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Toy-Ventures: The 5 Best & 5 Weirdest Toyline Comic Books

Toy-Ventures take a trip to the spinner rack to highlight the memorable and truly forgettable comic books based on toy lines. We won’t tell you number one but rest assured; it ain’t Man Tech. #mego #micronauts #gijoe   Check out the PlaidStallions store for Toy-Ventures magazine, Tura Satan and much more: www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop Join the fun […]

Space Wars 1977

Christmas 1977 is such a unique period of time, every kid in the country had space toy fever thanks to a certain movie. However, no physical toys existed  (the cardboard promissory note was clever but come on) meaning it was a golden age for the Ideal Star Team (hastily slapped together to captilize on the […]

The Humble Origins of Kenner Star Wars Part 2

Just a  follow up to last week’s post about the late start that Star Wars got toy wise. In the very same toy trade magazine that nonchalantly showcased the photo of Lucas meeting with Kenner execs had this impressive add from Ideal at the very front. Ideal invaded alright, the company worked very fast to […]

Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 17

Yes! A new installment of  one of my favorites, vintage toy store photos. A journey back to the days of oddly named department stores and independent mall toy stores and chains that are fondly remembered but sadly mostly gone. Vintage Toy Store Photos Volume 17 covers the US and Canada this time and features appearances […]

TOYFINITY Presents: The Return of the Greatest Villain from ALL of the 70’s Space Franchises – ROBO FORCE’S THE KNIGHT OF DARKNESS!

For immediate release – April 1st, GROVERS MILL NJ –  Somber. Powerful. A grim-masked menace that strikes terror into the bravest heart. A perfect bad guy for long hours of imagination and excitement. – Ideal Toys Catalog 1978 So read the official description of the awesomest bad guy from the greatest space franchise in the […]

Star. Team Day

I found this great promotional piece for Ideal’s Star Team relaunch in the 1970s, I really haven’t written much about these in years so I think they deserve some fanfare. While Kenner was running around selling empty boxes and promises to kids for Christmas, Ideal resurrected an old brand used to market roll play space toys in […]

Spider Man takes on the Knight of Darkness?

Today’s Mall Appearance shot comes from Patrick, who also added a great story of the day he got it, I’ll let him tell it, budding in of course… “It was a beautiful Saturday in Woodbridge Center Mall, Woodbrdge, New Jersey. It was an open area (which exists to this day) in the JC Penney wing. […]

S.T.A.R Team Promotional Comic

In 1978, Ideal Toys hobbled together a series of space toys using old molds and a generous helping of inspiration from George Lucas.. S.T.A.R Team actually beat the Kenner Star Wars product to the stores (Kenner was forced to sell empty boxes promising action figures but you probably knew that) and the lawsuits flew! In […]