Tin Toys

Christmas is hi-tec these days, all IPads, phones, PlayStation, and other gadgets while I grew up in the world of tin windup toys, board games, and annuals. Simple toys for simple days when hi-tec would be a battery operated toy.

One particular toy I remember was like the one in the picture shown. A simple track toy where cars would shoot around going through a small tunnel. With the key supplied you would windup the toy then sliding the no/off switch to on, the cars would go round and around where they would stop nobody knows.

I soon developed a side game where you would try to make the car stop in the tunnel. I may have been 6/7 but I would have been excited about the toy while today’s kids of the same age will probably have some top of the range electronic gadget and not believe in Father Christmas.

The top of the range boys toy back then must have been robot with ‘Robby the Robot’ the must have. I had a robot but it wasn’t a Robby but from memory, its chest would open and close as it walked along. The trick with any windup toy was never over wind it because if broken it was just a lump of tin.

Has plastic become cheaper it was the death nail for tin toys and windup toys in general has battery-operated toys begun to take over.