The Piper

Ladies, you can follow this piper...to Pleasuretown. 

Beno's Toys Christmas book from 1979

Seeing as Christmas and shopping is all that on our minds right now, let's take a look at the specials offered 36 years ago with the Beno's Toy flyer.

I've never heard of this California based chain but I sure recognize the toys like Kenner Star Wars, Play-Doh and a metric ton of classic hand held electronic games!

Begin the tour of the Beno's Christmas Book right here!

Classic Toy Store Ads on PlaidStallions

Hagensick's Playroom 1975

1981 Toys R Us Flyer

Childworld 1975

Childworld 1981

1975 Toys R Us

Marx Green Machine

This has nothing to do with Thanksgiving, the green machine ruled. That is all.....

Muppet Vests

Every week I uncover more Sesame Street clothing I wish I could find in a XXL.

PS what the heck is a potholder vest?

Diecast Dreams

So much goodness in this picture, oh and Kojak.....

Ditto Dots

Not to be confused with Dippin' Dots, trust me I made that mistake once.....

Pod Stallions 37 : Godilla

Episode 37 is our first "lost episode" as we had to re-record half of it after a computer glitch (sorry), so we know it's not October. This one has J & B discussing all things Godzilla and his Toho pals, something we're both fans of.

Subjects include our highlights (and lowlights) of his film series, the Hanna Barbera cartoon series, the Marvel comic and of course the many, many awesome toys that take money from (mostly Brian's) our wallets. Sidetrack conversations include Majin monster of Terror, Rack Toys, Johnny Yuma, Ultraman, Rodan,  Psychotronic magazine and the Big Bopper.....

We also want to keep the conversation going on the Pod Stallions Facebook page, please drop a line as to your favourite Godzilla movie and toys. We anxiously await your thoughts.

Download the Show Here

Listen here

Show notes

• The HG ToysGodzilla vs the Tricephalon playset
• That Ultramanplayset Brian mentioned
• Knickerbocker Godzilla store display
• Combat JoeGodzilla set by Takara
• The amazingGLJ Toys Godzilla rack toy
• The ImperialToys Godzilla assortment from the 1980s
• The original commercial for Mattel Shogun Warriors Godzilla
• Popy Godzilla
• The MattelGodzilla game
• Godzilla'sgang toys
• The theme toJohnny Yuma
• The awesome new Shogun Warriors Godzilla by Toynami
• Jason's FlashGordon celebration at BAFTA still has a few seats left, click here to get tickets. 

Plenty more content on the PodStallions Facebook page!






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Remco Earth Quake Tower

Earth Quake Tower has been mentioned before but it's a toy so of it's era and amazing I wanted to bringing it up again. An Irwin Allen movie for the toybox, there is no way in hell this would fly today and $17? What a bargain!

Leisure Fever

Many a man's last stop on the fashion train was leisureville.

Loving the Hut

I'm mildly smitten with this Pizza Hut merchandise like the oven but also the cardboard Hut. Although a more accurate representation of that  pizza hut play set today is to paint the roof and write "Chinese Buffet" on the top.

The Chained Bolero!

Yeah, like that crappy apartment door chain can contain all that testosterone bubbling within....

1981 Parkes Run Colouring Book Catalog

Hey remember those big colouring books you got on birthdays and Christmas? They were done by a company called Parkes Run and they made a lot of cool licensed stuff using licenses like Superman the movie, Popeye, Peanuts and the Marvel comics characters!

Adult Colouring books are the all rage right now but I'd settle for this one, which was given to me by my aunt Cathy in 1978!



Oh Man Wolf, where's your movie? 

 Anyway, check out the 1981 Parkes Run Catalog here!

Sport Coat Magic

These three are demi-gods in used car salesman mythology. Their exploits are shared to new generations at happy hours across this fine land.

Marvel Comics Multi Mags 2 for 99 cents!

As readers of this blog know, I have a fondness for comic multi packs especially the Whitman ones for things like Micronauts or the Shogun Warriors.

That's why this 1981 ad from coluring book publisher Parkes Run (more on them later this week) intrigues me. 



It seems that 1981, Marvel dumped Whitman in favour of Parkes Run and the format changed from 3 comics to 2, thanks inflation!



As a side note, my dad knew a distributor of these back in the early 1980s. I remember seeing a whole skid of these two packs in his warehouse. The man said to me "take as many comics as you want!" but my dad's face suggested that I should probably be happy with one.....

Bring Back Mystery Science Theater 3000 Kick Starter

Oh happy day.

Series Creator and former star Joel Hodgson is campaigning on KickStarter to create a whole new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 right now.

As I've mentioned here more than once, I'm a giant fan of MST3K in all it's incarnations and it runs in the background constantly here. It kept me from madness while creating "Rack Toys" and it's inspired me to try harder when writing.

There is already 1,000 backers on this thing and it's not even a day old, so i'm not alone.

You can visit the campaign here and it's ever made you laugh please back it.

Keep Circulating the URL.

Lego Police!

The Police Headquarters was not only my first Lego set but the toy designated to stay at my Grandmother's house for when i visited. I had a million fun hours with that thing and even though my kids look at the blank faced figures like they're caveman tools, so did they.

Sleep Tight....Kid Dyn-o-Mite!

No offence to Scooby Doo or the Liberty Bell (!) for that matter, but they don't hold a candle to the supernova of win that is JJ Evans Pajamas....

1975 Polistil Action Team (GI Joe) Catalog

There is nothing i like more an European Catalog for GI Joe Adventure team toys and this one from Polistil Italy is a lot of fun.

Here they are the Action Team and all science fiction is toned down in favour of a slightly more paramilitary look.

As always, the products and faces are familiar but the packaging and marketing have a nice foreign flavour.

Check out the 1975 Action Team Catalog here

Other G.I. Joe Related Links

Check out the 1975 Action Team Catalog here

Our toy wantlist

Shindana Toy Center

I love seeing stuff like this 1977 article and especially a  whole store display of Shindana merchandise like the JJ Walker plush, Wanda and of course, the amazing Slade Super Agent dolls.

Printed Knits and Photographic Prints

I would totally wear "paintings" by the great masters, do they have any hieronymus bosch?

MAC 1977

click for a bigger view

I am in awe of this awesome ad for Matchbox MAC toys from 1977. These two inch tall heroes were sort of an "International Rescue" type organization and one of my fondest memories as a wee lad.

More Mobile Action Command

Coat Season!

I think this season I will be going with the Emerald green, it matches my cadillac nicely.