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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 7
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 6
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Erector Sets, Tinkertoys, And Lincoln Logs, Oh My!
Way before Legos (1949) and a Duplo Blocks (1969), educational toys such as the one's showcased in the title were all the rave among parents looking to stimulate their children's minds while at the same time providing them with quality toys that were fun, and would survive the test of might that children so often put on their toys. This week, we're going to take a look at three of those toys that to this day still stand as an iconic staple in homes.
ERECTOR SETS
Born in Salem, Oregon in 1884. A. C. Gilbert (1884-1962), boyhood love was magic tricks: he became so proficient that he once matched a traveling professional magician trick for trick, and earned the prescient praise, Gilbert was also a brilliant student, and soon went on to Yale Medical School. He helped pay his tuition by performing as a magician, and founded a company, Mysto Manufacturing, which sold magic kits for kids. In 1909, Gilbert finished medical school, but decided to expand his budding toy business rather than practice as a doctor.
Like many residents of New Haven, Connecticut, he often took the train to New York City; and on one trip in 1911 he was inspired with what would be the most popular of his dozens of inventions.
Watching out the train window as some workmen positioned and riveted the steel beams of an electrical power-line tower, Gilbert decided to create a children's construction kit: not just a toy, but an assemblage of metal beams with evenly spaced holes for bolts to pass through, screws, bolts, pulleys, gears and eventually even engines. A British toy company called Meccano Company was then selling a similar kit, but Gilbert's Erector set was more realistic and had a number of technical advantages --- most notably, steel beams that were not flat but bent lengthwise at a 90-degree angle, so that four of them nested side-to-side formed a very sturdy, square, hollow support beam.
Gilbert began selling the "Mysto Erector Structural Steel Builder" in 1913, backed by the first major American ad campaign for a toy. The Erector set quickly became one of the most popular toys of all time: living rooms across the country were transformed into miniature metropoles, filled with skyscrapers, bridges and railways. Those kids who already owned a set would beg Santa annually for an upgrade, aiming for the elusive "No. 12 1/2" deluxe kit that came with blueprints for the "Mysterious Walking Giant" robot. It is difficult for anyone under the age of 35 today to appreciate just how popular the Erector set was for over half a century.
A. C. Gilbert was one of the most multi-talented inventors of all time. With many fields open to his ingenuity, he chose to educate and entertain children through toys.
TINKERTOYS
Spokes, spools, rods and reels . . . Playskool's Tinkertoy Construction Sets, the tools of America's tinkerers were invented in 1914. Tinkertoy Construction Sets are one of the truly classic toys of all time. They have driven the imaginations of children for generations, proving that fun and stimulating toys never lose their appeal.
The possibilities for construction play are endless with Tinkertoy Construction Sets. In 1992, to freshen up in preparation for the big 80 birthday event, Playskool unveiled a major redesign to this classic toy of motion and construction. The new, all-plastic Tinkertoy sets feature brightly-colored, easy-to-assemble parts that allow kids to build bigger structures than ever before. Each set includes instructions to create vehicles that really roll, tall towers and even free moving Ferris Wheels.
Tinkertoy Construction Sets are the invention of Charles Pajeau, a stonemason from Evanston, Illinois who established The Toy Tinkers company. Inspired by watching children play with pencils, sticks and empty spools of thread, Pajeau developed several basic wooden parts which children could assemble in a variety of three dimensional abstract ways. He designed his first set in his garage, and with high hopes, displayed the toy at the 1914 American Toy Fair. But nobody was interested. He tried his marketing skills again at Christmas time. He hired several midgets, dressed them in elf costumes, and had them play with "Tinker Toys" in a display window at a Chicago department store. This publicity stunt made all the difference in the world. A year later, over a million sets had been sold. Playskool acquired the Tinkertoy line from Child Guidance in 1985.
LINCOLN LOGS
In the 1910s, American builders were busy on construction sites in the city and in the playroom. Introduced just after Tinkertoys and the Erector Set, Lincoln Logs were yet another construction toy to make it big during the decade. John Lloyd Wright, son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, brought out the line of sturdy, interlocking logs in 1916. Wright claimed that the foundation of Tokyo’s earthquake-proof Imperial Hotel, which he saw while it was under construction, inspired the shape of his logs.
Lincoln Logs turned out to be a toymaker’s dream. The original sets were an instant success, and after World War II, sales of Lincoln Logs got another boost from the baby boom. The sets were popular among postwar parents because they were more sophisticated than plain building blocks but still challenged children’s powers of concentration and eye-hand coordination. Ironically, Lincoln Logs—long a favorite of proponents of educational toys—were among the first toys to be promoted on a television show, 1953’s Pioneer Playhouse. The ads targeted affluent parents, who were most likely to own a television set and to buy educational toys.
It's simply amazing to see toys on the market today that have withstood the test of time of (nearly) a century. As a child of the 80's, I've seen tons of toy lines come and go. To see something from before my time on this Earth, and as simple as Lincoln Logs still selling well on the market today makes one take a step back and say, "Perhaps simple is better."
