Many beloved objects of play languish in basements, closets, barns, and storage units after childhood, deteriorating due to years of neglect. Thanks to social media, a community of toy tinkerers, refurbishers, and collectors are sharing the ins and outs of toy restoration on YouTube.
While the channels vary in the types of toys their makers restore, the videos are typically straight-forward, exceptional in their detail, and showcase the skill and craftsmanship behind each restoration project. A typical toy restoration video documents the step-by-step process of deconstructing and reconstructing an item, with varying camera angles to clearly show the techniques.
High-quality production gives the videos in my favourite toy restoration channels a mesmerizing quality. Maybe it’s just me, but I find great satisfaction in watching a beat-up, rusty old toy receive a serious scrub-down and buff-up.
I hope you’ll enjoy these three videos, one from each of my favourite channels:
Rescue & Restore: Vintage Electric Oven Restoration
Toy Polloi: Vintage Palitoy Space 1999 John Koenig restoration
TRG Restoration: 1965 Tonka Restoration – Restoring Vintage Toy Truck – ASMR Restoration
MORE TOY RESTORATION CHANNELS
Todd Coopee is Editor-in-Chief of Toy Tales, an online publication that covers toys and games past and present.
