Schwinn Authorized Mechanics School Graduate Year 1966 

Thornbury's was fortunate enough to have two of the best, top of class. Brian Cunningham & Larry Rogers. 

Thornbury's Toys Had All the Fun Toys in the 1960s

Here's a page from a mid-1960s Thornbury's Toys catalog. Shown are Tonka, Nylint, Tru-Scale, Hubley, Structo, and other toy truck brands. Bulldozers, pickers, loaders, bailers, dump trucks, tractors, cement mixers, car carriers, and more; all that was needed for hours and hours of fun was a sandbox or dirt pile. The highest priced one among the group is the Nylint Michigan Shovel at $9.71 - "Steel construction, bucket trips automatically, positive stop winch to raise and lower boom. Cab pivots. Adjustable screw jacks slide out." Below is recent photo of one (or one very similar) plus the original box (from www.liveauctioneer.com):

For more photos of vintage toys, check out the Thornbury's Toys tumblr page too.

A "Thorny Toy" is a Worth the Money Toy

From 1964 Thorny Club Official Members Book  

Thornbury's Toys was a customer-oriented store.  They strived to make everyone happy with their shopping experience and they stood behind the toys that they sold.  It was very important that they brought in quality toys that would provide many hours of safe play for the kids.  A "Thorny Toy" was a toy that Uncle Jim and staff had decided was a good play value toy and worth what the customer paid for it.  If you were ever not happy with the items that you purchased, the employees of Thornbury's were instructed to return the purchase price of the toy with a smile on their face. 

Three's a Crowd WAVE-TV Mid 60's

Look! I found this great photo of the set of Three's a Crowd.  See the blog below for more details of the show.

Memories Found Online, Part 2: "One Saturday Afternoon"

The image above and narrative below were posted here in October 2014. The program "Three's A Crowd" aired on WAVE-TV in the mid 1960s as this ticket shows. Three people claimed to have the same occupation, such as fireman or lawyer and the kids would have to guess which one was for real and which ones were impostors. Of course, the prizes were toys from Thornbury's!

One Saturday afternoon 

Our teacher received a stack of these tickets with a general invitation to her class to attend a local TV kid game show called Three's A Crowd. The half hour program aired Saturdays at noon on the local NBC affiliate. The format of the program was modeled directly on the CBS network's To Tell The Truth.

My dad and I drove downtown for the show. Once we were all settled in the studio, a random drawing was held to select 8 kids from the audience to serve as on-air panelists for the show's two games. This was shortly before air time. Classmates Gail, Bruce, Sharon and I were picked for the first half of the show. I don't think any of us had time to think about becoming nervous.

Sharon swept that day's first game, correctly identifying the real-life fireman after about ten minutes of interrogation by the four of us. Her prize was a ton of Thorny Bucks, funny money redeemable only at Thornbury's Toys. (This Baby Boomer currency must be very rare by now.)

Thornbury's Toys was owned by Jim Thornbury, a frequent, instantly recognizable guest on local kid TV during the '60s, who was known as Uncle Jim. Thornbury's closed in the early '90s.

In 2001, a Thornbury nephew opened a local, specialized toy store, dealing in high quality and educational toys. [end]
Other posts by the author of above, 'Smiley Derleth', can be viewed here. Included among his many posts are interesting photos, ads, and commentary about vintage toys and children's books.  Derleth, in related correspondence about this post, wrote further that "Thornbury's has a place in the heart of those of us who remember that we will carry with us all our lives." Thanks for sharing those lovely sentiments and your rare "Three's A Crowd" ephemera!

Schwinn Bicycles Were a Win for Thornbury's Toys

In 1956, Thornbury's made the move to Schwinn bicycles as more and more customers were requesting them.  This ad, circa 1968, features Trigger Tom as the salesperson and Uncle Jim's daughter and grandson showing off the new bike.

Another Uncle Jim Promotion-1964 Thorny Club

Cover of 1964 Thorny Club Official Members Book

You know all the characters on the Thorny Bucks pictured here, don't you?  On the bottom left, you have the one and only, Uncle Jim.  His $10.00 Thornybuck was worth a nickel.  Fireman Bill is on the $1.00 buck, Trigger Tom is on the $3.00 buck and Amy, the charming Queen of Toys out did them all on the $50.00 buck.

Thornbury's Toys 4101 Shelbyville Rd. Louisville, KY, Late 1960s

The main store at 4101 Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY, ca. 1969  

When Thornbury's Toys outgrew their original location at 117 Breckenridge Lane in St. Matthews, they moved to a brand new shopping area just a mile or so away at the busy corner of Shelbyville Road and Browns Lane. Toy sales quickly increased in the new store and so did the number of employees. There's Thorny the Monkey, Thornbury's famous mascot.

Image source: Royal Photo Company Collection, 1982.03, Photographic Archives, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY

Trigger Tom's Favorite Thorny Toys

Trigger Tom is shown in this excerpt from "1964 Thorny Club Official Members Book containing Home-viewers Games on Guess Who! and Toys Sold by Thornbury's Toys"

High Fashion

Uncle Jim models the" Thornbury's Toys Tot Tested"  high fashion blazer. (early 60's)

Busy Christmas shopping day

Uncle Jim Thornbury and son Thom Thornbury writing things to do list on a busy Christmas shopping day. (Early 60's)   

1969 Photo of St. Matthews store

Here's a photo of the main store in St. Matthews on Shelbyville Road from the University of Louisville Libraries Digital Collection/Photographic Archives. The photo was taken by Royal Photo Company in September 1969 (ULPA R 19409, Royal Photo Company Collection, 1982.03, Photographic Archives, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky). There's Thorny up there, riding his bike! Click the image to get a better view.

The same photograph appeared in the The Voice of St. Matthews, below (date unknown):