Little Cristina (Crissy) Berretta grew up in a Catholic household, not a strict one mind you but Catholic none the less. It stays with you. Perhaps that is why I must confess. I have an addiction to the past. The first signs may have been the bobbed haircut that I still refuse to style any other way. However, the evidence arose in a more concrete manner four years ago when I purchased Senor and Senorita, my 1930s composition dolls from Mexico, at a quaint antique shop in Aurora, Oregon. I also acquired a tin Ohio Art spinning top that day and have since found more toys than any healthy 32 year old needs.
The truest high came about six months ago when I found the Tin Monkey on a Bike. He was priced low at an unsuspecting thrift store in Tigard, Oregon. Of course, I did not realize at the time what I had found. All it took was picking him up, seeing his ears flap, and I knew I had to have him. Once I was home the real fun began, the investigation, the unraveling of the history behind this cute tin toy.
In order to make my addiction appear less silly and frivolous (as certain people have ascertained it is) I am now attempting to turn it into something meaningful and shared. Every little treasure I find will be documented here in the hopes that some other addict out there can either gain from or contribute to the information I accumulate.
Let’s start with Cristina’s Holy Grail of wind up toys:
My Tin Monkey, a beautifully lithographed circus monkey on a tricycle, has a “Made in Germany US Zone” stamp under his bike. A couple of light bulbs went off in my over stuffed amateur brain when I first read this. Could this Tin Monkey be circa (1945 – 1949) post World War II? After all that’s when the allied powers divided Germany into four zones right? Brushing up on ancient or recent history is never wasted time in my book. And FYI “Occupied Japan” works in a similar manner (circa 1945- 1952) but I’ll save all my Japanese treasures for another day.
The little bar that leads to the two handles on Tin Monkey’s bike reads “Arnold”. A basic online search informed me that the Arnold Toy Company is based out of Nuremberg, Germany and has existed since 1906 to date. A few eBay auctions later I learned that my little guy was produced circa 1945-1949 and highly desired. But this guy has a permanent home. Once he’s wound up and set free his arms move back and forth as he rides across the floor enticing my two cats. As I watch his joy ride I forget about his monetary value and think about the children that were lucky enough to play with him brand new. I think about how beautiful Germany is, especially the vibrant and art filled city of Berlin (more about Berlin later). Then my mind wanders to the monkeys at the San Francisco Zoo when I was a kid, who decided to take revenge on a life of captivity by flinging excrement towards the unsuspecting crowd, and then the mind goes on to one of (edit: sorry Jen!) my best childhood friends Jonathan riding his bike, falling and scraping his cheek.
That is why this addiction grows. My collection enables me to learn about history and culture and link it to my own life and memories. All of this after I thought I’d simply found a new toy.
The truest high came about six months ago when I found the Tin Monkey on a Bike. He was priced low at an unsuspecting thrift store in Tigard, Oregon. Of course, I did not realize at the time what I had found. All it took was picking him up, seeing his ears flap, and I knew I had to have him. Once I was home the real fun began, the investigation, the unraveling of the history behind this cute tin toy.
In order to make my addiction appear less silly and frivolous (as certain people have ascertained it is) I am now attempting to turn it into something meaningful and shared. Every little treasure I find will be documented here in the hopes that some other addict out there can either gain from or contribute to the information I accumulate.
Let’s start with Cristina’s Holy Grail of wind up toys:
My Tin Monkey, a beautifully lithographed circus monkey on a tricycle, has a “Made in Germany US Zone” stamp under his bike. A couple of light bulbs went off in my over stuffed amateur brain when I first read this. Could this Tin Monkey be circa (1945 – 1949) post World War II? After all that’s when the allied powers divided Germany into four zones right? Brushing up on ancient or recent history is never wasted time in my book. And FYI “Occupied Japan” works in a similar manner (circa 1945- 1952) but I’ll save all my Japanese treasures for another day.
The little bar that leads to the two handles on Tin Monkey’s bike reads “Arnold”. A basic online search informed me that the Arnold Toy Company is based out of Nuremberg, Germany and has existed since 1906 to date. A few eBay auctions later I learned that my little guy was produced circa 1945-1949 and highly desired. But this guy has a permanent home. Once he’s wound up and set free his arms move back and forth as he rides across the floor enticing my two cats. As I watch his joy ride I forget about his monetary value and think about the children that were lucky enough to play with him brand new. I think about how beautiful Germany is, especially the vibrant and art filled city of Berlin (more about Berlin later). Then my mind wanders to the monkeys at the San Francisco Zoo when I was a kid, who decided to take revenge on a life of captivity by flinging excrement towards the unsuspecting crowd, and then the mind goes on to one of (edit: sorry Jen!) my best childhood friends Jonathan riding his bike, falling and scraping his cheek.
That is why this addiction grows. My collection enables me to learn about history and culture and link it to my own life and memories. All of this after I thought I’d simply found a new toy.
