Jack & Jill TV takes title for New Zealand's oldest Fisher-Price toy
Wednesday 7 December 2011, 9:15AM
By Haystac
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After two months of scouring through antiques in the attic, searching through old toy boxes and rummaging through relatives cupboards, Fisher-Price can now unveil New Zealand’s oldest Fisher-Price toy.
60 year-old Colin Burrows has won the title of the nation’s oldest Fisher-Price toy, with his Jack and Jill TV radio. Introduced in 1959, it was the brand’s very first music box, and was in production for eight years.
The Jack and Jill TV radio was an innovative music box for its time that displays colourful images that accompany the song it plays. Burrows, a former member of the New Zealand Airforce, purchased the toy during the early 1970’s, whilst posted in Singapore, for his two baby daughters who lived with his wife at the base in Ohakea.
“I thought my girls would love the Jack and Jill TV Radio because it was a very unique item at the time and constructed more from wood than plastic. The music box still operates perfectly today, showing how well Fisher-Price makes their products,” says Burrows.
The old toy is a cherished possession of the Burrows household, having survived numerous play dates, jetted across the Pacific Ocean, and moved to and from 11 different houses.
Burrows’ penchant for keeping hold of beloved items stems from his childhood, when he would stash away all of the knickknacks he developed emotional attachments to.
“I’m a squirrel, I tend to keep things and not throw them out. I still have toys from when I was five and six,” says Burrows.
Other treasured Fisher-Price delights submitted for the title of the country’s oldest toy, represent the brand’s long-standing reputation for manufacturing high quality, durable toys that have consistently enlightened the lives of children for generations.
The most popular toy that has stood the test of time is the Play Family set, with 40% of entries showcasing toys from this range - from Play Family Houses, to Schools, to Farms.
“It is fantastic to see how cherished Fisher-Price toys are by New Zealanders – some families are in possession of entire collections and they are still in pristine condition,” Mattel Senior Marketing Manager Melissa O’Sullivan says.
Fisher-Price’s legacy of high-quality toys stems back to 1931, when its first ever toy, Dr. Doodle, a wooden pull-along duck, was introduced. Since then, Fisher-Price has reworked and further developed many of its classic designs, continuing to play a significant role in the lives of children around the world.
Today, Fisher-Price has grown into a portfolio of iconic, innovative, and high-quality toys that display a sense of longevity. Every toy is developed to help enhance the four stages of childhood development through play.
“Fisher Price is a brand dedicated to helping children achieve key developmental milestones through play. Play is the way children grow, and toys make the most of play,” says Ms. O’Sullivan.