this year, the hundreds of dolls he acquired meant that he had to move a lot of things around ASAP!!! So the windows are decorated a couple of days early – yes, thanks, Barbara. And Christmas can be spotted throughout the store.
Dolls – a 3.78 Billion Dollar Industry in 2021
So stopping by Bahoukas might just be worth your while. The dolls in the window are beautiful. The hundreds in our store – well, come see them. Check out the braid on this Barbie! WOW!
You won’t believe the dolls and doll furniture available. From tiny porcelain dolls to 2 ft + Barbies, baby dolls, and American Girl Dolls are just a few of the many waiting for someone to give them some love. Seriously, stop by and pick one (please). They are priced for the collector and to purchase for a special child in your life. Definitely something for everyone.
Add to this a wonderful selection of furnishings and accessories for your dolls that include well-made high chairs, table, rocking cradles, cribs, chairs, and more. Seriously this is one special collection.
Next add puzzles!
Here are a few of our very collectible puzzles. But we encourage you to check our TOY section for more.
Puzzle – map of US StatesPuzzle – the RiflemanPuzzle – the JetsonsPuzzle – Popeye and tigerPuzzle – Popeye fishing with FamilyPuzzle – Mary PoppinsPuzzle – the Flintstones
Horses
What celebrates Holiday Gift Giving better than a horse figure? Here’s a sampling:
And for the ‘littles’ on your list
Fisher Price Tip Toe TurtleFisher Price Roly Poly Raccoon
How About Ratatouille!
Emile
Colette
Games – did I hear Games?
Well, we have a substantial selection of board games in our Toy Section plus these unique games for indoor fun:
Skill Ball Game
Disney Pinball Game – Magic Kingdom
We are ready to help you with your Holiday Gift Purchases
Browse our blog for the hundreds of collections in the shop. Hopefully, this post gives you a glimpse of what’s available for the collector AND the kids on your list. We are here and, yessirree, we are excitedly waiting to show off our collections!
Remember, if you purchase $50 or more, you can fill out a raffle ticket for a chance to WIN a $100 HdG GIFT CARD – this weekend only!
That’s right. George has acquired a huge assortment of dolls from the tiniest porcelain dolls to 25″ Barbies. Seriously, We do not know where he will put them all. Here’s a sneak peek at just the very tippy top of the iceberg of dolls-dolls-dolls!
Some of the dolls have been put out on the floor. There are beautiful collectible dolls and dolls priced for kids to play with. And there are many more to come – hundreds!
In addition, by Thanksgiving weekend with “Plaid Friday” and Small Business Saturday, we’ll have Christmas Decor, wrapping paper, and even doll furnishings.
You just won’t believe what we’ll have. So stop in soon … then return as more dolls and Christmas decor gets put on the floor.
WOW – it’s most certainly beginning to feel like Christmas (and it’s not quite Thanksgiving yet)! You can be sure, we’ll be watchin’ for ya even if we are peeking over a box of dolls!!!
Some will want to play with them while others will want to collect them and keep them on a shelf. No matter what you decide, we have some stunning dolls available.
There are many benefits to playing with dolls. These benefits include encouraging imagination, developing motor skills, fostering a sense of caring, boosting independence, teaching empathy, helping with social development, encouraging communication, providing a sense of belonging, creating opportunities for pretend play, and helping children deal with emotions. So if you’re looking for a toy that will promote your child’s development in multiple ways, consider investing in a doll. They will thank you later in life.
Considering the many changes that have occurred since the pandemic, possibly a doll might be a perfect gift this year. Let’s encourage more child’s play and a little less screen time. Think of the benefits!
Dolls, of course, or great collectibles. You probably know someone who has a beautiful collection. And don’t forget that dolls can bring comfort to someone in a nursing home, especially those dealing with dementia.
No matter what the reason, we have a most wonderful selection of dolls. So look over your holiday gift list and see if someone might appreciate one of them. Maybe you? And yep, we’re here and we’ll be watchin’ for you. We would love to show you our collection of collections!
