Clown Car Arrives at Pink Gardens

Given to me just a few days ago, this newest part of my collection makes me smile so much! I love clowns and, of course, I love cars, so this vintage tin toy Clown Car is awesome! Expect to see him in some of my art really soon.

I turned 57 today, born in 1957. I guess it's a special year but I'm flat on my back with a sciatica flare up! 

One turns the clown's head to wind up the toy. Once you do, the car moves forward for about a foot, stops, backs up for about a foot, stops, and keeps on repeating. I love it.

The painted details are right up my alley with stripes, tiny squares and colors with a lot of patina.

Dr. Frankenstein-nik I Presume?

One of my more humorous vintage toys from the 1960s, this Frankenstein Wishnik Troll doll. The mid 1960s saw a rise in TV shows featuring out-of-this-world characters and premises, such as The Munsters, The Addams Family, Lost in Space, Star Trek, I Dream of Jeannie, and many more. This little green troll doll consisted of a regular Wishnik body, molded in green plastic, and a bespoke Frankenstein head, evocative of the popular TV character Herman Munster. It's hard to believe that this troll doll is almost 50 years old!

Forget the Sleigh!

Vintage Santa Clauses Ride on Skis, Tricycles

These vintage Santa Clauses date to the 1950s. The plastic Santa on skis is a container, most likely for pens or pencils. It's about five-inches high, with a deep space in his "bag" but the opening is pretty narrow, too narrow for candy or any sort of holiday treats. The Santas on tricycles are tin-toys, and operate with a key-wind. They ride around on flat surfaces quite well. The pinwheel-like ornament on the back of the tricycle is a bell that rings as Santa rides around; the spiral painted bell turns around and around for a crazy, op-art type of display. Although also made of tin, the "balloon" is mounted on a very thin wire, and flails around as the trike is propelled. They're really quite charming, and they've managed to stay with their original boxes.

United Colors of Benetton. Um, Sort Of!

Citroën- and Checker-like cars are about to be delivered to some lucky little kid. In 1960.

M Y   C O L L E C T I O N — This inexpensive-when-new transporter and its load of 'new' cars, has been in my possession since I was a tiny tyke of three. The entire set is only eight and one-half inches long. I actually had two identical sets, one to play with and one to 'save.' This is the set that was saved, thank goodness! I still have bits and pieces of the other set, packed somewhere, and when I find them I'll restore the one axle of missing wheels on the red car in this set. I can't find a manufacturer's name on it, so I'm not sure how to look it up to find production stats or anything, but I've always loved the various colors—go figure! The cars came in two designs, one looking a bit like a Checker sedan, and the other vaguely Citroën DS-like oddly enough. The probably picked two 'small' car companies that wouldn't bother to ask for royalties...