Berzerker
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Hot Wheels
Old toys that aren't computers
- Thread starter amadeus
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As a relatively young 'un, this thread encouraged me to dig through the Transformers wiki (seriously, if you're a Transformers nerd, it's worse than TV Tropes) to actually find what Optimus toy I used to love and cherish.
Turns out it was the G2 re-issue of the G1 mold (1993, 1994, first item in the list). I'm guessing the 1994 release as it says the later release featured lighter blue components, and mine definitely was lighter than in the picture provided. My brother got the G2 Megatron (ain't that how it always is with siblings, eh), and unlike mine I don't even think it was thrown out
Turns out it was the G2 re-issue of the G1 mold (1993, 1994, first item in the list). I'm guessing the 1994 release as it says the later release featured lighter blue components, and mine definitely was lighter than in the picture provided. My brother got the G2 Megatron (ain't that how it always is with siblings, eh), and unlike mine I don't even think it was thrown out
I had a Sesame Street set as a kid. As I got older, I took out the Fisher Price toys, and put in toy soldiers, and they would fight battles out of the Sesame Street building.
No troubled childhood to see here. And besides, the building provided good cover. They didn't get hit a lot.
No troubled childhood to see here. And besides, the building provided good cover. They didn't get hit a lot.
This was a pretty atypical toy (and not in a good way) in that while the vehicles/buildings were decent, the soldiers were rather crap.
Still, it was among the last material toys I ever bought (given I was in the end of elementary school, and then I got the Amiga and moved to computer games full-time).
Also, in stark constrast to GIJoe, here the "good guys" had all the money and tech, while the evil side used crop dusting airplanes and even a schoolbus... The submarine was likely the only significant asset they had (assuming that was even from the same faction)
Still, it was among the last material toys I ever bought (given I was in the end of elementary school, and then I got the Amiga and moved to computer games full-time).
Also, in stark constrast to GIJoe, here the "good guys" had all the money and tech, while the evil side used crop dusting airplanes and even a schoolbus... The submarine was likely the only significant asset they had (assuming that was even from the same faction)
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yung.carl.jung
Hey Bird! I'm Morose & Lugubrious
y'alls toys look super flashy. I personally liked playing LEGO, or the German Fischer Technik
hobbsyoyo
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Z-Bots!
I grew up during the golden age of toys-which-were-also-collectables, but these guys were my jam. I think what appealed to me was the variety and creativity of designs; with Hot Wheels you're always getting some variation of "car", but each of these guys is a character. Or, at least, one half of a character, there was a few re-skins as you can see below. But in any case, you're immediately confronted with a cast of heroes and villains who demand epic stories of conquest and, y'know, robot stuff.
In retrospect, they were taking some clear pointers from the WWF figures from the early '90s, which I think were the first to apply the Hot Wheels "collect 'em all" model to humanoid figures.
I had this one; it was marketed as "Crossbows & Catapults" in the UK. No minotaurs or cyclopses, unfortunately.
I had a few of these and loved them but I never got close to a full set - I think I got a 3 pack one time and that was it.
hobbsyoyo
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I've been thinking of trying to raise a bit of money to start a toy line of miniature rockets and spacecraft, all based on real rockets and spacecraft. I'd have lunar rovers, mars rovers, SpaceX Crew Dragons, Falcon 9's and launch pad play sets. I think the biggest expense would be getting licenses for likenesses or paying a decent lawyer to convince me I don't need licenses. As I understand it, contract manufacturing for stuff like this isn't too extremely expensive but I could be wrong.
Anyways, space is hot right now and I think there could be a market for detailed, playable miniatures based on real space hardware. The closest comparison for what I'm thinking of is models which only a small segment of kids like and those are not 'playable' as they are fragile. I'm actually thinking of something much smaller, like the size of the Z Bots that @Traitorfish posted.
I'd also want them to be detailed enough that moms (and especially) dads would think them cool little desk ornaments and collectibles so they'd buy them too. I'd include a mission patch in each blister pack and have factoids and heroic images on the back. I imagine the Starman Falcon Heavy launch complete with miniature detachable Tesla Roadster and an astronaut would be a big seller.
