K Mart Toy Sale 1978

While the newspaper flyer has yet to be replaced in this digital age and I admit I still check the Christmas toys out, it's just not as cool as when I was eight. That's why I thought it would be fun to see the toys on sale at K Mart during this week thirty one years ago.

Lots of familiar faces and forgotten sights in this one including Tonka Trucks, Play Doh, Fisher Price Little People and the World's Greatest Superheroes! Click on any page to visit the 1978 K Mart Toy Flyer and try to remember, this sale expired during the Carter administration...

Other Toy Flyers and Circulars from the 70s

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Christmas in the 1970s Contest!

For the month of December, I'm running a contest for submissions to theupcoming book "Christmas in the 1970s" send us your best vintage snapshot/Polaroid of the day along with the date and location and anythingspecial about it (Cool present, you got in a fight with your sister, greatfamily memory etc) and we'll add it to the "Christmas in the 1970s" blogas well as consider it for the book itself. (So, yes, that means if you submit,you're granting us permission to use the photo on the Web and in print. You've been duly warned.)

On December 23rd, I'll draw three names for "Fabulous 1970s prize packs" containing trading cards, DVDs and more.

Email Submissions Here

About Christmas in the 1970s:

We are co-authors Joal Ryan and Brian Heiler, and we're compiling material for a coffee-table book that aims to celebrate that very special time, and those very odd carpet-color choices.

Offical Blog

The Ultimate Home Gaming System

The Oddessey by Magnavox (the TV people) was the world's first home gaming system, it came with plastic sheets you could put over your TV to simulate colour game play. I found one of these in my aunt's basement one day around 1980, even though it was only a few years old it looked like a cross between a relic and some sort of prop from "Space:1999" to my then Atari riddled brain.

I'd like to find one now and present it my "X-Box" raised offspring...

Breaking: Disney to remake "The Black Hole"

I normally don't concern myself with all things modern but this article from Reuters claims Disney is ready to go "in, through and beyond" the Black Hole once again. Being a GIANT fan of the original I can honestly say I never thought this day would ever come.

Does this mean we'll finally see some merchandise again? I really need a 12" Humanoid doll...

Dear Santa

Please send me the red number in the middle, not only do I promise to wear it often but I would visit each and every one of my neighbours houses this holiday season to express the warmest of yuletide greetings. Plus, if I add a cape, I'll look like a young Jon Pertwee.

I am a size 17 1/2, thanks in advance.--BrAiN

Peter Pan Records are great Toys!

This 1978 Toy Fair ad for Peter Pan (Power) Records, tells us what we already knew as kids, in that they were awesome but it also gives us a look at some of the store displays used to market them:

Man, that display doesn't miss anything, Star Trek, Superman even Planet of the Apes! I wish this shot was in color.

Growing I don't ever remember a display this large for these things, it just didn't happen. Mostly I remember seeing book and record sets by the cash registers. If I seen something like this as a child, I imagine it'd set off some sort of alarms in my head.

Mantooth in Love

Let me make this clear, Brick doesn't dress like his woman, his woman dresses like him.

Colouring Book Theatre: Monster Gallery

Sean from creepsylvania.com sent me an awesome surprise this month, a colouring book I've actually been looking forward to seeing for years. The Monster Gallery Colouring Book is an early seventies masterpiece illustrated by Mark Savee (with text by Leah Waskey) and each page is a stunning tribute to a famous monster of either screen or legend. A lot like the Bernie Wrightson Monster Colouring Book we reviewed a while back, this is a real cut above the standard fair. It's beautifully put together and honestly if you owned this, I doubt you'd put crayons to it.

Frankenstein here is a great example of this great art in this book but 70s toy dorks like myself have even more interest in this book for a very specific reason:

Some of Savee's designs were swiped and used as packaging illustrations for Tomland/Combex (A UK division of Marx) "Famous Monsters of Legend" Toy Line.

Tomland Morlock has an ascot for some reason, like a cannibal Mr. Furley

The Yeti figure is a little off model to the artwork.

Cyclops, I doubt any royalties were paid to Harryhausen.

Unlike almost every other colouring book I've covered here, this one is too good and too much great artwork to cover here, so I've created a gallery page highlighting all the great artwork in this fun book, just click here to visit The Monster Gallery

Thanks again Sean! This made my week.

