Louis Marx and Company On Sale
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Toys
Tin
People Also Browsed
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
Other
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Toys
Tin
Antique Early 1900s Japanese Folk Art Toys
Ebony
Vintage 1940s Toys and Dolls
Tin
Vintage 1930s American Folk Art Toys
Tin
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Toys
Fabric, Plexiglass
Vintage 1920s French Folk Art Toys
Tin
Vintage 1950s American Industrial Toys and Dolls
Tin
Vintage 1940s American Industrial Toys
Tin
Mid-20th Century European Toys
Metal
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Toys and Dolls
Metal
Vintage 1960s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Toys
Tin
Vintage 1960s American Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Aluminum, Iron, Tin
Vintage 1910s German Folk Art Toys
Tin
20th Century Swiss Black Forest Cigar Boxes and Humidors
Tin
Vintage 1950s Japanese Folk Art Toys
Composition, Tin
Recent Sales
Vintage 1940s American Toys
Finding the Right toys for You
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. Indeed, antique, new and vintage toys 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. 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 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 and vintage toys as well as folk-art toys on 1stDibs.