Space Trek:1999

I wonder if you could use the Communicators while wearing the chest pack radio or if it results in a devastating explosion of feedback, tearing you from earth's orbit? I gotta know....

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Daredevil Color adventure!

You probably needed a lot of red, white and blue with these....

Japanese Evel Knievel

I'm back from Mego Meet and I bring many virtual presents in the form of the sights I encountered there. Let's start with this, a Popy Evel Knievel stunt set or as they dubbed it "The Evel Knievel Challenge Machine".

I had to do some Guerilla photography on this one because it had just been sold! Fortunately the purchaser was a good egg and let me mess with it before he took it home. More after the (Snake Canyon) jump!

AMF presents Evel Knievel bikes

Evel Knievel Bikes: the leading cause of skinned knees in 1976!

Superheroes 3 for $5.99

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Evel Knievel Road & Trail Adventure Set

I was scrounging through an Ideal advertising book when I remembered this somewhat more sedate Evel Knievel set. 

This has to be Ideal's response to Big Jim, who was pretty much the king of Camping related toys in 1975.



Turns out, this is a pretty rare set that got limited release and a sealed one probably commands much more than I've got in my wallet right now. The box is also reportedly the largest produced for the Evel Knievel series. 




I don't collect Evel Knievel toys but I do sometimes like to walk by the bakery and smell the donuts if you get what i mean....

More Daredevil stunt goodness.

Headquarters for Evel Knievel Action Products

Discovered this in some documents featuring Ideal toys from 1976 that I'll feature on the site in the very near future, a photo of the different Ideal toys store displays, the belle of the ball being Mr Knievel.

The displays for Mousetrap and the Junkyard game are particularly inspired, I miss the days of paintings on toy boxes...

More Daredevil stunt goodness.

1976 Ben Cooper Halloween Catalog

Ben Cooper was the leading manufacturer of Halloween costumes and Novelties in the United States during the 1970s.

This extensive 1976 catalog really demonstrates the power house licenses they had from the Universal Monsters and Mickey Mouse, the Superheroes of both Marvel and DC to TV sensations like the Six Million Dollar Man and the Sleestaks, Ben Cooper had almost a stranglehold on what kids liked .

Dig into a true piece of 70s heaven with the 1976 Ben Cooper Halloween Catalog.

   

Evel Knievel for daredevil thrills and action!

It's no surprise that Ideal claimed at one point that it sold more than $125 million of Knievel merchandise, I think even the amish kids wanted one of these.

True fact: I have never in my life, played with one of these....

Daredevil Action Christmas

It would be silly to discuss Christmas in the 1970s without talking about one of it's most popular toys. The Evel Knievel stunt set seemed like a license to print money until a certain incident (you know..bonk! bonk!) ceased it's production.

Before that though, what an evergreen this thing was.....

More Daredevil stunt goodness.

Dare Devil Rider?

 

 I think this figure from Durham wonderfully illustrates the true joy and cheap chicanery often involved with Rack Toys. The packaging is enticing and vibrant, not to mention well done. It promises action with a slightly "Evel Knievely" setting.

 The figure however,  is a chubby guy with a flag, who looks like he might wear that helmet everywhere he goes.

As the star-burst proudly announces, he's got "Waving Flag" action! Hunh?

This was the kind of toy that clouded your mind long enough for you to get five miles away from the Zayres or the Big K, until you began to realize just exactly what you've gotten yourself into.

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Evel's Crash Car Today

Recently I got an email from a fellow by the name of Jerry asking about Evel Knievel's famous Crash car. I get a lot of emails (I don't have any Stretch Armstrong's for sale, sorry) and just assumed he was another interested toy collector. Which was a total mistake because while Jerry likes toys he's into the real deal!   More after the jump (which is over 14 school buses):

Try this at home kids

As cool as this is, isn't kind of like handing a kid a license to perform stunts?

Evel Knievel for 1974

Another glorious look at one of the decade's greatest successes and possibly one of the biggest hits in toy history. When Ideal toys licensed the likeness of Robert "Evel" Knievel known for his wild (and painful) stunts and combined it with one of the grooviest toy concepts known, it was gold!

During these years, the EK stunt set was a top ten best seller in North America and it was a steady rocket ride for the next couple of years.

Visit the 1974 Evel Knievel Ideal Toys Catalog and see what started it all.

More Daredevil stunt goodness.

1980 Ideal Team America Catalog

By the late 1970s, Ideal Toys had a bit of a problem on their hands. Even though Evel Knievel had fallen out of favour with the public, their stunt cycle toy was still a viable product. The only logical choice was to rebrand the toy, their first attempt was in 1978 with Scare Cycles, a neat concept but not the home run they sought.

In 1980, Team America was born and in a wise marketing move so was a Marvel comic book of the same name.

Click Here to Visit the 1980 Team America Catalog

Ideal (tee hee) Links