Sometimes it’s hard to date these old plastic toys. This Mickey Mouse train is a classic example. It could be very old or very recent. Most of these toys don’t have a year on them, but thankfully, this one does! But we’ll reveal that later in the post.
So, let’s have a look at Engineer Mickey as he steams his way across the Internet:
If a toy like this still works and brings joy to a child or a toy collector with a child still in him, it has value. However, I picked it up at a Charity Shop for under $5.00 CAN. So, it doesn’t have much monetary value!
Mickey has two features to amuse and delight the inner child in us all. First, he is a squeeze toy. Yes, if you pinch Mickey’s head, he will squeak. Wouldn’t you? Second, if you turn the funnel on the engine, the train will pull ahead and run in a straight line.
This is ‘An Illco Toy’ as we can see from the information on the bottom of the train. It was made in China, of course. 1987 was the first year Disney started using ‘The Walt Disney Company’ for its trademark instead of ‘Walt Disney Productions’.
Now if you have your tickets and are ready to go, Mickey is about to give the ‘All Aboard!’ call and move the train forward. But first, a little squeaking:
Who has more fun than a grown man with a child’s toy?
The trademarking is repeated on the back of Mickey’s head along with the country of manufacture. And this is where we see the date of 1987. 35 years old is not exactly recent, but in the realm of toys, it ain’t ancient either!
Illco no longer exists per se. In 1992, Tyco purchased the Illco Toy Company, rebranding Illco’s extensive line of toys and effectively sending the name into history.
Disleelandia 