Buck Rogers Dolls (Mego)

Buck Rogers Dolls
Mego
1979

We touched on Mego's Buck Rogers action figure line way, way, way, way, way back in the day "HERE", and while we always intended on following up with the larger dolls had the absolute hardest time finding mint condition ones. It's been a challenge four years in the making, and we're happy to say that we've finally done it.

These particular renditions of the characters are of course based off of the television series from 1979 which ran for two seasons encompassing thirty-seven episodes. The series launched after the highly successful film which was released in theaters on March 30, 1979. However, when the film aired on television as the more commonly known two part pilot episodes, several scenes were edited to remove adult themed dialog as well as the death scene of Tiger Man so that he could return as a recurring character in the series.

The Mego dolls have become cherished collectibles to many fans, and with all that great detail it's easy to see why. Each character is brilliantly captured in both sculpt and clothing. As we've often said before, our biggest disappointment is that there weren't more characters made.

Draconian Guard*Draco

 

Dr. Huer*Buck Rogers

 

Killer Kane*Tiger Man

 

A unique twist added to the Twiki figure was that Mego built in a walking feature. When you wound him up, the figure would walk across the surface, all while turning its head. Admittedly, the legs on this particular figure look rather goofy when compared to the rest of its body. While the top half of Twiki showcases great detail, and good mass, the lower half is essentially two skinny rod legs lacking in detail, and finished off with thick feet to accommodate the walking feature. We can't help but think that doing away with the feature and focusing more on a good sculpt would have been a better alternative.

 

Walking Twiki

Ranging anywhere from $50.00 to $200.00 for each doll, this isn't an easy series to obtain. It's even more so difficult if you're looking for great condition packaging - Which seems to be few and far between for this particular series.

Join us next time when we take a look at Wizard!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

James Bond Jr. (Hasbro)

James Bond Jr.
Hasbro
1991

James Bond Jr. was an animated cartoon series which was based on the beloved Ian Fleming master spy. In the series, Jr. is actually noted as the nephew of the famous spy of the same name, and not his son. The series ran for sixty-five episodes and regularly featured infamous villains from the live action Bond films such as Jaws, Oddball, Goldfinger, Nick Nack and Dr. No.

Hasbro released a series of toys based on the show in 1991, however when the show ended after one season, so too did the toys. As a result there wasn't much ground covered in terms of characters. Though twelve figures were produced, four were reserved for versions of Bond Jr.

Captain Walker D. Plank*Dr. Derange*Dr. No

Gordo Leiter*IQ*James Bond

 

Though most of the figures are pretty commonly found on secondary markets, the original James Bond Jr. with brown jacket and Dr. No seem to be the hardest to get your hands on. Despite this difficulty, prices have not peaked beyond $15.00 to $20.00 for either of them.

 

James Bond (Flight Gear)*James Bond (Ninja Gear)*James Bond (Scuba Gear)

Jaws*Mr. Buddy Mitchell*Odd Job

 



The series included a handful of vehicles that were produced to coincide with the figures. The most difficult to track down these days is the Sports Car.

S.C.U.M. Shark

Sports Car

 

The final item released for the series was the cos-play Hot Shot CD Player. What's interesting about this item is that it isn't a functioning CD player at all. Instead it's a cap gun, and the CD player works as the holster.

 

Subcucle

Hot Shot CD Player

It would be interesting to hear from some fans of the James Bond movies as to what their opinion is of this cartoon series. Do they love it, or is it considered an abomination to them? We wonder if it would considered to be what the Star Wars Holiday Special is to Star Wars fans.

Join us next time when we take a look at Buck Rogers Dolls!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Wizard Of Oz (Multi Toys)

Wizard of Oz
Multi Toys
1989

Somewhere  over the rainbow there's a toy line that does The Wizard of Oz the justice it deserves. Sadly it's not in Multi Toys 1989 half hearted attempt to cash in on the 50th anniversary of the iconic film.

The company released a lot of WoO merchandise in 1989 ranging from these figures to dolls, to clothing for the dolls, and a line of Munchkins. The dolls were a little more forgiving in terms of overall quality.

Dorothy

 

The Scarecrow

 

The quality lacking in the figures is somewhat made up for in the quality of the cardbacks which feature fantastic art, and a stream of film reel which showcases scenes from the film. It's a real shame that this amount of care wasn't put into the actual toys.

The Tin Man

 

The Cowardly Lion

 

Glenda the Good Witch

 

The Wicked Witch

 

If you really were on the hunt for these figures, or are now, a better solution to tracking them all down individually is the six pack as seen below. This may have also been a better route that Multi Toys should have taken when releasing the figures as opposed to banking on an action figure line.

