Antique and collectible toys
Collecting antique toys, from dolls, games, tin, teddy bears, and companies like Disney, Ideal, Barbie, and games fashioned from television shows, like Dark Shadows
Antique toys encompass a very wide range, including Dolls, Games, Tin Toys, and Teddy Bears, just to name a few. Among these are then other categories, broke down even more, often by a famous name or company, such as Shirley Temple or Disney. As wide a selection as there is, there are as many different types of collectors. Some who collect across the whole span of whatever they encounter, to those who only collect a certain type or name. Let us look at some of these categories so the beginning collector, or someone experienced, but looking to spread their collecting wings in a new direction, can develop a feel for what may be out there hiding in an undiscovered toy-box, corner of a dusty barn, maybe even their own attic.
Tin Toys
A longtime favourite of many collectors, toys made of tin were made in nearly every possible configuration. Airplanes, trucks and cars, animal shapes, people, even cartoon characters. Many of these were simple pull toys; others, elaborate, moveable specimens, such as a merry-go-round, complete with music. Also common among tin toys, were useable items, like sand pails and shovels, brightly decorated with wonderful summer scenes, including flowers, children playing, zoo animals, etc. All of these examples are very desirable, especially if found in good condition with little or no rust.
Teddy Bears
Manufactured Teddy Bears are not as old as some might think. First made in 1902 as a gift for the President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt, hence the name ‘Teddy’ -bear, they were also first made overseas at roughly the same time. Steiff, a German company, is a brand that many collectors look for today. Bears were often made of wool, mohair, felt, and stuffed with what was available, often sawdust. Jointed bears are a favourite, as are editions that had ‘growlers’ or noisemakers, inserted in them. A problem that new collectors run into when searching out authentic Teddy Bears, is telling the difference between reproduction teddy bears and authentic versions, as many companies that made bears and marked them, still make them today. Then, other bears that are worth collecting may never have been tagged at all. A good rule to keep in mind when collecting bears, or any item, is only collect what you find desirable, what you like, never collect for resale value, unless you are certain of what you are buying.
Games
Board games are top collectibles. One reason for this being that the games often depicted popular characters from television and the comics, including the likes of Dennis the Menace, GI Joe, Spider Man, Pink Panther, Captain Kangaroo, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. Even adult theme shows, such as Dark Shadows and The Six Million Dollar Man, had games fashioned after them. Many of these same figures were also available in decks of cards, and finding a complete deck, still in it’s original wrapping, would be a good find. Board games are often not complete, as pieces are lost through the years, so again, finding a complete set would be an excellent find.
Dolls
Dolls are so varied that you will collections and specimens beyond your imagination. Baby dolls, walking dolls, German dolls, American manufactured dolls, and hundreds more of distinctions. Dolls have categories such as porcelain, china, bisque, or cloth. Sleeping dolls, animated dolls, or dolls that pee. Barbie and other Mattel dolls have a following all their own, as does Betsy Wetsy, by Ideal. The Ideal Company also produced such favourites as a Smokey the Bear doll, Wizard of Oz character dolls, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, and many others. Many companies, as advertisement for their products also issued dolls as premiums. An example of this is the Blue Bonnet Sue doll, or a white or a black, composition style doll, issued by the Mobil Company as a premium for gasoline purchases.
While these listings may seem like a lot to weed through, they barely touch the surface of toy collecting. Marbles, spin tops, trains, model boats, and automobiles, cap guns, miniature kitchen sets, child sized tools, and a never ending assortment of other adult items in child sized versions, are just more examples of what a huge selection is out there, waiting for you to start collecting. Toy collecting is a simple way to extend our pleasure of fun things into adulthood, and allowing us to have an excuse for needing ‘just one more Barbie’!
Ten ways to improve family portrait photography
Easy Suggestions that will improve your family portrait photography. Take better photographs of your children, friends, and family. Great photography hints!
I once heard a photography professor say something like, "I dare you to show me a bad photograph. There is something good in every photograph." Those weren't his exact words, but that's close to the sentiment he was trying to get across to his students.
The challenge, I found, was to focus primarily on that "something good" and make it the entire photo. It can be done! Professional photographers use a lot of techniques that do not require expensive equipment. All they require is a good eye for that "Special moment."
Here are ten tricks to getting better photographs of your family, children, friends, and others.
