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Mickey Mouse Toys – A Brief History of Mickey Mouse

19 Nov 2010 by admin

With the continuing demand for Mickey Mousegifts,cartoons and a whole range of Mickey related paraphernalia, it’s always good to take a look back at how this phenomenon actually started. Today, we’re going to take a look at one of the earliest cartoons, Steamboat Willie.

Released in 1928 it was the 3rd Mickey Mouse Cartoon and the first to feature synchronized sound. Steamboat Willie premiered in New York. it was an instant hit.

Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks wrote and directed the film, parodying Steamboat Bill Jr, a Buster Keaton film. The music was put together by Wilfred Jackson who was a Disney animator. Popular songs included ‘Steamboat Bill’ and ‘Turkey in the Straw’.

There have been a number of controversies relating to the copyright of the film, although recent evidence suggests that issues relating to the original copyright may in fact, place ‘Steamboat Willie’ in the public domain. The film is selected for preservation in the United States Film registry and was voted number 13 out of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of all time.

The film has been subject to the censors scissors in the past. Mickey’s pulling of a cat’s tail and swinging it around his head caught the censor’s eye, as did the using of a goose as a set of bagpipes. DVD release

Steamboat Willie formed part of the Walt Disney Treasures DVD. it was also released as a DVD title, ‘Vintage Mickey’ which was a collection of Black and White Mickey Mouse Cartoons. Video games

With so many Mickey toys and games being developed, it was hardly surprising that Mickey would feature in a video game. ‘Steamboat Willie’ was used as a the basis for the first level of the video game Mickey Mania: The Timeless Adventures of Mickey Mouse. This was released for the Super Nintendo games console, but also made it onto the Sega CD and Sony Play stations.

In the Disney game Kingdom Hearts II a ‘Steamboat Willie’ inspired and themed world feature period versions of the characters.

It is pretty amazing that a 1928 cartoon, primitive as it appears now, could have spawned such a market for Mickey Mouse Toys and other items. A search on the web brings forward a vast array of mickey related items. Board games, dressing up sets, earrings, ears, bedding, pajamas, video games, dozens of DVD releases and a whole lot more besides. There is a toy for all occasions. Mickey is never far away and the obsession appears as strong as ever.

Having lived as a child in the 1970’s, with Mickey Mouse on TV so often, the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on every Saturday, I would never have dreamed that, eighty years after his first film debut, mickey Mouse would still be going strong…amazing!!

S M Reed

Mickey Mouse Toys

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The History of Toys Over Time

07 Nov 2010 by admin

Toys sure have came a long way since the first doll made literally thousands of years ago in ancient Egyptian times. Imagine this, the first doll was made with basic fabrics and paper pulled together with some string! Nowadays we have complex toys made of plastics, alloys, rubbers, and so many other materials too many to mention. But not only have the materials advanced, now toys can transform, move on their own, and even speak!

Let’s look back at some of the original toys back in ancient times. The first doll was made somewhere around 2000 B.C. Sure, try to hand a child a paper doll in these times. They probably wouldn’t appreciate it like children back then would. With so much time and effort it must have taken to make these by hand I’m sure they would love to play with those paper dolls. Other than the doll there was kites and yo-yo’s and real basic board games that resemble our modern day chess.

Now we’re going to skip ahead a few thousand years into a more recent period. Not many more toys where invented until the 1800’s. Within such a small span of time so many toys became popular such as stuffed animals, toys cars, and even speaking dolls! Did you know the first talking doll was made almost two hundred years ago? Alphabet blocks also became a popular learning toy during this time.

On to the 1900’s now. Pretty much by now every toy has been made at this point. But the 1900’s is when all the major technological advances started coming to life. Early in the century there where battery operated toys, Legos, balloons, the View Master, and of course I can’t forget Barbie, probably them epitome of all girl’s dolls and toys in general. The stuffed bear became popular during this after being name the Teddy Bear after one of our presidents Sir Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt.