Previously reviewed Colouring Books

If you have a colouring book you'd like to guest review, I'd like to hear from you!

SPEAKING OF MONSTERS

Today is the last day to enter in my "Save Frightenstein" contest, I could really use some help here and you could win a cool prize, so click here for details...

"Turn to the dark side Ryan"

Jon sent in this terrific picture of his brother Ryan encountering a rather home made looking Lord Vader at Karber's camera store in Hamden CT. I think the chest panel is from Phantom of the Paradise.

Where is Jon you ask? Well, he informs me that he was too scared of the Dark Lord and ran away! I think we've all had those moments, thanks Jon!

Send me your mall appearance photos!

We Are Not Alone

In 1978, toy manufacturer Imperial, like a lot of toy companies were very interested in all things outer space thanks to Kenner's whirlwind assault on the toy marketplace thanks to Star Wars. Now, anybody with a science fiction film was interesting and a name like Steven Spielberg even moreso. Imperial snapped up the rights to produce the alien from "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it became the center piece of their 1978 toy fair display.

While not the full catalog, this piece from 1978 shows a lot of familiar staples from the still very much in business Imperial, some of which I was surprised to find out I had as a kid.

Click Here to visit the 1978 Imperial Toys Catalog

Like Rack Toys? Visit this page for more:

The Fashion Dolls of Doctor Moreau

What happens you combine Barbie with animal DNA? You get Mattel's Gorgeous Creatures line, which if I had to guess was an attempt to catch some heat off the popularity of Ms. Piggy.

I'm sure this line has an ardent fan base somewhere but I kind of find these guys disturbing, I prefer Blythe thank you very much.

Bug Man!

"Outfits by Steve Ditko" never truly caught on in the early seventies, the shame of this failure made the artist a recluse...

Bathtub Sailing

I'd really like to nominate the Fisher Price Boat pictured here as one of the greatest bathtub toys ever created. I realize there is no "bathtub toys hall of fame" but there should be, I'd visit!

Guy Times Three

It's like the Three Stooges but instead of being bumbling idiots, they are all suave gentlemen dedicated to a ladies pleasure...

Pocket Superheroes Trading Card

Card number 28 is dedicated to one of my personal favourite toy lines of my child hood, Mego's Pocket Superheroes. Released in the late 1970s, these 3 3/4" figures kept my love of Superheroes alive in a time when everything around was space orientated.

For more on this killer line, check out the Mego Museum Pocket Superheroes Gallery.

I'll be giving out these cards at tomorrow's Toronto Toy Show if you're in the area (click here for $2 off coupon to get in)

Mattel Clash of the Titans Catalog

Mattel hoped that they ahd the next Star Wars with Ray Harryhausen's second trip into Greek Mythology in 1981's "Clash of the Titans" . While the film was a hit at the box office, it somehow didn't carry over to the toy shelves. Mattel released only one wave of figures and cancelled other merchandise based on the film.

The 1981 Catalog highlights what was released and gives us a little taste of what was in store had the toy line taken off:

Aaaaaw maaaan! We were gonna get a playset! Rip off!

1981 Mattel Clash of the Titans Catalog

Speaking of Toys: If you live in the Toronto area this weekend, come and check out The Toronto Toy and Doll Show (click here for a $2 off admission coupon) at the International Center this Sunday, November 22nd. I'll be setting up there with my friends from vintagevideogames.ca to sell toys and DVDs, I'll also be giving away Mego Museum and Plaid Stallions trading cards in my booth. Drop by and say hi!

More Mattel Action Figures:

The Comfort of the Bean

Duct tape sold separately. It was really hard to vacuum out those loose beans if you had shag carpeting but dammit, those things were crazy comfy.

NFL Teammates

Everybody seems to forget about these little guys that predate "starting Line Ups" by a decade or so. These figures are close to Mego size and eventhough I'm not a big sports guy, I will cop to finding these pretty neat.

If anyone has an extra Green Bay Packer, I have a good friend who would probably love it.

Your Creative Writing Assignment

Ok class, your writing assignment will be to tell me what exactly young Val Kilmer is doing with the swarthy man in their underpants. 500 words minimum please...