Toy Lines

1976 Mattel Sunshine Family Catalog

I’ve been quite open about the fact that the Mattel Sunshine Family dolls kind of freaked me out as a kid, it’s the blank eyes, sedate expression and well, even their name sounds like a Grindhouse horror movie. The Sunshine Family was devised in the mid-seventies by Mattel and seems to be grown-up hippies now […]

GI Joe Action Team Catalog from Germany

In Germany, they called Hasbro’s GI Joe “Action Team,” a perfect name as Action Team blends the popular US themes of the Adventure Team with the military stylings still prevalent in the United Kingdon under the Action Man banner. This early 70s catalogue showcases many popular GI Joe sets from both continents, along with some […]

1979 Toys R Us Catalog Gallery

From our video this week, here is the 1979 Toys R Us Catalog in it’s full-colour glory. This wonderful time warp of a publication really encapsulates the late 1970s toy and pop culture crazes. Starting of course with Mork Mania, the popularity of “Mork and Mindy” spawned some really fun merchandise from Mattel and others. […]

1977 Marx Ready Gang Catalog

In 1977, Marx Toys launched the Ready Gang, a beautifully detailed line of 9″ action figures from the old west with little to no back story (Seriously, are these guys, outlaws, or good guys? I guess it’s up to the kid?) and it lasted two years before fading away. My best guess is the line’s […]

1984 Galoob Blackstar Catalog

Blackstar was a Filmation animated program that made its debut in September of 1981; the series blended science fiction with fantasy (borrowing a little from JRR Tolkien) and saw its end the December of that same year. Blackstar saw a second life, thanks to Filmation’s next project, “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe,” based […]

Toy-Ventures: Welcome Back Kotter Toys

Toy-Ventures: Welcome Back Kotter New to the channel? Subscribe! â–ºhttps://bit.ly/3D3zxJK Up your nose with a rubber hose! Toy-Ventures looks at the 1970s phenom that was the Sweathogs with this special look at the Mattel Welcome Back Kotter action figure line. Did kids want sitcom figures? Was Epstein faking those notes from his mother? Find all […]