Who remembers...?
The other day I saw two or three social media posts talking about something I hadn’t thought of in years. A toy from my youth and something I remember being totally obsessed with for a while.
Colorforms.
Being the oddball that I am, I thought it might be an interesting topic to write about.
For those of you who’ve never heard of Colorforms, a brief history:
Amidst the many toys of the 1950's, Colorforms® was born when two inspired art students, Harry and Patricia Kislevitz, began experimenting with a new medium, a flexible vinyl material. Harry and Patricia had been looking to create large colorful works, but were uncomfortable with the expense of buying so much paint. So, in 1951, they purchased rolls of colorful vinyl, began cutting out colorful shapes and stuck them to the walls of their bathroom. Extra vinyl and scissors were left out for guests to add to their creation. When their friends became entranced with the myriad of colorful shapes, and artistic possibilities, Harry and Patricia knew they were onto something.1
I began to wonder if the beloved art toy from my youth was making a comeback. It didn’t seem to be, not really, but I did realize that it had really never left either. Apparently, new sets have been coming out and are still coming out according to such outlets as Amazon.com and the Colorforms site.
I remember my first Colorforms set consisted of just shapes that you would put on a black surface to make whatever you wanted. The possibilities were limitless. Then they came up with licensed products which I will admit were more fun, but a bit more limited, as well.
From the rock group KISS to Sleeping Beauty, from PeeWee’s Playhouse to Dungeons and Dragons, the Colorforms line ran the gamut along most pop-culture lines.
Growing up, I think I’ve probably owned at least 30 different variations of Colorforms sets. Multiple Snoopy/Peanuts gang, Batman, Super Friends, G.I. Joe. One of my favorite things to do with them was once I got a scene set how I liked it; I would tape some string to the back and hang the whole thing up on my wall like a painting.
On doing a bit of research, I saw a Donny and Marie as well as a Popeye set listed for over $500.00 each on eBay, which tells me there is still a decent collector’s market for Colorforms if nothing else. Once again, I’m sitting here regretting not holding onto more of the toys from my youth.
Just like Tinkertoys and Lincoln Logs before it, Colorforms was a great way to open your imagination and let the creativity flow. I loved it.
Did you have any Colorforms growing up? If so, which set(s) was your favorite?
Until next time—
History of Colorforms – Colorforms
Great intro to Colorofrms! I am a collector of them. And as for eBay always remember, “listed for” and “sold for” are two different numbers. Most vintage sets in complete condition can be had for $20-$100 based on their subjects. And any collection of any particular ‘60s - ‘80s movie or tv show is not complete without a Colorforms set based on it!
I’d never heard of these - which could be because they were regional, or (more likely) they weren’t introduced to me at the formative age. Loved my TinkerToys, though ... and my many Star Wars figures!