 



Six Pack Collector's Set

For those looking for a better alternative to these Wizard of Oz based toys, we highly recommend considering investing in the original Mego dolls from 1974.

Join us next time when we take a look at James Bond Jr.!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

V The Resistance (Arco)

V The Resistance
Arco
1984

We touched on V in general back in 2012 in our post about LJN's toy line, quite honestly there isn't a whole lot more that we can say about the series in general that we didn't already touch on there.

In 1983, Arco toys produced a line of their own toys based on the series. Much like prior products before this particular series, the products were simply re-used molds of existing lines that the company had churned out in the past, and would use again many more times in the future. However, this doesn't mean it was of poor quality.

Arco was one of the well known toy companies for making toy guns, and they did a fantastic job on them. Mind you, this was back in the day when kids could play toy guns out in the middle of the street without fear of something going horribly wrong.

The first pistol was the P.38 rubber dart gun. It came packed with six darts, which could be loaded and fired one at a time...Which would then end up lost for years beyond the time that you actually owned the gun, and then one day you would mysteriously find them behind your parent's couch - Even though you looked there like a hundred times before giving up.

The sculpt of the gun is pretty spot on to that of a real Walther P.38 of the times - A gun very popular with the German's in World War II - Toys and history together! Fun!

The second gun was the 45'er. It had a fantastic gunfire and ricochet sound effects, and best of all didn't require batteries to use. This particular gun also came with its own holster which could be attached to your belt. It also came packaged with your own membership card for the Resistance.

A second version of the gun, known as the Action Set, was released the same year which included the weapon and holster as well a pair of binoculars and a grenade. It's the most difficult of the two versions to find, and sadly we couldn't locate one in time for this post.

No matter which of either of the guns above that you're after, it's important to be cautious when buying them loose. As we stated above, Arco utilized these same sculpts many times over for numerous toy lines, and it's very easy to be duped into thinking you're buying the V ones when instead you're buying a Rambo or A-Team one. Because each brand is only distinguishable with the stickers that were adhered to them, it's typically best to hold off for one in the package to ensure you're getting what you're looking for.

In addition to toy guns, Arco was also fond of producing Bop Bags. For those of you unfamiliar with these incredibly popular 80's toys, it was essentially an inflatable punching bag for kids. This particular version showcased a Visitor with most of his lizard face exposed under torn skin. Gruesome, yet so awesome at the same time!

If there was one drawback to any brand of Bop Bag from this era, it's that they're all incredibly fragile, and prone to puncture around the seams. As such be careful about how hard you slap yours around as you may inadvertently end up popping it - Which would just be a downer.

The last item was the Defender Rifle Target Game Set. This was a fantastic rifle for its time, featuring several projectile darts that you would fire into the cardboard target on the back of the box.

Toy guns were such a blast when we were growing up, and it's a real shame that a lot of kids these days are missing out on them. I guess we've reached that age where just like our parents, we can look back and say, "Sigh - Those were the good old days."

Join us next time when we take a look at Wizard of Oz!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Underdog (Mezco)

Underdog
Mezco
2007

Underdog got his start as a General Mills sponsored animated television series in 1964 which ran for 124 episodes through 1967, and continued in syndication until 1973. It featured the hero of the same name, who would take to the skies in a mock Superman fashion when his love interest Sweet Polly was in danger - Which apparently was all the time.

The show borrowed generously from the premise of Superman, which included Underdog having the alter ego persona of the timid Shoeshine Boy who showed no signs of bravery or being a hero. As Underdog, the character would often speak in rhymes, such as his catch phrase, "There's no need to fear, Underdog is here!"

Since his initial inception, the character has been featured in numerous young reader picture books and comics. As of recent, Underdog has even been showcased in a full fledged feature film (2007) in an attempt to revitalize the character.

Also in 2007, Mezco released a handful of figures based on the original cartoon version - Though it was in very limited release, and came and went before most people even knew it was available.

Underdog (Serious Face)

 

Two versions of Underdog were made available. The first showcased a serious look on the characters face. The second had the character giving a big grin.

Underdog (Smile)

 

Sweet Polly Purebread

 

Simon Barsinister

 

Riff Raff

 

The 2007 Comic Con exclusive set is one of the more elusive pieces to track down, but despite this it doesn't typically sell for a lot of money. If you're patient enough, you can typically nab one for around $35.00 - However, be prepared to deal with sellers who are asking three to four times more than that for it.

