Modern Times, Not All Trends Are Trendy - Historical Museum Timeline Products

"Made goods" speak volumes about past societies. An 18th century ivory bilbo-catcher tells us not just about a particular privileged child but also about the nature of imported goods at that time; in the same period, an old thin coin made into a child's buzzer toy tells us something not only about a less privileged child but also about the nature of coinage in that era.

Toys are especially interesting to watch over time, and wonderful indicators of how little the enjoyments of childhood have changed over the centuries. Just one example: We see rolling hoops depicted on ancient Greek artifacts, painted on medieval and Renaissance European canvases, drawn in 18th century prints and 19th century portraits, and appearing in modern guise from the Hula Hoop craze of the 1950s to the exercise hoops of today.