It’s true to say that toys have come on a long way over the last 100 years. We have all but said goodbye to the traditional, individually handmade toys and now embraced mass-produced electrical toys that have lights and sounds and eat batteries like grains of rice.  Let’s take a look at some of the most iconic old toys and why they were loved so much

Rag dolls. There is nothing more simple than a rag doll. Once upon a time every little girl had a rag doll and they would go everywhere the child went. The best bit is, if you managed to prize them from your child’s hand, they could be dumped in some hot soapy water, hung out to dry and would be as good as new the next day. These days Barbie and crying replica babies are all the rage. You shouldn’t really wash these with water but I’d like you to try it anyway.

Wooden bikes. Bikes these days are pretty much all made out of metal or plastic as these are generally the cheapest options for production. There is no beating however a bike that has been loving crafted out of good hardwood. They were close to indestructible and looked great as the wood aged and picked up character.On top of this, having an old wooden bike a room added a lot of character to it and people even bought them just for their aesthetic value

Rocking horses. Due to their brilliant design and stunning hand crafted looks, a wooded rocking horse lasts for decades and looked again looked great as a feature in a room. The best bit about a rocking horse however is that you can buy your daughter what she has always dreamed of,  without having to hire stables and muck it out every day. Rocking horse makers are hard to find these days but if you can find a good one then its well worth purchasing one.