Oh. My. Goodness. I. Am. Tired.

We’ve had two practices this week that have kept me out until 10:00 at night.  Monday night, I could. not. fall. asleep.  It was awful.  And then Joshua got up at 5:45 on Tuesday morning.  So when he napped, you best believe I did too.  For three hours. 

But then I was out again on Tuesday evening and it is hot and muggy and awful out there. So it zaps all the energy I might’ve mustered up within ten minutes of being outside. 

So, because I’m trying to get my bearings with this sort of being back to work thing, I have a guest post for you today. 

Jenn and I “met” on Twitter.  (@MBJunction) but then I realized that I “knew” her from the limited time I’m able to spend on The Bump (BOTB represent…errrrr….or something less gangsta-ish…)

Anyway, she threw out a tweet about wanting to guest post for some people and I was all “WOOHOO! What do you want to talk about!?” because I knew this week was coming and I knew this week was a distinct possibility. 

So, Jenn decided to tell y’all about vintage/retro toys that she’s found recently for her little guy, Jack.

Enjoy!

Hi, I’m Jenn, the author of Monkey Butt Junction, and mom to my amazing six month old son, Jack. Motherhood is the best thing to ever happen to me, and even though I work full time I love to find time to write about my passions: green living, gardening, and my love of all things vintage. Thanks for this opportunity to write a guest blog about something fun: good old-fashioned toys!

Shall we take a stroll down Memory Lane?

If you are my age, you’ve probably watched with some excitement (and maybe a little bit of horror) as our treasured childhood institutions are remade and reworked for new audiences.  The A-Team and Karate Kid are now playing at the theaters.  Strawberry Shortcake dolls and Transformers line the shelves at Target.  Even Fisher Price has gotten into the game by remaking some of their most classic toys. 

Do you remember the Fisher Price Chatter Telephone?  The smiling face from 1961 that kept little ones busy for many years is now available for a new generation (even though this generation may never see a real rotary phone in their home!).  A brand new Chatter – identical in every way to the original – is now available, thanks to Fisher Price’s line of classic toys. 

While these remakes are very popular, the vintage toy market has been seeing a huge interest in the originals as well.  Fisher Price has continued to maintain its line of Little People toys through the years, but the originals are enjoying a huge surge of popularity in the antique and collectibles market.  Some of the most collectible Little People playsets easily fetch hundreds of dollars, and smaller pieces are in high demand as collectors do their best to complete their collections.

And who didn’t have one of these, back in the day?   The 1971 Fisher Price Record Player with its brightly colored plastic records featured popular kids’ songs like Camptown Races and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  The record player remains a popular item on the vintage resale market.  

Would you like to share some of these classics with your babies?  Take a trip to Target: they carry the new line of Fisher Price classics.  If you like shopping online, Amazon has them for even less.  Check out eBay and Etsy (it’s not just crafts – vintage items are huge there as well) for some of the originals.  Swap meets, antique shops and flea markets are full of the good old toys.  The children will love these old toys, and you’ll enjoy taking the trip down memory lane as you find.  Just remember to share your awesome new toys with the kids.