Over the weekend, I found a wonder 1975 newspaper flyer/catalogue from Eatons. For those not in the know, Eaton’s was Canada’s department store chain and a really big deal back in the day. When I saw these images, I felt like I’d seen them before and immediately bought this (best ten bucks I’ve spent in a long time). I’ll share more pages from this but this one particularly resonated with me.

I was ALL ABOUT Mattel’s Big Jim at this time, I had many of his sets and like a lot of kids that Sports Camper was a birthday gift that year. However, the big memory here was figuring out that Mattel was using Barbie tooling to make Big Jim toys. The Big Jim Sports Camper was Barbie’s Country Camper, his Sky Commander plane was the Barbie friendship. I think at the time I felt like I had really uncovered something, a toy conspiracy, not realizing this was obvious to anyone with eyes.

None of this deterred me from enjoying Big Jim.

Check out this awesome Big Jim Catalog from 1975

1979 Italian Big Jim Catalog

We have a new book out called “Knock-Offs: Totally Unauthorized Action Figures” it’s a 132-page tribute to bootleg toys.

You can get this new book via the PlaidStallions Shop , On Amazon (Affiliate Link) or on eBay (eBay Link)

Our book Rack Toys, Cheap, Crazed Playthings is now available again! Order through our Affiliate Link

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Toy-Ventures Magazine is our newest creation, an old-school print magazine about vintage toys! Professionally laid out and written, each issue is brimming with obscure and rare toys from companies such as Mego, Kenner, Remco, AHI, and much more. Monsters, Superheroes, Adventurers, Knock Offs, Apes, and so much more, it’s in Toy-Ventures.

Toy-Ventures Issue 5 is available now:
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FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS

Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Toys, Comics, Movies, TV, it’s all up for grabs and remember, you keep the glass!

Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s Dime store knock-offs of Mego action figures, we talk vintage toys and not others. We know the difference between Astro Apes and Action Apeman! It’s a really fun group where we talk about Lincoln International, AHI, Tomland, Bogi, Demo Man, Mortoy, and other generic greats.

Remco Energized Spider-Man

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Escape with me to a time when dads had bushy mustaches and a strong scent of pipe tobacco and Old Spice.

This catalog has everything a 70’s dad could want, it’s got all the ties, underwear, and cigarettes he can drink. Let’s dive in, shall we?

The Promotion this year was a “Daddy Bag” you could wrap his gifts in, my family has one of these. In hindsight, “Daddy Bag” may be the worst name for something ever and I don’t think any of us ever wanted to be seen in public with this thing, it’s probably still in the hall closet.

You had to expect a page of ties.

Masculine Jewelry by Swank, it’s nice when a 3rd rate Hustler clone branches out into merchandise like this.

Lloyd’s Stereos were kind of a “Dad brand”.

Get dad a classy ashtray!

Elastic waist band pants? I’m in.

Getting dad a mower on Father’s Day is the male equivalent of getting mom a frying pan on Mother’s day.

Time to musk up boys!

I really wanted to make a joke about how the guy in the middle is Ray Buktenica but that may be the most dated reference I’ve ever created.

Old man brand recliners, I swear that every house on my block was issued one of these.

Happy Father’s Day!

If you like vintage toys from the 60s to the 80s, please check out our publication,  Toy-Ventures magazine. Issue 4 is shipping this month and it’s loaded with cool toys and information. 

FACEBOOK GROUPS FROM PLAIDSTALLIONS

Pod Stallions is one of the most fun groups on Facebook. Join us for our all-day breakfast bar on Sundays and remember, you keep the glass!

Mego Knock Off Headquarters– The leading group discussing 70s dimestore goodness like Lincoln International, AHI, Tomland, Durham, you get the picture. Whether you like Mr. Rock or are more of an Astro Apes person, this is the group you need to be in.

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The Muppets were a smash in syndication, who doesn’t think of them when that ITC logo appears?

The Mego 12″ Wonder Woman brought in the bucks for many a year while Sindy was attempting to get some Barbie magic in a different scale..

The concept behind Kenner’s baby wet and care are still available at toy stores to this day.

 Get Toy-Ventures Issue 2 now!

The Micronauts by Mego Corporation (released by Grand Toys) were an incredibly strong seller in Canada, the Eaton Center in downtown Toronto had a huge window display of them that year (If anyone had the sense to snap some pictures, please send them to me) The Micronauts coverage in this flier actually dwarfs Star Wars.

Space Lego started to appear around this time, one of the coolest toy lines ever IMO.

Capsela was an electronic building set with a space age flair..

Star Wars was distributed in Canada by Irwin Toys under the name “Kenner Canada” I sent many a proof of purchase to that Toronto address….

Matchbox had been selling the Mobile Action Command line of figures and vehicles for much of the 1970s, small wonder, at $1.99 per set they were a well-priced toy. The Spider-man racing set is one of the few superhero-related items in this flier.

I think it’s impossible to have grown up in the 1970’s suburbia and not know someone who had a Marx Green Machine or Big Wheel. I got to use my neighbour Gordon’s Green Machine once, so at least I can go to my final resting place knowing I hit the spin-out lever..

Classic board games like Sorry and Operation were joined by soon to be classics like Hungry, Hungry Hippos and Mr Mouth

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.

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