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.

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"...

Marvel Heroes Live In Person

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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.

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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.

Click here to be whisked off into the 1971 Major Matt Mason Catalog

 

More Mattel Action Figures:

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.

 

For more ROM visit the 1979 Parker Brothers Electronics Catalog

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.

Confidence and Pride

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

The Hot Foot Dragster

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

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

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.

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.

Mostess Hostesses

Must resist.....hypnotic....pants....

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?

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!

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

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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".

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.

Lady Phantasmagorical

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

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.....

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:
 

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...

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