Did you know that at the height of Crockett-mania, coonskin caps were selling at 5,000 a day! Do you still have yours?
Do You Know the Name of Davy Crockett’s Horse?
ALWAYS look UP when you’re in our shop! Otherwise, you’ll miss some fine collectibles!
Davy Crockett’s horse STREAKView of Davy Crockett lampDetail View of Davy Crockett (lamp)Davy Crockett canteen – Wild Frontier Trail Canteen
Great interview from the adult children of Fess Parker
Coonskin caps were originally worn by some American Indians as a traditional article of clothing; however, European pioneers that settled in the Tennessee, Kentucky, and North Carolina regions in the 18th and 19th centuries adopted it as their own and wore them as hunting caps. Even Benjamin Franklin, in his trip to Paris as Ambassador to France, wore a cap as a symbol of patriotism. Its rough-hewn look has become an iconic part of the American frontiersman’s image.
A walking stick gifted to Benjamin Franklin in France. Note that the top represents his iconic fur hat.
courtesy National Museum of American History
Did You Know About Franklin? (the possible state)
Crockett was born on August 17, 1786, in what is now eastern Tennessee. At the time, however, many of the region’s residents considered themselves citizens of the so-called state of Franklin, a breakaway territory that had declared its independence from North Carolina two years earlier.
Actually, Fess Parker played both and quite often we confuse the two. Well, you might enjoy this short video.
So dig out that ole coonskin cap and come in to Bahoukas Antique Shop and take the time to LOOK UP, down, and all ’round for some amazing collectibles! Yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
We have a wonderful selection of banks available in the shop. These are just a few of the latest!
Make Saving FUN!
Metal True Value and CITGO trucks make great banks for your kids to save their change!
“Without a working knowledge of money, it is extraordinarily difficult to do well in life,” says Sam X Renick, co-creator of Sammy Rabbit, a children’s character and financial literacy initiative. “Money is central to transacting life, day-in and day-out. Where we live, what we eat, the clothes we wear, the car we drive, health care, education, child-rearing, gift giving, vacations, entertainment, heat, air-conditioning, insurance—you name it, money is involved.”
Beautiful metal banks featuring old-fashioned delivery trucks.
Teaching young ones to save and a great Holiday gift = 2 wins!
These beautiful metal banks are reasonably priced and fun to give.
Teaching kids how to save money may seem like a tough task. It has even been said that parents are more likely to talk to their children about sex than about money.
Whoa – a youngster would love putting their coins in these Coca-Cola tractor trailers (metal).
A piggy bank can be a great way to teach your kids the importance of saving, while giving them an easy way to do it. Tell your kids that the goal is to fill up the piggy bank with dollars and coins, until there is no room.
The Coca-Cola bears metal bank helps a youngster learn to save!
We LOVE this unique Coca-Cola Bears bank. Don’t forget that once they fill up their bank, they can learn to open a bank account. A great beginning for financially savvy young adults in the near future. Such a fun way to get started.
So stop in today and pick out one of these great banks. We have others, too. But hurry, some of these will go quickly. And yessiree, we’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
With the amazing Kentucky Derby Race featuring the winner, Rich Strike, we thought we’d share a few of our horse-y collectibles today! Just to remind you of this amazing race (who didn’t even get picked to run until the day before the race!), here’s the video from NBC Sports.
We have a few wonderful Horse Collectibles
From a number of toy items to beautiful figurines, horses always seem to inspire. Do you have a youngster that’s saving for their first horse? Check out this latest addition to our horse category!
Beautiful cast iron horse bank!
Horse figures – from Jadeite to cast iron.
The above figurines are the latest entries to our horse collection – including plastic, ceramic, bronze, Jadeite, and cast iron. Also check out the TOY AREA for a few more great choices of horse figures.
CLICK HERE for one of our great posts from May 2018 – talkin’ ’bout horses!
