So, you've had your eye on the latest Barbie doll, or perhaps the newest, shiniest Transformer, so where do you keep all those carefully counted pennies safe? Kids never had there own bank accounts, so in order to keep the thiefs (ie, brothers and sisters) at bay, they used to have to resort to rather more underhand tactics. So, thank you Tonka Toys for Finders Keypers!
Modelled on various animals, Finders Keypers were marketed in the 80s as part toy, part treasure chest - and something every little princess needed in her life! There were snails, kangaroos, swans and more, and each came with its own plastic key so you could store your valuables (read: fuzzy stickers, Gold Rush Bubble Gum, and as many friendship bracelets you could stuff inside). This secret compartment was hidden in their bellies, cleverly concealed by cutesy, coloured decoration and combable hair that made Finders Keypers far too innocent-looking to have any secrets of their own.
The original series of Keypers comprised six different characters, and was followed up by a more advanced second series, sporting glittery eyes and long, colourful hair. Some even glowed in the dark, like Glo Friends toys! New characters came with accessories and included bears, cats, squirrels, rabbits, dogs and ponies. Given the success of the Keypers toys, it's hardly surprising that the 80s also brought a cartoon with it.
Even younger children were catered for, when Tonka Toys released Baby Keypers (shown in the photo), which came with a snappable inner compartment rather than a lockable one. Small keys and small mouths don't go well together, after all. But everyone has something to hide...
Do You Remember Keypers?
Do You Remember Keypers?
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Anonymous
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"Keypers,Keypers,what?s inside thse keypers?.."..had the pink snail that my Mum gave to charity when I was young..*sniff*..bought one not long ago from ebay just to relive the memory..and because I am a sad person I suppose..hee!
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Anonymous
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I still have a few of my old keypers and strangely feel childishly attached to them. I did contemplate selling them on ebay but it seems that there are still a lot out there but not making the money that they are really worth, especially to us girlies! My advise is to hang on to those precious memories, and do not sell yours (besides you have kept them for this long, why flog them now?)!!!!! Get out the little hairbrushes (if u still have one) and give them a little brush along with a wipe over with a baby wipe - LOL x x x x kellysmiff@yahoo.com
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Anonymous
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This is Mary again. I remember watching the tv commercials on the tv set, and I remember the whole song-jingle that went with the Keypers. "Keypers, Keypers...What's inside those Keypers? Keypers Keypers...what'd you hide inside?" At the end of the commercial the announcer said"each sold seperately", or something like that. After that commercial, my mom and dad brought me a Keyper. Today's generation of childern have asked me "what's a Keyper?" I tell them that they have missed out on a lot of many cool items. Not just Keypers. Remember the Disney Black Diamond Video Collection from the 1980's? I had them all... from Dumbo to Aladdin. On the bottom of these tapes, it had this "peel-away" part of the cassette that read: "The Original Animated Classic." The Series of these tapes started around 1984, or 1985..somewhere around there. For my 7th birthday in 1987, my mom and dad pitched in to buy me "Lady and the Tramp." They both had to pitch in for it, because the video was priced at around $29.95, and that was expensive back then. I loved this movie, and it broke awhile back. I am getting the Classic (Original Version from the 80's), from Ebay. In 1998, Lady and the Tramp came back out, but under the "Masterpiece Collection". On the back cover of the cassette, it said" never before seen on video." This is NOT true...I had the ORIGINAL Black Diamond Version from 1987, and that was THE first time on video. In 1994, the Black Diamond Classics were discontinued, followed by the Masterpiece Collection... starting with "The Lion King", which happens to be my all time favorite among Disney films. Glad to have shared some of my memories.
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Anonymous
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I used to love them they where great place to hid thing you did not wnat yuor parents to c I'm trying to find one. I had the blue dinsor with the red basball cap.
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Anonymous
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Hello, there. It's Mary. My Keypers are best friends, and are safe and sound in my room. And, now that I am an adult, Princess Swan Keyper will not get stolen. I was only about 5 years old when the first one was stolen. But, I'm an adult now, and I have control and jurisdiction over my stuff. Princess means alot to me, in addition to Baby Pearl Snail, and the other Keypers I have. Like I have mentioned, the Princess Swan I have now, is much prettier than the one I had as a child. And, she's mine, and will not leave my sight.
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Anonymous
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Hi, again. It's Mary. I read Sarah's message about selling her Keypers, and I do not think that is a good idea. I mean, some of my friends have already asked me to sell my Keypers to them, and I said no. It took me over a decade to get them back, a decade for the Baby Snail, and about two decades for the Princess swan. But, it is up to Sarah, but if I were her, I would hang onto them, and play with them. My Keypers aren't for sale, but it is Sarah's decision. My Keypers are much more beautiful than the ones I had when I was a child. I'm keeping mine.
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Anonymous
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My sister collected the Keypers, Mum brought her Tango when we went to visit her. So while Mum was in the bath we filled up Tango with talculm powder, mum's new boyfriends aftershave, sugar anything we could find and left the keyper there for ages. When mum finally moved back she brought back a really lovely smelling Tango!
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Anonymous
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i loved the keypers! as a child born in the usa and moved to the uk when i was still a young child keypers were wonderfull! i still have my sheldon the purple turtle and his friend nitelite the finder who still glows in the dark. my sheldon was complete untill my son or soneome in my family broke the shell, making him look very funny, and leaving me in tears. i am back in the us now where keypers are non existant, and very hard to find! love the things that keep your memories alive because both the items and the memories that go with them are precious.
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Anonymous
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Hi all, i had a slight obsession as a child i have the princess swan, the orange ladybird Tango, The toitoise Mishelle, Diamond the horse and brella the bear, they are all complete with keys, finders, brushes and the princess swan has the plastic charm necklace, this was one of the early ones as it only has pink hair not with the purple stripe and obviously has the charm necklace too. The hair does need some TLC and they do need a good wipe but as much as i love them i have no where for them to go so if anyone is willing to make a sensible offer, i have no objections to thinking about selling.
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Anonymous
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Ofcourse we knew! They were made of plastic for gods sake! And I always managed to lose the key, break into it and then the key would magically re-appear =/ Wasnt there some sort of shoe that had a key in the sole or something. I have vague memories of something like that.
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