FAO Schwarz – the unique toy store, 1974/1975 catalogue

Cover. FAO Schwarz Fall/Winter catalogue. 1974/1975. US

FAO Schwarz was established in 1862 in New York and is one of the oldest toy stores in the world, in a spirit similar to that of the UK’s Hamleys.

FAO Schwarz (FAO = Frederick August Otto) offers children and parents a choice of quality and long-lasting toys, games, hobbies, books and crafts. The company continues to operate to date.

Thanks to a very kind donation by our friend Anna (thank you Anna), TVTA is pleased to acquire a number of vintage FAO Schwarz catalogues spanning the 1960s to early 1980s.

Today we present selected scans from the 1974/75 fall/winter catalogue.

Enjoy the toy goodness!

Castles and forts. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Flinstones Flint Mobile. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Corgi toys. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Dinky toys. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Pippi Longstocking doll and book. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Tom and Jerry Jerry car. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Doll House furniture. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Doll House furniture 2. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Doll House furniture 3. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Dolls various. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Steiff. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Steiff 2. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Steiff 3. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: The Beatrix Potter Collection. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Pelham Puppets. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Raggedy Anne. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Horse sets. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Vehicles 2. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Vehicles. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

: Walkie Talkies. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Fischertechnik. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Marklin trains. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Lehmann 74 train set. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Trains and slot cars. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

McDonald’s Drive In 20 piece playset. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Sewing kit for Barbie. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Snoopy merchandise 2. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Snoopy Merchandise. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

Steam toys. FAO Schwarz 1974 1975 Winter Fall catalogue. US.

As always, thanks for looking. Join us again soon as TVTA showcases more FAO Schwarz toy goodies!

21 thoughts on “FAO Schwarz – the unique toy store, 1974/1975 catalogue”

I would have LOVED this catalogue as a kid. Who am I kidding? I would love it as an adult!

The Flint-Mobile really caught my eye, but my fave is the sewing kit for Barbie, where you can make all those fab clothes.

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The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 17:07 said:

Yep, these catalogues are such a joy to see with all their goodies contained within!

Another admirer of the Flint-Mobile I see, and I agree with you that the Barbie sewing kits were a good idea, in that you didn’t have to settle for whatever outfits Mattel provided back then – but could make them yourself!
😊

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

Hi Fort, it’s the Ford again! And groovy Barbie stuff and that Snoopy car and … wonderful 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 17:02 said:

Hiya Jeanine. Forts and Fords and maybe a fjord? Yeah, so much to love in these old catalogues 😊

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- bekitschig on April 24, 2023 at 17:51 said:
  
  You’ll wait and see what’s coming in the mail! Maybe no vintage toys, but gold for prime pumknin sculptures 🙂
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 19:59 said:
  
  I am looking forward to this, my dear kitschy friend!! 🤩
  
  LikeLike

Love this post! How I would have enjoyed the Flint Mobile!! I don’t remember ever having seen that in real life. How cool.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 14, 2023 at 20:24 said:

Thanks so much. Seems there are a few of us in the comments that like that Flintstones Flint-mobile. Would loved to have seen that back in the day!

LikeLike

Reply ↓

Such a great catalogue, thank you! Would love the Modella dolls house furniture sets , so hard to find ( and quite expensive) these days . And too many other things to choose from 💖

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 14, 2023 at 20:29 said:

Thanks Wibi. You’re right, those Modella dolls house items are really special. In the batch of catalogues I received, they feature in most of them. I still have about eight catalogues to scan through yet. Joy! 😍

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

These classic toy catalogue pages are so much fun to see. Some great items there, and I see my old Batmobile and BatBoat there as well! 🙂

LikeLiked by 2 people

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:37 said:

Thanks Paul. Throughout the 10 catalogues I received the Batmobile and Batboat feature a good few times, along with other Corgi goodies.
Like you, I always get a warm glow of nostalgia whenever I see the old Batman toys ads 😎

