Battery Toys Are Popular Collectibles

                                                             

Toys which were operated by small electric motors, and powered by batteries, were very popular in the 1950s- 1960s period.They reached peak popularity in the 1950s and continued to be quite popular through the 1970s. Many battery powered toys were vehicles including such items as carsand trucks of all sizes and military vehicles including jeeps, tanks airplanes and jeeps. Another very popular type of battery toy of this period, which is now highly prized by collectors, is Character type figures or animals including the ever popular red faced bar tender, the monkey playing a drum and a wide variety of similar items. Disney figures such as Mickey Mouse, Goofy or DFonald Duck either alone as a figure or driving cars were a big hit and are also much prized collectibles at present.



Cartoon characters had similar popularity at the time and again are very collectible.Electronic robots which could walk and move with flashing eyes and lights, of various types, boats and ships which either rasn on wheels or could be put in the water were big items. Starships and spacemen including the ever popular flying saucers and space suited space creatures associated with them were hugely successful. Battery operated toys are very much collectible at the present time, and their prices continue to rise on the collector market reflecting this popularity.


After the Second World War in 1946 Japanese toy makers (in occupied Japan) began to make toys with tiny electric motors to replace the earlier windup or clockwork toys which were more expensive to produce. Some of these toys could simulate human or animal movement and could drive battery powered vehicles. During the next quarter century Japan dominated the battery toy market and produced as much as 95% of all batteryoOperated toys which were sold all over the world.


Disney  Popeye Toys are now rare Battery Toys and can fetch prices of thousands of dollars when in excellent original condition.  Condition is the all important factor in valuing collectible battery toys, just as it is as with other collector toys. A toy which is described as Mint In Box (MIB) will fetch a very much higher price than a similar toy in just average used condition with no box can be sold for. The reason for this is of course that most toys have been played with by children, and had their knocks and scrapes, and an MIB battery toy is quite a rarity.Disney  Popeye battery toys are one of very hard to find items and will sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars depending on their condition.


Production of battery toys reached a maximum in the 1960's and began to decline during the 1970s.  The reasons for the decline were the increasing Japanese labor costs and the new safety restrictions which were applied. This caused toy producers to go out of the toy business or change to manufacturing a different type of merchandise. The period covering about thirty years from  1940 to the end of the 1960's is the " Golden Era" of battery powered toys in the eyes of collectors.

Where should you go to buy battery powered toys?  You can will find great prices at Amazon: Battery Toys.

Check out our website  toys for sale  for more information about toys both new and collectible.

                                                     

Model Train Scales--What Is The Story Behind Them?

Model trains and engines are built to numerous different scales, and may be up to from 700 mm (27.6 in) tall for the big ridable live steam train scales such as 1:8, and from there right down to the smallest trains in Z-scale (1:220) which is matchbox sized. Another scale introduced in 2007 that is also available is called T Gauge, and is 3 mm (0.118 in) gauge track which is actually a scale of 1:450, or half the size of Z scale models.

An HO (1:87) engine is typically 50 mm (1.97 in) tall, and from 100mm to 300 mm (3.94 in to 11.81 in) in length. Some popular train scales are: G gauge, Gauge 1,HO gauge (in the UK the very similar 00gauge), O gauge, S scale, TT scale, and finally N scale (1:160 in the United States, (but different at 1:144 in the UK). Interest in Z scale and T Gauge is growing. HO and OO are still the most popular gauges. Some popular narrow-gauge scales are H0n3 scale, Sn3 scale. HOn3 Scale and Nn3,are the same scale as S, HO and N except with a smaller spacing between the tracks (in these examples, a scale 3 ft (914 mm) instead of the 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge).

The biggest commonly used scale is 1:8, with 1:4 occasionally used for park rides. G scale (which is Garden, 1:24 scale) is very popular for backyard modelling. The main reason for this is that it is easier to fit a G scale model into a garden with scenery in correct proportion to the trains. Also somewhat popular for gardens are Gauge 1 and Gauge 3. Gauges H0, O, S, and N are mostly used indoors. Lionel trains of O scale (1:48 scale) are very popular. S refers to the 1:64 scale.
Scale and gauge might seem at to be interchangeable terms, but their meanings are actually quite different. Scale is the model's size as a proportion to the real train, while railway gauge is only the distance between the rails.

In earlier times model trains were were not made to any particular scale size. scales to allow interchangeability between different manufacturers became absolutely necessary as the model train hobby became increasingly popular. Hence gauges were standardised, but the model trains were still just roughly proportional to the size of the original train. Standard industry wide scales for the various different gauges were formulated but were not completely followed in earlier times, and were not always in correct proportion to the gauge.

O gauge trains were to 1:48 scale in the USA but actually have track which is spaced too widely spaced for that gauge. In England O gauge is of 1:43.5 scale or 7 mm/1 foot and the gauge track spacing is correctly proportioned. But another example in the UK is OO scale model trains have tracks which have tracks spaced too narrowly. This resulted from the fact that British locomotives and train cars, are actually of smaller size than they are elsewhere. This caused an increase in scale so that HO scale model train materials could be put to use. The majority of scales have wheel flanges which are deeper than true scale,along with wheel treads that are wider than true scale, and rail tracks which are also larger than true scale size.
These inaccuracies and overscale dimensions of the commercial mass produced trains are made in order to provide reliable operation, and also for lower cost manufacture.

Model railroading can be a very interesting hobby and can be a lifetime interest for some train modellers. Very complex and extensive layouts are not uncommon and are often built over a long period of time with ever more detail.

Where is the best buy on model trains to be found.? We are always searching for the best model train deals and discounts to be found. Have a look at what we located through this link to Amazon:  Model trains and see our website  Toys for sale  for more information

Top Toys This Season

Every year the toy makers battle for top place honors on the toy lists of various websites and companies.This year is no different as the big toy makers go head to head for their share of the market. There are always some of the old favorites in there. Great toys like Lego (which has been around since the 1940s) never die and their makers always come up with new ideas or versions to keep them in the public eye and keep them selling. Lego's association with Star wars has been very profitable and the numerous Lego Star Wars toys are big sellers.

Then there is Barbie. What would Christmas be without Barbie? Barbie has been around since the 1950s and boy does she look good for her age.If we could all look like Barbie when we are 60 years old wouldn't that be something. Of course she has undergone numerous transformations and plastic surgery procedures over the years.But just as many little girls as ever will be asking for Barbie toys this Christmas. Many companies put out their list of top toys every year. Here is the list compiled by Toys R'Us a leading toy seller:



LEGO Ninjago Lightning
Dragon Battle
Moshi Monsters™ Moshlings
3-pk. Mini Figures
My Keepon
Air Swimmers®
LeapPad Explorer™
Skylanders Spyro's Adventure
Start Pack for Wii
Fijit Friends™
Playskool Poppin' Park™
Elefun® Busy Ball Popper®
The Trash Pack™ Trashies'
Garbage Truck
Nerf® Vortex™ Vigilon™Lalaloopsy™
SillyHair™ Dolls
Air Hogs® Hyperactives™
Sesame Street®
Let's Rock! Elmo™
Monster High™
Fearleading 3-pk.
Power Wheels® Dune Racer

Now you can go elsewhere and you will find some different toys listed but this is a pretty good representative list of the toys that Toys R'Us finds to be big sellers at present. There are some new items on there which were not available l;ast year. The LeapPad Explorer is a tablet computer designed for kids. It is much like the adult tablets such as iPad which are a favorite gift this year. There is something for everyone on these toy lists so browse and take your choice.You will find more information about popular toys at  Toys for sale