Underdog 2007 Comic Con Exclusive

In general this is not an easy line of figures to track down. The most common one you'll find is Simon Barsinister. Unfortunately the rest of them are rarely found. Much like the Comic Con exclusive, this doesn't necessarily make the figures valuable. On average you can pick them up for $8.00 to $15.00 each mint on card. It's just a line that is going to take patience to track down.

Join us next time when we take a look at V The Resistance!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutations (Playmates Toys)

New on shelves as of January 2015 is the all new sub series of Nickelodeon figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - Mutations! Nine all "new" figures have been released which include Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, Metal Head, Slash, Shredder, Splinter and Tiger Claw.

These figures honestly disappoint us. Mainly because it's nothing short of a rehash of what we've already gotten. Out of the nine figures, none of them are new. Though we do like the packaging, it's not enough to make us want to dive head long into this all new sub series. Quite honestly we've never really found ourselves sitting around saying, "Boy, wouldn't it be great if we could take our Turtle figures apart and swap the pieces of each body around?"

Side Note - We did end up picking up a Metal Head so that we could put his pieces in Donnie's workshop area in the Secret Sewer Lair. That turned out pretty cool in terms of adding to the look of the diorama.

Variant hunters - It's been noted that Playmates Toys is utilizing this new style of packaging for the basic line of figures as well. So far we've seen about a dozen of the older figures packaged on retail shelves, and it's speculated that a whole bunch more are coming down the pike. If you're in to package variations, this is going to be a big one for you.

In addition, the set of four Mystic Turtles are out on store shelves. We'll create a new post for those once we've obtained them.

Join us next time when we take a look at Elvira - Mistress of the Dark!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief (Jazwares)

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - The Lightning Thief
Jazwares
2009

Percy Jackson - The Lightning Thief is the title of the first novel from writer Rick Riordan, and as such is the first installment in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. The series became a massive success, and spawned a feature film of the same name. It is the film version that Jazwares licensed, and produced the based upon toys below.

We've never actually seen the film(s) or read the book(s), so our knowledge is unfortunately very limited on the subject of Percy Jackson. As such, we won't insult the fans of the series by talking out of our ears on the matter.

Four basic figures, one deluxe figures, and five two-packs encompass the entire line. However, there are differences between the various items. The basic figures stand at five inches tall, while the deluxe Hades figure stands at seven inches. The two packs are made up of two inch miniature figures.

Grover*Medusa

Percy Jackson*Zeus

 

Hades

 

Hades and Grover*Medusa and Fury*Percy and Minotaur

 

Poseidon and Fury*Zeus and Hellhound

 

Two final items produced for the series were the cosplay 24 inch plastic sword, and the very functional Lightning Bolt Pen.



24 Inch Sword*Lightning Bolt Pen

Join us next time when we take a look at Underdog!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Space: 1999 (Mattel)

Space: 1999
Mattel
1976

Space: 1999 was a sci-fi series which originally aired in the UK which ran for two seasons between 1975 and 1977. The series would eventually make its way across the ocean to US televisions, but was typically run on non network affiliated stations. Oddly enough, the series started Martin Landau and Barbara Bain - Both American actors. The series received very mixed reviews often times praising or condemning it for opposite items. For example, some praised it for its magnificant acting, while others claimed the acting was wooden and terrible. We suppose it's just going to be one of those things that each person has to decide for themselves.

In 1976, Mattel released a handful of items based on the series. Much like the highly popular Mego brand, the "dolls" stood eight inches high, and featured a variety of articulation. Each package was also specifically designed with wonderful artwork to showcase the character in question.

Commander Koenig

 

Doctor Russell

 

Professor Bergman

 

The series was rounded out with the Moon Base Alpha playset.

 

Moon Base Alpha Playset

 

An honorable mention to the series goes to the Eagle I Spaceship and Flying Eagle which were pieces that Mattel created that same year. Neither was designed to be incorporated into the 8 inch line of dolls.

 

The Eagle I Spaceship came packed in with a set of three smaller figures depicted in orange flight suits such as seen on the box art, and was a fun playset/vehicle combo.

 



Eagle I Spaceship

 

Dubbed as one of the rarest and most valuable items in the series, the Flying Eagle. It was essentially a launching station with a propeller based Eagle I Spaceship which you would launch off of the station. If you're looking to track one down, be prepared to spend about $300.00 to $400.00.