It looks like a bit of rain off and on this weekend. If you’re ducking the raindrops, stop in and visit. We’ll be watchin’ for ya (and yes, we even have a few great umbrellas you can purchase)!
We’ve received a wonderful assortment of “Starting Lineup” sports figures in never-opened packages. Including the amazing Jackie Robinson pictured above and Babe Ruth pictured below.
Babe Ruth
Added to our “Starting Lineup” collection is this beautiful Babe Ruth figure – never opened.
Starting Lineup series 1998 includes Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa
Basketball “Starting Lineup” Figures
1996 edition Starting Lineup figures: Lakers – Cooper and Orlando – Hardaway
Hockey “Starting Lineup” Figures
Hockey Figures
“Starting Lineup” figures include Gretzky and Fuhr
And many more…
We have a wall of “Starting Lineup” figures ready and waiting for you! And this latest addition has added dozens to our collection.
Stop in soon and start or add to your collection. And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
We have a variety of collectibles for you to celebrate Spring! With Easter just one week away, you’ll want to stop in and pick out a few special items for decorating and to add to your Easter baskets.
The beautiful geese can grace a special buffet (these are fairly large) or add a bit of whimsy to your porch or deck.
Bunnies & Eggs
We have the cutest rabbit collectibles and a variety of eggs. Whether you add to a basket (which we have) or to your Easter centerpiece, they’re sure to bring a smile.
Don’t forget that we have a variety of toys and games from mini-furnishings for a dollhouse to metal trucks, Hot Wheels, and even a noisemaker or two!!!
Remember, they can take these outside and enjoy!
We have a variety of jars and bottles that are just perfect to add a bit of spring to your home decor while you await the coming burst of flowers. Or just add a daffodil or two and VOILA! you have a bit of cheer and color to brighten a room.
As we look forward to the coming warmer days and greener lawns, Bahoukas offers a variety of indoor and outdoor decor, tools and games, kitchen accessories and dishware, toys, and more. Put on your creative hat as you start your Spring plans and visit us. We just might surprise you with our variety of antiques and collectibles.
Of course, you already know we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
We thought we’d entice you to visit by sharing a variety of items in this post. Whether you’re a kid or a kid-at-heart, we have some nifty items. You can also find some Vintage Baltimore advertising pieces, a game, and more.
We believe this game is a 3D Tic Tac Toe but we don’t have any directions. Can you figure it out? We’ve seen similar online, but none exactly like this one. It’s our recent whozwhatsit!
Vintage Newsstand Advertisement Pieces
We have a variety of Sun Papers advertisements in the shop. (Not recent reproductions) Stop by and see if you might enjoy a couple to frame and have in your collection or decor!
Above is a Sunday Sun (Baltimore) newsstand advertisement for TV Weekly – I believe this is one of Charlie’s Angels – Farrah Fawcett
On the left is a vintage Sunpapers (Baltimore) newsstand advertisement for ‘expert baseball coverage.’
Vintage Shoes and Boots
A variety of vintage women’s boots from the 1900s with one pair of 1880s.
These women’s boots are so unique. Maybe you’d like the whole set or just a pair to perk up a special place in your home.
Men’s Boots
This handsome pair of men’s leather, riding boots are wonderful, but the wooden boot trees are what make this item extra, extra special.
Skediddles
Do you know what a skediddle is? We weren’t sure until we did some research. But this Mickey Mouse Skediddle is pretty cool. It’s a 1968 Mattel toy.
Mickey Mouse Skediddler
This is just the cutest toy from 1968 Mattel. Check out the 1968 vintage commercial below.
Sometimes we have way too much fun…
With Easter in another week, it’s a great time to stop in and see what might work perfectly to fill a basket or decorate your home. No matter what, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
The Musical Jolly Chimp played a role as a security guard in Toy Story 3. We received one in excellent shape just this week. Ours is from the 70s and uses batteries. It works! Check out more details on the colorful, celebrity life of the Musical Jolly Chimp!
https://youtu.be/Ow8FuMvNT-E
We have a wonderful Musical Jolly Chimp – just like the crazy one in Toy Story 3
Did You Know?
