If you're like most of us, the mailman's annual delivery of Sears, Roebuck and Company's Christmas Catalog was a holiday event in years past. Most American children watched the mailbox carefully for those wondrous old catalogs. They were chock full of childhood fantasies... enough toys, dolls, trains and bikes to make any kid start writing his or her letter to Santa Claus. That's probably why the nickname "Wishbook" stuck. And if you grew up during the Baby Boomer years of the Fifties and Sixties, there's big news. Those lost Wishbook pages full of wonderful toys targeted to boys have been reproduced in Boys' Toys, an exciting new book containing authorized reproductions of the very best boy-toy pages from 1950 through 1969. Boys' Toys and its companion book Girls' Toys are two in a series of Sears catalog re-issues covering the spectrum of toys, dolls and other popular collectibles of the Fifties and Sixties. This 8 fi x 11 softcover book's 192 pages illustrate hundreds of now-collectible toys. All the best are represented: Lionel trains, Marx playsets, Remco's "Toys for Boys" G.I. Joe, Matchbox cars, Tonka trucks... all the way to Sixties space-age robots, rockets, and flying saucers! Included too, is a year-by-year commentary on the toys, their manufacturers and historical relevance. So put on your Davy Crockett coonskin cap and settle in for hours of fond childhood memories. Boys' Toys is fun reading for anyone... male or female... toy fan or not. It's an invaluable reference source for serious collectors and history buffs, too. -- Jam-packed with warm and happy childhood memories. Hundreds of photographs and illustrations with accompanying commentary -- A "must have"reference volume for all toy, antique and memorabilia enthusiasts

If you're like most of us, the mailman's annual delivery of Sears, Roebuck and Company's Christmas Catalog was a holiday event in years past. American children watched the mailbox carefully for those wondrous old catalogs. They were full of childhood fantasies... enough toys, dolls, trains and bikes to make any kid start writing his or her letter to Santa Claus. That's probably why the nickname "Wishbook" stuck. And if you grew up during the Baby Boomer years of the Fifties and Sixties, there's big news. Those lost Wishbook pages full of wonderful toys targeted to girls have been reproduced in Girls' Toys, a new book containing authorized reproductions of the best girl-toy pages from 1950 through 1969. Girls' Toys and its companion book Boys' Toys are two in a series of Sears catalog re-issues. This 8 1/2 x 11" softcover book's 192 pages illustrate hundreds of now-collectible toys and dolls: Barbi and Ken, Shirley Temple, Lucy and Desi's Little Ricky, Betsy Wetsy and Troy Tears dolls, dollhouses and accessories, kid-sized kitchens, tea sets, dress-up outfits, bicycles, games and movie-TV-themed toys from Mary Poppins to the Flintstones. Included is a commentary on the toys, their manufacturers and historical relevance. Particular attention is paid to the manner in which young girls' toys were marketed, often perceived as negative messages in these enlightened times. Put on your Dale Evans Cowgirl Hat and settle in for hours of fond childhood memories. Girls' Toys is fun reading for anybody... male or female... toy fan or not. It's an invaluable reference source for serious collectors and history buffs, too. -- Jam-packed with warm and happy childhood memories. Hundreds ofphotographs and illustrations with accompanying commentary -- A "must have" reference volume for all toy, antique and memorabilia enthusiasts

"Toys from the 1950s, '60s, and '70s capture the joy of play and the pure fun of being a kid. But beneath those iconic names are rich veins of nostalgia, memory, and history. These toys--and the stories of the kids, parents, child-rearing experts, inventors, manufacturers, and advertisers they affected--reflect the dynamism of American life"--

Since 1872 when traveling salesman Aaron Montgomery Ward realized he could eliminate the middleman and sell goods directly to his customers, Americans have had an ongoing love affair with the mail-order catalog, which continues undiminished even in today's online-driven world. The practical can find deals on furniture and clothing in L.L.Bean and Sears, the extravagant can consider his and hers matching helicopters, windmills, hot-air balloons, and submarines in the Neiman Marcus Fantasy Catalog; those looking to get their pulses racing can browse Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie & Fitch; while our inner swashbuckler can travel the world through the pages of the J. Peterman Owner's Manual where Moroccan caftans, Russian Navy t-shirts, and wooden water buckets from rural China entice the imagination. In Catalog: The Illustrated History of Mail Order Shopping, Robin Cherry traces the timeline of these snapshots from American history and discovers along the way how we dressed, decorated our houses, worked, played, and got around. From corsets to bell-bottoms, from baby-doll dresses and Doc Martens all the way to iPods, the history of these catalogs is the history of our lives and our culture. GIs during World War II were kept company by the models in the pages of lingerie catalogs; hockey goalies fashioned makeshift shin guards out of them during the Great Depression, and creative children across the country still play with homemade paper dolls cut from clothing catalogs. A number of celebrities got their start modeling for catalogs: Gregory Peck, Lauren Bacall, Katherine Heigl, Matthew Fox, and Angelina Jolie. Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan both got their first guitars from the Sears catalog. Organized into categories such as clothing, food, animals, and houses, author Robin Cherry explores the vivid stories behind Sears, Montgomery Ward, Lillian Vernon, Harry & David, Jackson & Perkins, and of course, 45 years of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book. Insightful historical commentary places these catalogs in their social context, making this book a visual pleasure and a historically important piece of Americana.

TIMELESS TOYS OF THE 50'S AND 60'S is a nostalgic look at simpler times, simpler toys and simpler joys. Filled with full-color photography and well-researched, informative text, TIMELESS TOYS OF THE 50'S AND 60'S is the perfect book for the Baby Boomer Generation to share with their children and grandchildren.

Hundreds of now-collectible toys such as Lionel and American Flyer trains, Marx play sets, Remco's "Toy's for Boys", G.I. Joe, Matchbox cars, Tonka Trucks, and even space-age robots, rockets, and flying saucers are presented for the sentimental toy fan. Also included is a year-by-year commentary on the toys, their manufacturers, and historical relevance. Male or female, toy fans or nostalgia buffs, this is an invaluable source for hours of fond childhood memories.

The book Why Didn't I Think of That! includes the passage "If a toy has magic, when people see it they say, 'Oooh! What is that?' . . . It appeals to the kid in everybody." That same kind of magic captures "the kid in everybody" when they pick up Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them. Timeless Toys represents one of the finest documentaries and displays of modern toys ever written. Author Tim Walsh, a successful toy inventor himself, reveals a world of commerce, toys, and wonder that is equally fun, fascinating, and nostalgic. Readers of every age and background will find it impossible to pick up this book, turn a few pages, and not become spellbound by its insightful stories and the personal memories that the text and 420 brilliantly colored photographs bring forth. Slinky, Lego, Tonka trucks, Monopoly, Big Wheel, Frisbee, Hula Hoop, Super Ball, Scrabble, Barbie, Radio Flyer Wagons: All of these and many, many more are featured in this fascinating tome, along with the toys' histories, insider profiles, and rare interviews with toy industry icons. It's simply magic!