Memorabilia -> United States -> 1940-49
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
Related Posts -
Grace Kelly Memorabilia -> Celebrity Grace Kelly, who became Princess Grace of Monaco, is a film legend and one of the most recognizable names the world over. Her life seemed to be rather like a fairy tale, at least once she began acting. A leading lady who starred opposite huge stars like...... -
Collecting Film Memorabilia There are many actors, actresses, movie scenes and other film moments that are memorable and popular years after they initially came into the limelight. As a result, many people collect film memorabilia as a way to relive their favorite movie moments, or to commemorate their favorite movie heroes. Although the...... -
Collecting Unique Vintage Car Memorabilia The possibilities are virtually endless when it comes to the different types of memorabilia that you can collect. One example of a type of memorabilia that you may choose to add to your collection is car memorabilia. There has been a rise in popularity in collecting cars and car memorabilia...... -
Music Memorabilia Memorabilia -> Music Memorabilia -> Rock, Pop Music memorabilia has always been popular, and although we associate it primarily with today’s rock and pop musicians, the practice of collecting items for musicians and groups dates back many hundred years. In fact, in Japan, before mass printing was used on a...... -
Bo Diddley Memorabilia -> Entertainment-Memorabilia -> Music-Memorabilia Bo Diddley is a legend, both for his guitar playing and his role as one of the first influences in modern rock ‘n roll. Born Ellas Othas Bates in Mississippi in 1928, he later became known as the “originator” because he was one of the......
Related Websites -
The Best of the Olympics - Doo-Wop Style I'm not one of those old farts that puts all new music in the "crap" category. Of course most of it is crap, but there are some decent tunes out there. However, there were a lot more decent tunes back in my day. Typical of any era, there are...... -
Tennis Tournament Preview: Roger Federer against Juan Martin Del Potro Roger Federer, World no.1 (-308) against Juan Martin Del Potro, seed 6 (+278) Roger managed to take care of our red hot favorite, Djokovic in only three sets, but are things going to get even more challenging against him when he goes up against Juan Martin Del Potro from Argentina?...... -
Soccer Memorabilia Sports Memorabilia -> Autographs Original -> Soccer While the United States may not share the same love for soccer as the rest of the world, it is clear that everywhere else soccer and soccer memorabilia is big business. During the last World Cup a cumulative 4 billion people turned into...... -
Rogers Cup Recap - ATP World Tour 1000 Masters Purse: $3,000,000 Hosted in: Montreal, Canada Hosted on: August 10, 2009 to August 16, 2009 Surface: Hard More Information: http://www.ATPWorldTour.com Results for August 16, Sunday Singles Final Results - Andy Murray of GBR defeated J Del Potro of ARG with 67 (4), 76 (3), 61 Doubles Final Results - M...... -
Sylvester Stallone breaks his neck filming action pic [/caption] AGING action hero Sylvester Stallone broke his neck while filming a fight scene with wrestler co-star "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in his latest movie. The Rocky star has revealed he needed emergency surgery and a metal plate inserted in his neck after the accident on the set of The......
