Antonio Vitali Wood Toy Family Set for Creative Playthings
By Creative Playthings
Located in San Mateo, CA
Carved wood toy family by Antonio Vitali, Swiss toy designer. Vitali designed this set for Creative Playthings in 1954.
Wood
$448Sale Price|20% Off
1950s Antonio Vitali & Kurt Naef Swiss Handmade Wood Toy Elephant Car
By Hans Brockhage
Located in Chula Vista, CA
For your consideration, a wonderful vintage hand carved wood toy elephant shaped car by famed Swiss master toy Artist Antonio Vitali and modernist Kurt Naef. Firm and sturdy ready t...
Rubber, Wood, Plywood
Important Antonio Vitali Toy Set with Original Box
By Creative Playthings
Located in Lambertville, NJ
"Playforms" was created as a Division of Creative Playthings (USA) in the early 1950s to showcase the toy designs of legendary Swiss designer Antonio Vitali (1909-2008). This set is ...
Early 20th Century Toy Noah's Ark, German
Located in Incline Village, NV
Toy Noah’s Arks for children to play with were very popular in the late 19th and early 20th century, and Germany was very prolific in their production. This particular ark is all ori...
Wood
$1,965 / set
H 7.88 in W 5.52 in D 1.97 in
Scandinavian Modern Teak Wood Vintage Selection of Seven Animals, 1960s Denmark
Located in Vienna, AT
Scandinavian modern wood vintage seven ( 7 ) animal figures from teak wood, 1960s Denmark. An amazing collection of different types of animals. This lovely collection show nice char...
Teak
$180 / set
H 3.38 in W 1.5 in D 1.5 in
Antique Grulich Christmas Nativity Figure Lot, late 19th Century Folk Art
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful Antique Grulich Nativity Figures — Late 19th Century This rare and culturally significant set of nativity figures originates from the historic Králiky region (formerly Gr...
Wood
19th Century Folk Art Wooden Toy Dog Sculpture
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Very charming 19th Century wooden toy dog featuring jointed legs and a dark painted finish. Originally there were other parts to this little guy but we now see this being used decora...
Wood
$425Sale Price|32% Off
H 20.5 in W 24.5 in D 11 in
Mid-Century Children's Wooden Pony with Wheels and Red Painted Details
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Mid-Century children's wooden pony with wheels, red painted details, handles and straw mane and tail. Perfect for a children's room or nursery. In original condition with visible wea...
Straw, Wood
Mid Century Danish Children's Rocking Elephant C.1960
Located in London, GB
Mid Century Danish Children's Rocking Elephant C.1960 Excellent design element to a children's room. Fully functioning as a rocking toy. In very good condition commensurate wit...
Plywood
3 Jacob Jensen Illum Bolighus Wood Toy Viking Figures 1960's
By Jacob Jensen, Illum Bolighus
Located in New York, NY
Hard to find vintage wood toys by Jacob Jensen for Illum Bolighus, made in Denmark circa 1960's. The figures are in very clean and free of cosmetic wear or damage - one figure is mi...
Wood, Teak
$236Sale Price|20% Off
H 1.07 in W 1.07 in D 1.07 in
Vintage Kurt Naef Bauhaus Style Building Blocks Toy Wood Mid-Century
By Naef Spiele
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Huge lot of 67 Bauhaus style wooden blocks. Architectural pattern making toys. Sold as found, unrestored condition. 1 1/16 inch cubes.
Wood
$295
H 11 in W 20 in D 37.5 in
Cute Little Vintage Dutch Children's Rolling Wood Cart with Pull String
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Dutch wood cart with pull string and wheels. In original condition with heavy, visible wear including paint splatter, stains and chipping. Wear is consistent with its age and...
