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

~ Thomas W. Holland (Editor), Roebuck and Company Sears (Corporate Author) "The little girls who pored over the 1950 Sears Christmas Wishbook made up the first generation of post-War children..." (more)
Key Phrases: ninon dress, fiberboard trunk, duchess gear, Roy Rogers, Sears Christmas, Tiny Tears (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Destined to bring back happy childhood memories. This exciting book includes authorized full-sized page reproductions of the best original catalog pages from the Sears Christmas "Wishbook" pages from 1950-1969. Organized by year, this fun book is packed with such classic toys as Barbie and Ken, the Easy Bake Oven, luxurious Marx dollhouses and kitchen sets, Twister, Mystery Date, Mouse Trap, Chatty Cathy and more, with the original prices too!

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: 1887790020
• ISBN-13: 978-1887790024
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #306,345 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Who Knew that Dolls Aren't A 'Girls' Toy'?, October 26, 2001

By A Customer

As a collector of hard plastic dolls, I'd hoped that this would be a helpful guide to identifying dolls of the 1950s and determining their original accessories. But there are very few dolls depicted and the coverage is inconsistent. There are no dolls in the first selection (for 1950), 2 pages for 1951, none for 1952, none for 1953, 2 pages for 1954, 5 pages for 1955, 1/2 page for 1956, none for 1957, none for 1958, none for 1959, 5 pages for 1960 (that year's excerpt from the Wish Book is all dolls), 1/2 page for 1962, 1 page for 1963, none for 1965, 2 pages for 1966, none for 1967, 2 pages for 1968, and 2 pages for 1969.

The explanation for this cursory treatment of dolls in a book titled "Girls' Toys"? The author evidently was reserving them for another compilation, advertised in this volume, titled _Doll and Teddy Bear Department_. That book showcases the doll and bear pages from the _Sears WishBooks_ from 1950-69. (...)

Aside from silently restricting the doll-coverage in order to produce a further volume, the author has selected for some years pictures of exactly the same toys (the electric piano, the tea sets, the toy kitchens), so the coverage is repetitive.

I was led to buy this book by the recommendations of the other reviewers, but if, like me, your primary interest is in the 1950s and in doll collecting, I would advise you to save your money.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An invaluable resource for collectors., December 29, 1998

By	Larraine (WA) - See all my reviews

Thomas Holland's book Girls' Toys of the fifties and sixties is a faithful reproduction of the fantastic Sears Christmas catalog toy pages from 1950 to 1969. The large 8 1/2 x 11 inch format of the book allows it to show close ups of the popular toys from each of these years. These pictures are an invaluable resource to help collectors of toys from this era decide what pieces actually came with the toys. As a collector of tin dollhouses, I found the pictures a huge help in identifying the furniture and tiny accessories for each of my houses. The only drawback to the book is the fact that it is in black and white. I enjoyed this book immensely, it was like being a kid again, devouring each page of toys and memories.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It, October 27, 2009

By	Shatzi Crabtree (NC) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

Although I am more a child of the 60s and 70s, I loved this book. It was interesting to look through, and had many many toys in it, some I do remember from the 60s. It was fun to look at the prices too! If you grew up in these decades you will certainly get a kick out of finding things you had, or toys you hadn't thought of in many years.