A Bunny Plush Toy Can Be Better Than the Real Rabbit

Bugs Bunny is undoubtedly the most famous rabbit in the world and as is the case, bunny plush toys are in high demand.

Bugs was "born" in 1940 and is most famous for the phrase "what's up doc?" He is known as a free and easy personality prone to getting himself out of one scrape after another. Bugs is also known for his ongoing feuds with other Looney Toon characters including, Elmer Fudd, Yosemite Sam, and Daffy Duck. Bugs Bunny has appeared in multiple television shows and movies over the years and even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1997, Bugs was immortalized on a United States postal stamp and is listed as the number seven most popular stamp on the U.S. postal services list of top 10 [most popular stamps].

Despite Bugs Bunny's iconic stature and the love both children and adults have for him, contrary to popular belief, keeping a real rabbit as a pet is not without its challenges. It is for precisely this reason that bunny plush toys are a wonderful alternative to the real thing. Rabbits require as much care and work as a cat or dog; they need fresh food and water on a daily basis; their cages and litter boxes need daily cleaning; they also require daily exercise outside the confines of their cage or they will become both bored and depressed. To think that rabbits are low maintenance and a better alternative to a dog or cat as a first-time pet, is simply a myth.

Luckily, with rabbit plush toys, a child can experience the love of a rabbit without all of the responsibility of having to care for the real thing. Bunny plush toys come in every imaginable color and size and are extremely soft to the touch. In place of a teddy bear, a bunny plush toy is an exquisite alternative for hugging and cuddling.

Children's books are often known for portraying rabbits as very cuddly and docile. The truth is, rabbits don't really like to be held or carried around. While some like to spend time with their owners, it can be stressful for them to find themselves in situations (like being held) in which they have no control; they have been known to bite or scratch to try and free themselves from an uncomfortable situation. With a bunny plush toy, a child will never have to worry about being physically harmed by the animal or how often they pick it up and carry it around - they may even want to sleep on it like a pillow which a bunny plush toy will not mind in the least.

Angeline Hope is a collector of bunny plush toy collectibles. You can view a huge selection of quality bunny plush toy collectibles at MyBigPlush.

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Collecting Antique Toy Banks

of these banks are complex in their design, very rare and are in great demand by collectors. Made between the 1860s and 1930ss, vintage cast iron banks can be divided into two categories, Still Banks and Mechanical Banks.

Still Banks were the first mass produced American toy banks and did not have any moving parts. A coin was merely dropped in a slot. Buildings, animals and people were the most common design for still banks. One of the earliest was a penny bank made to accommodate the first large copper coin minted in 1793 by the United States Mint.

Mechanical Banks appeared during the late 1800s. A patent for a mechanical bank called Halls Excelsior was filed in 1869. The peak of production of mechanical banks was the period between 1860 and 1940. At least four hundred distinct types were made and for each there were usually many variations. When one manufacturer produced a popular bank, his competitors were likely to copy it. Mechanical Banks were toys intended to encourage children to save their pennies by making the process fun. In some, the mechanical action rewarded child with a piece of candy. Essentially the mechanical banks were simply designed for the amusement of children. Their mechanical action would be started by depositing a coin or pressing a lever.

Mechanical banks made of cast iron became popular shortly after the Civil War, when several northern foundries started producing them as a side line to their regular business of casting such items as stoves, plumbing fixtures and tools. The J. & E. Stevens Company of Cromwell, CT was one of the largest. Manufacturers competed to see how complex they could make their banks operate. To perform stunts, mechanical banks relied on various combinations of levers, springs, wheels and other moving parts.

The weight of the coin plays an essential role by moving a lever from one position to another, causing a wheel to rotate activating other parts. The more intricate the outer mechanism of the bank, the more complex the inner mechanism worked. So the sophistication of the mechanism is important. Collectors look for mechanical banks with interesting action as well as historical significance. Yes, political subjects were also popular. During World War I, when the production of cast iron was severely limited, manufacturers began to use tin, wood and other materials for banks. Since the 1940s most mechanical banks are made of plastic.

There is also a flood of reproduction banks on the market. A "repro" as they are called, do not have the same detail, and in most cases are slightly smaller. No paint or poor paint jobs and a lighter weight are just three ways to spot and imitation.

