Today we reflect on the wonderful world of Weebles, you know, "Weebles Wobble, but they don't fall down!" Now forget about the newer Weebles--they made a comeback after 2000. I'm talking about the original 1970s, Hasbro Playskool version. They were plastic little chubby, shapeless characters resembling eggs and would "wobble" back and forth. I guess they were the chunky version of Fisher-Price Little People.
Ironically, what I remember most about Weebles,aren't the actual Weebles themselves, but the awesome houses, cars and other items that were of course "sold separately." In the photos, please note the tree house I so desperately wanted. I think we had that awesome toy in our Kindergarten class or maybe a kid on our block had one.I remember my BFF Alison had the blue and red Mickey Mouse Club (see above image). I loved that little house, I was totally drawn to it. I wasn't even a bit fan of Disney characters, but something about toy houses captivated me and kept my attention for hours. Maybe the idea of "home" made me feel safe or something.
Doll houses, Little People houses, Barbie Dream Houses (I never had as you may recall from a previous post), you name it, I wanted it! I just wanted to climb inside and be as tiny as my plastic toy characters and play within a miniature world. Great, now you're going to think I'm a total loon. I guess I was and still am.
Sorry to my younger readers who have no idea what I've been blogging about all week... these are classic toys. I swear if I had a kid I'd pretend it was the old days and only provide him/her with retro toys purchased on eBay. What a freak that child would be!
Yep, I'm pretty sure I have the airplane. Can't remember what else.
ReplyDeleteI am always blown away by your knowledge of vintage 80''s toys.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever done a post on something called "muscle men"? I had those as a kid and they were one of my favorites. Maybe I should just do my own.
You always bring back the memories.
I loved the Weebles! Now you're getting into the ultra-fun stuff, Ally. Thanks!
ReplyDeletexoRobyn
Oh yes - that tree house was always a dream of mine too. I wonder what I'd have been like if mum gave me everything I wanted?
ReplyDeleteWeebles taught me an important lesson about life. When a giant child pushes you down, you just gotta get back up.
ReplyDeleteActually I always felt they were the alcoholics of the toy box. Wobbling from side to side as they stand.
I don't remember these either. I think it's all slightly before my time.. or in the case of the 2000 come back, after my time.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I never had webbles as a kid but I remember them.
ReplyDeleteomg, i remember that commercial.. wish i had bought one of the kids those weebles...
ReplyDeleteMy parents bought my younger brother and sister that treehouse, and my dad still has it in his basement! It is very well played with, though, and is missing a couple of features like the swing.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I did say my YOUNGER brother and sister...
I gave you an award today! Come check out my post.
ReplyDeleteLiz
http://www.bellebeanchicagodog.com
I never had a Weeble, but I sure remember that commercial!
ReplyDeleteWhen you said "Jams" OMG! I can't wait for that one!!!!!
I loved my Barbie Dream Home and wanted to live in it so badly that I shoved my head into the kitchen and got my head stuck!
ReplyDeleteI never had Weebles but I did have some little people. I had the Family Tree House. I used to love that more than my regular Fisher Price house. The family in it sort of looked like mine if my memory is correct. Wish that I had at least kept them.
ReplyDeleteYayyy! Weebles! Weebles wobble but they don't fall down! Loved them.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, with my very first paycheck from my first job, I bought my little sister a Barbie Dream House because I had never had one myself and I wanted her to have one. She still says that is the best gift she ever got.
I so badly wanted Weebles! My mother refused on the basis I had too many Little people... but oh for some Weeble... my life would have been made complete :)
ReplyDeleteI had the bus. And the tree thing kinda reminds of Tree Tops. Remember those? FYI ... Getting hit in the head with a Weeble, not fun!
ReplyDeleteI think Mom bought herself some of these in her later years. She loved toys!
ReplyDeleteHey, she grew up during the Depression without a darn thing, so we indulged her. =)
Yet another set of goodies that pulls at my heartstrings. I loved the weebles. If fact they are still a topic of conversation at my house, as the family has always loving referred to itself as weebles. I had the tree house which I LOVED. Pie must have these. Away to ebay!
ReplyDeleteI totally remember playing with that green tree house thing at my church's nursery!!! wow, I haven't seen that in forever.
ReplyDeleteand I wanted Rainbow Brite soooo much, didn't happen, but I did have a lot of the Strawberry Shortcake characters and the flying butterfly toy. :-)
I desperately wanted Weebles, esp. the haunted house. Never had Weebles, though. Forgot all about them until now. Thank you for reminding me of that.