This crazy monkey toy has been included in movies, books, and songs. Can you guess all of them before you read the following quote?
The cymbal banging monkey toy has appeared in the opening scene of Rebel Without a Cause in 1955, the 1977 Steven Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the 1988 horror film Monkey Shines, the 1996 film Merlin’s Shop of Mystical Wonders, the 2000 film How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000 film), the 2004 film Eurotrip, the 2007 film The Simpsons Movie, the 2010 Disney/Pixar animated film Toy Story 3 and the 2019 horror film Annabelle Comes Home.
It is also widely seen in the games Fallout 4 and Fallout 76, and features in horror writer Stephen King’s 1980 story The Monkey.
One also appears in the Wallace and Gromit 2008 short A Matter of Loaf and Death. A monkey with a bomb attached to its back features prominently in the Call of Duty franchise’s “Zombies” gamemode.
The 2006 Hot Chip song Over and Over references “a monkey with a miniature cymbal”.
The character Jinx from League of Legends has a big emotional connection to cymbal-banging monkeys. Other than explosions which give her happiness, cymbal-banging monkeys give her peace to her mentally ill mind. This connection can be seen in her starring 2021 animated series Arcane: League of legends.
We have a very collectible Musical Jolly Chimp available at Bahoukas!
A little creepy and very funny, stop by soon to see our Musical Jolly Chimp. Another great idea for a special Easter gift or to add toy our own Toy Collectibles! It’s a beautiful day to stop in. And you bet, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Just received – 3 beautiful Pop-Up Musical Boxes: Mother Goose, Doctor Doolittle – GIRAFFE, and Bumble Bug
George found these toys from the 1970s that all work, They are just so delightful. Maybe a youngster would love one with their Easter Basket – or you collect toys and want to add these to your shelf. Stop in soon and check them out. Bumble Bug, Mother Goose, and Giraffe in a box are all ready to bring a smile to your face.
Doctor Doolittle’s Giraffe in-a-box Vintage Toy
Doctor Doolittle Giraffe-in-a-box … 1970s
Mother Good in-a-box/So much fun!
Mother-Goose-in-a-box Collectible 1970s
Everyone Loves Woody Woodpecker!
Vintage Woody Woodpecker Talking Stuffed Toy with pull string
Admit it, you just love these! So whether one or two are for your collection, or a nostalgic gift to share with a special youngster, we encourage you to come to check them out soon.
Easter’s coming … we’re trying to help you be ready! And yes, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
PEZ – those little (and not so little) whimsical characters that delight young and old make perfect gifts to hide in a plastic egg or include in an Easter Basket.
Just a ‘sampling’ of the huge assortment of PEZ dispensers at Bahoukas in Havre de Grace
No matter what your taste, we probably have a PEZ that’s perfect for your celebrations! Even teens and adults have a surprising choice – and collectors just love ’em!
PEZ – Game of Thrones – the Iron Anniversary
Seriously, something for everyone in our PEZ collectibles:
PEZ Collectibles including KISS, Charlie Brown, Presidents, Barbie, Star Wars, and more
Smurf PEZ Collectibles and character glasses
We encourage you to stop in today and see our PEZ collection – hundreds, if not, thousands! Surprise someone with one hidden in a plastic egg or in their Easter Baskets. Stay tuned for more posts of other fun Easter items including eggs, rabbits, and other surprises! Yep, we’re here and we’ll be watchin’ for ya.
Dads carried metal tins with lunch to their jobs in the coal mines and factories. Of course, it wasn’t long before their children wanted to copy their dads.
… the first commercial lunch boxes, which resembled metal picnic baskets decorated with scenes of playing children, came out in 1902.
