Cowboy & Western Toys

Long before Annie Oakley, Tom Mix, or Jesse James came along, the age of cowboys and Westerns came alive throughout the western regions of the United States. Cowboys of the Old West were legendary and found a worldwide audience for shows including “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” and “The Great Pawnee Bill Show.” Later, legends ranging from Roy Rogers to Hopalong Cassidy and Wyatt Earp greatly influenced American culture during the post-war era.

Practically every young boy and girl in America became gung ho for the world of cowboys. They embraced tin wind-up mechanical toys, plastic cowboys and Indians, cap guns, cowboy hats, comic books, and complete uniforms of their favorite cowboy or cowgirl.

Just about every toy company in the United States made Western toys, some with entire production lines with hundreds of items to choose from. Today, collectors seek to remember the past as they collect cowboy and Western items. Collectors often search for items that were never opened and are in unused or mint in the box condition.

Quick Facts

• The cowboy hat worn by John Wayne in the movie “Big Jake,” “The Cowboys,” and “The Train Robbers” sold in heavily worn condition at Heritage Auctions in June 2011 for $119,500
• A 1903 Western film titled “The Great Train Robbery” starring Broncho Billy is widely credited as being the first Western film of its kind
• Long before becoming the first female Supreme Court justice, Sandra Day O’Connor was a cowgirl on her family’s farm in Arizona. She is an honorary member of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth, Texas