Will this vintage Peanuts toy from 1993 still work? Yes. Will it take a while to get it working again? Yes. This Schroeder Piano made by International Trading Technologies and was available in blue and black. Black was only available through QVC, the TV shopping channel.
Charlie Brown, Schroeder, Lucy and Snoopy figures should move when playing with the toy piano. However, we’re going to need some time to rebuild and troubleshoot to get them working again. At least we’ve solved the power issue! A loose wire on the battery box needs some solder, not tape, as a permanent fix. Have an instruction booklet? Please send it along!
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Video Summary
In this week’s video from CollectPeanuts.com, Caren unboxes a vintage Schroeder Piano playset, an exclusive item originally sold on the QVC shopping network. As she opens the box, she highlights the colorful Peanuts characters included—Charlie Brown, Lucy, Schroeder, Snoopy, and Woodstock—all of which are meant to move and sway when the piano plays music or when someone speaks into the microphone. The playset appears to be from the late 1980s or early 1990s and is powered by three C batteries, which Caren installs in hopes of seeing the toy in action.
Initially, the piano seems unresponsive, leading Caren to try multiple sets of batteries and test the microphone. Eventually, it makes some sound, confirming that part of the electronics are functional. She begins placing the figures into their spots on the piano and investigates the features, including buttons for power and song selection. Though she can trigger some sounds and music manually, the character movement isn’t working properly. Caren suspects a deeper issue and decides to open up the piano to look inside. She discovers a disconnected wire, likely the root of the problem.
Caren temporarily tapes the wire back in place as a short-term fix to test the mechanism. With the makeshift repair, she gets the piano to play music again and even plays a few notes of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” and attempts the “Linus and Lucy” theme. Some keys don’t sound quite right, and the character movements are inconsistent, but the toy shows potential. She wraps up the video by encouraging viewers share any instructions they might have for the playset. Overall, it’s a fun restoration adventure with a nostalgic Peanuts twist.
