Rare Battlestar Galactica toy in CD Catalog (Plus Mego Micronauts)
I recently acquired the 1979 Consumer’s Distributing catalog, a Canadian chain, Consumers was one of those stores where you filled out a slip of paper (I tended to use fake names), it went down one of those cool tubes and then 20 minutes later your purchase rolled up a conveyer belt (or a substitution item, which happened an awful lot). Consumer’s Distributing is special to me, especially around the late 1970s. My grandmother would get these in and like a lot of grandpeople, she would keep them around, for years. Seriously, I found some in her house after she passed.
I never usually win the late 70s catalogs because of Star Wars collectors coveting them and driving up the price but I lucked out and got the 1979 and I will be sharing it through a series of blog posts.
I begin with this…glorious page that I totally burned holes into as a wee lad (click to enlarge)
My main love for this page was Micronauts, which were totally my jam in 1979, although that figure set always confused, why Antron by himself? Without Repto and Membros, this set didn’t make much sense, however, as an adult collector, I would love to find this three-pack in the consumer’s distributing box. If You have it for sale please email me.
Get Toy-Ventures Issue 2 now!
The true highlight of this page however is the appearance of the Battlestar Galactica Landram, a vehicle that was only sold in Canada and goes now for thousands in the box. I can’t begin to tell you how many of these I found when I was first starting out as a collector, probably a half dozen in the box and I found a few loose ones at yard sales. No, I did not buy all of them or keep them but as you can imagine, I wish I had.
Much more catalog madness all this week!
PlaidStallions Toy-Ventures Magazine #2 is now available and it’s been called “not only an entertaining read, but it’s also an impeccable work of reference” by PopCult.
FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS
Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook.
Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s dimestore goodness, we talk vintage toys, not others!
CD or something very similar was here in California back in the 80s. I think there were at least two chains running on the same principle, with weekly color slicks distributed via newspapers and bulk mail.
I remember it as having sample items on shelves and looking like a regular store until you took your form to the end. Still have a Jansport briefcase from there, built along the same lines as their backpacks and bike bags. Faintly recall buying the actual sample because they didn’t have one in back (might have been a closeout shelf).
I also remember Battlestar Galactica toys everywhere before the show debuted, including vehicles and figures that didn’t quite match was got on the air. Then the show flopped, and there was a long, slow fade of Lorne Greene action figures and the like at variety stores. In later years I’d explore the Kay Bee Toys in malls; there was always a bin that served as a pop culture graveyard of figures from failed movies and TV shows.
We had several of these “Catalog Showrooms” in western NY. The two biggies were Brand Names and Century, but I also remember Naum’s and Service Merchandise. There was something magical about filling out your slip, turning it in, and having it appear in minutes, like a mail away at warp speed. I’d pore over these catalogs for hours on end, and they are probably what sparked my love of nostalgia, as you’d look at one a few years old, and notice how styles had changed. Other than toys, my favorite sections were watches, and the bar novelties (seems like everybody had a home bar in the 70s).
Not sure if it was affiliated with CD or what but we had a similar type store called Consumers in Staten Island. I went there a couple of times but they never seemed to have anything I wanted in stock.
I would have loved that Viper launcher! I had the Cylon Raider.
We had Consumers and Shoppers here in Windsor. (Shoppers was the same idea with a flashier logo.) Late 70’s/early 80’s I remember Consumers being THE place to get Star Wars and Micronauts. (Rivaled slightly be Sears.) They seemed to get stuff faster than anyone else.
Micronauts are still one of my faves, but they are NOT made for collectors. They’re fragile, have rubber parts that deteriorate, and so many small bits that it’s tough to get a complete set.
Don C.