Toy OTD: Yoshitoku Peanuts Doll: Olaf

Here's a real curio that I found at the ice rink gift shop in Santa Rosa. It's unusual because the character is so obscure (he's one of Snoopy's brothers), and also because the combination of a plush body with vinyl extremities. I think it's a great solution - it maintains the crisp qualities of the design, but can be soft and cuddly too.

The proportions are off (he's actually even rounder), but Olaf makes the best candidate for a plush because of that. It's still very appealing and simple, with no branding to be seen anywhere. He also sits up well by himself, not necessarily a given with plushes.

They don't sell this toy at the ice rink any more, and it's nowhere to be seen online. I think it went for $15 or so originally, but you'll have to keep an eye on eBay to see if one surfaces. Good luck!

PS - Did anyone else read the tongue as buck teeth in the drawings? I thought that was the case for years.

Toy OTD: Hungerford Pig Pen Vinyl Figure (1958)

These are some of the most appealing Peanuts items! Very simple sculpts complement the original designs. The paint work is usually fuzzy on toys of this era, and this is no different. I do like that quality in period toys, even if I'm more critical of it on modern ones.

This Pig Pen is unusually tidy, mainly because his unruly shock of hair has, by necessity, been tamed by the sculptor. Whether it was a conscious choice or a techincal limitation, his 'dirt' is not painted but scupted, rendering it far less noticeable.

Several characters were made in this line - I know of Charlie Brown, Sally, Linus, Lucy, Schroeder, Pig Pen and Snoopy. Some are more common than others, but most (due to their age) are pricey these days. Finding them in good shape is also difficult, as the vinyl sags with age and the paint wears off easily. Expect to pay a hundred dollars or more for any of the characters, the rarer ones going considerably higher - I think I paid around three hundred for this one, but I'm not sure.

If you're a super-hard-core Peanuts fan, you can buy this set of eight figures (including Pig Pen) on eBay, but you're going to need at least six hundred dollars to even get in the game - whew!