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Author Topic: Obscure Childhood Toys  (Read 15372 times)

Offline TheMinorityof1990

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Obscure Childhood Toys
« on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 01:34 pm »
Does anyone here remember Teeny Tiny Tumbles Surprise, the liitle doll with hard head and soft body that would do forward rolls whenever you sat her up?

Or Shufflie playsets from Matchbox? There was a castle, a hospital, a zoo etc. The people and/or animals who went with these sets had ballbearings in the bottom and would shuffle along the buildings or land. I had the castle, and I have so many memories of playing with it. I also have the doctor, which I think came from a bootfair.

I'll definately be looking for more of these toys when I go to secondhand shops or bootfairs and jumble sales.

Offline Mysstica

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 02:36 pm »
I had a Baby Tumbles Surprise when I was a kid. I didn't know that there were tiny ones until I started coming to this site! I then saw one at the flea market last year. :P They also had one that did a headstand and a tiny one that did a headstand. (I thought that was a bit redundant, since you could do the same thing with the tumbly one. :P )

Offline luckdragon

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 03:29 pm »
I wish I had a picture of dolls I'm trying to find but seem obscure or I have no idea how to search for them.

They were about 5 inch tall fashion dolls.  Very late 80s/early 90s.  I remember one was a brunette with a ponytail.  They all had curved arms that curve like parentheses () to their front.  I've got them in storage.  I just can't remember them.

I also remember a ballerina doll that I had.  Her feet had a joint in them at the ankle to where you could bend them flat to stand or on pointe.  I believe her outfit was molded on, but I think she had 2 different tulle tutus (one was pink and maybe there was a purple).  Blonde doll, blue eyes, about 9-10 inches tall.  I believe she came with a barre and maybe a mirror.  She had a pink molded crown on her head and you pulled the crown up and pushed it down.  That made her spin.  I think she also had removable leggings.  Joints let you pose her legs and arms too.  I know it's not Dancerina Ballerina from the 1960s, Dancerella from the 80s, My Pretty Ballerina by TYCO, or Dancing Pretty by Mattel.  This doll was made in the late 80s/early 90s and I believe that it was part of a line about dreaming for some reason.  Like there may have been a gymnastics doll, maybe a roller skating doll.  It's driving me nuts.

Another "obscure" type toy I guess would be paper dolls.  I was obsessive about paper dolls and am sooo tempted to start collecting uncut paper dolls from my childhood like Punky Brewster, Monchichi, Tropical Barbie, Heart Family, Moondreamers, etc.  I had a black shoebox full of them and loved them.  I also loved the 1970s Ginghams paper dolls.

Marshmallow Babies by Playskool were a bit obscure too.  I'd love to find one on ebay because mine from childhood is not in the best shape.  They are so expensive though!  The only one on ebay is over $100.  And it's blue.  Mine is green with short hair and a green/peach romper.  I even have the doll's original socks still.

Offline TheMinorityof1990

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 05:50 pm »

Offline luckdragon

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #4 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 05:53 pm »
No, she's bigger than those, doesn't require a base, and is more poseable.

And you have to keep pumping the crown to get her to spin.

I've tried ebay, Etsy, Google, Bing, Amazon, nothing comes up.  It's very frustrating.  Same for those dolls I also described.  *sigh*  I wish I could go get a picture of them, but they are packed away and it would take forever to find them.

Thanks for trying though.
« Last Edit: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 05:57 pm by luckdragon »


Offline luckdragon

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #6 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 07:37 pm »
Thank you Mysstica!  Those are the pre-teen looking dolls I had as a child!  I really appreciate it!  I had Brunette Kelly, beach Katie, the blonde in the yellow/pink with black polka dots, and probably 1 or 2 more.

I guess they are obscure since I couldn't remember the name of them, and there aren't that many on ebay (never heard of Creata either).  Mostly all I could remember was the really 80s clothing and the arms like parentheses plus the size.

Edit:  Does anyone remember Love-a-Bye Baby dolls by Hasbro?  I had a lot of these.  Kind of obscure because they got recalled.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Love-A-Bye-Baby-Doll-Vinyl-Doll-Collectible-Baby-Doll-/160864244104?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2574419188
I definitely had that one.
They had furniture you could buy and outfits you can buy (they came in just a diaper and bib).  I loved the little buggers.
« Last Edit: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 07:47 pm by luckdragon »

Offline hime

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #7 on: Wednesday 22 August 2012, 10:14 pm »
I have a couple of those (two really tiny ones)(They MAY be mcds)kinda cute.

Offline Mysstica

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #8 on: Thursday 23 August 2012, 03:02 am »
Wow, that dog bib looks very familiar!

I had a couple of those dolls as well, and had come here looking for an ID. Someone here gave me the ID, and I was more than happy to pass it on. :D


Offline luckdragon

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #9 on: Thursday 23 August 2012, 03:16 am »
I got one!  Did anyone else have Potato Head Kids?

McDonald's released them in Happy Meals in 1986 I believe.  Playskool also sold them in stores.  All mine came from stores.
http://www.mrpotatohead.net/1980/19805.htm
I had about a dozen of them.
I had the schoolhouse too:  http://www.mrpotatohead.net/1980/19808.htm

Anyone else remember these?  I loved them.

Offline TheMinorityof1990

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #10 on: Thursday 23 August 2012, 08:13 am »
Ok, so not a toy, but definately very obscure. It was a board game with little holes and two pens. I'm not entirely sure where the child saw the word they had to spell right, but they had to put the pen in the right hole and the pen would have a happy face. Put it in the wrong hole, and the face on the pen would be sad or angry. I really hope we find this when we clear the loft out, because I really wanna know what it's called.

Offline Stefanie

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #11 on: Sunday 09 September 2012, 12:59 am »
I designed for the Love A Bye Baby line, I did all of the wooden accessories. I might have a few of them around in my stuff that I'm getting rid of.... I'll post back if I find anything.

I do have the little high chair and wooden duck cart if anyone is interested.

Offline blotertom

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #12 on: Tuesday 11 September 2012, 04:34 am »
nice, thanks for u sharing it!

Offline emlou

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #13 on: Friday 14 September 2012, 04:52 pm »
i have all the shufflie sets . i had the castle as a child and was determined to get one for my son, i did 2 years ago and then just kept collecting from there, we have the castle. purple version of the castle, zoo, police station and hospital . i am sure i have pics which i will try and upload

Offline johnparker29

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Re: Obscure Childhood Toys
« Reply #14 on: Tuesday 09 October 2012, 01:55 pm »
There was a adventure, a medical center, a zoo etc. The individuals and/or creatures who went with these places had ballbearings in the end and would mix up along the structures or area. I had the adventure, and I have so many reminiscences of enjoying with it. I also have the physician, which I think came from a bootfair.