Roy Rogers toys weren’t just the popular playthings of a generation who viewed Roy as an authentic cowboy and a real American hero, they’re a representation of an entire generation. They stand today as an example of mid-20th century culture and one of the few stars America has even known who managed to live without scandal his entire life.

While Western toys were popular before Roy Rogers was a household name, once he became an icon in the 1940s, Roy Rogers toys dominated the marketplace. Some of the most popular toys branded with his name were Western-style cap guns that kids used to play “cowboys and Indians.” While cap guns were already a popular item, a Roy Rogers cap gun held special meaning because it was associated with Rogers, and somehow had to have belonged to one of the good guys.

Leonard Slye started his career when he moved to California at age 18 to become a singer. After four years of struggling he formed the group Sons of the Pioneers and found success. The songs were sparse and Western, like “Cool Water” and “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” and America began a love affair with Rogers that lasted until his death in 1998 and beyond. His big movie break came while working on a movie with Gene Autry, the widest known cowboy star of the day, who had a dispute on the movie set and walked off. It was then that Slye’s name was changed to Roy Rogers (after Will Rogers), he was given Autry’s part, and he became a movie sensation. By the early 1940s, Rogers was so popular that Roy Rogers toys began flying off the shelves.

When he married actress Dale Evans in 1945, they formed Hollywood’s first power couple, becoming a household name together and performing a popular radio show in the 1950s that featured Western actor Gaby Hayes and two of the most popular animals in the world, Roy’s horse Trigger and his dog Bullet. Roy was seen as an American hero and idol, with Roy Rogers toys and other items becoming one of the earliest merchandising successes in the world. Many were available from cap guns to action figures, lunchboxes, hats, cowboy gear, even books, comic books and a popular comic strip were part of the extensive merchandising surrounding Rogers.

Roy and Dale were known as “King of the Cowboys” and “Queen of the West,” and even those not familiar with them today have probably heard their theme song, “Happy Trails (to you).” Many people who collect Western memorabilia and vintage toys look for Roy Rogers toys, but because of his popularity it’s rare to find mint or unopened toys. Most were well-played-with when they were new, so the important thing is to make sure it’s an authentic Roy Rogers brand toy, and to find out whether or not it has ever been broken and repaired. Online auctions are probably the easiest place to find the toys as close to their original condition as possible.

Originally posted 2008-10-23 14:00:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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