Flying Eagle

Join us next time when we take a look at Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Robin Hood (Mego)

Robin Hood
Mego
1974

In the 70's, Mego pretty much had its hands in every toy line that they could - Well, with the exception of that one mistake not to nab the Star Wars license when it was first offered to them. Monsters, super heroes, movie characters, and more - They pretty much left no stone unturned.

Though there was no license procured for these figures between Mego, Errol Flynn and/or Warner Bros. Pictures, the figure for Robin Hood himself has a striking resemblance to the actor who played the leading role of the character in the 1939 Warner Bros. movie, The Adventures of Robin Hood. Intended, or a fortunate coincidence? You be the judge.

The figures are more so popular among Mego collectors today than they appear to have been when first released in 1974. Though they can be found in abundance, they're not necessarily cheap. Empty boxes sell for around $20.00, and mint in package figures fluctuate between $50.00 and $150.00. Unfortunately there's no real rhyme or reason for the variance in pricing suffice to say that it appears to be based on who's looking for them, and when.

Join us next time when we take a look at Space: 1999!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

December 2014 Recap

Below is a recap of all the post we've covered in December 2014. If you missed any, or simply want to see them again, click on each "title" to be taken directly to that post. As always, thanks for reading.

Dick Tracy
John Lennon - The New York Years
Kung Fu
The Last Airbender
McDonaldland Characters
Ninja Turtles
Onimusha 2
TurboMan
Quantum and Woody - The Goat Inaction Figure

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page.

Quantum and Woody - The Goat Inaction Figure (Acclaim)

Quantum and Woody - The Goat Inaction Figure
Acclaim
1998

"The world's greatest comic company presents...The world's worst superhero team!" It was the tagline that Valiant Entertainment went with when Quantum and Woody were gearing up to return in their second volume of books in March of 2013.

The duo first made their appearance in the title of the same name in June of 1997 for the first volume of books. The seventeen book series ran until 1998, and returned once again between September 1999 and January 2000 for five more books.

In 1998 Acclaim released an action figure based on The Goat, but didn't follow up with any figures based on Quantum or Woody. Odd.

Two versions were available, the original white figure with a white cape, and the grey chase variant with a blue cape. Neither one is particularly easy to come by, but despite this, prices on secondary markets aren't bank shattering. The white version can be picked up for $15.00 to $20.00, while the grey version sells for around $30.00. Again, that's if you can find them as they're fairly scarce.

Join us next time as the year clicks over to 2015, and we start all over again with our look at Robin Hood!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

TurboMan (Tiger Electronics)

TurboMan
Tiger Electronics
1996

How many of you got your TurboMan doll for Christmas? No, not Booster. Nobody wants Booster!

TurboMan was the hottest fictional toy in the world in 1996 for the Arnold Schwarzenegger/Sinbad comedy Jingle All the Way. The film depicts the great absurd lengths that so many parents will go, and the despicable way in which they act just to get their child that one Christmas gift they keep asking for. It was funny, and yet so sad at the same time - Mainly because it's unfortunately so true (Tickle Me Elmo anyone?).

The film also features a very young Jake Lloyd (before he was blamed and cast out of Hollywood for ruining Star Wars: The Phantom Menace) as young Jamie - An innocent bright eyed boy who just wants a TurboMan doll for Christmas, and nothing more. This sets in motion his father's vain efforts to be one of the few last minute shoppers to actually make his child's holiday wish come true. Sprinkle in a little Phil Hartman for awkward no means yes advances on Schwarzenegger's wife in the film, played by Rita Wilson, and just a splash of James Belushi...Because his brother wasn't available, and you have a classic holiday film that was...Well, pretty much forgotten by now.

In 1996, Tiger Electronics, LTD tried to find the fictional success of the character in real toy isles with their Talking TurboMan doll/oversized action figure. They were not successful. The toy was quickly shuffled off to clearance isles.

Despite this, the toy has since found a huge following of collectors who are paying huge amounts to add this doll to their collection today. Collectors pay anywhere from $100.00 to $300.00 for mint in package ones. Though we do wonder how many of these are bought as gag gifts to stick under the tree during the holidays - That's an expensive gag right there.

These days its not hard to find the doll via secondary markets - It's just expensive. Whether you're buying this as a holiday gag, or because your heart is truly set on it, it's going to set you back a bit.

Join us next time when we take a look at Quantum and Woody - The Goat Inaction Figure!

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.

Lego Star Wars 2014 Advent Calendar - December 24, 2014

December 24, 2014

Darth Vader Santa Claus

Click "HERE" to go back to the home page. For more posts related to this one, please click the labels below.