ReplyDeleteI remember the Weebles but I remained a true fisher price Little People fan. But oh, you brought back some memories. I had an intense fascination with all kinds of miniature doll houses. bahaha. I never thought of the psychological reasons behind it...
ReplyDeleteOh, yes, I remember Weebles, I had them. To this day, I often say Weebles wobble but they won't fall down!
ReplyDeleteI remember the Weebles well. :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you'll do some of the retro dolls soon!!! I LOVED the retro dolls. (Some you may not remember cuz you're young.....but I had Giggles, Chrissy, Velvet, Thumbelina, Oopsy Daisy, and a slew of others I can't remember right now!)
ah! i remember this stuff!!! i don't know if you've ever heard of Charmkins (sp?) but those were some of my favorite! my sister had a charmkins house and i could only play with it if i did a favor for her, like cleaned her room, or something stupid like that.... she would take it away right in the middle of me playing with it.... i used to want a larger house JUST like the charmkin house.... oh to be a kid again.... the toys they have today are DEFINITELY different from what we had.... and i could TOTALLY go on and on about this and the toys today, having a 7 year old.... sometimes i'm entirely out of the loop as to what's hip and what's not.
ReplyDeleteI used to love my Weeble treehouse. No clue whatever became of it, though.
ReplyDeleteI love these posts! usually I look at toys/fads today and I'm seriously underwhelmed by the fun factor. Bratz Dolls? Silly Bands? Lame. Weebles and Monchi Chi were a little before my time, but even I can see how irresistible they'd be to little kids.
ReplyDeleteAlso, thanks for visiting my blog and commenting! I think yours is pretty neat, I'll definitely be back.
Oh, I can't wait for Strawberry Shortcake... those were the days!!!
ReplyDeleteI didn't have these but cuuuuute!
ReplyDeleteI forgot about these! Oh my goodness! What awesome memories.
ReplyDeleteAnd about exercise, I go 4 mph at a 2 percent incline for about 30-45 minutes almost everyday. I do the incline because I put it on there once and I always forget to put it back down to 0.
You have no idea how much I am loving every single moment of this. Every day I've come here and I'm instantly filled with happy feelings (aside from my Monchichi fear).
ReplyDeleteI think we had that tree house at my school too! (But I never had it at home unfortch.)
Holy crap Jams. I had Jams. They were the epitome of fugly!
Oh, I TOO wanted the Barbie Dream House, complete with accessories! My best friend had all the cool Barbie stuff: house, corvette, horse, EVERYTHING, while all I had were the hand-me-down Barbies from the '60's that my cousins played with, the kind where Ken had painted on hair.
ReplyDeleteCome to think about it, I should've hung onto those Barbies---they may've come in handy in helping out with my daughter's college tuition in a couple years!
Thanks for the walk down Memory Lane!
Ally, I love it here because we share the same knowledge base of these items, songs, tv shows, etc.! I needed you in my meeting after school today, and wrote about you in my post! Thanks for always making me feel right at home over here!
ReplyDeleteAnother toy that I didn't have cuz we were 'po. But I wanted. Wanted bad. Along with the Smurf toys, although, really, I wanted the Smurfs the mostest. **tear**
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh, Liz is right you are awesome!
ReplyDeleteOMG! I had the treehouse! I'm feelin super nostalgic now!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I ever had anything but the "people" but I definitely remember the Weebles. And, my lust for a Barbie townhouse and an Easy Bake oven... sniff...
ReplyDeleteIn my memory, we had that tree but I was thinking it was an Ewok tree house? We always got our stuff from yard sales and I don't remember any Weebles ever livin' in our house! Maybe our Ewoks got a good deal on a used Maple. LOL!
ReplyDeleteI remember when they used to look like eggs! My son has the new Weebles! They still have egg like bottoms, but the tops are different.... They're not egg tops, their tops are little bodies....
ReplyDeleteThe still wobble and they still don't fall down though!
i loved my weebles...
ReplyDeleteI had that tree house; but it wasn't for Weebles, it was for Tree Tots. There is a complete one on eBay for $200 http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1975-Kenner-Tree-Tot-Tree-House-Complete-/280733275411?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item415d01d513
ReplyDeleteI also had the Mickey Mouse show set. Sadly both things went for cheap at a tag sale when I had just barely grown out of them. If I still had them now and a bunch of my other stuff, I could really make a dent in my debts.