Go with your gut kid, it's never let you down...
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Happiness is....Transistors
I fail to mention the Snoopy licensed juggernaut of the 1970s but man, he was everywhere. He was to the 1970s what Garfield was to the late 1980s.
Friday, March 25, 2011
LJN TV Superstars 1983
LJN toys had a long tradition of picking up cool cop shows like SWAT and The Rookies and that tradition carried on in the 1983 catalog where they hoped to continue for toy maker Mego (who ahd just filed for bankruptcy) left off by continuing the CHiPs line.
Also offered this year was Magnum PI using what appears to be a retooled Mego Dukes of Hazzard body. While I've never seen any LJN branded chips figures, the Magnum set is now a sought after collectible. The carded figure has never been seen on the collectors market.
More from LJN
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.Thursday, March 24, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Enter Hypnos
When creating a follow up to their hit Pulsar doll, Mattel went alien (a popular choice) with Hypnos whose powers involved a good old fashioned hypnotic wheel and a complete lack of pants. Evil and passive aggresive, now that's an arch enemy.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tiled shag goodness
I hope there is a warehouse find of this somewhere as I have a bathroom floor that just looks naked now...
Monday, March 21, 2011
Fantom 4
I'm pretty sure this amazing little hovercraft appeared on at least one of my Christmas wishlists, it was sadly the one that got away..
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Obi-Wan has taught you Frogger well
Darth Vader playing Atari cira 1983, it doesn't get better than that.
Friday, March 18, 2011
1978 European Big Jim Catalog
Mattel's Big Jim line may have been gone from US toystores in 1977 but he had a long and prosperous life in Europe up until the mid 1980s thanks to some very creative moves.
Big Jim was no longer just a sportsman/spy in this new world but a character free of the constraints of time, he was a spy, an explorer, a pirate, a cowboy what ever you wanted him to be.
More Big Jim
Thursday, March 17, 2011
When atheletes were underpaid
Here we have Jim "Catfish" Hunter, pitcher for the Oakland A's modeling something from the "Jimmy Olsen collection". This brings me back to a happy time when my hockey and baseball cards had a guaranteed 70% moustache ratio...
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Adventure 2000
I absolutely adored toys like Matchboxes "Adventure 2000" as a boy and was really disheartened as an adult in the actual year 2000, none of their bold predictions came true. My Pontiac Aztek could not fly nor did I get any sort of laser cannon accessories.
You lied to me Matchbox!
You lied to me Matchbox!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Heroic Apparel
While the Spider-Man Ski mask might go down as coolest bit of hero merchandising ever, I can't imagine there was a child alive that was excited about the Hulk suspenders, you can't put perfume on the pig that is wearing suspenders as a child.
I'm also honestly surprised there is no Spider-Man bow tie.
I'm also honestly surprised there is no Spider-Man bow tie.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Wacky Trucks
Fleetwood Toys introduced the "Wacky Truck" in 1982, combining the Wacky Pack to a toy? Perfection! My only problem with it is I don't own one.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Wonder Woman goes to Toys R Us
Wasn't I just saying something about how I'd never seen many Wonder Woman appearance shots? Well, when it rains it pours because not only this another great shot of Diana Prince's alter ego, it's a vintage toy store shot to boot. I know this appearance took place in 1978 because I can see a shelf loaded with Pressman Space Creature mask kits right behind. Joy.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Mattel Osmond Catalog for 1978
1978 saw Mattel expand their popular "Donny and Marie" line with a new member of the Osmond family, too cute for his own good l'il brother Jimmy!
The 1978 Donny and Marie Catalog also showcases such items as Hollywood Home playset and a pile of outfits for older brother and sis. NO OUTFITS FOR YOU JIMMY!
This was the last year for this popular line, with their variety show cancelled in 1979 Mattel dropped the duo like a hot rock.
Other Mattel Related Links
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, March 09, 2011
Space Robots : UFO Series
The beauty of a time when you could import popular toys from other countries and even though we had not (and some of us never will) seen the television shows they were based on, still realise it was a kick ass toy. I see several Ultra Man villians in this assortment, anybody else recognize anything?
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
L'il Glengarry Glen Ross
"You filed it, that puts me over the freakin' top, I want my BMX. I don't wanna hear no freakin' crap and I don't give a crap. Lingk puts me over the top. You filed it, it went downtown, now you owe me the bike. "
Now showing for the next two weeks at the St. John the evangelist Gym.
Monday, March 07, 2011
Stay down man! Don't make me hit you again!
Certainly the most logical, if not completely frustrating bop bag in existence. It's smile will mock you as fall to the floor an exhausted, sobbing ball of rage.
Friday, March 04, 2011
Weebles:1979
Another fun look at Hasbro's fun offering into the pre school market, their tough to dislike Weebles line.
Hasbro didn't seem to run out of fun environments for these little legless, armless but happy blobs of plastic and 1979 saw all sorts of wonder from treehouses to submarines to the undead driving around in Vans, glorious.
More Weebles and L'il Peeps
Thursday, March 03, 2011
Hardy Boys in 3D
While I have no doubt the show was a hit with teenagers, I'm not sure if model car building male teenagers were the ones that would appreciate minature versions of Parker Stevenson and Shaun Cassidy inside their van.
Vans of course, were completely integral to mystery solving teams during the entire decade thanks to stringent regulations created by the Ford administration's "Clue Club" act.
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Superhero Games
These Hasbro Hero games from 79 look really fun and colourful but what the hell is Wonder Woman fighting? A tree?