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Antique, vintage toys displayed

It's officially the Christmas season.

If you think you're too old to enjoy toys, just visit the Palmerton Area Heritage Center for a walk down memory lane.That walk may rekindle memories of waking up Christmas morning to find a beautiful wicker doll carriage with a lovely Madam Alexander doll or maybe the Buddy L Mack Dump Truck you asked Santa for.The Heritage Center is featuring an antique and vintage dolls and toys display from now until January. It will delight young and the young at heart people of all ages.Some of the items that are featured are old books like the 1927 "Peek-a-Boo Bess," a Shirley Temple 1937 book and a 1936 copy of "The Dionne Quintuplets."A Bronco that was purchased for $14 in 1948 at Stemler's Hardware is on loan from Bert Holczman.Betsy Burnhauser loaned her wicker doll carriage that holds a well-loved doll she received as gifts when she was a child with an old photo of her taking her dollies out for a stroll.There are two beautifully wooden handcrafted doll cradles, dating from 1890 and 1910.Metal toys from the 1930s, '40s, '50s and '60s are featured from trucks, airplanes and more.Remember the old colorful vinyl children's records? How about games like tiddlywinks?Part of the doll collection are stunning samples such as an 1890 German bisque doll, a very stylish 1950s Miss Revlon Doll, dolls from Japan and Vietnam, and the iconic '80s Cabbage Patch dolls.Steve and Cathy Havran donated for display of gorgeous dolls dressed in Slovak Republic traditional handmade wedding dress with a head cover of a bride before the ceremony and a doll with headdress after the ceremony.Carol Smith Stefanick loaned her Madam Alexander Annabelle doll.It was a childhood Christmas gift, about 55 to 60 years old.She didn't like dolls, so it spent most of its life in its box.You can visit the Palmerton Area Heritage Center at 410 Delaware Ave., Palmerton, during its hours of Wednesdays, 1-4:30 p.m.; Thursdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; Fridays, noon to 4 p.m.; and Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

LINDA KOEHLER/TIMES NEWS For the next couple of months, the Palmerton Area Heritage Center's display features antique and vintage toys. From left, volunteers Venita Horinko and Marianne Smelas enjoy the many dolls that are featured.