In digging around I found this cool homegrown ad for Ideal's Captain Action line and while it's not really the focus here it was kind of cool so I wanted to share. I, being of the Mego Superheroes era don't have any childhood memories of the Captain but his place in action figure history is undeniable.
Ironically, the good Captain is now available in Mego Size through Castaway Toys, he looks great too!
I would still go see Spider-Man to this day.
Larami was one of the better known Rack Toy companies in the seventies and early eighties. The company had a merchandising system known as "Code A Matic" and considering they were a subsidery of "Tasty Baking Corporation" most likely had their own merchandising representatives as well. 
[In my quest to find images from vintage toy stores, I sometimes find articles about the many colorful characters that operated these regional empires, King Norman is one of the names that pops up a great deal]
I have really been digging it, it's differentiated itself from the UK version (and happily dropped the pop culture references every few minutes, those were annoying) and become this wonderfully dreamlike series that I can't miss. Jason O'Mara does a terrific job as Sam as well and this is coming from someone who thinks the world of John Simm in the original production.
If you haven't already visit the Life on Mars site.
I recently got a copy of a catalog from a Dolgin's department store (I've never heard of them either) and I loved the little images on the cover. People in a mustard yellow store buying mustard yellow things and even though these are likely staged shots, there is some nostalgia to be had.
Ah the toy department shot, bet it had the giant letters spelling out "TOYS" on the wall. That dad looks cooler than I will ever be in my whole life.
The guy on the right is wearing Department store camoflague. I can't help but think that stores should start splashing around a little orange and yellow again....
Results from last week's trading card contest:
While I'm sorry to announce that nobody guessed either one of the next two cards correctly, I'm happy to announce that everybody who played won a set of PS trading cards plus another goody.
I was pretty over whelmed by the positive response, the amount of good ideas and I just didn't feel like telling anybody they weren't a winner, so everybody goes home with something.
What was the number one guess? Without a doubt, Shogun Warriors by Mattel, it's something that just has to happen it seems.
What was the strangest one? Milky, the milking cow (sorry Mike, probably ain't gonna happen!)
Anyway, thanks to all for playing, you'll be getting a packet in the mail shortly.
It sounds rather odd that after 3 years of blogging about 1970's toys, I've never once mentioned Nerf products of any kind. It seems odd considering how cool I think this stuff is, especially the safe missiles....
Kyall sent me this wonderful (I'm sorry about that) Wonder Woman collection today, the world could use more Lynda Carter, that's what I always say.
I must have missed a meeting in the seventies, I had no idea there was a Sesame Street Play Doh set. This is all kinds of awesome and I'd like to send a set back in time to the four year old me. Right after I sent myself back in time for some shopping that is... 
One of the things that bother me about Barbie is the fact that her hands can't hold anything, not that I'd go on a shopping spree if she did mind you. I was surprised to find out that in 1973, an opposable thumb was actually a selling feature on both her and Ken. I'm surprised it didn't last, it just seems to add a whole new dimension of play.Then again, maybe not, my daughter seems pretty content changing outfits and getting Barbie married every five minutes.
Well, as promised, I've put together a contest to win 12 sets of PlaidStallions Trading cards (plus hopefully some other goodness not officially available yet) I'm not going to labour you with trivia questions or anything like that, it's simple.
Just send me your name, address and the answer to the following question: What do you think should be the next PlaidStallions trading card?
There is no wrong answer, however if someone actually guess one of them right, I'll send them a vintage toy on the house.
Contest closes Sunday, One entry per person please.
No matter how you mix and match these hot styles, they'll see you comin' and remember you.
August 5 1977- Slime is not a B film playing second bill to "Sheba, the Slug Queen" at the local drive-in. It is, rather, a moist, sticky, six-ounce gob of gelatinous goo. It looks like something extremely rude.The novelty item also sticks to drapes, carpets, furniture and hair. And it sells. "We can't keep it in the store," said Jack Sweetland, manager of Toys R Us in Hayward.
"We sold out our last batch in two weeks,and we've sold 24 dozen cases in four weeks" said Guy Luiz, assistant manager of Woolworth's in the Fremont Hub shopping center. A case has 24 containers. Both the Newark and Hayward K-Marts
were out of the stuff, which sells for about $1.30 and comes in a chartreuse garbage can. "There's no comparison of it to anything else" agreed Rick Kuhle, manager of King Norman's Kingdom of Toys in the Fremont Hub.