Glyn Farber has published a catalog of all known Hickey Brother Cigar Store Tokens and co-authored a book about Louisiana Trade Tokens. In addition he wrote several articles for The Token and Medal Society (TAMS) and The National Token Collectors Association (NTCA). Glyn has been a devoted collector of Louisiana Trade Tokens, Louisiana collectibles and Lake Charles, LA postcards for almost 40 years.

Find out more information about Toy Banks, Collectibles and Trade Tokens at his web sites http://www.most-popular-collectibles-at-auction.com and http://www.louisiana-trade-tokens.com

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Die Cast Truck Collection

An Introduction to Collecting Die-Cast Trucks

Collecting die-cast trucks is a fun and fascinating hobby. Whether you are interested in casual collecting or if you're a die-hard collector, there is something in this hobby for everyone. When starting out collecting, or if you are purchasing a truck for a collector, there is some basic information that all collectors should know about die-cast trucks.

Die-Cast Truck Types

While some people collect strictly one type of die-cast vehicle, there are a wide range of vehicle types available. Some collectors focus on antique trucks, and others like to collect trucks from a single manufacturer. Others may focus strictly on a type of truck, such as 18-wheelers, and others may have an interest in farm vehicles or construction equipment. It's important to decide what sort of truck you are most interested in, so you can focus your research and purchasing.

Die-Cast Truck Manufacturers

There are many different manufacturers of die-cast trucks. Some of these manufacturers include:

· Norscott - Norscott is the primary manufacturer of Caterpillar die-cast construction equipment, as well as other brands such as Peterbilt, Kenworth, Case, Claas, Bell, Liebherr and Yale/Hyster.

· Ertl - Ertl is one of the oldest die-cast truck manufacturers. Ertl's primary focus is on farm equipment, and manufactures John Deere and Case/New Holland farm vehicles.

· Tonkin - Tonkin focuses on road trucks, primarily 18-wheelers, but their collection also includes log trucks and dump trucks.

· New Ray - New Ray Trucks also focus on road trucks, including 18-wheelers and pickup trucks, but their collection also includes specialty trucks such as garbage trucks and tanker trucks.

· Yatming - Yatming is a Hong Kong company that manufactures a wide line of fire trucks and police vehicles, in addition to its automobile lines.

· Corgi - Corgi is a British manufacturer that specializes in branded trucks and limited edition collectable vehicles.

· Tonka - Tonka trucks were manufactured more strictly as toys than many die-cast trucks made today. Tonka is currently owned by Hasbro, and now licenses the Tonka name to Maisto for die-cast vehicles. Today's Tonka trucks include pickup trucks, farm tractors, big rigs and branded trucks.

Die-Cast Truck Scales

A scale refers to the ratio of the size of the model truck to the size of the actual truck. The primary scales for die-cast vehicles are 1:18, 1:24, 1:43, and 1:64. In a 1:18 scale truck, one inch on the die-cast truck translates to 18 inches on the actual truck. Some collectors prefer one scale of die-cast toy trucks, while other's collect trucks from a variety of scales.

Resources for Die-Cast Truck Collectors

The majority of resources for die-cast truck collectors are web sites created by die-cast truck manufacturers and sites developed by other collectors. While manufacturer web sites can easily be found with a simple search, it is more difficult to locate non-manufacturer resources.

This article was researched and written by Edward Fisher who has been involved in the steel industry for 30+ years. Edward grew up on a Farm in Saskatchewan and then spent years chasing Oil Rigs all over Canada and during that time was involved with the manufacture of steel while living in Sault Ste Marie Ontario. Edward settled in Atlantic Canada in late 1987 where he met and married his wife Ada. Edward is still involved in the steel industry but is now semi retired and spends more time at home with his wife and chasing one of his passions Die Cast Products. As a child his dad bought some Die Cast farm tractors that were the start of a life of fascination for Die Cast products. We welcome your comments and suggestions on our article at http://numberfirstsales.blogspot.com

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Vintage Doll Collecting - The Remco Toy Company

The Remco Toy Company was founded in the 1940s and best known for toys marketed and sold in the late 1950s and 1960s such as the Johnny Reb Cannon and Mighty Matilda Atomic Aircraft Carrier. One of their slogans was: "Every Boy Wants a Remco Toy." In the mid-60's, the Remco Toy Company acquired several licenses for popular culture acts such as the Beatles, Monkees, Munsters, Lost in Space and Batman.