I think Hot Wheels had some space themed sets but they were limited. I also had a few sets like this growing up but they were so generic, plain and cheap that I think someone could do better.
https://www.amazon.com/SCS-Direct-Astronaut-Action-Figures/dp/B00V7IP2WA
Anyways, space is hot right now and I think there could be a market for detailed, playable miniatures based on real space hardware. The closest comparison for what I'm thinking of is models which only a small segment of kids like and those are not 'playable' as they are fragile. I'm actually thinking of something much smaller, like the size of the Z Bots that @Traitorfish posted.
I'd also want them to be detailed enough that moms (and especially) dads would think them cool little desk ornaments and collectibles so they'd buy them too. I'd include a mission patch in each blister pack and have factoids and heroic images on the back. I imagine the Starman Falcon Heavy launch complete with miniature detachable Tesla Roadster and an astronaut would be a big seller.
I think Hot Wheels had some space themed sets but they were limited. I also had a few sets like this growing up but they were so generic, plain and cheap that I think someone could do better.
https://www.amazon.com/SCS-Direct-Astronaut-Action-Figures/dp/B00V7IP2WA
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Patine
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There was also a green dragon, maybe that existed in the british version too?
I had the dragon and the minotaur, as well as the main tower sets. Apparently a trojan horse also existed, but perhaps not around when I was buying these toys.
The object of the game was to take out the enemy soldiers (not sure if you can really take out catapults- maybe if you caused them to fall, but the ballistas couldn't fall, so perhaps they either could not be removed themselves or they are to be taken out of the game after a direct hit. At any rate, for obvious reasons, you won't hit anything above the ground with a ballista, though you may still cause stuff to fall off a tower), so that the towers/heavy weapons could no longer be supplied with the red and blue objects they hurled to the enemy.
I don't recall if the minotaur-dragon-cyclops was immobilized in a similar way. While the minotaur and the cyclops could realistically be hit and caused to fall, the dragon has a very low center of gravity so maybe it was dependent on nearby soldiers (or maybe it just didn't move, unlike the minotaur and the cyclops).
Crossbows and Catapults was awesome!
As a relatively young 'un, this thread encouraged me to dig through the Transformers wiki (seriously, if you're a Transformers nerd, it's worse than TV Tropes) to actually find what Optimus toy I used to love and cherish.
Turns out it was the G2 re-issue of the G1 mold (1993, 1994, first item in the list). I'm guessing the 1994 release as it says the later release featured lighter blue components, and mine definitely was lighter than in the picture provided. My brother got the G2 Megatron (ain't that how it always is with siblings, eh), and unlike mine I don't even think it was thrown out
Gen1 IS Transformers! Flat out! I had quite a few of the toys, and watched the Gen1 cartoon series (including the 1986 animated movie) up to the point that they were only released in Japanese (the last two-and-a-half seasons, and another animated movie, I believe). I also watched Gen1 cartoon series of G.I. Joe and the ONLY cartoon series of Jem, but never had those toys. Michael Bay's unforgiveable butcheries of those franchises will be never be forgotten by me. I don't know what he got for making those movies, but whatever it is, it should have been life (who remembers the source of the quote that's based on?).
Patine
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I always thought, for some reason, you were older than me.
hobbsyoyo
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Well I mean the original transformers were around but they were well past their peak when I was old enough to be interested. You could still buy the toys as well but it was the very tail end of popularity for the original series. Then Beast Wars dropped and we all forgot about the original transformers until Michael Bay's movies.
I had buckets of Beast Wars. They were all thrown out when I left for university.
Don't ask me why, because I have no idea, hah! I would like to say "I guess it's so I could grow up", but I've just ordered the LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar, soooo.
Your parents enjoying their empty nest moment?
My brother still has toys in my mum's attic. In theory because he hasn't got space for them. This from a man whose house has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms!
My brother and I are only 2 years apart so we both moved out close together and then my parents moved from Scotland to Wales so there was a big take it or we chuck it moment then.
My brother tricked my mum into accepting a lot of his junk on a purely temporary basis when he moved house about 12 years ago. Its still in the attic because his wife won't have any of it in their house.
My brother tricked my mum into accepting a lot of his junk on a purely temporary basis when he moved house about 12 years ago. Its still in the attic because his wife won't have any of it in their house.
