Vintage Toy Stores Part 8

It is always a happy time when I gather up enough shots of vintage and (sadly) no longer in business toy stores from yesteryear.

In the latest installment we hop over the the UK for some staggering window displays for Palitoy Action Man (the UK G.I. Joe) then we'll go back stateside to see some toy departments past and get some peaks at Star Wars, Six Million Dollar man, Major Matt Mason and other toys long since past.

Click Here to Visit Vintage Toy Store Pictures Part Eight

And when you're done digging on part 8, check out parts 1 through 7 in our archive, it's a total trip:

R-R-R-R-AW Power

I can remember the exact moment I saw this, it was pretty important afterall, it was a device that made your bike sound like a motorcycle. Screw want, I needed this dammit, it was important.

My parents reviewed my case and shot it down claiming "Safety issues" when pressed further I pretty much got some sort of goofy answer like "People might think you're a motorcycle" it made zero sense.

Fortunately for me, none of the neighbourhood kids got one either, so I didn't have a constant reminder. The odd kid would cruise by the cul-de-sac I grew up on with one but it was rare.

Patio Furniture: 1974

Patterns such as this were really good at attracting bees.

Trading Card #31: Slade

Card #31 is one of my bigger regrets in toy collecting, I used to actually own a Shindana Slade doll and loved it but in the massive purge I did in preparation for my first child, he was cut from the team. It was one of those panicked things first time fathers do I guess.

During that period I got rid of a ton of different toys, Stretch Armstrongs, my Aquaman collection, M.A.C, Mego dolls, G.I. Joes, Big Jims but Slade is the only sale I regret. As toy concepts go, he's one of my favourites.

This has never worked before but if you have a Slade doll for sale, please contact me.

The Oscar Goldman Collection

Exploding Briefcase sold seperately, new by Kenner.

Colouring Book Theatre: Buck Rogers

‘Whitman Buck Rogers Color and Activity Book"

As much as I love Buck Rogers, I really have to say this is book is a pretty big Fail.

Right from the cover you can kind of see that it's rendered in a hasty style, as if who ever did the art really had to be somewhere and really just didn't care. Most of the characters have blank stares (especially the women) or really over the top expressions.

Also why is Reed Richards on the cover?

The book retells the story of the movie, Buck gets launched into space, frozen and woken up by the Draconians and then sent to earth and believed a spy.

25th Century court is apparently held on Living Island. Buck looks sad but don't worry, he finds a way to cheer himself up:

Jeez, Buck you never heard of will power? I know it's been 500 years but sheesh. This image by the way is the first thing you see when you open the book, there is no way that this isn't an in joke.

"Biddy-Biddy-Biddy what's with you and Phallic symbols Buck?"

The loving way the space battle is rendered makes me wonder if Whitman paid in beatings and broken glass.

This is how me and my wife look after leaving most parties we're invited too.

Then there's a whole long filler sequence of the celebration, mainly of Buck showing his disco moves. Let's figure this out, Buck Rogers left earth in 1987 and he's really into disco? No wonder he was single.

Of course they throw a parade and nobody looks at all happy to be there, even Twiki looks pissed. It's probably that tiny vehicle twisting their torsos causing them incredible pain.

Oh and of course, we'll check in on Kane and Ardalla, who are still in transit, not much has changed, Kane still looks mad although Ardalla seems to have found something shiny to amuse herself with.

Previously reviewed Colouring Books

If you have a colouring book you'd like to guest review, I'd like to hear from you!

Spider-Man at Toys By Rizzi

Here's a cool shot from 1979 featuring the webbed wall crawler at the opening of a "Toys By Rizzi" store in Downers Grove, IL. Spider-Man was joined by Bigfoot (not sure if he was the bionic one) but sadly there are no photos of him. If you look closely you can see a whole aisle of Kermit the Frog puppets, yaaaaayyy!

I've never heard of "Toys By Rizzi" before I saw this photo but I'm happy to announce I'll have more on them in the coming weeks.

Send me your mall appearance photos!

Nasta Toys for 1980

We have a new company listing into the Gallery of Racktoys today with the addition of NASTA

Like a lot of it's counterparts in the late 1970/early 1980s, Nasta was rack toy manufacturer creating products based on the DC and Marvel Superheroes brands, Barbie and Hanna Barberra characters.

What sets them apart are their products, for the most part Nasta sold oddball items like Sunglasses, Sandals and Ice Pop makers. Some very non traditional licensed items that will put a smile on your face.

Visit the 1980 Nasta Toys Catalog for More

More Rack Toy Links

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Trading Card # 30: Kenner Alien

This card comes with a little bit of a story, I got lobbied to do it by someone over at the Megomuseum forums (thanks James). He even went out of way by mocking up what he thought the card should look like. This is important because and this might come as a shock but I'm not really a fan of Alien.

