Following on from a previous post, one of my favourite toys from childhood was a YOGI BEAR & HUCKLEBERRY HOUND WALKER by LOUIS MARX TOYS. The fact that it's Huck and Yogi, and not Yogi and BOO BOO, suggests that it's an early piece of merchandise from when Huck's show first hit TV, in which Yogi was only a support act, albeit an extremely popular one. Yogi soon went on to eclipse the ol' hound-dog and was awarded his own TV show, in which he had his own second-stringers, SNAGGLEPUSS and YAKKI DOODLE.
Marx Toys also produced a range of DISNEY character Walkers, plus other ones, such as POPEYE, etc., but ol' Yogi and Huck are hard to beat. I've also got a FRED & BARNEY one, which you can see if you click here. These toys command quite high prices in collectors' circles, and are highly sought-after by lovers of HANNA-BARBERA memorabilia.
When I acquired this a number of years back to replace the one I'd owned as a child (I've now had it for around twice as long as its predecessor), I was struck by the noise it makes as it toddles down an incline, wobbling slightly from side-to-side as it does so. It's a soft, slow 'rattling' intonation, and I was surprised to be reminded of what had once been a familiar sound, neither heard nor thought about since I was a lad. However, upon hearing it once again, all the old memories came flooding back in a rush, making me realize that one never truly forgets anything. It's all still there, lying dormant just under the surface, waiting only for the proper catalyst to allow it to spring, full-blown, back into one's consciousness, bringing with it recollections of earlier times.
Any particular toy you remember from childhood? Why not share it with us in the comments section?