OK let’s bring it back recent times now. The only one thing left to do now really do now is to make the toys even better by implementing some real technology into the toys. Toys that walk on their own, toys that can talk back to you?! OLD NEWS! Try motion sensory technology, voice activated, and terrain adaptable toys. Ancient Egyptians would be scared of some of these toys we have invented nowadays. Yes, toys have advanced quite a lot over the years, and remember in their own time they were always fun to play with as toy were meant to be. Fun.

Victor Epand is an expert consultant about kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls. You will find the best marketplace for kids toys, stuffed animals, and dolls at these sites for current toys, stuffed animals.

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Prehistoric To Playstation – A History Of Children’s Toys

17 Sep 2010 by admin

Traditional toys and games have been a part of society and culture all over the world for thousands of centuries, possibly since the beginning of time. As long ago as 6000 B.C., we know of the existence of games similar to modern day chess. Babylonians in 4000 B.C. also played a board game similar to traditional games of checkers and chess.

The first games of backgammon have been dated back to ancient Samaria in 3000 B.C. In Egypt, toy marbles were first fashioned out of stone. By 2000 B.C., Egyptians were making and playing with a number of children’s toys and games. Dolls were made from string, paper, and other easy to find materials and board games much like our traditional game of checkers were played. At the same time, the first skates, constructed of iron, were in use in Scandinavia.

Traditional toys like kites and yo-yos were first introduced in 1000 B.C. Though kites were probably in existence long before, their first recorded appearance was in China during this time period. Greek children begin to play with yo-yos made of stone. Soon after, the first playing cards were dealt in Asia.

Over the next thousand years, many of the kids toys we know of today were designed in their earliest forms from crude materials. Most traditional toy inventions were not a recorded part of history until the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The first roller skates were invented in 1759 by a man named Joseph Merlin, and, like many traditional toys, they are still being refined and altered today to fit modern society.

The 19th century saw the introduction of many traditional toys in America and throughout Europe. Dolls were already being made in several European countries, but in 1840 an American doll maker began the first mass production of this still popular traditional toy. Only three years later, the first American board game was produced, called ‘The Mansion of Happiness.’

Board games continued to be popular children’s toys throughout the years. The Indian game, Parcheesi, is tone of he oldest toys to still be produced today and was introduced to England in 1867 as Ludo. As the 19th century drew to a close, more and more innovative traditional toys came into production. Traditional toys, like alphabet blocks, stuffed animals, and wagons and sleds, were all being commercially manufactured.

The late 1800’s saw the introduction of toy guns and pistols, as well as the BB gun. The concept of talking toy dolls was perfected and high quality wooden toys [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk/traditional-toys-21/wooden-toys-22] were produced in a number of traditional toy styles, including train sets. Radio Flyer developed the traditional toy sled for outdoor winter fun and musical toys and soft toys were in mass production.

The early 20th century marked the invention of lots of traditional toys children still adore during playtime today. Battery powered train sets and the famous Lionel trains were invented in the early 1900’s and the cherished teddy bear became more and more popular in the United States. Other traditional toys, like rag dolls, stacking rings, and all sorts of block varieties were also introduced during the first part of the 20th century.

Today, video games and electronic toys have gained a fair share of the toy market, but classic, traditional toys still continue to warm the hearts of children around the world. Traditional toys, like dolls, blocks, and board games, have been around for thousands of years and will most likely continue to be an important part of childhoods for thousands more.

Gary Clay is an expert on quality traditional toys [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk] and runs the UK’s favourite shop for kids, Monkeyshine where you will find a range of luxury traditional toys [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk] for children.

