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1975 German Toy Catalog

I found this wonderful catalog from a German company called Spielzug, I remember my grandmother bringing me back some of these and how enthralled I was. It’s a really great slice of what lucky kids in Germany got, their own versions of GI Joe and Big Jim, as well as Barbie, Sindy, Lego, Playmobil and Steiff. Check […]

The Black Hole Gun

As promised to Jason in our upcoming episode of Pod Stallions, I’ve finally scanned this and put it on the blog for the world to see. While Disney had a ban on guns in the US (Mego couldn’t give their Black Hole characters weapons) it didn’t stop UK distributor Marx from attempting to produce a […]

The 1978 Marx Ready Gang Catalog

  I’m still learning things. When I last posted about the wonderful Marx “Ready Gang” series of action figures, I pontificated that these old west figures had bombed in their initial year of 1977. Now I discover that the line not only didn’t bomb, it continued into a second year and even added new items […]

JAKKS Pacific’s brings back the Big Wheel!

MALIBU, Calif., Feb. 14, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kids Only!®, a division of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq:JAKK), has signed a license agreement with Alpha International, Inc., to manufacture, market and distribute The Original Big Wheel Ride-On toys. Kids Only!(R), a division of JAKKS Pacific, Inc. (Nasdaq: JAKK), will bring back the iconic Original Big Wheel […]

1976 Marx Playset Catalog

Marx was always known for their playsets and action figures but in 1976 they were poised to be one of the early entries into the world of 3 3/4″ action figures with a series of generic environments. Sadly it looks like buyers were indifferent to the concept, so we never got a 3 3/4″ Johnny […]

1977 Marx Ready Gang Catalog

In 1977, Marx Toys launched the Ready Gang a beautiful line of 9″ action figures from the old west with little to no back story (seriously are these guys outlaws for good guys?) and it quietly flopped in the market place. It’s a shame as the figures are not only attractive but well made, nowadays I […]

Black Beauty by Marx

Kind of ingenious item, take an existing horse mold (most likely from Johnny West) paint it black and use the public domain good will of Anna Sewell. I’m surprised more companies didn’t offer Black Beauty toys aimed at girls. As an aside, my sister loved horses and every birthday party she got two copies of […]

Toy Recycling

I love catalog extras such as these, this pile of accessories for G.I. Joe (or as the picture demonstrates his lower cost equivilant Fighting Yank) is actually left over parts from Marx’s “Mike Hazard” spy doll from the mid 1960s. The toy industry wisely never seems to throw anything away.