Sunday, February 10, 2008

Vintage STEVEN KALEIDOSCOPE Kit in Orig Graphics Box!

Vintage STEVEN KALEIDOSCOPE Kit in Orig Graphics Box! - eBay (item 310022363543 end time Feb-17-08 20:04:33 PST)

This vintage kaleidoscope comes in the original box with a game sheet. The box is marked, "Steven Plastic Kaleidoscope Kit. Create your own 'millions of designs'. Constructive Fun for Young and Old. U.S. Pat. App. For." The toy itself is marked, "Millions of Designs Kaleidoscope, Steven Mfg. Co., St. Louis, MO."

The directions sheet tells you to take off the white cap and frosted glass so you can replace the design contents with other items furnished with the kit. Those other items are not here. It gives a list of other items you can use to create designs. Suggested items:
  • Colored buttons of various sizes and shapes.
  • Dry breakfast cereals.
  • Colored bits of paper, flat or wadded.
  • Colored bits of feathers.
  • Broken match sticks.
  • Small colored beads.
  • Flower petals.
  • Metal paper clips, various sizes and shapes.
  • Large size carpet tacks and nails
  • Dried beans, peas, etc.
  • Live or dead insects and worms.
  • Small colored sea shells, etc.
How interesting to be able to put your own things inside and see what they look like. I never had that option in my kaleidoscopes. The back of the directions says you can get additional parts or replacements by writing to therm. The address is so old, there's no zip code.

There are great vintage graphics on the box. It shows designs resulting from inserting nuts and bolts, or colored glass, or macaroni or match chips. The bottom is stamped, "RED", has a "13" in a circle, and "48 2259."

To see the designs change, rotate the whole tube. Gorgeous designs appear. It's in very good condition with some minor wear on the white cap and two wide areas on the plastic ridges along the tube. The box is very rough with a huge chunk missing and the lid torn completely free.

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Deep Wall Galvanized Tin COKE TRAY Old Coca-Cola Design

Deep Wall Galvanized Tin COKE TRAY Old Coca-Cola Design - eBay (item 310022340423 end time Feb-17-08 18:31:04 PST)

This Coke tray is made of silvery galvanized tin with deep sides with handle openings. The vintage design in the bottom is printed in mottled red, white and greeny-golds. It says, "Delicious and Refreshing, Drink Coca-Cola, 5 cents, At Fountains, In Bottles, 5 cents. Trade Mark Registered." The sides wall has "Coca-Cola" embossed six times.

The handles in each end are finger openings with rolled edges for comfort. I don't see a date anywhere, but I suspect this is a reproduction made in recent years.

The tray is in terrific condition with no flaws. It measures about 16 by 12 by 2 inches.

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Vintage ATLAS HO MOTORING 9-In Straight Roadway, Boxed!

Vintage ATLAS HO MOTORING 9-In Straight Roadway, Boxed! - eBay (item 310022080114 end time Feb-16-08 20:54:57 PST)

This full box of vintage slot car roadway is marked, "Atlas HO Motoring and Racing Accessories, 12 Pieces 9" Straight Roadway. Atlas Tool Co., Inc., Hillside, N.J." The vintage cars on the box are from the sixties.

All the pieces are here: 7 long straight pieces, 2 long change-a-lane pieces, 2 short straight pieces and a packet of something. It's stapled shut, never opened, and I don't want to open it. I don't know what's in it, but I'm sure you do. Connectors of some kind?

Here's a website on vintage slot cars with links that show Atlas roadway gear like this from the early sixties: http://bodnarchuk.com/vintage_slotcar/motoring.shtml

All the pieces are here and in excellent condition. The only flaw I see is the hole in the bottom of the box and minor wear on the outside of the box.

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