The first lunch box decorated with a famous licensed character was introduced in 1935. Produced by Geuder, Paeschke & Frey, it featured Mickey Mouse, and was a four-color lithographed oval tin, with a pull-out tray inside. It had no vacuum bottle, but did have a handle.
In 1950, Aladdin Industries created the first children’s lunch box based on a television show, Hopalong Cassidy. The Hopalong Cassidy lunch kit, or “Hoppy”, quickly became Aladdin’s cash cow. Debuting in time for back-to-school 1950, it would go on to sell 600,000 units in its first year alone, each at US$2.39. In 1953, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans were featured on models introduced by American Thermos.
Huge collection of decorated lunchboxes in plastic and metal
Many of the latest additions are complete with thermoses as well. Do stop in and check it out. They are a great last-minute gift for a child in your life – or your favorite collector. Remember, not just great for lunch, but fun for picnics, playing, keeping treasures, and more.
School Desks
Beautiful wooden and cast iron school desk.
The above desk is in beautiful condition. We also have another as pictured below:
Another beautiful wood school desk.
Another choice is this wood desk:
The front of the desk had the bench for the desk that sat in front of it
1881: The Fashion School Desk
The First Model
The first school desk was made in 1880 by John D. Loughlin in Sidney, Ohio. The desk, known as “The Fashion Desk,” proved to be extremely popular across the country. The practicality of the desks allowed for many to be put together in a one room schoolhouse, and the fashion aspect of it was aesthetically pleasing to those in the education industry. Loughlin’s marketing campaign also helped to sell these desks, which would eventually sweep the nation. The “Fashion Desks” were desks attached to one another and were big enough to seat two or three children. Usually, there was an inkwell so that the student could replenish his pen’s supply.
The Sidney School Furniture Company, located in Sidney, Ohio, began manufacturing the popular “Fashion” school desk in 1881. Advertising for the desk claimed, “No desk in the market is made with more care, nor of better materials than the ‘Fashion,’ and none has met with a more popular reception, or gives better satisfaction.” The desk featured a Patent T-head, which eliminated screws and bolts by joining the wood of the top, back, and seat to the legs, which were made of cast iron.
… with writing pad. These are solid and have a shelf on the bottom to place books and bags.
So whether it’s a lunchbox or a school desk, we can add a last-minute ‘surprise’ to your holiday gift-giving. Hurry in. We’re watchin’ for ya so that we can help you with your last-minute searches. Don’t forget, we DO CLOSE for Christmas Day and New Years Day. (Give us a call to be sure we didn’t leave early on the eve of both!) Happy Holidays!
A wonderful collection of hundreds of toy soldiers arrived at Bahoukas this fall. Most of them are “Britains” lead and plastic, some are “Barclay.” Lead ones are from the 50s and 60s; plastic from the 70s.
Britains
William Britain, W. Britain or simply Britain’s, no matter what we are called our name is synonymous with toy soldiers. Since 1893 W. Britain has been producing toy soldiers and military miniatures with attention to detail, quality and authenticity.
According to many websites, including toysoldiersco.com, toy soldier collections have been found as far back as the time of the Pharaohs – 2500BC, when they might be made by wood, clay, stone, or metal.
Toy Soldiers from the hundreds available at Bahoukas
Because lead and plastic soldiers were so widely available, many baby-boomers grew up collecting both. Their closets and shelves were filled with shoeboxes full of painted and unpainted plastic Civil War heroes, spacemen, Nazis, Cowboys, Indians and knights, plus the proudly collected (and-too-often dented) metal figures of exotic “Arabs of the Desert,” Foreign Legionnaires and Zouaves. One day, the Cowboys and Indians might attack a Moon base made of wooden blocks and oatmeal boxes which was defended by Robert E. Lee’s Virginians and Spacemen. The next, D-Day landing craft would be stuffed with American Colonials and GI’s, storming the beach defenses manned by Nazis and Knights! Favorite figures, whether lead or plastic would always be the last to fall or remain standing to triumph.
