Vintage Toys in Australia
Vintage toys in Australia are fast becoming a sought after commodity, but where do they come from?
After moving over from the UK over 8 years ago, we've noticed that there is a wide shortage of vintage toys in Australia, compared to the UK. This really isn't surprising, considering the brief history of Australia, compared to Europe, where there's a huge abundance of toys from yesteryear flooding the market.
This makes it all the more exciting for us though when we go foraging and come across an old toy from decades ago, often still in great condition. We take great pleasure in then finding out from the owner a bit of history about the toy, particularly details about all the children who used to play with the toy, and who've had so many hours of pleasure holding it in their little hands.
Often though, more times than not, we find that whoever has the vintage toy in their hands often has no idea about where the toy has come from, perhaps picking it up from a market themselves, an antique fair, or perhaps a house clearance. In these instances we need to do a bit of research, in tracking down the history of the toy. Things to look for are details of the manufacturer, the year it was produced, which stores it was sold in, the location of the stores, and the original selling price of the toy. This will generally give you an indication of the demographics of the family that was the likely original holders of the toy. From there you can piece together your own little story about toy ownership, the child, and their family. We love doing this, as it takes us down memory lane, without ever needing to have our own memories to fall back on. It's like stepping back in time, but without the step - what could be more fun?!
A Toy Shop with a Twist
We are delighted to announce that after many months of deliberation, we have taken the plunge and changed our name! We will no longer be known as Dreamclouds & Palmtrees, and will now be known as The Vintage Toy Box.
This change has been a long time coming and we couldn't be happier with our choice - we think it sums up what we do perfectly - selling fun & funky vintage & retro inspired toys, games & gifts.
To celebrate our new name change we are also undergoing a complete makeover, so you may well notice some big changes happening on our site. All will finally be revealed soon. Exciting times!
Classic Toy Shop Reopens
Happy New Year!
The Vintage Toy Box is delighted to have returned home after a wonderful 6 week break over the festive period, catching up with our cherished family and friends on the other side of the world. We've thoroughly enjoyed our holiday, and have returned invigorated and excited for change for 2015.
We look forward to welcoming back our customers and serving all of our new ones.
Happy New Year to you all!
20 % OFF!!
The countdown to Christmas has begun! To start the countdown we're offering a massive 20% off all of our children's toys and games to you all for the remainder of the month. Enter the code COUNTDOWNTOXMAS at checkout.
The Vintage Toy Box for unique retro inspired toys & games for children of all ages.
Bat for Joe
We are proud to be supporting a great fundraising event for a little boy called Joe. Joe faces many challenges in life after being born with Congenital Cytomegliovirus (CMV), and this great fundraiser is to help his family afford to make their vehicle wheelchair accessible, to make his life just a little easier.
To read more about this fundraiser and to donate, please visit:
http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/bat-for-joe/166432
"B" Day
Whilst we're sitting here awaiting the arrival of our first baby, we thought we'd "test out" some of our fantastic new stock from UK company Clockwork Soldier.
Clockwork Soldier is a whimsical children's brand with a fresh and creative take on gifts, games and curiosities that will amaze children and adults alike.
Their products are lovingly inspired by nostalgia with a healthy twist of original product development and a charming sense of style.
We love their Dinosaur puppets, and have happily sat here putting on a puppet show, after lovingly creating our masterpieces. A delightful way to pass a couple of hours and to encourage our imaginative play side!
Check out our full range here.
New Website Launch
We are delighted to announce that our new website is now officially up and running!
We are still working around the clock to make it as user friendly as possible for you, but in the meantime, you can browse, and more importantly buy to your heart's content, while we work in the background to make it more aesthetically pleasing.
Please keep checking back regularly for new stock items, as we're constantly on the look out for new and exciting toys to add to our collection.