Toys From the Past

Do you remember your first Tonka toy? I sure do. I had the one in the picture. Then, a few presents later, I opened the dump truck. Man, was I overjoyed! I headed right out to the yard and started working. I had my sights set on making a pit to fill with water so I could create a lake for my action figures. The land mover wasn’t great at breaking ground (I got that Tonka later), but I used my hand shovel to dig and the earth mover to scoop it up and load the dump truck. It took me a while, but boy, did I have an excellent time.  

Over time, my collection kept growing. I loved my Tonkas and wish I still had them. They still make a quality toy, but not as good as when I was a kid—there’s way more plastic used now. My grandson has one, and it’s solid, but it just doesn’t look or feel the same. They’re still leaps and bounds better than most toys out there. The old ones did have rust issues, which my grandson probably won’t have to deal with. Maybe one day while thrift shopping, I’ll come across an old-school Tonka that isn’t too expensive, and I’ll buy it. I really miss those great toys!