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 5
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 4
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 3
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 2
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Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar - December 1
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November 2011 Recap
Below is a recap of all the post we've covered in November 2011. 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.
Batman The Movie
Austin Powers
Family Guy
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Family Guy (Mezco)
When Family Guy first aired in January 1999, Fox had no idea it would grow into the phenomenon it is today - So much so that they cancelled the show in 2002. The show, while great, was too far ahead of its time.
It wasn't until 2004 with the release of season one and two on DVD, and re-runs airing regularly on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim that Fox realized the gem that they had buried, and quickly revived the show with all new episodes for their fall 2005 line up which still run today.
Shortly after Fox began production on the shows reintroduction into prime time television (in 2004), Mezco was granted the rights to produce and distribute a toy line.
ABOUT MEZCO TOYS
A toy company unlike any other, Mezco (established in 2000) combines humor and horror with action and adventure to produce the most sought after collectibles and toys on this (or any other) planet. Michael Markowitz (Mez), the President of Mezco, is the driving force behind all aspects of design and development.
Working with the best talents in the toy industry, Mez conceives and directs each line from start to finish. Mezco is a driving force in the industry, developing both licensed properties and in-house twisted concepts for years to come.
THE TOYS
Mezco ran a pretty solid line of Family Guy figures from 2004 to 2007. The first series contained the entire family line up with the exception of Meg. Each figure came packaged in a carded bubble pack with a whole bunch of amazing accessories. The attention to detail in the accessories alone make these figures a must have for us. But, if that's not enough for you, the sculpts of the actual characters are spot on to their animated counterparts.
Peter*Stewie*Stewie (Bedtime)
With series two, Mezco started to introduce chase variants into the mix. The first was the Death figure which had a hooded and skull version. Believe it or not, the skull version is more common than the hooded version.
Meg*Peter (in the Buff)
Quagmire
Series three included a variant Jasper figure which can be found with both a pink and a blue shirt.
Jasper (Variant)*Joe Swanson
Pope
Series four included a whopping nine figures thank in part to the three variant chase figures that were produced. The first was Lethal Lois who was available with both a black and a red belt. The second was Mort Goldman that has nervous eyes with pupils pointed straight to the front, and a version that had squinted nervous eyes with the pupils looking to the side. The final variant chase figure was Mr. Weed who can be found with both a pink and a blue shirt.
Mort Goldman*Mort Goldman (Variant)
Tom and Jake Tucker*XXXL Stewie
Not to be outdone by series four was series five which included another three variant chase figures. However, this time two were of the same figure. The Salesman can be found with three different suits. The first is the standard blue suit, the second a checkered pattern, and the third is a leather tattoo parlor suit. Tricia Takanawa was the other figure with a variant chase edition. She comes in both a blue and a purple dress suit.
McGriffin*Peter as Gary the No Trash Cougar
Tricia Takanawa*Tricia Takanawa (Variant)
Series six had only one variant figure. Seamus, pronounced "shay-muss," can be found with both an opened and closed mouth.
Clevemire
Sexy Party Stewie*Stewie 2.0
Series seven included one variant figure, which was personally our favorite. We don't necessarily care for Neil Goldman as a character or a figure, but we love the attention to detail on the variant edition white shirt.
Bad Girl Lois
Performance Artist*Commando Stewie
The final series of figures, series eight included a variant Quagmire in Robe figure - The original blue color, and the more decorative orange one.
Quagmire in Robe*Quagmire in Robe (Variant)
A couple box sets were released, but only one is highly sought after by collectors - The Giant Chicken Vs. Peter. The other set is simply a repack of figures from series one and two.
Family Boxed Set
No set is complete without exclusives these days, and nothing makes a set harder to complete than exclusives. Family Guy had its share of them.
While the Family Guy series sold well for Mezco, the toys seemed to have ceased in production, leaving no trace of a ninth series. If one were to look at the lineup of figures, it could be easily argued that there simply aren't any more figures to make. Mezco pretty much covered all their bases, and unless you were to really dig deep, or start making different outfits for characters, there really aren't any more figures that come to mind in this great series.
So, will Mezco produce a ninth series? Your guess is as good as mine. But, regardless the figures that are available are amazing, and well worth any fan of the series to add into their collection.
***UPDATE***
As of December, 2011, the rights to produce toys based off of the Family Guy series have passed from Mezco to Playmates. Playmates will be releasing an all new series, starting from series 1. The line will be an "interactive" series, which will contain sounds and voices from the show with each toy. The first series is available now.
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Austin Powers (McFarlane Toys)
Yeah baby! Yeeaaah!
Mike Meyers dropped a comic gem on the world in 1997 when New Line Cinema released his comic opus Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. The film quickly spawned two sequels in 1999 and 2002, with a fourth planned for 2013.
In 1999 McFarlane Toys released two series of figures (a total of 12 figures - 6 in each series). Staying true to McFarlane Toys standards of quality, the figures were amazing.
