Branson resident enjoys unique hobby

If you grew up in the 1950s or 1960s, you may remember having a pedal car; or if you’re much younger than that, perhaps you’ve seen one at your grandparents’ home or maybe in a toy museum. For Branson resident Joe Moncado, fascination with the vintage toys has been a serious hobby for several years, and his collection has appeared at toy museums and been featured in hobby magazines and shows. 

Joe, a Navy veteran, and his wife, Vicki, moved to Branson in 2017 from the Kansas City area, to be closer to adult children and their families; they later purchased their home in the Cozy Cove neighborhood, where Joe’s collection now also resides. 

A 2020 blog post at PedalCart.com gives an interesting historical summary of the little metal cars, originally marketed to children of the wealthy as early as the 1890s and through the 1920s and 1930s. The cars were immensely popular and were basically child-sized knock-offs of Chrysler, Ford and GM brands, including roadsters, dump trucks, pickup trucks and more. Their popularity skyrocketed after World War II, with nearly all major toy retailers selling them, and by the 1960s, they featured working lights, chrome and hood ornaments, beeping horns and even a license plate, “just like Dad’s car.” Also popular were pedal planes, and then trucks, boats and more! 

Unfortunately, by the 1970s the combination of plastic and a throw-away mentality affected toys, making the vintage models a unique niche collector’s item. Joe Moncado first started collecting Hallmark miniatures in the mid-1990s, and then after visiting another collector, decided to buy one of the actual vintage toys. 

“The sound of the wheels brought back nostalgic memories,” Joe said. He also found that his sister had a photo of him in his own pedal car as a child. His interest led to eventually owning 45 cars, although the couple downsized slightly upon retiring and moving; they now have 35. 

Joe’s collection will likely inspire fond memories of the ice-cream truck bell when viewing his pedal Good Humor truck; or maybe like this writer, memories of that cool older cousin’s Buick roadster. The collection also has included or still includes specialty vehicles like taxis, tow trucks and fire engines, and was featured on display in the Toy Museum of Kansas City in 2015. A special highlight of the collection is a 1920 Lincoln pedal car, whose original owner died serving in World War II. 

At one point, the couple also owned a Corvette pedal car, of which only 38 were made; that one was particularly appropriate since they also own and drive a full-sized Corvette, and participate in the National Corvette Caravan every five years. 

The Moncados are not currently planning any major shows or exhibits, but would be open to bringing a few cars to area special events or opportunities to chat with other collectors of nostalgic and vintage items. Reach out to Joe and Vicki at jmoncado@aol.com or vmoncado@aol.com.