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

My grandfather took me to FAO Schwarz in ’74 and bought me Fort Cherokee. I still have the top half of the left tower on my desk. The trip was such a good memory. Thanks, Ford

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:34 said:

Really glad you like. The catlogues are such a joy to see, and all the more so knowing they are from one of the most famous toy stores in the world. Cool you have good memories of an actual visit, plus part of the Fort Cherokee set! Love it.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

Hi TVTA, another fine selection of goodies. I have to say though that I was drawn to the Dinky Toys page as I owned one of the refuse collection trucks. It was cool as not only was the trash compartment hinged (to replicate emptying the truck as you see in the picture) but there was a second hinge near the back of the cab that allowed the compartment to swivel and point vertically upwards which forced the trash to the back of the truck (there was no hydraulic rake to compact the waste inside, it was done by gravity). The reason I found it so cool was the council refuse truck that collected my bins was of this type and the crew when they found out I had the model always activated the compacting features at my house for me to watch!
Thanks as always.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:32 said:

Hi FT. The Dinky ad is cool and I have a few others like this to share for future posts. Cool story about the refuse truck. I was also fascinated by them as a kid. I had a Matchbox version, much simpler than the Dinky one, but still cool.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- For Tyeth on April 9, 2023 at 13:59 said:
  
  Hi again, II had the Matchbox refuse truck too – the one with the revolving rake and sliding mechanism to empty the truck when the rear was opened. Mine had an orange driver’s cab and silver trash compartment.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 14:04 said:
  
  Mine was green with a silver truck front, and yes maybe the orange cab interior. A good toy. I still have my yellow Corgi forklift truck with cog-driven fork operations, and a driver moulded into the seat. Was it you who said ages back that you had the Simon Snorkel fire engine? Man, one of my friends had that, and it was brilliant to see it with ladders fully extended.
  
  LikeLike
- For Tyeth on April 9, 2023 at 15:02 said:
  
  Yes I had the fire engine with the extending lift platform, I also had Matchbox and Corgi fire engine models too (I was influenced by my Uncle who was an RAF firefighter during the 1970’s)
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person

Out of this selection of goodies, the Flint Mobile is my favourite! The McDonald’s Drive Thru came in as a close contender, though. 😃

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 10:22 said:

Thanks Tom. The Flint-Mobile is just too cool, and I was pleased to see that they made a kiddy car based on the Flintstones! I wonder if anyone out there had one as a kid, or still has one tucked away somewhere in an attic or garage? Agree, too, the McDo Drive Thru is pretty cool to see 😎

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓

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Silver Screenings on April 24, 2023 at 02:41 said:

I would have LOVED this catalogue as a kid. Who am I kidding? I would love it as an adult!

The Flint-Mobile really caught my eye, but my fave is the sewing kit for Barbie, where you can make all those fab clothes.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 17:07 said:
  
  Yep, these catalogues are such a joy to see with all their goodies contained within!
  
  Another admirer of the Flint-Mobile I see, and I agree with you that the Barbie sewing kits were a good idea, in that you didn’t have to settle for whatever outfits Mattel provided back then – but could make them yourself!
  😊
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
bekitschig on April 16, 2023 at 16:37 said:

Hi Fort, it’s the Ford again! And groovy Barbie stuff and that Snoopy car and … wonderful 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 17:02 said:
  
  Hiya Jeanine. Forts and Fords and maybe a fjord? Yeah, so much to love in these old catalogues 😊
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - bekitschig on April 24, 2023 at 17:51 said:
    
    You’ll wait and see what’s coming in the mail! Maybe no vintage toys, but gold for prime pumknin sculptures 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 24, 2023 at 19:59 said:
    
    I am looking forward to this, my dear kitschy friend!! 🤩
    
    LikeLike
spanishwoods on April 10, 2023 at 19:26 said:

Love this post! How I would have enjoyed the Flint Mobile!! I don’t remember ever having seen that in real life. How cool.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 14, 2023 at 20:24 said:
  
