Thursday, August 16, 2007

The Fun World of Toy Collecting

Collecting toys has been a way for adults to stay young at heart no matter how old they get. Despite how much they age on the outside, inside they still retain that childhood pleasure of playing with toys. It's never too late to start a toy collection and there are many categories to choose from. Think back to what you liked to play with when you were a child and begin from there.

Dolls

Dolls are a favorite of women collectors. Often, a doll was one of the first toys that a little girl received and the joy of holding them and caring for them can be just as strong now as it was back then. There are many different types of dolls to collect. There are antique dolls, decorative dolls, baby dolls, ethnic dolls and fashion dolls. Some collectors even learn to make cloth dolls such as rag dolls. Others take great pleasure in making clothes and accessories so they can continuously change their dolls appearance. These hobbyists are proud of their collections and will often display them throughout their home.

Cars and Trucks

Men like to collect cars and trucks, and just like when they were children, they may still make the vroom sound as they push it around. There are also some women who like them too. Cars, such as antique cars can be pricey. There are also kits that allow the hobbyist to lovingly build their favorite models.

Other popular cars to collect are matchbox cars. They're small, so they don't take up much space and they come in many different models. A popular brand of truck to collect is Tonka. These trucks are work type vehicles, like bulldozers and dump trucks and many men played with them when they were children. They still bring a smile to the face of the men who collect them.

Plush Toys

Beanie Babies are highly collectible plush toys. They are made by Ty and are adorable representatives of just about every animal there is. They come in beautiful colors and the production for individual toys is limited, which makes them even more collectible. Another popular plush toy to collect is teddy bears. You can buy plain teddy bears or teddy bears that represent a particular era like the Victorian era, or an occupation like a fireman or doctor. Some hobbyists stick to one brand, while others like to collect from a variety of them.

Other Toys

There are many other kinds of toys to collect such as wooden toys. They have a nostalgic look to them and there are kits to make these as well. You can also collect puppets like marionettes, or hand puppets. The choices are practically endless.

By becoming a toy collector, you can leave the stressful adult world behind and re-enter the joyous world of a child.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this as well as Unique Collectibles Online at http://www.uniquecollectiblesonline.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregg_Hall

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Only Kids Are Allowed Toys?

I don't suppose there is no harm in not growing up.I mean through the eyes of a child,the world is an amazing place,full of wonder and awe.Starting a toy hobby as an adult should not therefore be seen as something odd or strange.Why should kids get all the pleasure?A toy hobby can go a long way to helping keep you young at heart.After all,do we ever grow up?

Dolls are a prime example,many women love dolls and never outgrow them.Antique dolls,decorative dolls and even fashion dolls are still collected by some women.Maybe they have an interest in crafting clothes and other accessories for their dolls as well as collecting them.This can lead to the hobbyist crafting their own figures in the form of rag dolls and ceramic head dolls.These special handmade dolls usually have an entire room in which they are displayed by their proud owners.

Cars and trucks in the form of diecast models are very popular amongst men.Models by Texaco and Coca-Cola can be very collectible and some are quite valuable too.Do you remember Matchbox cars and Tonka trucks from your childhood?If you collect these types of toys then you can safely say that your grandkids and their friends will have a great time either playing with,or looking at these models.

Beanie Babies are also a very popular toy that people collect.Beanie Babies come in all shapes and sizes in the form of velour animals.They each come with their own identity and a little humorous poem attached. They were originally intended as a childs toy but soon became popular amongst adults.A lot of Beanie Babies are in teddy bear shapes and these are added as an extension of a normal teddy bear collection.Teddy bear collections can grow quite huge and like doll collections usually have a room of their own in someone's house.

Good old fashioned wooden toys are also popular,either purchased or crafted by someone at home.Isn't there something enchanting about a handcrafted wooden toy being played with by a child?Doll's houses, games,puzzles and wooden vehicles are just a few of the toys that are hobbyists might collect.You might be suprised at the amount of adults who prefer old fashioned toys over the new electronic gizmos that are available.They find them noisy and irritable and much prefer the quieter toys.

Don't think that because you are now adult that you have to forsake toys.A toy hobby can keep you young and,who knows,maybe you can share your passion with your neighbours children and help them get off their computers.Whether you collect toys or craft them, a toy hobby can be great fun.

Alan Richardson is the owner of http://www.hobby-ebooks.com where you can find e-books on all types of hobbies and crafts.