Knight Rider Burnin’ Key Cars were Fearsome and Unmerciful
The Burnin’ Key Car concept was pretty simple. You get a small toy car and a key. Put the key in the small car. Give it a squeeze. Watch it go. If you loved toy cars in the eighties, you probably...
View ArticleDungeons & Dragons Computer Labyrinth Game
Once I started playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid, I voraciously consumed anything related to the game. One of my “holy grail” items was a copy of Mattel’s Dungeons & Dragons Computer...
View ArticleDo you remember these 7 Shooting Games from 1981?
I was obsessed with shooting games when I was a kid. When we went to arcades or any places that had games with guns, I would spend my time pretend playing. Just holding the gun, shooting at the screen...
View ArticleSuper Jock Toys made for great weapons of war
Super Jock Toys were a line of toys made by Schaper starting in the seventies. Super Jocks were sports based, hence the use of “Jock”. Each playset consisted of action figures playing sports including...
View ArticleTransformers were poised to make coleslaw out of the Cabbage Patch Kids for...
In Christmas of 1984 the toy world was shifting. Video games were hitting a rough spot and action figure toys were already years old. Even the heavy hitter of the year before, the Cabbage Patch Kid was...
View ArticleBeautiful Kite Packaging Art
If you are ever in a beach town, one place you should always stop is the local pharmacy. Better yet, if they have one, a Five and Ten store. They are filled with wondrous beach related items, which are...
View ArticleI Took a Lickin From a Chicken by LJN
When I was a kid, my Mother would talk all about this Tic Tac Toe playing chicken that they had in New York City’s Chinatown. It captured my imagination like nothing else. You could have told me that a...
View ArticleQuark selling Deep Space 9 action figures
During the nineties, my interest in action figures dwindled. Yes, we had a Star Wars resurgence, but it never captured my imagination. I still had all of my original toys, and to me the new figures...
View ArticleRemember Parker Brothers Loop-a-Lot?
I received an email an email last week from someone who remembered having a game where you spun coins on these “paddles.” My inbox is full of emails just like this one. They are enjoyable to receive,...
View ArticleMC Hammer Concert Doll
Last weekend I was at a flea market and spotted an MC Hammer Concert Doll in pretty poor shape. This is not the first MC Hammer Concert Doll that I have seen over the years, so I imagine he is not that...
View ArticleDukes of Hazzard Boss Hogg Action Figure
Like many people who grew up in the eighties, I watched The Dukes of Hazzard. I liked the car chases, the simple plots, and the charisma of the actors. My grandmother knew that I was a fan and fed my...
View ArticleStay Alive the Board Game
Stay Alive was originally published by Milton Bradley in 1971. The idea of the game is pretty simple. You must “stay alive.” The game consists of a 7×7 grid with random holes and sliders. You place...
View ArticleMy final trip to Toys R Us
I was not sure if I was going to go to Toys R Us before it closed. Part of me wanted to not taint the good memories I had of the store. But another part of me was curious to see what was going on...
View ArticleThe magical world of the Walkie-talkie
Communication now is ubiquitous. We are basically living in a science fiction world on the communication front. One technology though, for many years, allowed for freedom that would hint at the...
View ArticleHow to play Gemstones by Mayfair Games
Gemstones is a fun and simple game, that is sadly out of print. So I thought I would share my latest find of a sealed game package along with the rules for anyone who wants to try it out at home. The...
View ArticleSpectra was Spacy, Lacy and Out of this World
In 1987, Mattel released a barbie sized doll called Spectra. Her and Shimeroons didn't last long, but they were still amazing. The post Spectra was Spacy, Lacy and Out of this World appeared first on...
View ArticleArmory Dice Markers
Armory Dice Markers are great looking artifacts from a different time in gaming. It is nice to see that someone preserved them up until now and that people value them enough to pay a ludicrous amount...
View ArticleIncredible Hulk Instant Muscles
Are you a pipsqueak? Maybe full of rage because you are tired of getting pushed around. But lack the willpower to work towards a stronger you? Well then, do I have a product for you, Incredible Hulk...
View ArticleMcDonald's Happy Meal Playmobil Toys
The first McDonald’s Happy Meal made its way into kids’ hands in 1979. Over the years they would release a variety of memorable toys and boxes, including a set that contained Playmobil toys in 1982....
View ArticleThe Green Machine
In the late Sixties, the toy company Marx introduced the Big Wheel to the world. It was a compact three-wheeled wonder that would ultimately become iconic. Every kid wanted one. Including me. Less...
View ArticleDallas: The Television Role-Playing Game
My Grandmother was initially opposed to me playing Dungeons & Dragons. She was pulled into the hysteria and feat about the game. Eventually, though she would come to accept that this game was a...
View ArticleThe Batman Green Machine
After writing about the Green Machine, I was reminded of a tweet by longtime Retroist contributor and podcaster, Rob O’Hara. When Rob was a kid, he had a Batman themed Green Machine. Needless to say,...
View ArticleDo you remember the Furskin Bears?
How do you followup one of the most successful toy lines of a decade? For Cabbage Patch Kid designer, Xavier Roberts, the answer was a lot fuzzier. It was the Furskin Bears. Each Furskin Bear has...
View ArticleLeon Neon by Mattel
In 1986 a toy hit the market that embodied the mid to late eighties “glow” aesthetic, Leon Neon. Manufactured by Mattel these toys were glow-in-the-dark tubes that you twist and bend into fun shapes...