  Thanks so much. Seems there are a few of us in the comments that like that Flintstones Flint-mobile. Would loved to have seen that back in the day!
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply ↓
wibiwonders on April 10, 2023 at 00:41 said:

Such a great catalogue, thank you! Would love the Modella dolls house furniture sets , so hard to find ( and quite expensive) these days . And too many other things to choose from 💖

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 14, 2023 at 20:29 said:
  
  Thanks Wibi. You’re right, those Modella dolls house items are really special. In the batch of catalogues I received, they feature in most of them. I still have about eight catalogues to scan through yet. Joy! 😍
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
Paul Bowler on April 9, 2023 at 11:03 said:

These classic toy catalogue pages are so much fun to see. Some great items there, and I see my old Batmobile and BatBoat there as well! 🙂

LikeLiked by 2 people

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:37 said:
  
  Thanks Paul. Throughout the 10 catalogues I received the Batmobile and Batboat feature a good few times, along with other Corgi goodies.
  Like you, I always get a warm glow of nostalgia whenever I see the old Batman toys ads 😎
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
Geo. Raymond on April 9, 2023 at 04:04 said:

My grandfather took me to FAO Schwarz in ’74 and bought me Fort Cherokee. I still have the top half of the left tower on my desk. The trip was such a good memory. Thanks, Ford

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:34 said:
  
  Really glad you like. The catlogues are such a joy to see, and all the more so knowing they are from one of the most famous toy stores in the world. Cool you have good memories of an actual visit, plus part of the Fort Cherokee set! Love it.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
For Tyeth on April 8, 2023 at 22:56 said:

Hi TVTA, another fine selection of goodies. I have to say though that I was drawn to the Dinky Toys page as I owned one of the refuse collection trucks. It was cool as not only was the trash compartment hinged (to replicate emptying the truck as you see in the picture) but there was a second hinge near the back of the cab that allowed the compartment to swivel and point vertically upwards which forced the trash to the back of the truck (there was no hydraulic rake to compact the waste inside, it was done by gravity). The reason I found it so cool was the council refuse truck that collected my bins was of this type and the crew when they found out I had the model always activated the compacting features at my house for me to watch!
Thanks as always.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 12:32 said:
  
  Hi FT. The Dinky ad is cool and I have a few others like this to share for future posts. Cool story about the refuse truck. I was also fascinated by them as a kid. I had a Matchbox version, much simpler than the Dinky one, but still cool.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓
  - For Tyeth on April 9, 2023 at 13:59 said:
    
    Hi again, II had the Matchbox refuse truck too – the one with the revolving rake and sliding mechanism to empty the truck when the rear was opened. Mine had an orange driver’s cab and silver trash compartment.
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
  - The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 14:04 said:
    
    Mine was green with a silver truck front, and yes maybe the orange cab interior. A good toy. I still have my yellow Corgi forklift truck with cog-driven fork operations, and a driver moulded into the seat. Was it you who said ages back that you had the Simon Snorkel fire engine? Man, one of my friends had that, and it was brilliant to see it with ladders fully extended.
    
    LikeLike
  - For Tyeth on April 9, 2023 at 15:02 said:
    
    Yes I had the fire engine with the extending lift platform, I also had Matchbox and Corgi fire engine models too (I was influenced by my Uncle who was an RAF firefighter during the 1970’s)
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
Tom on April 8, 2023 at 21:47 said:

Out of this selection of goodies, the Flint Mobile is my favourite! The McDonald’s Drive Thru came in as a close contender, though. 😃

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply ↓
- The Vintage Toy Advertiser on April 9, 2023 at 10:22 said:
  
  Thanks Tom. The Flint-Mobile is just too cool, and I was pleased to see that they made a kiddy car based on the Flintstones! I wonder if anyone out there had one as a kid, or still has one tucked away somewhere in an attic or garage? Agree, too, the McDo Drive Thru is pretty cool to see 😎
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply ↓

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21 thoughts on “FAO Schwarz – the unique toy store, 1974/1975 catalogue”

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