The Remco Toy Company was acquired by Azrak-Hamway International, Inc. in 1964. This was a toy company in New York, New York. In 1997, Jakks Pacific acquired Child Guidance and the Remco Toy Company from Azrak-Hamway International.

Heidi was probably one of the Remco's Toy Company's most popular dolls. She was extremely popular from the mid '60s into the early '70s. Heidi was a little blonde doll standing about 5 ½-inches tall who came with a plastic case, which was similar to Remco's TV Jones line. Heidi had a Japanese friend, whose name was Jan. Both Heidi and Jan featured a magic button on their stomachs that made them wave. They also produced a version that caused the doll to blink when you pushed the magic button. It is rare to find a doll today that still has a working button.

Remco later introduced a sister to Heidi. Her name was Hildy, then there Pip, who was Heidi's little friend, Spunky was her tomboy friend and Herby. Today you will find more of Heidi and Jan. The other dolls are harder to find. There were also many carded and boxed outfits and play sets made for Heidi and her playmates.

The Remco Toy Company was one of the first companies to sell their dolls through television advertising. I, being from the Baby Boomer era, do remember television commercials ending with "made by Remco," (probably during an "I Love Lucy" episode or "Popeye the Sailor Man" cartoons).

Most of their dolls were hard plastic and vinyl dolls of character and entertainment personalities. They are also well known for making the Littlechap Pocketbook doll series. Other dolls made by Remco in the 1960s and 1970s include:

o 1964 Beatles, 4 ½" tall rock musicians, rooted hair, each with a guitar

o 1964 Dave Clark Five, 3-5" tall, rock musicians, vinyl heads plastic body, rooted hair

o 1964 President Lyndon B. Johnson, 5 ½" tall

Some of their baby dolls include:

o 1965 Snugglebun, about 16" tall, had a battery operated bottle warmer included, squeeze the doll and she would snuggle up to you, has bent arms

o 1967 Baby Crawl Along, 20" tall, plastic and vinyl, rooted hair, blue sleep eyes, ball socket head, key wound doll marked: Remco/Ind./17 Eye/New/74copyright1967 on head

o 1968 Tippy Tumbles, 16" tall vinyl doll, rooted red hair, battery operated to do somersaults.

o 1969, 14" tall vinyl/plastic doll with rooted strawberry blonde hair, cute face with big blue eyes and full rooted lashes, painted pink mouth (this is my Remco doll, I am still looking for her name). Pictured on my site.

Other memorable Remco Toys include:

o 1953 Medicine Chest

o 1958 Giant Wheel Cowboys'n Indians Game

o 1958 Giant Wheel Thrills'n Spills Horse Race Game

o 1959 Little Red Spinning Wheel

o 1959 Movieland Drive-In Theater

o 1960 Frogman the US Navy Commando

o 1960 Whirlybird Helicopter

o 1961 Hippopotamus Electric Puzzle Game

o 1961 Johnny Reb Cannon

o 1961 Remco Katz Hot Rod

o 1961 Mighty Matilda Aircraft Carrier

o 1961 Shark Remote Control Race Car

o 1964 Senator Barry Goldwater Doll

o 1964 Munsters

o 1966 Batman Wrist Radios

o 1965 Bulldog Army Tank

o 1965 Duffy's Daredevils

Disclaimer: The URL address in the resource box of this article is not associated with the former Remco Company or any other doll or toy company. This article is offered as a source of information for the vintage doll collector or the would-be vintage doll collector.

This article is FREE to publish with the resource box

© 2007 Connie Limon All Rights Reserved

Written by: Connie Limon. For more information about starting and maintaining a Vintage Doll Collection visit http://smalldogs2.com/VintageDollCollecting For a variety of FREE reprint articles as well as special sections in U.S. History and the Kennedy Administration visit http://www.camelotarticles.com

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Moko Lesney Matchbox - 13D Dodge BP Wreck Truck - How to Spot a Fake

Perhaps one of the most talked about 1-75 series models is the Number 13d Dodge BP Wreck Truck in "Reverse Colours".

When first introduced in April 1965 this toy was painted with the cab and crane jib green and the body and base yellow. This colour combination was quickly changed to the more common version with the cab and crane jib yellow and body and base green. Obviously, some of the green cab versions were released for retail as I have seen "played with" examples. How many were released, no one seems to know, but considering around this time, Matchbox Toys were making in excess of 2,000,000 toys a week, it just might be more than we think!

