Collection: Stevens Vintage Toy Kaleidoscope, Made in USA. Herman Missouri.

Stevens Vintage Toy Kaleidoscope, Made in USA. Herman, Missouri

My first kaleidoscope was a red Wonder Wheel from the late 1960s to 1970s era. Born in 1966, I naturally started collecting these over the years. I have quite a bit of history on the Herman, Missouri factory and visited Mr. Ford at the factory, who loved kaleidoscopes himself. The toy line was named after his son, Steven. I had the opportunity to visit both before and after the Herman, Missouri factory flooded in the late 1990s.

I used to spend a lot of time in antique stores looking for kaleidoscopes. Often, the sight of Steven Pixie Sticks boxes would get me excited, but alas, no kaleidoscope. Perhaps you can relate to this search for kaleidoscopes if you are a collector of toys.