Major Toy Categories

By Arno Lippassaar

The following are some of the major categories of toy collecting. Note: These are only some of the major categories. There are probably many other categories not listed and numerous subcategories that could be listed. Toys in general are sometimes very difficult to categorize due to the vast varieties available. Also, many toys could fit into two or more categories at the same time, and could therefore be listed under different areas.

Action Figures: Not to be confused with dolls, action figures made their first appearance in the 1960s with the introduction of G.I. Joe. Barbie was popular with girls everywhere, so Hasbro released the first action figure designed for boys. They took a chance, and won. Stores could not keep them on the shelves long enough. Quick to follow was the Best of the West figures, James Bond, and Captain Action. In the 70s, a company called Mego began producing a superhero line of figures, and later some television show related figures. In 1977, Kenner changed the way action figures were made by reducing the size of the new Star Wars line to just 3 ¾ inches tall. Originally, Action figures were mostly 12 inches tall. When Mego began producing their dolls, most of them were 8 inches tall. Many different size and types of figures quickly came about. Today, action figures are one of the largest toy markets. In addition to purchasing them as children's playthings, action figures are being purchased for their value as a collectible. Many adults make frequent tours of the action figure aisles of toy stores, hoping to locate an elusive figure to complete their collections.

Battery-operated Toys: The allure of an intricate battery-operated toy is incredible. Many of these toys are made out of tin, and usually produced in Japan. These toys had their beginnings in the 1940s, replacing the wind-up and friction toys. Some popular tin toys included cars that drove around magically, turning around just before driving off the tabletop, and bartenders who took one drink too many causing them to turn red and blow smoke rings. Many of these toys did not always come marked though, making identification difficult. Be careful when buying tin battery-operated toys. Many reproduction toys have come out in the past few years that are being made in China. Although these are nice toys also, it's important to understand that most toys made in China are only a few years old.

Beanie Babies: Beanie Babies® are toys made by Ty, Inc. The first nine Beanie Babies were shown at toy expositions in late 1993, when H. Ty Warner decided to create smaller, less expensive versions of his stuffed animals. Beanie Babies have become incredibly popular as collectibles. Ty retires Beanie Babies on a regular basis, creating scarcity in the market.

Cast Iron Toys: Cast iron toys have been around since the late 1800s through approximately the 1940s. They were very often modeled after vehicles seen on the streets during those times, although vehicles were not the only items made out of cast iron. Many soldiers and banks were also produced. Careful research is very important when considering a purchase in this category. Many reproductions have been made of cast iron toys. Some are very poor examples, but some are very authentic.

Character Toys: This is, and probably will always be, the largest of all categories. Many toys that could be listed in this category could also be listed in another. As a general rule, if a toy is related to the character field at all, it should be listed as a character toy. An example of this would be a tin train with Walt Disney characters painted on its sides. Although this is a tin toy, and a train, this toy would probably draw the most interest from actual Disney collectors. New characters are created daily, as are new character toys. Examples include My Little Pony, the Peanuts Gang, Teletubbies, and Care Bears. This field is one that is continually growing.

Fisher-Price: Fisher-Price was started during the depression in 1930 in East Aurora, New York, with the release of sixteen toys. The toys were a variety of pull-toys made out of wood with paper lithographs. In 1959, Fisher Price began making the Little People playsets, which became very popular. Little People are still made today, although slightly redesigned in a larger size. Fisher-Price toys have gained great popularity in recent years, mostly because adult collectors played with these toys as children, and now they want their children to enjoy them as well. Fisher-Price toys are so popular, they have their own eBay subcategory.

Games: Games were never really regarded as a popular collecting field. Many people played games, but, until fairly recently, they have not been viewed as collector's items. Games have been around since the middle 1800s. Some early games now fetch rather large prices, but the later games can draw a lot of newer collectors, and they are still reasonably priced. With the advent of electronic games, this field could become extremely popular in the future.

Guns: Toy guns date back to the 1860's and are still produced today. Toy gun collecting is steadily growing due to the number of Baby Boomers now looking for reminders of their childhood. Toy guns were extremely popular in the 1950s through the 1960s. Television heroes such as Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy, and later The Lone Ranger dominated children's minds. As television shows progressed, so did the toy gun. Spy guns and space guns were popular for a while, but never attained the success of the western gun.

Lunchboxes: Lunchboxes have been popular since the 1950s, with lunchboxes of Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers leading the pack. Lunchboxes were designed with artwork of children's favorite heroes, television shows, and sports. Condition is extremely important to collectors in this field due to the intricate artwork displayed on each one. Many times, these lunchboxes also came with thermoses, which also increases their value. On eBay, lunchboxes can be found in the Collectibles category.

Pez: Pez was introduced to Americans in 1952. Molded out of plastic, these were handy little items that would dispense one candy at a time. The heads of these are molded out of plastic in the shapes of favorite cartoon characters. Pez is still available everywhere the market for them is strong.. Many clubs and newsletters, and conventions exist for Pez collectors everywhere. On eBay, Pez is found in the Collectibles category.

Restaurant Premiums: Collecting restaurant premiums (typically toys or games sponsored by fast-food restaurants) is a relatively new area that has obtained a large boost in popularity in a very short time. Collecting these cute little toys such as Toy Story's Buzz Lightyear from Burger King, McDonald's 101 Dalmatians, and Taco Bell's Talking Chihuahuas is still manageable for people with limited budgets, yet fun due to the vast variety of different premiums available. You can find restaurant premiums under eBay's fast food category. This area is likely to grow quickly. Many collector clubs already exist for collecting these premium toys.

Space/science fiction toys: Space and science fiction toys have become extremely popular in the last decade. Probably due to our own advances in space in the last ten years, many people have taken a keen interest in this area. Stories of Buck Rogers started in 1928, followed by Flash Gordon, and many others. As the years progressed, and space travel was achieved, people saw that there was a hint of truth to science fiction. Movies

such as Star Wars and the television series Star Trek further expanded this field of toy collecting.

Tomagotchi: Tomagotchis are part of the newest wave of toys that use computer chips. These electronic pets are portable and must be cared for or they "die." People can train their pets and shape the pets' personalities by the way they take care of the pets. The Furby, a furry electronic pet that can learn to talk like its owner, is one of the hottest toys for the 1998 holiday season.

Toy Soldiers: Children have played with miniature armies for over 100 years. They have become a very popular collectible with adults. Armies of toy soldiers have been found in Egyptian pyramids, although it is generally accepted that the first toy soldiers, which are similar to those we have in the present day, were founded in Germany. The first toy soldiers were "flats" - they were two-dimensional and only one millimeter thick. The arms, body, and legs were all in the same geometrical plane. In the 1890's, William Britain developed a way to hollow-cast soldiers. This resulted in a very detailed shell that weighed much less than earlier toy soldiers.

Toy Vehicles: Collecting toy vehicles has been one of the most popular fields of toy collecting for many years. Some of the most popular companies in this category are Hot Wheels™, Matchbox™, Dinky™, Corgi™, Marx™, Tonka™, Buddy L™, Tootsietoy™, and Ny-Lint™. Vehicles were made from pressed steel, tin, cast iron, diecast metal, and plastic. Condition is a very important factor to collectors of this category of toys.

The preceding material was written by Arno Lippassaar. These are the opinions of the author, not the opinions of eBay, and therefore eBay does not validate the accuracy of or endorse these opinions.