I have read differing stories about the original version. One is that it was a pre-production colour trial model. Another is that it was painted this way by mistake and BP were not happy, so the colours were reversed to a yellow cab and green body.

Whatever the reason, the green cab version is extremely rare! As a result, there are numerous "fakes" in the market place. These range from collectors restoring normal models and repainting them in the reverse colours, to reproduction "masters" creating near perfect fake examples and passing them off as genuine.

I find it interesting when visiting different Matchbox Toy web rings how the "experts" look at photo's of a model and instantly determine whether it is genuine or a fake. No explanation given, just a conclusion. Unfortunately, an explanation is the information that every Matchbox Toy collector needs! Perhaps many of the "experts" don't know themselves (or don't want to share their knowledge) and find it safer to state everything is a fake! Who is there to argue with them if the information is not shared.

Here, I am going to show the differences between a fake and genuine No: 13d Dodge BP Wreck Truck - Reverse Colour model.

All green cab versions had silver sprayed grille and headlights. All following versions had NO silver detailing.

All early version Number 13d Dodge Wreck Trucks (both green and yellow cab versions) had BP decals (transfers) rather than paper labels that were applied to later toys.

Early production models had grey plastic single cable tow hooks.

Green cab, yellow bodied versions had a different crane jib to the yellow cab version. This crane jib was narrower at the base where the yellow cab version had an added brace giving it more support at the base (see photo's)

In late 1969 or early 1970 one or some employees at the Lesney factory made some "pirate" versions of the Green cab wrecker. These are quite easy to pick as they had crimped axle ends, BP labels rather than decals and red tow hooks. Apparently, at the time, some were sold to collectors for US$15 each. In April 2007 one of these was sold for £3800 ($7700 US) by Vectis UK . Not a bad investment!

As to the value of the genuine article, here are some recent sale results:

2005 Ebay Auctions - Mint & Boxed - US$9600

2005 Vectis Auctions - Mint & Boxed - £5000

2006 Vectis Auctions - Mint & Boxed - £3800

2006 Vectis Auctions - Mint & Boxed - £2800

So, now you know what to look for! Keep your eyes peeled because they are still out there.

For more interesting Matchboy Toys articles, visit http://www.mokolesneymatchbox.com

John Houghton has been collecting and researching Matchbox Toys for over 40 years.

He is the author of The Definitive Guide to Matchbox Toys and owner of http://www.mokolesneymatchbox.com

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Killer Avatar Movie Toys to Know About

The latest movie project of James Cameron promises to be the most thrilling and spectacular movie that you have ever seen before in your life. It is of course, The Avatar Movie. And like most high budget and extremely popular movies, there are a lot of Avatar movie toys being manufactured that children and collectors want to reenact battle scenes seen in the movie.

And I shouldn't forget to mention that the faraway planet in question is called, Pandora. It is inhabited by strange and fascinating creatures that can become violent too. And there are indigenous humanoids that are 12 feet tall, blue skinned, with a tail and glow in the dark. Well, most of the creatures found in Pandora glow in the dark and you will find that a lot of the Avatar movie toys also can glow in the dark too! But I'm getting ahead of myself here...

You will also find action figurines as well as the mechanical toys of the marines that were sent in by the mining consortium to subdue and conquer the Na'vi people so the mining operation can continue unabated.

So let's get into specifics here. The first Avatar movie toy I want to talk about is the most popular one, the Avatar RDA Scorpion Gunship. This neat Scorpion Chopper has 24 points of articulations (moving parts) with dual firing projectiles, 4 spinning blades and rotating gun barrels. It is packed for action and is sure to please any child (or collector) that wants to enact some of the actions seen in the Avatar movie. However, I have to warn you, the Avatar toys don't come with the figures. Those are sold separately. It is a little irritating that you need to buy one more thing to make the set complete. But I can see it from the manufacturer's point of view too. It is better to offer a wide range of figures and then have the fans pick out the one they like to match with their toys.

Having said that, onwards to the next Avatar toys! The next two toys are the fierce and dangerous creatures of Pandora. The first is the Thanator creature. This is a very strange looking creature that has six legs, 9 inch fangs and a face only a mother could love. Truth be told, it is probably much safer to get the toy instead of showing up on Pandora for the simple reason. You will still be alive.

