When was the last time you thought about your Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine? When your little sister stole it from you 20 years ago, or when you realized your parents threw it away?

Either way, there it is, looking as good as new in Gilbert Gottfried's paws on one of VH1's "I Love Toys" installments. How'd they manage to dig one of those up? And are there more where that came from?

"Probably the one I get asked about the most is the first Atari," says VH1 producer Karla Hidalgo. "So many people have memories about it: the joystick, putting the cartridge in, having friends over, playing when you weren't supposed to. I'm always impressed with people's crisp memories of certain things. People love their toys."

You, too, can reconnect with Snoopy Sno-Cone and other games and gadgets from your childhood, says Hidalgo, executive producer of "I Love Toys" and the rest of VH1's "I Love the ..." series, which includes I Love the '70s, '80s and '90s. Two out of three avenues that the series' producers use to get nostalgic toys can be used by anyone.

So hang in there, Teddy Ruxpin, we're on our way.

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MEMORIES AS PROPS

Even before the first "I Love the ..." episode was taped, producers knew they'd need to track down a large number of dolls, gizmos and other props.

"Our intention was to do a series on the decades unlike any others," Hidalgo says. "Let's not do a documentary; let's rely on memories, like if you and I sat around a bar talking about the past. (Since) you need people to be doing something other than just talking, our initial thought was, 'We can get these toys; it will be fantastic.'"

Giving vintage props to the celebrities and comedians featured on the programs adds "an extra boost of nostalgia," Hidalgo says. "You hand someone the Rubik's Cube and it automatically takes them back."

Of course, locating high-quality props wasn't always easy. Sometimes trial and error was necessary to get a toy that actually worked. Case in point: Teddy Ruxpin.

"We got Teddy Ruxpin from eBay," says Hidalgo. "We had to buy four, and only one worked. Teddy does not stand the test of time."

Other props worked surprisingly well, despite their advanced age. Freaky Freezies, the ski gloves with hidden designs that revealed themselves when they were exposed to cold temperatures, were one such success story -- they still worked some 20 years later.

The hardest prop for producers to secure was the Evel Knievel action figure and motorcycle.

"The more we would contact people, it turned out that they had made Evel Knievel jump so many times, or of out a sixth-floor window, it was smashed up," Hidalgo says. "We bought about eight of them. One would come without an arm, another would be without a leg, another's motorcycle was messed up. The toy didn't really survive the wear and tear. They're sort of rare now."

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HUNTING FOR HISTORY

When producers hunt for items like an old Intellivision game console, My Buddy doll or set of Micro Machines cars, they first contact the product's manufacturer. "You'd be surprised -- some of them don't keep older toys," Hidalgo says.

If the company did, the producers are in luck -- that also means the toy has never been used.

Unfortunately, this is an approach you can't try without a TV show behind you. According to a Mattel publicist, they generally keep at least three of every product. When a show like VH1 gets a toy to feature on the program, it's just a loaner.

If the toy company is a bust for VH1, Hidalgo tries another method: "We go into employees' own stashes in their parents' attics."

Still no luck? They turn to other collectors.

"For our purposes and time constraints, eBay is the way to go," says Hidalgo. "We only need three or four of each item: one or two for our set in New York and the same for our set in L.A."

Half of the props featured in the "I Love the ..." series came from toy manufacturers, Hidalgo says. Staff members had about 10 percent of the items at home, and the remaining 40 percent were purchased on eBay.

The Knievel toys and other memories from the '70s were well-received by fans, "but the buzz was about the '80s," says Hidalgo. "People latch onto the '80s; it was so goofy." Because of its popularity, there were three "I Love the ..." series commemorating '80s kitsch, translating to 30 hours of airtime. Don't expect to see a fourth round, though.

"I think we're tapped out, as far as the '80s goes," says Hidalgo. "I get asked a lot if I would do I Love the Aughts, and I'm not opposed. ... But we should let the decade finish, at least."

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Freelance writer Lisa Fields still has her Smurfs from the '80s.

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