I've worked years at Convention dealer rooms with people who absolutely adore the thing, my wife owns all the films but the appeal of it all escapes me, I'm weird I guess. That said, James was totally right, this is an iconic toy of our childhood and absolutely deserved to get it's own trading card.

Plaid Explosion

"Let's go knock em dead!"

Greatest Star Wars Picture Ever

So let me paint this picture, these kids were winners of the Palitoy "Draw a Droid" competition (which I imagine was exactly what it sounds like) in 1979, the grand prize was a tour of the set for "Empire Strikes Back" where they had Gary Kurtz give them a tour and meet up with Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Peter Mayhew etc

At the end of the tour, Mark Hamill handed them a boatload of Star Wars toys and action figures. Gah! I think I can see the ULTRA cool Palitoy DeathStar in there as well.

I cannot imagine a better day for a kid, it would take a year of bully beatings and "Mom's new boyfriends" to wipe that smile off my face. Heck, as a kid I was overjoyed simply because I shared a birthday with Luke Skywalker, it goes without saying that I totally hate these kids....

Return of the Summer Pimps

Enjoy ladies...

Colouring Book Theatre: Country Music Wax Museum

Today we have another guest colouring book review, this time from Rex who brings us possibly the weirdest colouring book I've ever seen. As souveniers go, this one almost seems to punish you for visiting. Bless you Rex and take it away...

‘Country Music Wax Museum"

World-famous Madame Tussauds wax museum offers audiences a chance to examine expertly-crafted likenesses of such expertly-crafted luminaries as Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie. Once upon a time, a dingy out-of-the-way storefront in Nashville, Tennessee similarly presented tourists with slapdash paraffin effegies of fading country music stars like Conway Twitty and Grandpa Jones. Though sadly gone, the Country Music Wax Museum lives on in an aptly bizarre coloring book that looks like it was illustrated traced by a particularly talentless 5th grader.

Here’s George D. Hay, best known as the inspiration for the schoolmaster in Pink Floyd’s The Wall, alongside Uncle Dave Macon, who’s either playing the banjo until his fingers bleed or enduring epic constipation.

Hank Williams sings the lonesome blues. Or maybe he’s singing about the horrors of tertiary syphilis.

Can you connect the dots to discover what Cousin Minnie has by her left side? Hint: It’s the same thing she has by her right side.

June Carter is a male impersonator. Husband Johnny Cash is concerned that he’s just now noticing this. (Editor's note: I pity the human being who thought woman looked like this)

Country music audiences of the 1960s were surprised to learn that white-sounding singer Charley Pride was actually African-American.
Charley looks a bit shocked himself here, as he learns that he’s also an albino.

Loretta Lynn is the most feminine-looking woman to grace these pages. And yes, that is a relative distinction.

At Madame Tussaud’s, you might see Elvis in his classic gold lamé or black leather. Here we have Country Elvis, wearing a ‘70s prom tux and looking like he’s just about to break into a conservative but definite hip-swivel. You can tell it’s Elvis from the signature curling of…uh…that oval shape where his lips would be.

Thoughtfully concluding this unique keepsake memento is a map to the museum--in case you’ve forgotten how to get to where you’ve just gone to. Road closed…bridge out…tree across road…the attention to detail is impeccable

I cannot thanks Rex enough for bringing us this horror, it almost makes Dune and Tuffy Tooth look entertaining by comparision...

Previously reviewed Colouring Books

If you have a colouring book you'd like to guest review, I'd like to hear from you!

Plaid Stallions 4th Birthday Bash

I know I promised a Cylon picture (and I'll get to that) but I just realized that today makes the fourth anniversary of this blog. So it seemed fitting to unveil Card #0 of the PlaidStallions trading cards, the Brick Mantooth action figure.

I cannot believe that it has been four years since I first created this blog and this (rather dry) first post. If you had have told me that I'd still being doing this let alone making trading cards, books and action figures I wouldn't have believed it. Mostly because I don't usually have that much "sticktoitiveness".

It's been an incredible positive trip and I've met some truly remarkable people and made some genuine friends. I truly thank you the reader for all your kind words and thoughts over the years, they've meant the world to me.

As with all the PS birthdays, it's time for another contest, just send me the answer to this question:

What's the one toy or childhood item from the 1970s you still wish you had?

Email me the Answer here and I'll announce the winners next Saturday.

Prizes include: Commercial DVDs, trading cards and Mego Reimagined Catalogs.

Again, my thanks to everyone for this terrific and fun journey.