And I also wanted to mention that most of the genuine Avatar toys, if not all of them, come with i-Tags which allows the owner access to their "virtual" toy on a special website that allows you to vicariously live through them on the virtual Pandora. I think this is a super idea that is going to make owning one or more of these toys much, much more fun.

The second creature that you may want to get is the flying creature that is all claws and teeth, the Leonopteryx. This is a pretty large toy, over 20 inch wing-span and can carry any Avatar figurine on it.

The next cool Avatar movie toy I wanted to tell you about is the RDA Combat Amp Suit that the solders get into to fight the denizens of Pandora. It has lots of articulations and can fire multiple projectiles. It can hold any Avatar figurines (so I'm told but check to make sure). And of course, you get that i-Tag so you can activate your virtual toy in the virtual world of Pandora on the Internet.

Another toy is the winged creature that is also fierce is the Mountain Banshee creature. This is the animal the Na'vi warriors bond with as a rite of passage.

I want to talk about three more toys and then you can check them out. The next Avatar toy is the RDA Combat Grinder Vehicle. This is a very cool toy that is based on the armed land vehicle that travels over rough and uneven terrain. It has cool weapons and is capable of going at high speeds. Yes, you can put in an Avatar figurine and yes, you get an i-Tag too so you can explore the wild and woolly planet of Pandora.

The next to last toy is the Dire Horse creature (or Direhorse). In real life on Pandora, this horse is big as an elephant, has six legs and has two antennae. They run very fast and can turn on a dime. But don't worry, you don't have to master the art of riding one of these huge creatures. You can get the toy instead! And sure, figures can ride them and you get an i-Tag along with this Avatar toy too.

The last toy I wanted to discuss with you is the RDA Jake Sully action figure. Jake is on a wheel chair because he cannot walk. But that won't stop him from using the Avatar Program to become mobile and whole again in the wonderful adventure of a lifetime on Pandora.

So there you have it. There are some fantastic and wonderful Avatar Movie toys based on the Avatar movie that allows children and collectors to re-enact their favorite battle scenes and action scenes from the movie.

You can definitely find out some more about the Avatar movie from my website http://www.squidoo.com/The-Avatar-Movie-by-James-Cameron and find out how cool and thrilling it is going to be. Don't forget to check out the Avatar movie trailer on my site too!

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Vintage Toy Soldiers - Collecting Marx Toy Soldiers

Children from all around the world have been awed by the Marx toy soldiers since the 1950s. The previous generation was really into such action figures because during their time, wars were just concluded. Now, interest in collecting the figures has been revived.

Marx toy soldiers were a masterpiece and flagship toy product of Louis Marx and Company. The toy manufacturing firm was founded by a veteran toy maker, Louis Marx, who has been referred to across the toy making industry as 'Toycoon'.

Especially since the 1950s, the company was known for selling trademark and all-original lines of toys, which are most associated with the military. If you are wondering why the company is focused on military action figures, you should know that Mr. Marx was a former sergeant at the US Army prior to his establishment of the company.

Through time, their toy soldiers, in particular, have been among the most sought after and interesting toys specifically for boys. Many observers note that back in the days, girls had Barbie dolls while boys did not get left behind as they have the action-packed and very impressive action figures.

As time passed, likes and preferences of kids changed dramatically. With the advent of computer games, action figures like those of Marx's have been put aside and have often observed drastic declines in sales. But many enthusiasts and fanatics of the original vintage toy soldiers have been asking software and videogame developers about virtual games featuring them. Unfortunately, up to now, development for such has yet to take place, but clearly there's some extensive interest.

Even though the company is long out of business, Marx toy soldiers are starting to mark a comeback as a vintage collectible. Vintage toy collecting in general is responsible to some degree for the revival of interest, but the loyalty of long-time avid collectors is certainly highly responsible as well. In addition to the vintage toy soldiers, some small companies specializing in action figures are also doing re-casts of some of the more popular Louis Marx toys, including the toy soldiers. But, of course, some collectors will always prefer the original.

You can find great buys on Marx toy soldiers and other brands of vintage toy soldiers at: http://toysoldiers.collectiblesnook.com/

Jenni Kerala is a writer, collector and Ebay addict who loves to find interesting and beautiful collectibles - especially vintage and antique items - on the online marketplace.

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