Early figurines were made from wood, porcelain and silver. Initially, these were crafted for generals and monarchs to be used during war-strategy meetings.
You’ve most likely seen them used in this manner in many movies!
A Wee Bit of History
The W. Britain brand name of toy and collectable soldiers is derived from a company founded by William Britain Jr., a British toy manufacturer, who in 1893 invented the process of hollow casting in lead, and revolutionized the production of toy soldiers. The company quickly became the industry leader, and was imitated by many other companies, such as Hanks Bros. and John Hill and Co. The style and scale of Britain’s figures became the industry standard for toy soldiers for many years.
The Barclay Manufacturing Company was an American metal toy company based in New Jersey that specialised in diecast toy cars and hollowcast toy soldiers. Due to their common availability at five and dime stores, collectors often refer to Barclay’s toy soldiers as “Dimestore soldiers”.
from Wikipedia
A collection of PRESIDENTS in our toy soldiers collections
Besides soldiers, these very collectible miniatures might also include cowboys and Indians, presidents, and more.
The Times Can Change Our Toys
1966 marked a turning point in the history of toy soldiers. International concerns about lead poisoning brought about new laws which banned the manufacture of toys containing lead. William Britains, the best-known producer of 54mm metal figures, ceased production of metals and focused exclusively on plastic figures. Many other companies, like Timpo, Crescent and Cherilea, were forced to do the same.
At this point, collectors began to see new modeling techniques emerging, and plastic toy soldiers were all the rage until the world began to change. In the late 1960s and ‘70s, anti-war sentiment turned the tastes of the public away from military toys like toy soldiers. The rise of the action figure, based on science fiction and fantasy movies, and the rising appeal of video games, changed the collecting interests of younger children.
So, if you remember playing with toy soldiers, eagerly creating the game as your imagination allowed, maybe you want to share that joy with a youngster in your life, or still love to collect them, stop in soon at Bahoukas. They are perfectly sized to make great stocking stuffers this season. And yes, we’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
“Why did the Major mean so much to me? Because I was an Apollo baby,” wrote Washington Post reporter Frank Ahrens in 1996. “The Major represented the idealism of childhood and American can-do-ism. If we had put a man on the moon in 1969, just eight years after President Kennedy commanded it, surely Major Matt’s moon station would be a likelihood within a few years.”
Our latest addition to our collectible toys is Major Matt Mason – 3 characters – Major Matt Mason, Civilian Doug Davis (yellow suit), and Callisto – the Space Alien – plus the space station. The baby boomer that owned this sure took good care of it!
What the complete set would be … not sure what all is in the box.
It’s interesting to hear how kids played with these toys using ingenuity and imagination:
For kids like Ystrom, though, the joys of playing with Mason came from some of the simple but ingenious designs that Ryan and his band of defense-industry expats came up with to represent their vision for playing astronaut. “You could take the string from Mason’s jet pack, attach it to a door, and he’d go shooting to the top of it,” Ystrom recalls. “On the back of Mason’s pack there was a psychedelic spiral in orange and black. When Mason flew, it was hypnotic. It’s what we thought we were heading toward.”
GI Joe, 3 uniforms – Marines, Army, Navy Frogman – and Combat Man’s Equipment Case
The case was a knock-off and offered through the Sears and JC Penney’s Christmas catalogs in the 1960s. THE GI JOE character and costumes are the real thing.
Combat Man’s Equipment Case was a rather typical carrying case of the day, constructed of cardboard covered with vinyl, with metal clasps. But this carrying case had a difference. Printed on each side of the carrying case was a painting of a jeep. In the middle of the case, on each side, was a transparent, vinyl window. And inside the case, there was a little shelf where you could seat your action figure.
So there you are – some great items for the collector on your holiday list or great toys for the kids (big and little) on your list. Stop in and see them for yourself. And yep, we’ll be watchin’ for ya!