Metal
Danish Teak Figurines 1950s
Located in Čelinac, BA
Danish Teak Figurines 1950s
Teak
Mid-Century Modern Wooden Rocking Elephant
Located in Doornspijk, NL
This stylized elephant is an original variation to the classical rocking horse. It would be great fun for children to ride on its back (as you can see by its tail that has suffered ...
Pine
Kay Bojesen, Toy or Decorative Sculpture, Teak, Denmark, 1950s
By Kay Bojesen
Located in High Point, NC
A teak toy or animal sculpture designed by Kay Bojesen, Denmark, 1950s. Dimensions variable, measured as illustrated in first image.
Teak
French Folk Art Handmade Wooden Toy Car, Late 1930s–1940s
Located in Marinha Grande, PT
Charming French handmade wooden toy car, most likely dating from the late 1930s or the 1940s. Entirely handcrafted in wood, this unusual piece reflects the ingenuity and resourceful...
Metal
Vintage tri-ang tin toy car, 1950s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Vintage toy car from the english brand 'Tri-ang'. The charm is in the wear and tear of this item, it makes this little truck very attractive and decorative. Good original conditio...
Metal
$479 / set
H 10.63 in W 3.35 in D 2.17 in
Wooden Cat Figurines Hand-crafted, by Different Design Lite Annorlunda Hantverk
Located in Bochum, NRW
🎁 A thoughtful gift for cat lovers, folk art fans, or anyone looking to add handcrafted charm to their décor. Bring character and charm into your home with this delightful set of 3 ...
Wood
Zsolnay Mid-Century Modern Porcelain Figurines Set, Hungary
By Zsolnay
Located in New York, NY
Trio of Iridescent glazed porcelain figurines by Zsolnay, Hungary. Set includes elephant, poodle, and pheasant. Marked on bottom.
Porcelain
$1,250
H 17.75 in W 24.75 in D 11.75 in
"Rocking Beauty" Hobby Horse Designed by Gloria Caranica for Creative Playthings
By Gloria Caranica, Creative Playthings
Located in Brooklyn, NY
An abstract hobby horse designed in 1964 by Gloria Caranica for Creative Playthings. Composed of two arched panels of birch plywood divided by a solid birch shaft and topped with a c...
Birch, Plywood
Antique, new and vintage toys and dolls of years past — handmade folk-art toys such as wooden train sets, dolls, rocking horses and more — can be enjoyed by the young and old alike.
Children as well as nostalgic grown-ups are still finding pleasure in toys and objects designed specifically for playtime that are, in comparison to today’s digital device-oriented distractions, far more modest in nature. In contemporary interiors, gently aging toys are wonderfully uncomplicated decorative objects primed for display in a cabinet or other case piece.
With their romantic appeal and frequent incorporation of natural materials, some vintage toys and folk-art toys are treasured collectibles, showcasing the beauty of handmade craftsmanship. Alongside other works characterized as folk art — in this case, visual art, typically reflective of a community’s culture and usually handmade by craftspeople working within a popular tradition — handcrafted vintage toys are historical works of art worthy of any collector’s mantel. These are toys that tell a story of the time in which they were produced and the people who produced them.
Like any artifact, toys provide a window into the past. The ornamental dolls of the Victorian era, for example, produced in Germany and England, made of ceramics such as porcelain and dressed in textured fabrics, speak to the fashion of the era and will add a pop of color and a decorative flourish to the neutral corners of your home.
Mid-century modern toys and dolls are as sophisticated as the widely cherished furniture of the era. As much as they thought good design for the home should be available for all, iconic American design duo Charles and Ray Eames believed in making durable and interesting products for kids too. Today, their Eames Elephant is available from Vitra and Herman Miller, and it doesn’t even require a digital screen.
Explore a unique collection of antique, new and vintage toys and dolls as well as folk-art toys on 1stDibs.
It's hard to resist the allure of a beautiful pool. So, go ahead and daydream about whiling away your summer in paradise.
Our feed is filled with the world's most beautiful spaces. See the rooms our followers have deemed the best of the best this month.