"A Boy's Life"

Vintage Toys

The current exhibit on display at the Akeley Building features hundreds of boys and girls antique toys some dating back to the 1880s. The toys are on loan from Dean Van Zegeren, formerly of North Muskegon, who began his collection over twenty years ago. He has acquired over 1,000 pieces over the years which date from the 1880s to the 1970s. The collection includes trucks, cars, airplanes, windups, cast iron banks, and even a few “girly” items such as a toy sewing machine. The collection shows the impact of history and economics on toys. Early toys were made of metal and cast iron until the war made these materials scarce. The rubber tires were white into the early 1930s.
During the war only a few toys were made and of those most were made of wood. Plastic entered the scene in the 1950s and remains the main material used for toys produced today. Van Zegeren has displayed portions of his collection in various venues in the past and has given programs to the Lions and Rotary Clubs in the area as well as other historical societies and school classes. “It is always fun to have an old timer recognize one of my toys that hasn't been thought of for decades,”
stated Van Zegeren. “At a recent event a ninety-three year old gentleman
smiled big when he came upon a toy he hadn't seen since his childhood.
” In addition to the toys, a one-of-a-kind doll house filled with
Miniatures made by the Harbor Minicrafters Club is also on exhibit.