Xmas special: Welcome to Plasticville USA

Woolworth's bid for the kids.

I regret to inform you that I do not have the entire 1952 Woolworth Toy Catalog. I don’t know even know why I have these pages. But it’s enough to give you the flavor of the era. For example: Merry Christmas from Plasticville!

It’s 1952, and the Woolworth corporation has partnered with Bachmann Brothers (two Ns, despite what the ad says) to bring you an exceptional array of injected-mold models of common structures.

The name might have sounded unimaginative, but as this article notes, “plastic” didn’t have the negative connotations it has today. (Among some people. Not all.) I figured this might be just a cheap line of stuff Woolworth pumped out, but whoa: was I wrong. Sure, I thought there would be people who collected the stuff, but it’s quite a sophisticated community, with its own newsletter. People are serious about these things.

Every boy and girl likes action! Especially the act of throwing large plastic pieces at your brother or sister,. Which was more fun than trying to fit the stupid things together. They only fit a few ways.

You know those plastic horseshoes will bounce right off the pole

I remember these, especially the push chime. Versions persisted into the 60s. Woody and weird.

I wonder if they had to pay royalties for the “Whistle” song. Hard to claim fair use on that.

Mosey over for some cowboy cliches, ponder! Rootin’-Shootin’.

“Wild West-looking sets for a Toddling buckeroo . . and his older brother or sister. Holsters and belts of genuine leather. Toy pistols of unbreakable metal, All with cartridge clips and wooden bullets. Also available in “dummy” sets which do not shoot caps. Individually boxed.”

Also: “Two #44 Gene Autry pistols almost one foot long! Nickel plated. Simulated ivory grips. Double cartridge clips with six wooden bullets.”

There’s a special gun set for TODDLERS.

The back of the catalogue. Santa’s drawn in a different style. I think they just Xacto’d him out of a greeting card and stuck him in the illustration.

A small deposit on a 5 cent Plasticville lamppost?

You know they’d do it. They’d take your penny, and give you a piece of paper that said they had.