Toy Timeline & Collector's Reference
What bubble toys do I collect and why?
I collect toys manufactured before 2000, especially toys that represent design evolution or innovation. The zillion pirated versions that came after are not interesting to me. If the bubble making mechanics were new, the toy had a long life, the patent influenced other inventors or changed how people played with bubbles... I collected it.
I don't care for battery operated bubble makers unless the toy is important for other reasons.
1874 newspaper advertising for Bliss' Pocket Bubble Pipe
Why Collect?
The evolution of bubble play fascinates me.
I started collecting toys because I was curious about what I could learn from them. By actually holding and playing with a toy, would that answer questions I had about why the inventor made particular choices as described in the patent? Did they deliver a new bubble play experience or did they do a good job marketing a bad toy for easy money? What inspired inspired the inventor to create this new kind of bubble toy?
I collect because it is valuable to compare the actual play value of a toy against the advertising claims. Playing with these old toys helps me to understand the actual bubble-fun experiences people had decades or centuries ago. Example: When advertisements promised a toy made "Big Bubbles", did they mean ping pong, grapefruit or beachball size?
Collecting is my favorite way to connect with the inventors I've encountered and admired through research. After learning so much about them I feel obliged to seek out their toys.
Sometimes I grab a toy for silly reasons: Last year I discovered the duo team of designers (Allen and Shaw) that invented and patented Howdy Doody's marionette head for TV also invented an excellent bubble toy = 1959 BUBBLIN FISH-- but they never came out with a Howdy Doody bubble pipe. So I found a Howdy Doody pipe (other inventor) to pair with Allen & Shaws original fish toy to tell a richer story.
How about toys that are simply old or rare? Yes of course! The earliest toys are difficult to find and sometimes hard to justify buying-given my limited resources. If a toy is unattainable - I collected all the info and details I can about it, waiting patiently for the day I see it on eBay for twenty bucks. There are a few toys I still haven't been able to find at auction but I suppose that will always be the case.
Finally, I've enjoyed developing new ways to play with bubbles and openly sharing them with the world. With that attitude, I haven't sought to patent or mass manufacture my ideas. I've also worked with companies, helping them invent new toys, patent and launch them into the marketplace. What I've learned about these older toys has proven useful in my work to share new ways to play with bubbles.