I want to get them the toys I used to dream about.

January 20, 2009 9:28 PM

Help me find a toy catalog from my youth.

Here's what I remember:

• the catalog had lots of toys made out of simple cloth and wood: waldorf dolls, interlocking blocks shaped like people, "architectural" blocks with arches and turrets, etc.
• we got the catalog when I was in grade school, so sometime between 1990 and 1998
• in addition to the indoor toys, there were things like pogo sticks, balls with windsocks attached to them, and various frisbee-like things
• there were also art and science kits—I remember a soapmaking one, a perfume making one, and a papermaking one
• it was rather expensive
• it sold toys made by the catalog company and toys made by other companies (I'm pretty sure it sold Klutz books, for example)
• the catalog was a smaller trim size than normal catalogs, probably about 5.5" x 8.5"

The reason I'm asking is that I always loved looking through that catalog when I was little, and now that I have young cousins, I'd love to buy them gifts from it. My mother doesn't remember what it was (as she rarely bought things from it) and her catalog drawer was long ago emptied out.

Any ideas?

posted by ocherdraco to shopping (7 comments total)

Hearthsong?
posted by coppermoss at 9:29 PM on January 20, 2009

Back to Basics Toys?
posted by charmcityblues at 9:35 PM on January 20, 2009

I love AskMe. Coppermoss, did you remember the catalog, or did I miss a really obvious search term?
posted by ocherdraco at 9:37 PM on January 20, 2009

Remembered it. I spent many a youthful hour drooling over that catalogue. I think I still would, actually. *follows link*
posted by coppermoss at 9:41 PM on January 20, 2009

Just to chime in, I loved HearthSong too!
posted by radioamy at 10:07 PM on January 20, 2009

Funny - I just looked at this last night, because some people I know are involved with kids who could totally benefit from sitting with some beeswax for a while. But no beeswax, no silk scarves, and freaking Webkinz? Man, that let me down. But there are plenty of places to get these now on the internets, just not all together.
posted by cobaltnine at 5:34 AM on January 21, 2009

obviously you've already found what you're looking for, but something vaguely similar is the Oriental Trading Company catalog. (warning: they'll continue sending catalogs for about a year after you ask for the initial one).
posted by mittenedsex at 12:49 PM on January 21, 2009