1983 Consumers Distributing Toy Catalogue- MOTU- GI Joe- Star Wars

1983 Consumers Distributing Toy Catalogue

As shown in our recent Toy-Ventures Video, the 1983 Consumer’s Distributing Toy Catalog is from an era where the Canadian retailer was truly one of the biggest retailers of toys in the country, not only through their stores but by creating “Toy City” which were superstores in major Canadian cities.

The following pages are a total time capsule to a wonderful era of toys, enjoy.

Cabbage Patch Kids were the hot toy of 1983, oh the carnage….

GI Joe’s second year was particularly awesome and sort of my swan song of toys at the time.

 

I personally love the Arco Other World toys. Sure, it’s a MOTU KO, but it’s so different and weird. The Machine Man racers would eventually become Go-Bots…

Return of the Jedi was the big hit of the summer but Consumers was having trouble selling Kenner’s Micro Playsets from the years earlier. Such an underrated toy line. I love it. The Mego Dukes of Hazzard were still available despite Mego going bankrupt, that’s because Canada’s Grand Toys made a special trip to Hong Kong to restart Lion Rock because of this Consumers listing and other purchase orders.

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I had completely forgotten that Team America was sold in Canada, I did read (and enjoy at the time) the Marvel Comic book, which hasn’t aged super good.

My friends sister at the time was Strawberry Shortcake obsessed, I know everyone’s names to this day.

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I really dig Grover swiping his pose from Burt Reynolds like that.

The Fisher Price circus train sure had some long legs.

I laid this very site out on a Texas Instruments computer.

I remember wanting those Coleco mini arcade games but dang, they were pricey!

There is a Mattel Wayne Gretsky doll at EVERY antique mall in Canada, they’re right next to the Bob and Doug McKenzie record and the “Blue Jays World Series” newspapers. It’s Canadian law put into place by Stephen Harper.

My 7th grade teacher made us play IQ 2000 like almost every day. She was a terrible teacher.

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Issue #13 of Toy-Ventures Magazine will feature the never-before-seen plans for the 1983 World’s Greatest Superheroes toy line and a cover featuring artwork specially commissioned for Mego’s catalogue, gloriously coloured by Robyn Adams, founder of the Mego Museum.

 

 

Toy-Ventures is our magazine; we’re an independent publisher trying to bring back print toy magazines; if you would like to support us, please check out the latest issue: https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

Click Here for past installments of 5 Awesome Things on eBay this week

 

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