Ask Dr. Toy:  Your Questions And Answers About Toys

You may send your toy-related questions to Dr. Toy at .

If you know the answer to any of the questions in the Ask Dr. Toy feature, would you please respond to the person listed, and to Dr. Toy at . (The Mail To link listed with each entry sends a copy of the email to Dr. Toy as well.)

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In your Questions please use specific years when discussing an item: "During my childhood" refers to a different set of years for different people, whereas "During the mid-1970's" is a definite time period.

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This page was last updated on June 21, 2000.

As evidenced by many responses (and personal experiences), www.Ebay.com (an online auction site) is a wonderful source for searching for toy treasures. Often there are pictures of the item being auctioned, and the online search function is straightforward.

VETERINARIAN KIT BY BATTAT
Can you please tell me where I can find Battat Dalmatian Vet Kit and Battat Kitty Grooming Kit. I live in Wisconsin. If you don't know what stores carry these, do you have any information on how I can get in contact with the company?

VIDEOSMART TAPES
I have a VideoSmart toy that hooks to my VCR. I have been unable to find additional video tapes for this toy. Can you help me?

VIEW MASTER
Hello, I was just wondering if there are pricing guides and information sources for View Master Reels and View Master items by Sawyer. I have bought a View Master and some reels, and would like to find out production dates and other information about them. Thank you! Jeffery.

VINTAGE TOY - THE ACROBAT
I would like information about a toy called The Acrobat made by The Acrobatic Toy Company. The patent date of 1891 is printed on the figure. Brian.

V-LINE TOY CELLULAR PHONE
Hello. Your website has been very helpful to me in the past. I was just wondering if you could tell me where I could find some information about a toy called V-LINE. It's a toy cellular phone, and I saw it in a toy store a few weeks ago. It seemed interesting, but before I spent money on it, I wanted to learn something about it. I would appreciate if you reply as soon as possible. Thank you for your time.

WAGON
We bought a toy children's wagon from an estate sale. We bought the wagon hoping to restore it. It's an aluminum wagon, blue handle, and red/silver wheels with hard rubber tires. My question is who out there can help me replace the stencil of the word Greyhound and the figure of the dog in front of it. I have been unable to come up with any websites so far about antique wagons, let alone the one I'm looking for. I could probably make a stencil but there is very little of the original script left to be accurate. Brian.

WAGON - FISHER PRICE
I am looking for a discontinued wagon by Fisher Price. It's a Fisher Price Side by Side wagon, and it is shaped like a triangle. The item number is 72608. Bridgett.

WAGON - GREYHOUND - VALUE
I have a Greyhound wagon, thirty-four inches long in pretty good shape. The paint is faded, but "Greyhound" can still be read, and the dog is very visible. What is its value? Thank you. Julie

WAGON - RESPONSE
Contact rktouch@aol.com. He makes custom decals in all scales. He does great work at reasonable prices. I've been using his decals for my business for years. Brad.

WAGON BUILT FOR THREE
My friend has a set of one-year-old twins and a two-year-old boy. She saw a wagon that holds two in the front with an attachment (like a train car) for one on the back. She said it was made of plastic, like Lit'l Tikes or PlaySkool. Where can we find one? Velveeta.

WALLACE AND GROMMIT
Where can I buy stuffed toys from the Wallace and Grommit animated shorts?

WATER PUMP
I'm trying to find a toy water pump which I believe is made by Castle Toys. It is eight inches high and made of plastic (many colors). The local store is all out and won't have any until next summer. I have been unable to locate Castle Toys. Can you help?

WATER TOYS
I am putting together a page on wonderful water toys for "Mommy Network" a feature in "Working Mother" magazine. What do you recommend? Do you have company names and phone numbers for recommended products? Thanks, Carolyn

WEB SITE - DISABLED CHILDREN'S TOYS
I found the most wonderful web site that sells toys for children with disabilities. The toys themselves have all kinds of different abilities. They come in sets with some people in wheelchairs, as well as with braces, crutches, hearing aides, seeing-eye dogs, etc. If you could please guide me back to this wonderful place, I would be eternally grateful. Thank you. Yona.

WHEEL BARROW - ZIPPEES
I have a little red Zipees wheelbarrow from the early 1960's. It is of high quality construction. It is made of heavy red plastic, with one very wide plastic treaded tire, white plastic wheel and axle caps. The two handles are of steel tubing with white plastic grips; the two legs are thick sturdy wires bent in a u-shape. It is eight inches high at the handles, and the bottom is completely flat. Is this a rare item? Thank you, Steve.

WIND UP TOYS
Do you know about wind-up toys? I am doing a report for school. I am curious about how they work and what the first wind-up toy made was.

WIND-UP TOY - LOUIS MARX
Where can I find the value of a Louis Marx wind up toy? I think it is called a Busy Bridge. Walter.

WIND-UP TOY - MARX CHICKEN SNATCHER
I purchased a Marx Chicken Snatcher wind-up toy. He is missing the dog. Where can I locate this part?

