1985 Marty Toys Catalog -Bend-a-Bots- Taka-Kanaka

I know precious little about Marty Toys (also known as M-Toy), but I remember their product dotting store shelves in the mid-1980s. This catalogue fascinated me because I’ve always wanted to know a little more about it. Turns out, much like companies such as Remco, they seem to make their bones copying other hot toy trends.

So 1985 is full of robots, both transformable and not-so transformable,  Fantasy Warriors, and other familiar items. Let’s explore!

 

I certainly remember Kokai Mun and Taka-Kanaka toys on the shelves of my local Toys R Us. I’ve never been a fan of the transformers themselves but the flood of Japanese robot toys it brought in its wake? Thank you, Optimus Prime.

Update: I’ve been informed that these toys are actually from the series Iron Gear and Xabungle, thank you interwebs people.

 

 

 

Some of those Marty Toys Sparky Bots look a lot like Godzilla, Mecha-Godzilla and Baragon but it’s probably just a coincidence. 

 

The Marty Toys Bend-A-Bots look really cool and would totally fit in with the Arco toys Another World line of Fantasy Figures.

 

Marty Toys Combo was a Transformers Knock-Off for the lazy child. Mr. H2O has an odd name but not a ban concept, water shooting action figures were also welcome in my toy box.

 

 

Has anyone ever counted how many times “Galaxy” has been used in MOTU Knock-Offs? I bet it’s a lot. I love that the other playset is just called “World War 2” no reference to a battle, it’s just the whole even boiled down to one playset. 

 

 

Those wind surfers were the stuff of Woolworths and Bi-Way back in the day.

 

Big Sport was a knock-off of the Schaper Super Jocks toy line and was originally started by a company called GLJ in the 1970s. I don’t know how Marty Toy ended up with someone else’s Knock-Off but the toy industry is whacky that way.

 

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