Today we're going to take a carousel ride on Fisher Price Friday. It's the Change-A-Tune Carousel #170. Made between 1981-1983 this toy is a combination of the Merry-Go-Round #111 and the classic Music Box Record Player #995. The Change-A-Tune has a carousel and a record player that is operated by using a hand crank on the side. No batteries required! Just a little patience and hand coordination. :)
The set came with three records and three people. The three records are different than the records for the #955 Music Box Record Player. However, the records are interchangeable between the two sets. The 3 records for the Change-A-Tune are labeled A,B,C unlike the record player which were #1-5. The records were either blue, bright red(or pink) or yellow although A, B or C could be any color. Each set should have only one color of each. If you are a true collector there are quite a few variations for you to find!
The little people fit nicely into the three swinging carousel chairs in the colors red, purple and blue. The top of the carousel has blue flowers around the roof. A rarer variation of this set has blue diamonds instead. As the carousel moves around colors change in the cutouts in the white base portion.
A: Do Re Mi (blue)
B: Music Box Dancer (yellow)
C: Round the Village (bright red)
A: Blue Danbue (blue)
B: Barbara Allen (yellow)
C: Under the Double Eagle March (bright red)
The three records are stored underneath the player.
The carousel and record player are operated by a hand crank. Now, I need to disclose that my crank is a one-of-a-kind. You see the original set had a yellow crank which must have broken off my (used) player. Some handy person decided to fix it by attaching another handle/knob to the base. Genius! So please note that the original crank was a bright yellow color and not the green/brown combo you see in the photo.
The video is of my 5 year old cranking the carousel. Can you guess the song playing? Don't cheat by looking at the records above! I'll have the answer at the very bottom of this entry.
Don't mind the baby laughing, I couldn't keep her quiet long enough to finish the video!
So easy even a 2 year old can operate it! And believe me, she does. Her favorite part is taking the records off and on.
For more record player or carousel toys check out:
*Under the Eagle Tree March
Love it! Wishing I'd brought back with me some of the FP toys you offered us...the FP farm set I have is M's favorite of ALL toys! He loves the Little People (the ones that aren't choking hazards!)
ReplyDeleteWhere did you get your nice looking shelving w/baskets in the photos behind the girls? We're looking at storage ideas right now for M's room and our living room to keep toys from spreading like chicken pox!
Ha, I wondered if you would wish you had later. ;) Next year when you visit if I have extras say "yes"! :)
DeleteThose lovely shelves are none other than IKEA. They make a few combos/colors, ours is the 4X4. The baskets are also from IKEA. You will be pleased to know that I put them together all by myself (well, my husband helped me lift them up/put the last board on but that's it!).