1. Take lots of photos. If you are trying to capture a natural shot of a child, especially, take a lot of photos. Get them used to the camera. Bore them with it. Eventually, they'll loosen up and begin to ignore you. That's when you've got them where you want them. Once you become a natural part of the environment, your subject will react naturally in front of you.
2. Take your time. Try to compose the photograph before you click! Is there something in the way of your subject? Move it. Is there something wrong with the background? Change it. Take control. Behave like an artist. You are creating a work of art.
3. Try to add a little variety to your photos. Don't stick to the same mundane posing arrangements every time you shoot. Professional photographers take chances, you can, too.
4. Experiment. Cut a hole in a piece of black construction paper. Now, shoot a picture looking through the hole. Make sure that the construction paper is in the photo. It will show up as just blackness when your film is developed, and your subject will be shown in a bright circle in the middle. These can create some dramatic shots.
5. Create a background. Put your children into it. Have them act out a scene from a play. Yell freeze and ask them to become statues. Take the shot. These can be memorable!
6. Experiment with shooting from different angles. Lay on the floor. Climb up on a ladder. Be creative.
7. Don't be afraid of action shots. Most automatic cameras do a great job of capturing motion. Just check your film speed. Be certain that it's correct for your purpose.
8. Check out some tinted lenses at a photography shop. You can change colors, soften wrinkles, etc. Talk to the expert at your local camera shop for more ideas and information on this. It's great fun!
9. Look at artistic photography. Learn from the masters!
10. Try taking some black and white photographs. The results might surprise you. When you are no longer relying on color, subject matter and composition stand out! You may fall in love with the look of black and white photographs.
You don't need an expensive camera to take good photographs. Most people buy far more camera than they really know how to use, or need for that matter. The main thing is getting out there and taking some photos. Have fun. Experiment. Allow yourself to think like an artist. You'll be amazed at the results!
Games to play around the campfire
Suggestions and rules for playing campfire or camping games for children and adults and what you need to invent your own.
The campfire is an integral part of any camping trip. You may not always need it to keep warm or cook your food, but you’ll probably light one anyway. Why? Because it is a place for social interaction. It’s a great place for games.
A good game for at least four or five people is Wink Murder. To play, make a scrap of paper for each person. On only one, write the word “murderer”. Fold up all the pieces of paper and put them in a hat, or the like. Each person selects a piece of paper and looks at it without showing the other players. Whoever gets the “murderer” note, must try to “kill” the other players without being caught. Murder is committed by winking at a player. That player must see the wink. When this happens, he/she is required to keel over and pretend to die. If the murderer is caught winking by anyone other than the current victim, he/she loses and the game is over. The low light of a campfire helps to make this game more challenging.
Clapping games are popular with pre-teens, but can be played everyone. In a rhythm of 1-2, 1-2, all players clap their hands and then slap their thighs. (clap-clap, slap-slap) In rhythm and on the claps, the first person must name a place beginning with the letter A. On the next set of claps and without missing a beat, the second person must name a place starting with B. The third person has the letter C, and so on. When a person makes a clapping-slapping mistake, speaks out of rhythm or can’t think of a place name, he/she is out. You’ll quickly find out who is coordinated and knows their geography!
For people with overactive imaginations, the continuing story is fun. The first person starts telling a story. After a few sentences, he/she stops and the second person must carry on until it is the next person’s turn after a few sentences. This carries on with each person having a turn until the story reaches a satisfying conclusion or you want to stop. Don’t make the tales too scary if there are young kids playing and try to use characters created by the people before you to keep it interesting. You’d be amazed by what lurks in the imaginations of friends and family.
By adding twists to Twenty Questions, you can make this old standby entertaining for groups of people. (The standard game is played by one person thinking of a person, place or thing and the opponent determining what it is by asking up to twenty questions that can be answered with only “yes” or “no”.) You can limit each person to one question. Or, if players are about the same age, try to guess song titles. Movies work better if you’ve got teens and adults. You can make it educational by trying to guess current or historical events. Let the detective in you out for a while.
Of course, sometimes the best games are those you invent on the spot. Give it try. The key elements to any good campfire game are participation by everyone, no need for a lot of light, and you can play while sitting in one place. Whatever you play, the atmosphere of the campfire will help to make it fun and memorable.
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