Boys' Toys of the Fifties and Sixties: Memorable Catalog Pages from the Legendary Sears Christmas Wishbooks 1950-1969 [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

~ (Author, Editor), Roebuck and Company Sears (Corporate Author) "In 1950, the dark shadow of World War II was finally beginning to clear away..." (more)
Key Phrases: leather leg ties, needle incl, clockspring motor, Roy Rogers, Davy Crockett, Sears Christmas (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

If you were a boy growing up in the Fifties or Sixties, you'll surely remember these wonderful old Sears, Roebuck & Co. Christmas catalog pages from 1950-1969. Organized by year, these full-sized authorized page reprints are jammed with classic toys like G.I. Joe, Lionel trains, Marx playsets, 007 spy gadgetry, Erector sets, slot cars, Roy Rogers and Davy Crockett cowboy toys and more, with their original prices! Thousands of illustrations.

About the Author

Thomas W. Holland is a Los Angeles-based television executive and long time toy collector.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Windmill Press; 1st edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887790012
• ISBN-13: 978-1887790017
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #487,602 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Pictures were much too fuzzy., August 28, 2000

By A Customer

I liked the catalog, but was dissapointed to see that all of the pictures were black and white (I think I do remember pages in the 60's that had color). It looks as though someone just copied the pictures on a plain copier, and slapped this book together. The idea was very good, but don't expect the quality of true Sears Catalog pages.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ah, the memories, October 12, 1999

By A Customer

I come from a family of 7 boys. We all grew up wishfully dreaming every Christmas of GI Joe and erector sets found on the pages of the Sears Wishbook. This book brought so many memories rushing back - of things I fondly remembered and things I had forgotten about - I can't count them. My wife bought it for me last Xmas, I'm going to buy a copy for all my brothers this Xmas.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic "time machine" resource of boy baby boomer toys, June 18, 1999

By	H. Laser (Left Coast) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While my family didn't really shop much out of the Sears Catalog, the pictures and descriptions of the toys in this book are as close to a time machine as I can imagine. As I flipped through the pages, toys that either I or my brother or my friends used to own and play with jumped out at me, one after another.. as I thought "Geeze! I had one of those!" or "Wow! I always wanted one of those!" :) This book is sheer nostalgia for guys who grew up in the 50s and early 60s. And the original prices for the toys are unbelievable... just a couple bucks, many for less than a dollar (!) for toys that now bring hundreds on the various web auction sites or at antique malls. I was also fascinated to see how many toys were sold back then that threw off sparks, or fired objects, or involved electricity or hot plastic, metal, all kinds of things considered so horribly "hazardous" today in our modern politically correct world, where the fun seems to have been legislated out of nearly everything. Back then, toy cars that "threw off sparks" were actually advertised as that being a fun feature, not a safety hazard! This is also a valuable resource for old toy buyers and sellers, just to be able to see an original illustration with its original retail price and to know what year it was made and first sold. If you can't get in a time machine and go back to a 1950s toy store, this book is just about the next best thing.