Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Inflatable Joy


I am not ashamed to admit that my Big Jims and Mego Superheroes spent many an afternoon poolside thanks to an older sister...

Super small electronic calculator


Eighty Eight bucks is a swell deal but you don't need a calculator when you have some mad crazy "Chisenbop" skills like me.

Plus this thing is prone to catching on fire.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Heroic Flash Lights

Superheroes and flash lights are a cocktail that Rack Toy manufacturers know how to make. Although I really don't think the Duke Boys count as "Superheroes"...

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Marvel Heroes Live In Person

\
Great line up of hereos here, the same I saw at Woolco as a kid. Think there was any boys excited about the Gnome?

Check out the sweet deal on Mego dolls.

plaid Stallions mall appearance gallery

Friday, November 26, 2010

Major Matt Mason 1971 Catalog


Mattel's man in space "Major Matt Mason" had an successful run during the 1960s space race until about 1969 when man actually walked on the moon and didn't find an alien civilization.

While this did sound the death knell for space toys in general, Mattel marketed the Major until the 1970s and made new items for him.

By 1971 the MMM line was a shadow of it's former self, gone were the many moon vehicles and astronaut pals, all that was left was the good Major and his new alien pal Scorpio. By 1972, Mattel would have a new action figure concept called "Big Jim" and the Major would be all but a fond memory.





 


More Mattel Action Figures:

big jim pack comic big jim pack comic mexican cipsa big jim

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Rom Com


I find it really funny that ROM's tie in comic book would prove to be the more popular item and actually the thing folks remember more than the toy line. I doubt either gentlemen at this meeting thought that would be the case at the time.
 

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Superman VS Shazam

If you can find a friend or sibling to wear the other set, you can reenact one of Comicdom's biggest rivalries.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Confidence and Pride

Are the two things this man will have robbed of him on this fine morning.

Monday, November 22, 2010

The Hot Foot Dragster


This makes a Green Machine look like an orange crate with roller skates strapped to it.

Friday, November 19, 2010

1979 Tomland Toys Catalog


 

Tomland Toys are kind of a mystery to many toy collectors, a member of the Marx family of companies, they were known for producing cheap but fun toys that sometimes kind of skirted copyright laws.



They are perhaps most famous for their 1978 line of action figures called "Star Raiders" and it's follow up line "Star Command: Starroid Raiders" both of which seemed to have been inspired by a certain George Lucas film (hint it's not American Grafitti). In 1979, Tomlands lines seem to have been carried in the United States by a company called Calfax, here is their spacey 1979 selection:


Other Space Toy Links
1979 remco1976 remco catalog Ideal Star Team

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Beep Beep Sleep

As a child, I always felt a tremendous bit of sympathy for the Coyote, I wouldn't have slept well on a bed filled with his comeuppance.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Smellin' Classy


I was an English Leather user as a teen, which didn't really do much but had I'd been a Hawaiian surf kinda guy I bet the ladies would have flocked to me.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Only you can purchase my merchandise

I had no idea there were Smokey the Bear toys, probably because i lived several hours away from any Wards store. I wonder if Yogi would call Smokey a sell out?

Saturday, November 13, 2010

I Heart Colorforms!


If your childhood was anything like mine, then you spent many a quiet hour being entertained by Colorforms play sets. I collect colorform sets as an adult and still buy them for my kids, it's a concept that never lost it's appeal to me.

That's why I can do nothing but rave about Mel Birnkrant's new website "The Colorforms Years" which is a wonderfully detailed insight into his year's working at Colorforms.


Mel takes the time to discuss each year with great detail, showing catalog and prototype images and even goes as far to identify the artists he worked with . As a person who spent years trying to track down people in the toy industry, it really is a treasure to have a person such as Mel, A fellow collector, sharing this wonderful information.



Whether you grew up in the 60s, 70s or 80s this site is so full of information and vibrant imagery you will be lulled into it for hours. Writing this blog entry took me all morning, it's just that good.

Click Here to visit the Colorforms Years and spread the word!

Friday, November 12, 2010

1969 Toys R Us Toy Circular



Here's another wonderful Toy Newspaper Circular from the good people at Toys R Us, this time it's from this weekend 41 years ago (ok I timed that part).

It's a cool trip back to the toys of yester year and while some things have changed, others really haven't all that much.

Lots of memorable classics such as G.I. Joe, Barbie and the ever popular Fisher Price Little People.


















Click Here to browse the 1969 Toys R Us Circular


Other Toy Flyers and Circulars from the 70s
..1975 zayre toy flier
..

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Charles Vanlandingham the 3rd

Seen here with his sidekick/lacky "Kip", VanLandingham is  plotting a new way to get the Dean to throw out the slob pledges at "Chugalug House".

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Flipside


One of my earliest "Vintage Toy Finds" as a kid was digging through the back part of "Pinnochio's Toys" around 1980, the 1970s were alive and well there, Mego Planet of the Apes play sets, Big Jim dolls,  Aurora models and this oddity. At nine, I had no concept of who Flip Wilson was, his show ended when I was four and my mom just said "Oh, he was funny".

 So I was sort of confused by this doll of a cross dressing man. At the time, I would have no idea the significance of this piece, one of the bigger releases from a company called Shindana.




Tuesday, November 09, 2010

Lady Phantasmagorical


"Acid has no lingering after effects"-- Some guy in my dorm room circa 1992.

Monday, November 08, 2010

Nerforama


Water damaged catalogs always make me sad but lucky for me I salvaged this great pic of a Nerf store display. Come to me Nerf Man, obey.....

Sunday, November 07, 2010

Colouring Book Theatre: The Bride of Frankenstein

Universal Monsters" by Golden
When I did my poll last month, obviously the creech won out but a loit of folks seemed passionate about the Bride so it seemed fair to run a piece on this.

Frankenstein is my favourite movie monster after all and it's not like I have other colouring books to review right now.

Anyway by now you know that the art is nice and that this book goes out of it's way to be faithful to the original films. So let's visit the Bride after the jump:
 


Saturday, November 06, 2010

Vader visits the Empire......State Building


The idea of having this fan club meeting in the Empire State building is genius, too bad that whole "Star Wars" fad never really caught on...


plaid Stallions mall appearance gallery

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