A squeaky toy was possibly the first toy to grab your attention when you were a baby. For centuries parents have cooed, clucked their tongues, or softly whistled to entertain their babies. Rattles of all shapes and materials have had their places as attention-getters, but during the 1940s the rubber, and later, vinyl squeaky toys became the most diverting toy of all. Early rubber squeaky toys were a simple ball with just a hole or a metal whistle disk inside. Later, reed devices were developed to generate different sounds. After the 1940s, soft, pliant vinyl plastic replaced rubber. Today, people can avidly search for the hundreds of colorful rubber or vinyl squeaky toys that were produced by many companies large and small. These simple and diverting toys are now getting the attention of collectors around the country. Squeaky Toys is richly illustrated with over 300 color photographs and is complete with a current price guide.
Reader Reviews
I consider this book more a photo history of squeaky toys rather than a price guide or historical reference guide. The author has a great collection of large color photos with manufacturer information listed where available. The weakness I found (and the author acknowledges it in the intro) is that there is little history on the companies that made these toys. As someone new to the field, I would like to know more about the Edward Mobley Co. and Arrow Rubber & Plastics who made one of my favorite childhood toys! A plus, I have found the prices listed to be on the high side based on recent purchases off EBay or in local antique shops. If you are new to collecting toys of this type (like me) and interested in seeing the types of squeaky toys available, you'll find this book helpful.
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