WIRE WHEEL TOY - 1
I have been trying to figure out the name of an old toy that was popular in the late 1960's-early 1970's. It has been driving me crazy, and I was hoping you could help. Please, bear with me while I try to describe it. It is hand held and looks like it could have been made out of a wire clothes hanger. It also came with a red ball-like thing that was placed in between the wires. The wire was bent so that when the red ball thing was placed on the wires and you flicked your wrist, the ball would travel back and forth on the wires. It couldn't have been more than a foot long. Can you help with the name of this toy? Thanks!

WIRE WHEEL TOY - 1 - RESPONSE
This was called a Wheel-O when it first came out.

WIRE WHEEL TOY - 2
When we traveled my mom always brought along one of the hand held wire toys with the red spinning wheel. I don't remember what it was called, but the wheel moved along the wire track because of a magnet on each side. Hopefully, you know what it is called. I passed many hours of long rides to grandma's house playing with that toy. Can you help me find the name and how to find one of those toys?

WIRE WHEEL TOY - 2 - RESPONSE
I found one in Branson, Missouri on a vacation a few years ago. I'm sorry to say that the box does not have a manufacturer listed. It's called Super Action Fun-Go. The sticker price was $2.99 at a place called the 76 Mall. There's a product identification number on bottom of the box: YC 001. It's not as sturdy as the one I had when I was little, but it's still pretty fun so call and see if the 76 Mall is still there.

WONDER BOX
I'm trying to identify a toy my son received in 1997. It's really a favorite, and I'd love to purchase some more as gifts. I thought it was called the "Wonder Box." It's a cube that is composed of about a dozen other plastic shapes that can be reshaped into a sphere, cone, cylinder, etc. .One side of the toy says "Nick, Jr. 1995 VIACOM." Another side says "Playskool 1995 Hasbro, Inc." Searching the related web sites turned up nothing. Alyssa.

WOODEN TOY BOX
I have an old toy wooden toy box with wooden wheels and a handle to pull it with. It has decals on the sides, one of them of Little Boy Blue. I would like to learn more about its age, value, etc. Carol.

WOODEN TOYS WEBSITES
I visited a web site for wooden toys with a wooden trolley from Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, but now I can not remember the company name or the web address. Thanks, Jen.

WOODSTOCK
I have a 1965 mini hopping Woodstock in box. It is a yellow plastic wind-up toy, which hops after being wound. It is about 2-3 inches high. On the box and the toy is printed: Aviva Enterprises Inc., and United Feature Synicated, Inc. What is it worth?

WRAP AROUND PONY
As a foster mom, I am always looking for safe, active and creative toys. I found a stick style horse (without the dangerous stick). It was in a mail order toy catalog that I can no longer find. I don't remember the name of the catalog, but it offered a prize if one could find all the cartoon frogs on its pages. The toy was called Wrap Around Pony. If you know where I can find it, please let me know.

WRAP AROUND PONY - RESPONSE
It is in the Toys To Grow On Catalog. They are at www.ttgo.com , or you can order a catalog by phone at 1-800-874-4242.

WRAP AROUND PONY - RESPONSE - RESPONSE
Thank you for finding the Wrap-Around Pony! Wouldn't you know it; after all this searching the toy is no longer available. Hopefully I can find the manufacturer and order one directly. What a great resource Dr. Toy's website is, Annette.

WRESTLING BUDDIES - WWF
I've been looking for stuffed wrestling toys called WWF Wrestling Buddies. Do you know where I can find them?

WRESTLING BUDDIES - WWF - RESPONSE
I believe they sell those at my local Walmart Store here in Colorado. Try www.walmart.com, or www.toysrus.com.

WRESTLING MEN
What was the name of the little wrestling men that came out in the mid-1980's? They were sold in buckets or in sets because. They were about an inch tall and came in blue, pink, and other colors.

X POGO
We are looking for a toy called "X Pogo" that was advertised on the Warner Brothers Station and the Nickelodeon Station. Do you have any information? Thanks. Karen.

YO-YO - DIABLOS
Where can I find Diablos? I might have the wrong name. It is a juggling/yo-yo toy. It resembles a large butterfly yo-yo without an attached string. It is manipulated using a string connected to two hand held sticks. I believe this toy originated in China. They can be found in Europe, but I have no mail-order source. Cole.

YO-YO'S
I really love yo-yos. Could you please send me information on the coolest yo-yos? Thank you.

ZIPPY THE CHIMP
Do you where I can find any Zippy the Chimp toys. He is a Chimp with overalls, soft white shoes, cap, plastic face? Thanks. Brenda.

ZIPPY THE CHIMP - RESPONSE
I have seen Zippy the Chimps on Ebay. Many are in excellent condition. Ray and Lisa.

ZOOM CHOPPER
I am from Israel. I am looking for a toy called Zoom Chopper. It is made in China, and its item number is 212. Maybe you can help me to find it. Thanks, Ido.