Butch Dale as a youngster on the family farm.

By John ‘Butch’ Dale
Guest Columnist

My Dad told me one time that as a child growing up in the 1920s and 30s his parents just didn’t have any extra money to buy him and his five brothers and sisters any toys. In those days many kids simply made their own toys out of whatever they could find. They also thought up various games to play at home and at school.

Dad said he was thrilled to receive a bouncy rubber ball for Christmas one year. He tossed it to his older brother, who threw it back … but it landed on the stove and melted!

John ‘Butch’ Dale

The kids of my generation … the “baby boomers,” were very fortunate in that most of us had plenty of toys. Some of these toys were very simple, but we used our imagination and creativity and had hours of fun. A few involved skill, determination, and concentration. Others not so much. Some were downright boring.

Here are a few that my brothers and sisters and I had through the years, primarily in the 1950s …

Mr. Potato Head, Slinky, Balsa wood airplanes, Wooly Willy, Gyroscope, Plastic army men (and plastic cowboys and Indians), Play-Doh, Etch-a-Sketch, Cowboy cap guns, Wind-up train set, Tonka trucks, Silly Putty, Magic 8 Ball, Colorforms, Matchbox cars, Viewmaster, Lincoln logs, Tinkertoys, Pogo stick, Hula Hoop, Pinball game, Whiffle bat and ball, Chemistry set, Paint-by-numbers, Erector set, Howdy Doody puppet, Doctor and nurse set, Lock-and-key skates, Electric football, Bas-Ket basketball game, jacks, and jump ropes. My brother had several little farm toys, such as a tractor, baler, wagon, etc. which he played with in the sand box.

We also had an assortment of board games, such as Scrabble, Uncle Wiggily, Yahtzee, Checkers, Monopoly, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry, Candy Land, Go to the Head of the Class, and Clue, just to mention a few.

Back in those days, of course many girls had their favorite dolls to play with, namely the Terri Lee dolls, Betsy-Wetsy, and of course, Barbie, which made her appearance in 1959.

Most boys played sports all year round, primarily basketball and baseball. No one played soccer, which is a popular sport today. Believe it or not, I also played croquet in our yard quite often. The kids today have likely never heard of that game.

In addition to “store-bought” toys and games, I also made things in Dad’s tool shed, although I never had any instruction or supervision with respect to his power equipment. I was fortunate not to cut off a finger or get shocked! Most of the time I just sawed and nailed pieces of wood scraps to make such things as toy cars and toy boats, although one time I tried to make a full-size go cart. That did not turn out well.

Some of those toys and games from the 1950s are still around today and are still popular. You can also find many of these in antique stores or on E-Bay, and the prices are often unbelievable … because now they are “collector” items. But people are thrilled to buy them anyway, no matter what the cost.

Would you pay a lot to have your 1953 Howdy Doody puppet or your 1959 Barbie? Let’s ask the Magic 8 Ball …

Answer …”You may rely on it!”