"The surprising thing is that there's been no advertising. It's all been word of mouth. Or " he said, poking an oozing ball of the stuff, "word of feel." Word of feel, indeed. It looks like the unholy tryst of lime Jello and rubber cement. But it has its drawbacks, too. George Coble, manager of Toy World in Hayward, said his store didn't stock it for a month because of the things it could do to furniture. "I always have them read the label" added clerk Anna MacWilliams.
The label reads: "Slime: You can squeeze it, stretch it, squish it, snap it and drip it, but keep it in its own container. "
Slime sticks to rugs, furniture and fabrics and hair. If it stains, wash with water and vinegar or soap. Dry cleaning will not remove Slime."
A Mattel spokeswoman defended Slime. "We haven't really had any complaints. I've talked to our customer relations department and they said the only complaints were that it dissolves when the cover is left off, but the label warns about that," said Beverly Stin.
Water stains are a problem because Slime is 95 per cent water, she said. Slime is non-toxic. Parents seem to take a dim view of Slime. "Yes, we've seen it. It's icky" said Genore Shaw. "I like it!", interjected son Jeff, 7, with glee. "I like the way it looks!"
"My daughter wants it for her birthday. I guess it depends on how much pressure she puts on me" said Pat Marble. Delores Uineke, another parent, said, "I
took it away from my daughter and now it's sitting on top of the refrigerator. I heard it stains rugs."
Like the hula hoop of the '50s and the skateboard of last year, Slime is a fad item said Kuhle. But the demand is leveling off. "When school was in session, a kid would bring it to school and then everyone would want it," he said.
But what do kids actually do with the oozing mess?
"You stretch it and catch it in the cup. You pull it apart and sometimes you can mold things with it" said Tom Benepe, age 9.
***For the record, I was totally denied Slime, we had flocked wallpaper, so I understood. I got revenge however when they gave you a small sample for a quarter in a vending machine at the local Miracle Mart.
Well that sends Benji into a long fantasy of the different gigs he (she?) could do in the circus, the clowns find Benji and feed him (her?). Benji reciprocates by standing on his hind legs.
Billy doesn't get out much. I don't know why I'm explaining that Benji gets the job at the circus, I'm sure you can figure that out.
The man handing out Lollipops doesn't work for the circus.
Benji's big circus job? Pulling a cart with a monkey in it.
Maybe I'm just jaded, when I was a kid we went backstage at the circus and well, let's just say you won't see the animal treatment in any colouring book. Well, maybe one from the 20's.
More Goodness from the fine people at Kenner:
Occasionally when I'm trolling through my smelly books (Catalogs always smell "Basementy") I find something I've never seen before. Case in point this "Smokey and the Bandit 2" play set by ERTL. I had no idea that such a thing existed and ERTL used such attention to detail that included the (IMO Movie Ruining) Elephant.
Why, it's half past hideous! I think the stand out, greatest pieces are those cats, if I could find a case of those I'd give them to every friend and family member I knew, just to see who loved me enough to actually display it.I'm thinking even my Gramma would pitch this the moment I left the house.
Never heard of this chain but I'd like to fill a cart with Aurora Comic Scenes kits, please. 
"The Baconer" was like a toaster but instead of rotten ol' bread, it cooked something important, Bacon! I think of all my thoughts in a day, about one third are bacon related. I've thought about trying to track one of these bad boys down on the secondary market but my wife has this whole "me living to 40" hangup. Drag.
I've always wanted to do features on people's collections, so when Dion offered shots of his 70's toy collection, there was no better place to start. Above we've got three staples of the seventies, KISS, Jaws and the Six Million Dollar man, sweeeeeet!
Lunch Boxes everywhere for the eye to see! There's another hobby I've avoided but have been tempted at every turn. I can see David Carradine's face plain as day there.Thanks Dion! Do you have a 70's related collection you'd like me to showcase, send it on down! It doesn't have to be toys, just anything partial to the "Me" decade, the more eclectic, the better.
Colouring Book Theatre will return next week.
