I finally tracked down a toy I've been after for ages. Made by Sears and sold in the fashion doll pages this toy hits on something I love, OLD TIMEY COMPUTERS.
I'd have to say that this was not meant as an accessory for Barbie but more for the Bionic Woman and Wonder Woman figures of the day.
You may notice a lever on the side, even though this thing takes no batteries, it does produce an effect that has to be seen to be believed, so i made a (1990s cable access show quality) video.
Did I mention it works just dandy with mego figures?
And just to prove how cool a toy this is, my daughter has asked to play with it twice this week. I'm not made of stone.
There are more in this series, one even features a wood panelled office, hopefully i can find them.
I spent two days earlier this week trying to find pictures of this toy, as I had it as a kid, and found a couple of scanty pics of it, thinking it was a Barbie brand toy, and then I clicked on this blog and it's the first post! Weird coincidence! I also had a tan desk that came with mine, and the chair could swivel between the two if you placed them just so. I don't know why, but this was one of my favorite Barbie accessories and I played with it for hours. I ended up giving the set to a little girl I babysat for later, and I kind of wish I had held onto these.
ReplyDeleteThat toy computer probably works better than the actual Dell desktop computer in my basement that I've had since 2004.
ReplyDeleteI used to have this. Or maybe my sister did. I couldn't recall if it was Bionic Man related, in which case it was mine, or if it went with her Charlie's Angels dolls. Turns out it was neither. So, I still have no idea why we owned it, but I do remember pushing that lever and watching the tapes spin.
ReplyDeleteThe push button action is actually a pretty cool effect. I love that your daughter played with it. My kids usually take over the vintage toys I find as well. Maybe toy companies need to take a cue from that.
ReplyDeleteI can hear I.R.A. (The computer from Wonder Woman, not the militant Irish rebels) every tine you push down the handle!
ReplyDeleteDo you happen to have the catalog pics of this and the other play sets? They'd be cool to see.
Great - never knew this existed before today and now I must own one.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful beyond words. I want one. Keep 'em comin', Plaid.
ReplyDeletePhillyradiogeek, I hear you. I've had the same miserable computer since 2000, and I've been wanting to replace it since 2000.
Tom, you also make a point, but I don't think toy companies today will ever get it.
Ebay, I'm on my way.
Too bad the reels and "graph" didn't freewheel for a while after the lever was pushed.
ReplyDeleteA little reworking, and voila, you have a slot machine toy for your action figures.
ReplyDelete