1978 Empire Toys Catalog

Empire Toys was primarily known for two things, licensed big wheel type vehicles for kids and licensed vehicles for other companies action figures.

1978 was no exception with Empire licensing characters such as The Flinstones, Batman, Spider-Man and Mickey Mouse into a lot of fun with wheels.

Check out the 1978 Empire Toys Catalog here.

And hey, after that check out the 1979 Empire Catalog from our archive.

Bendable Heroes

I found these guys in a British catalog (Burbank Toys), released in 1980, I'm actually unsure as to who made them.  While it does jive with the four characters Mego seemed to be obsessed with in the early 1980s, there is no evidence that they made these guys.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Corsican Brothers: 1976

They feel each other's pain.....and pleasure. Coming this spring from AIP.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Sweathog Balls

Made you look! Oh the carefree days of smacking Gabe Kaplan's face against a wall or playing handlawrencehiltonjacobs with friends.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Stallion in training

Nothing more recognizable than the tender fist of confidence.

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More Man Mates Fashions

Presenting Pink Panther and Sea Breeze, two new crazy 70s concoctions by the mad doctor of polyester, Steve. Steve has enlisted the mad sewing skills of Theresea and the art magic of Scott Adams of Secrtet Fan Base to create these awesome limited edition outfits.

Both these creations are available for a limited time, if interested email here. Please don't email me, I don't have them!

All I can say is, I'm happy these folks are working with me and not against me. 

Pod Stallions 13: Trek Kids

Star Trek is the main course in this month's episode, that is right after Brian brings up My Little Pony for absolutely no good reason.

As always, we open with our first memories of Star Trek and our love of the merchandise, particularly the Mego dolls, segwaying into the first two films and our feelings on them.

All that and the greatness of 70s Shatner, the Mike Douglas show and Jason tells of the time he met James Bond and Cornelius!

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• Is there anything more sublime than Shatner's Mr Tambourine Man?
• The Mego Enterprise Bridge Playset may be the single greatest Star Trek toy ever.
• The Shat on the Mike Douglas show.
• Brian has a fondness for the Mego Star Trek the Motion Picture toys.
• These models by Mego are some of the rarest Star Trek: The Motion Picture items out there.
• The closest Brian got to seeing Wrath of Khan was this movie magazine.
• William Shatner sells the Sh*t out of some groceries.
• Those weird 1960s Star Trek toys by Remco command big bucks now.
• The Gold Key Star Trek comics are available in trades now, you should buy them.

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Sesame Street Overload

I absolutely need to get that big cardboard playset, I plan on living there...

The Swirl

Why eat the soup of the day when you can wear it?

End cap of cheap joy

I'm super tired tonight, so here is an awesome store display of Larami goodies circa 1981.  I vividly remember that guy on the gun box. He kinda looked like my third grade teacher. 

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Linc and the Kernel

A rare photo from the 1972 ABC series "Linc and the Kernel" a detective  drama starring Clarence Williams III and a young Orville Redenbacher.

While the concept of pairing a streetwise cop with a naive corn farmer sounds intriguing, the show was so poorly received that it was yanked mid way through it's pilot episode and replaced with a rerun of "Room 222". 

All remaining episodes were immediately destroyed. 

The Last Shogun

Click on the image for a larger view

I found this single page in the back of a 1982 Mattel Germany catalog and for some reason it kind of made me sad. The catalog (which I'll get to) is loaded with pages of cool European Big Jim stuff, Barbie and newcomer He-Man. 

These two Goldorak toys (an animated series that seemed to only air in non English speaking parts of the world) are the last memories of the once great Shogun Warriors line, which were no where to be found in the US catalogs. 

Speaking of toys (which I always am):

I'll be setting up at this weekend's Burlington Toy Show for something called "Mego North" a Canadian celebration of the toys made by Mego corporation. It's going to be fun, if you can, you should make the trek!
I'll be selling copies of Rack Toys, Brick Mantooth man-dolls and many, many vintage goodies so I can live under the lie that I'm not a hoarder.

Burlington Toy Show information

If you can't make the show, check me out on twitter, where I'll be showing off some of the goodies available.

More Shogun Warriors

Hey Bert! Hey Bert! Hey Bert!

I have no idea what Bert and Ernie have to do with office equipment but I need a working set straight away, if only to torture my wife with my "Mr Tudball from the Carol Burnett show" impersonation.

Plaid Kings

I'd tell them they won the internet today but they can't hear me over the sound of panties dropping....

Hulk Smash and Ta-Daaaaah!

When you think of Marvel Superheroes, there is one word that comes to mind...magic tricks. Clever Nasta Toys was the only company to understand this and that's why they're the biggest toy company in the world today!

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Table Cloth Safari

A suit so popular, it's now back at nearly half price....seems legit.

Toy Sale at Wards

This wonderful piece from December 1977 arrived this week and while I plan to show case the whole thing in loving detail next Christmas, it's just to good not to share at least a little bit right now. Above is the Mattel Space:1999 Eagle which I think is on my 2014 wish list.

I think Cher's tenure at Mego burned brightly but not for a long time, she's already a good deal in 1977.

This ad for Madison Industries Shadow Toys is the first I've ever seen.

Mego's Starsky and Hutch were a hot license at the time but Wards wasn't offering a special on Captain Dobey? Who was going to yell at them?

We got lots of cops in 1977, here are LJN's Rookies and S.W.A.T on sale. One year later it'd all be about droids.

Barbie was the absolute queen of the fashion dolls in '77, many tried to take her crown but she bested the Chers and Dustys of the world.

Ideal's Jaws Game is one of the most iconic game concepts of the 1970s.

Welcome back Kotter pinball, I still kinda want one of these....



The Shadow Merchandise Gallery

Bundle Up Everyone!

In the wake of this Snowpocalypse (tm) , we here at the Plaidstallions institute are sending each and everyone of you a complimentary Princely or Victor coat, so you may stay warm and funky.

Check your mailboxes!

Astro-Spock

While I'm too young to remember Remco's dabble with Star Trek merchandise, I will admit that these lazy,repurposed toys kind of fascinate me.

The toys themselves were from a Remco line called "Hamilton Invaders" which was a (very clever)  line of Army Men VS Giant insects. When they nabbed the Trek license, they just slapped Kirk and Spock on the box and never gave it a second thought.

Weirdly, I kind of know in my heart that one day I'll own these. Somebody stop me!

More Trek:

Squirt gun fever

While generic, I find the art work on these water pistols completely captivating. A lot of effort went into their look and Pop Art is completely missing from our current Rack Toy experience.

Rack Toys: Cheap, Crazed Playthings is a limited edition 144 page book from the creator of Plaid Stallions. Order from us and get three free promotional post cards.

Creamsicle escort services

Ladies, your prayers have been answered and yes, we take Diner's Club and Mastercharge.

The Superhero Shop

This ad piece for Licensing Corporation of America, really brings me joy. This photo meant to highlight how good an idea licensing the DC comics heroes is full of 70s eye candy from Mego, Remco and AHI.

It's also the least believable toy store set ever, that's clearly the LCA showroom with some dude from accounting playing the unfriendly clerk. Still, what a fun piece of eye candy...

Face the Future

Welcome to 2014, sorry there's no jetpacks, I know we promised but I'm happy to announce that we've got jumpsuits in two colours. If you like buttons, boy are you gonna be happy!