You Are A Child's Plaything

Ride like the wind Bullseye!
Yee-haw!

Jessie

 

What do the toys do when Andy their owner leaves the room? They of course come to LIFE! 

 

There is something about a great kids' movie that makes me smile anytime I see one of the characters or I hear a theme song.  You've got a friend in me!!!  I love the story of Toy Story.... 1, 2, 3! 

 

Toy Soldiers

 

Week # 28 LIFE'S simple pleasures - collections

 

Collectables or collectibles, are objects regarded as being of value or interest. 

 

I have a few different collectables.  I never actually sought out collecting Toy Story toys... but here's how I think it happened.

 

It's obvious, a sign of the times!  1995 and my son was two.... a perfect way to decorate his little boy room.... just like the 'real' kid Andy's clouds on his bedroom walls in the movie.... (maybe when I come across it in a scrapbook I'll find a picture of what my son's room turned out to be.) 

I always admired the great marketing plan Pixar and Disney movie makers had... sell the toys that are being promoted in the movie. There was wallpaper and bedding just like the kids' in the movie. Even Disney theme parks had exclusive rides about the characters.... or parts of the movie. Buy the toy at the end of the ride!  Perfect!

 

If you think back just like many of the simple pleasures I've highlighted on my blog.... the sign of the times can be determined by the popular characters, celebrities, sports teams and musicians of the era.... back in the 30s and 40s little bedrooms would be sparsley decorated with themes (or items) related cowboys and Indians  and war hero's, during the 40s and 50s sports teams were hot and dreamy singers were popular, in the 60s and 70s rock bands and musicians were hip, then in 80s & 90s StarWars and other cult movies were all the rage.... it all goes through a POP(ular) cycle.

 

Woody & Buzz

 

So of course, we bought our son his own Woody (Doll) and Buzz Lightyear.   We got a Piggy Bank... the Slinky dog.... If you look behind Woody, you'll notice a Fisher Price phone.... that isn't a remake, it's the actual one I had when I was a little girl. 

 

What's old is new again... or it becomes a collectable.... for what dollar value??? How can you put a price tag on memories? The fun thing about collectables is that we all have our different reasons why we like something. What's one man's junk is another man's treasure?

As the kids grew up and into their next stage, they no longer found the fascination with these Toy Story toys... but with each new movie, McDonald's and Target started selling tiny collectibles of all the characters from the movie.  And my family loved finding ones we didn't have yet... so the collection grew.  Every Christmas I got a new toy... to add to the collection!

 

Now these cute and fun toys sit on a few shelves in our basement.... collecting dust.  Sometimes I wonder what happens when the lights go out.... it makes me smile to think that maybe they have a little fun when the humans are away!