Oh, forgot all about Matchbox cars.  I had 20 or more of them....well,
still have them, and my brothers collection (since it's still at my
mom's house; and his wife wont let him collect stuff).  Of course, they
arent mint...pretty banged up/scuffed...from lots of playing...crashing
into each others cars, etc.  Cant say I remember seeing marbles widely
played...but do remember have a bag of cool colored ones.  So, why would
stores sell them, if kids werent playing with 'em?

And yes, a Matchbox car HAS been found in an excavation..along with a
Hotwheels...and a MacDonalds car.  We found a plastic Big Bird also...
Can we say mixed integrity? 

I never got into hopscotch much (too girly), but it definitely was
commonly played in S CA in the 60s.  Also double Dutch jump roping was
popular.  I mostly watched that, instead of participating.  Girls spent
a lot of time on the bars, spinning upside down, etc. - doing tricks.
My hands blistered easily, so I didn't do much of that; and again, it
was too girly for me.  Ha ha.  Maybe I didn't want to show my
underpants.  Girls nowadays (since the 70s) cant even relate to not
wearing pants (or shorts under) to school.  I hated dresses (still do),
and was SO glad when in 10th grade (1971-72) we could wear pants any day
of the week, not just on casual Fri.  Boy have times Changed.

Played lots of handball, on a 3-sided court with a small (sealed) red
rubber ball (not the same game you mention)....and dodge ball (with the
inflated red balls)...and four-square....and tether ball.  But I mostly
loved soccer, altho tho it wasn't played in leagues like it is now (only
played at school, seasonally).

>-----Original Message-----
>From: G. Alcock [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
>Sent: Monday, October 31, 2005 3:05 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Archaeological Toys
>
>
>In the late 1960s and early 1970s in Berkeley (northern 
>California), girls played with jacks, boys played with 
>Matchbox cars, and I had a collection of marbles (gifts from 
>family members, I think) that I hadn't the faintest idea what 
>to do with. (That's aside from the gender-specific dolls and 
>their accoutrements.)
>
>When we moved in the early 70s to Orange County, in southern 
>California, jacks were out but hopscotch (in various 
>configurations) was in, and I haven't a clue what the boys 
>played. Still not marbles.  We also played four-square and a 
>form of handball with the larger inflatable, red rubber balls. 
>Our side yard probably has a scattering of the needle-like 
>tips for the air pumps used to inflate the balls to get a good 
>bounce on them. But those games were not gender-specific.
>
>Gwyn Alcock
>Redlands, CA