Each sculpt accurately depicted the characters, and included some fun accessories. Each figure also came with their own stand.
Because the toys were sold in retail stores across the world, Fat Bastard received a name change to Fat Man.
Also staying true to McFarlane Toys were the boat loads of variants that came about - Though the majority of them were merely changes to the sticker in the top left corner of the bubble pack. The figures from series one, and their variants included;
Austin Danger Powers "Would you fancy a shag?"
Austin Powers "Crickey, I've lost my mojo!"
Austin Powers "Would you fancy a shag?"
Austin Powers "Yeah Baby, yeah!"
Dr. Evil "One Million Dollars"
Fat Man "Sorry I Farted"
Felicity Shagwell "Care for a Ride"
Felicity Shagwell "You're a groovy boy"
Mini Me "Eeeeeeee"
Series two was released within months of series one, and included another six figures. The packaging was changed slightly in color to show that they were new.
The seris included more variants based on blurbs in the top left corner of the bubble pack, but there was also one distinct figure variation. Scott Evil can be found with both a "blurred" shirt, and a Kurt Coban one.
The figures and variants for the six series two figures are;
Carnaby Street Austin "What do you think of my shag pad, darling?"
Fembot "Hello, Mr. Powers, care to have a little fun?"
Moon Mission Dr. Evil "I will not Tolerate Failure"
Moon Mission Dr. Evil "Welcome to my Moon Base"
Moon Mission Mini Me "Breathtaking, I shall call him...Mini Me"
Moon Mission Mini Me "Send in the Clone"
Scott Evil "A trillion is more than a billion, numbnuts"
Scott Evil "Get away from me you lazy eyed physcho"
Vanessa Kensington "You can address me as Agent Kensington"
Series two also saw the release of a two pack/vehicle in the form of Dr. Evil and Mini Me with Mini Mobile.
In 2000 ToyFare Magazine offered an exclusive two pack of Dr. Evil and Mini Me. Though they were just slightly altered repacks of the vehicle two pack above.
We're a big fan of the Austin Power films, and these figures are a wonderful compliment to them.
Each figure can be found for around eight to ten dollars, with the exception of the Scott Evil with Kurt Coban shirt which can fetch as much as $40.00.
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Austin Powers - Goldmember (Mezco)
Austin Powers - Goldmember
Mezco
2002
Mezco gets an honorable mention for their 2002 release of five figures based off the third Austin Powers film, Goldmember. The sculpts were decent, but not as high quality of the McFarlane Toys ones.
Fat Bastard got his name back for this series, though the letters of his name were depicted with symbols.
The figures include;
Austin Powers (70's Attire)
Austin Powers (Carnaby Street)
Dr. Evil & Mini Me (Prison)
Fat Bastard
Goldmember
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Batman The Movie (1989) (Toy Biz)
In 1989 Warner Brothers released the highly successful Batman film. The movie not only showed the general public that a film based off comic book heroes can be a blockbuster success, while at the same time launched both Tim Burton and Michael Keaton into orbit as high status celebrities in Hollywood. Jack Nicholson was of course already there.
Toy Biz quickly followed the success of the film with a set of toys.
The series of figures were as small as they come. Only three figures were produced, along with several resculpts. Batman himself had three different versions; a Michael Keaton version, a square face version, and a rounded face version. The Joker had two different versions, one with a painted on curl of hair on his forehead, and the other with no curl. The final figure, Bob the Goon was released to complete the series.Batman's figure included a long retractable string that allowed you to use it as a grapple hook. The Joker had a tube and small plastic water bottle that could be attached to the back of the figure. A squeeze of the bottle shot water out of the Joker's lapel flower. Bob the Goon offered no interactive play.
We never saw an Alfred the Butler, Vicki Vale, or Knox figures. Nor is it even known if Toy Biz had any plans to produce them. However, it is a shame that more figures were never produced.
The Batmobile and Batwing are probably some of the best toys based on these iconic Batman vehicles to date. They were meticulously sculpted to match their counterparts as seen in the film. One version of the Batmobile (there were two) even came with a plastic overlay shell to mimic the vehicle being in "shield" mode.
Though never seen in the film, the Batcycle was a wonderfully detailed toy. While not as interactive as the Batmobile and Batwing, it was still a great addition to the set.
To up the stakes, Toy Biz produced a large Batcave playset. At $100.00 (or more depending on where you shopped), it was an item on many a child's Christmas list that Santa never brought. They toy offered many levels of interaction, and overall was just cool.
This was certainly a rare toy line indeed. It was one where the vehicles actually sold more units than the figures. While the series didn't last long, it remains a highly treasured part of many a collector's collection to this day with secondary market prices remaining fairly steady, yet low enough for your average fan to seek out.
Of course, before then, and since then, the Batman trademark has been secured by many a toy company, and several series have come and gone since Bob Kane first created the character for DC Comics in 1939. I'm certain this iconic figure will see many more toy lines in my life time.
Click "Here" for a continuation of this line in Toy Biz's DC Comic Super Heroes.
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