Crossfit:1972

No wonder everybody was skinny !

Also, work out leotards are classy as hell, everybody looks like they are spaceship crew, I think pink means officer.

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Lightning Bug

 

 

Most people would hear the word Mego and associate it with the eight inch action figure craze they created in the 1970s that still has enduring fandom. However, the company started out as a producer of low cost "Hush Up Toys" which we now call "Rack Toys". The majority of the companies output is largely uncataloged, it's something I hope to do in the coming months.

 

 Rack Toys is available!

Hot Wheels Halloween

Robert from Retro Hound sent in this vintage pic of him and his sis decked for Halloween 1972 in their Collegeville goodness. Thanks Robert!

 

 

Billy Blast Off

I'm a couple of years too young to have enjoyed the adventures of this Japanese import (created by Tomy, Billy was brought to the Western world by a company called Eldon) but some folks I know that did grow up with it often get giddy upon it's mention..

Programming Barbie: readying for '72

Toyfair 1972: Right now a Barbie sized laptop has more memory than all of those computers combined..

Mattel Calls Him Big Jim

Toy Fair 1972- A legend is born!

Rubber Snakes, Alligators and Poopatroopers

It's amazing how much stuff like rubber snakes and alligators are part of childhood, we just seem drawn to these kinds of items when we're kids. Imperial Toys seemed to have a great handle on this and seeing as how they're still in business to this day, this stuff sells. I'm pretty sure I had an Alfie Alligator.
Poopatroopers, ten cents well spent...

The Wonderful World of Blythe

It's amazing how this very Mod little doll was virtually unknown until 25 years after she was cancelled when it became a pop culture phenom thanks to the photography of Gina Garan. This is the Kenner catalog from 1972 and Blythe only gets a single page (click on it for a larger view) now she's a full blown icon.

Google the Blythe story one of these days, it's a good read.

Love is...

Love is dressing alike, so it looks like you are wearing some sort of uniform. It's almost as if you work at some sort of romantic version of McDonalds except your name tags would read "Punkin' Pants" and "Mr.Ticklefarts".

I miss a lot of things from the 1970s but couples dressing alike ain't one of them.

Here's What's Happening in Men's Dress Shirts

I see, did I miss a vote or did we lose a war?

Clown College Co-Eds?

I'm trying to guess where else an outfit like this would fly, it's either an assistant to a magician or a regional Romper Room host. If I had to guess though, I think there's play-doh and balloons in those pockets....

Christmas in the 70s Update!

Still working on the upcoming photo essay book, Christmas in the 70s and we've created a Flickr Group for you to share your favourite kodak moments. So please come aboard and join us in your favourite moment when there was gold shag under the tree.

Christmas in the 70s Flickr Group

Big Jim for 1972

In the early seventies, Mattel toys had a big hit on their hands with Big Jim, a nine inch muscle bound sports hero/man's man who came packaged in his underpants.

Jim's entire structure was mostly built on non violent, positive activities such as sports and outdoor adventures. This seems to be the result of parental objections to G.I. Joe in the late sixties, early seventies which caused him to retire and become an adventurer.

1972 saw the introduction of Jim's pal Big Jack and the introduction of his Dune Buggy but the biggest thing for me is Big Jim's Camper. I must have spent a bajillion hours with that vinyl paradise. As goofy and safe as some of this stuff looks to me now, I can't deny that I thought it was the bomb in '73.

Check out the 1972 Big Jim Catalog here.

Thirsty for more Big Jim?