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History of Robotic Toys

27 Jul 2010 by admin

Early robotic toys were little more than what we call action figures today. They were most often shaped roughly like human beings except that their heads were square. Their arms and legs were hinged so that they could swing back and forth. There would be a wind up key in the back. Twisting it would tighten a spring which in turn would cause the arms to swing or the legs to walk forward or maybe both. Sometimes there would be a light bulb and small battery behind the eyes which would make them glow or flash. Sometimes they would be capable of making some kind of repetitive noise. They were really pretty simple devices. Kids did love them, however. It’s still possible to find some of these vintage robotic toys at auctions. They are popular collectible items.

More modern robotic toys are very different from the early models. While you can still get one that is shaped like a square headed human, there are a lot of others to choose from. Some are small cars that can be driven by remote control. Others are dinosaurs that move and walk around. One very popular type of modern robotic toy is ones that are made to resemble animals. They are really a cross between a robot and a classic stuffed animal. Many are made to look like baby lions or kittens or puppies. These toy robots do a lot more than just walk around with their eyes flashing. Many can do a number of tricks such as “come” or “play dead”. Many of them can mimic the facial expressions of real animals which makes them the next best thing to a real pet for a child.

If you’d like to learn a little more about modern robotic animal toys and see some pictures of them, check out Wowwee Alive Lion Cub Plush Robotic Toy In Tan and Zizzle Lucky The Incredible Wonder Pup.

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The History Of Wooden Toys

01 Jul 2010 by admin

Toys have been an important part of childhood since early civilization and while children today are much different than those thousands of years ago, many of their favorite toys are similar to those that have been around for centuries. As long ago as the ancient Greek and Roman empires, children are known to have played with dolls, horses, and chariots. The earliest toys discovered by archaeologists were all made of wood.

Wooden toys continued to be a common part of childhood for thousands of years. By the 1700’s, German toymakers began to craft a variety of toys from wood to sell to the general public. Salesmen would travel around Europe to market the popular wooden toys, taking advance orders for special occasions and often for custom made wooden toys. Almost life-like dolls and animals were becoming favorite playthings for children all over Europe.

Over the next century, toymakers became more elaborate and detailed with their wooden creations. Wooden miniatures like dollhouses and theaters became popular during the 19th century, as well as wooden toy soldiers. Many wooden toys, like the classic Jack in a box, were hand painted with bright, vivid colors. Wooden trains, along with their wooden tracks, were one of the best selling toys during this time period.

By the end of World War II, a number of new materials had been introduced to the manufacturing industry including still popular plastic. The production of wooden toys steadily declined as more and more toymakers opted for cheaper and more modern materials. Plastic toys were much easier for mass production and were more affordable to families with children.

Today, wooden toys are rarely seen on the shelves of traditional toy stores but the charm and appeal of these childhood classics has kept a number of wooden toy manufacturers in business. A variety of wooden toys can be purchased online, from miniature appliances to small novelty gifts and games.

Wooden toys are typically simple playthings that encourage a child to use their imaginations. Wooden puzzles encourage children to develop cognitively as well as develop fine motor skills. Wooden ride-on toys and pedal cars enhance physical skills and gross motor development. Whether it is a fire station or a farmhouse, miniature wooden play sets aid in social and emotional development. Wooden toys hold great educational value because of their simplicity.

Plastic toys are still generally less expensive than wooden toys and are considered safer by some because of the flammability of older wooden toys and possible injuries from thrown or falling wooden objects, but wooden toys do not contain toxic PVC like plastic toys do. Wooden toys are the most durable toys and can usually last through generations of play.

Today’s wooden toys are just as innovative, if not more so, than modern, electronic toys. Cars, trucks, and wooden wind-ups make wonderful gifts and wooden pull along toys delight toddlers. Quiet games like chess and checkers, and even tic-tac-toe can be found made of wood, as well as physical games like ring toss. For toys that provide educational benefits and last for decades, choose the toys that have been tested by time, wooden toys.

Gary Clay is an expert on Traditional Wooden Toys and owner of stylish kids store Monkeyshine an internet retailer of Traditional Toys [http://www.monkeyshine.co.uk/traditional-toys-21] in the UK

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