The journey to get Star Trek: The Original Series on television was a long and arduous one, but series creator Gene Roddenberry had help from an unlikely heroine – Lucille Ball
We have several remarkable collectibles related to the Star Wars series. The above photo is from a 1977 Star Wars Movie Program.
Below we have an amazing 1980 portfolio for The Empire Strikes Back Movie that includes 24 full-color prints with detailed info.
The beautiful art with the detailed information is outstanding, whether you keep them in the portfolio or decide to frame them.
Beautiful Production Printings from The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars.
Star Trek
Star Trek, The Undiscovered Country, press kit – 1991
This unique Star Trek press kit includes a production program and an electronic press kit that includes a movie trailer plus various clips/sound bites.
Star Trek Handbook of Production Information for Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country
A movie enthusiast or Trekkie/Trekker would definitely be interested.
Star Trek VI electronic Press Kit, 1991
The Contents in the Star Trek VI press kit video.
Stop in soon and take a peek. These Star Wars and Star Trek memorabilia will definitely be appreciated! Add to your own collection or consider a person on your gift list who would really, really appreciate these collectibles. And yes – we have some I Love Lucy memorabilia as well!
Although best remembered for the S gauge trains of the 1950s that it made as a division of the A. C. Gilbert Company, American Flyer was initially an independent company whose origins date back nearly a half century earlier. Chicago, Illinois-based toymaker William Frederick Hafner developed a clockwork motor for toy cars in 1901 while working for a company called Toy Auto Company. According to the recollections of William Hafner’s son, John, he had developed a clockwork train running on O gauge track by 1905.
Hafner’s friend, William Ogden Coleman, gained control of the Edmonds-Metzel Hardware Company, a struggling hardware manufacturer in Chicago, in 1906 or 1907. Hafner and Coleman began producing toy trains using Edmonds-Metzel’s excess manufacturing capability after Hafner was able to secure $15,000 worth of orders. By 1907, two American retailers, G. Sommers & Co. and Montgomery Ward, were selling Hafner-Coleman aka Edmonds-Metzel trains. In 1908, Edmonds-Metzel adopted the American Flyer brand name for the trains, and by 1910, Edmonds-Metzel was out of the hardware business and changed its name to American Flyer Manufacturing Company.
The above quote shows only a small bit of the story of model trains. If you go to the link for Wikipedia, you’ll find even more interesting information. Today we often give a ‘ho hum’ response to the history of familiar items. But if you take the time to read a bit more about these items, there’s a new appreciation of how they even came about!
American Flyer S-Scale Trains
New, very collectible, American Flyer S-scale model trains
Our latest ‘collection of collections’ is this assortment of newly acquired American Flyer Showcase Line of S-scale model trains. You’ll want to stop by soon and check it out. Start someone on their collection or add to your own.
American Flyer S-Scale Model Trains
Plus we have other trains available including Lionel 0-gauge and S-scale trains, and some H0 as well. Stop in today and browse our collection. We’re here to help you find the perfect ‘starter’ for a new collection or to add to one you already own. We’re here and we’re watchin’ for ya!
Captain Action was an action figure created in 1966, equipped with a wardrobe of costumes allowing him to become Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Captain America, Aquaman, the Phantom, The Lone Ranger (and Tonto), Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Sgt. Fury, Steve Canyon, and the Green Hornet. Captain Action was the Ideal Toy Company‘s answer to Hasbro’s G.I. Joe—although the protagonist dolls of both toy lines were created and designed by the same toy-and-idea man, Stan Weston.
Our Captain Action articulated action figure is in amazingly great condition considering the age and the fact that the original owner actually played with him. He comes with the following: Tonto, Batman, Green Hornet, Capt. America, Superman, and a baseball costume.
Some of the Captain Action costumes!
It’s interesting to note that Captain Action was also used in a variety of items including a comic book series, a book, and a card game.
The holidays are coming and this could be a great gift for a toy collector or a youngster on your list.
Stop in soon and see it for yourself. We’re here. And we’re watchin’ for ya!