View ArticleNerf Turbo Screamer Football
In 1991, Nerf released the Turbo Screamer Football. This football not only went further than a standard Nerf Football, it also whistled while doing so. Over the years it has become a rarity and has...
View ArticleNasta Hit Stix
In 1988, Nasta released Hit Stix. They promised to bring sound to air drumming. While they did make a sound, they were not the most dependable toy and the advertising might have been their greatest asset.
View ArticleToys of the 1979 JCPenney Christmas Catalog
The 1979 JCPenney Christmas Catalog is a wonderland of toys. Action Figures and Video Games are just starting to move front and center, yet not everything is defined by franchises. So let's take a look...
View ArticleColeco Couch Potato Pals
In 1987, Coleco released the Couch Potato Pal. While not as big a hit as the Cabbage Patch Kid, the Couch Potato has a dedicated fanbase and an interesting history.
View ArticleVideo of Star Wars toys at Toys R Us on May 21, 1980
Everyone knew that The Empire Strikes Back was going to be a big hit, not just in the theaters, but in toy stores. Here are 25 amazing minutes of footage of WABC reporter Peter Bannon at a Toys R Us on...
View ArticleA History of the Speak & Spell
In 1978, Texas Instruments' Speak & Spell made its public debut. Soon it would become a household name. It entertained children around the world and was integral in a certain alien's attempt to...
View ArticleKellogg’s Bowl Buddies Make Great Laptop Buddies
Plastic cereal premiums used to be common. Nowadays they are extremely rare and I get excited whenever I spot one. I was happy to add my first of the Kellogg's Bowl Buddies to my collection today.
View Article1985 Lego Catalog
I always treasured any catalogs that came with my toys. Good ones, like this 1985 offering from Lego, fired up the imagination with great photos and illustrations.
View ArticleMcDonald’s Ronald and Pals Haunted Halloween Happy Meal Toys (1998)
In 1998, McDonald's released The Ronald and Pals Haunted Halloween Happy Meal Toys. These masked citizens of McDonaldland were great for holding candy and getting people into the spirit of the holiday.
View ArticleTop Secret Administrator’s Screen
In 1982, TSR released their Administrator Screens for Top Secret. While not a history changing release, its useful tables and charts were what many players found themselves staring at for hours while...
View ArticleBurger King Toy Chariot
My family had about a half dozen of the Burger King Toy Chariots. While the functionality they feature in the commercial is a lie, it was still a fun free toy to get.
View ArticleThe Incredible Hulk Rage Cage
In 1978, Funstuf released the Incredible Hulk Rage Cage. A delightfully simple, but visceral toy set that allowed kids of all ages to live out their Hulk-rage fantasies.
View ArticleWater Guns from Entertech
In the mid-eighties, LJN starting selling realistic-looking water guns under the Entertech label. They were controversial among many groups, but for at least one summer they were the hottest toys on my...
View ArticleMy Quest for Muttley
In the spring of 2021 I spotted a Muttley stuffed animal in a crane game at my local supermarket. Over the next 8 months, I would make repeated attempts to win him. I am happy to announce that my quest...
View ArticleNickelodeon Super Toy Run
For over 15 years, The Nickelodeon Super Toy Run fired up the imagination of kids across America. Let's take a look back at this remarkable annual event from its birth in 1984 all the way up to the...
View ArticleThe Magical World of Shrinky Dinks
In 1973, Shrinky Dinks began appearing on store shelves, and home craft play time would never be the same. Let's take a look back at the history of this amazing toy, from its birth in the 1970s,...
View ArticleRemember the PoGo Bal?
Some trends are brief, but still memorable. Hasbro's PoGo Bal was everywhere for about a year in the 1980s before slowly disappearing. Let's take a look at the rise and fall and rise again of this...
View ArticleMcDonald’s Cactus Plant Flea Market Happy Meal for Adults
I got my first Adult Happy Meal today. While I think the box could use some work, the toy was strangely compelling, and I think I will be trying to collect 'em all.
View ArticleMagical Musical Thing by Mattel
In the late 70s, electronic toys were all the rage. Jumping on the trend, Mattel released a memorable and successful musical toy, the Magical Musical Thing.
View Article1983 Toys “R” Us Christmas Sale Circular
In November 1983, Toy "R" Us sent out this pre-Christmas sale circular. It is filled with all the great toys that would make 1983 such a memorable year. So let's take a look at what you might have...
View ArticleDandy, The Games of Life, and Dark Tower
Have you ever seen a video game or movie and thought, “This looks like this other game I played.” Its often hard to trace the DNA of these creations, but in some instances you can trace it back to its...
View ArticlePizza, Domino Shows, and Mouse Trap
How did Domino’s get its name, what are dominoes anyway, and is there a wrong way to play with them? So many questions to ask and tangents to get lost in while thinking about pizza.
View ArticleFireflies, Glowmatography, and Candy Bar Surgery
This night could use a little brightnin’ Light up you little ol’ bug of lightnin’ When you gotta glow, you gotta glow Glow little glow worm, glow
View ArticleCasey Kasem and American Top 40
Keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. - Casey Kasem
View ArticleDittos, DDT Trucks, and Scratch and Sniff Stickers
Sometimes when I close my eyes and focus really hard, I can still smell it. It is a scent that fills me with anxiety, and yet I still crave it. I am of course referring to the smell of the spirit...
View ArticleThe Joy of Transformer’s Rubsigns
Let's reminisce about the good old days of Transformers toys and their iconic Rubsigns. When the simple yet magical act of rubbing a sticker to reveal a hidden logo captured our imagination and remains...
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