Retro toys

The Odyssey video game used overlays that were secured to the TV screen to display the background pattern needed for different games.


https://collection.sciencemuseumgro...reen-overlays-for-magnavox-odyssey-video-game

 

A toy company as far back as the early 70's sold an inexpensive Spirograph-like toy that had a thin metal base plate, a number of interconnected plastic gears, and a drawing arm that connected to the gears and held the pen.

Each end of the drawing arm could be connected to an array of holes in the gears to which it was attached, creating a plethora of design combinations. The toy came with a number of different color magic marker pens. A square piece of paper was placed onto the largest gear.

Patterns were drawn by simply turning the crank, as opposed to Spirograph where the pen had to be held and rotated carefully by hand to follow the motion of the gear.

The ones shown in the website below are similar versions to what was sold in the early 70s, although the website seems to talk like this was a new invention in 2016.

Today, people can make their own version of this type of toy using 3D printing.


Sketch Intricate Designs with A Hand-Cranked Drawing Machine


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The late 70's saw the advent of handheld games that used discrete LEDs and repurposed red 7-segment calculator LEDs.

Entex Baseball 3 was introduced in 1979 and had a removable control panel for the player who was the pitcher during an inning. Pitch type, such as curve, could be selected and the speed controlled on the fly during a pitch to trick the batter.


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"PONG"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You could NOT get my two nephews (nor their dad!) away from the set when THIS came out, like 45 years ago!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"EVIL KNIEVAL" (action figures, cycles, etc!)

"STEVE SCOUT" (action figure)

"JOHNNY EXPRESS" (HUGE remote control tractor-trailer)

"TRICKY BUSY SCHOOL BUS" (this toy school bus responded to whistle "commands"; I have mine displayed.....BIG bus!)

American Flyer's "ALL ABOARD!" (S-scale sectional train set with landscaped panels)

 

It changed to My Little Pony, which Hasbro produced from 1982 to 1992.


My Little Pony Generation One Vintage - Toy Sisters

 

In later years, AMERICAN FLYER, sadly, was often thought as "second best" when compared to "big brother" LIONEL.

However, by the early 1960s, both companies were faced with ever-growing competition from the then-popular slot car craze, not to mention space toys, etc.

Selections of engines and rolling stock was pretty limited, and literally drying up; accessories were but a few; AF, by this late date, was no longer offering passenger cars or passenger sets.

Into the 1930s, American Flyer trains (like LIONEL) were BIG, RUGGED, HEFTY, METAL pieces (made in the USA!); these command BIG $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ at train shows today.

I was always particularly fond of AF's steamers (I have a few as "static" displays).......

 

Teddy Ruxpin (Worlds of Wonder, 1985)

An animated talking doll that had its place in the market when the video game craze was in the doldrums in the early to mid 80s, as did other earthy toys such as Cabbage Patch dolls.


Teddy Ruxpin - Wikipedia


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Miss Piggy Doll (Fisher-Price, 1978)


Mikey's Muppet Memorabilia Museum: Who made the very first toys of my favourite Muppets character?

Miss Piggy Doll


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LOVED "The Muppet Show" and was NOT a happy camper when the show aired for the last time (my family were ALWAYS big Muppet fans!)

Hard to believe I was only 20 when the "Muppet Show" first aired; sadly, so many of the guests have long since passed on.

I remember:

Peter Sellers

Spike Milligan

Harry Belefonte

Lily Tomlin

Steve Martin

Ethel Merman

Lena Horne

Diana Ross (and so many other greats!)

Mom always cracked up when Miss Piggy was (again!) trying to "woo" the totally uninterested Kermit!

My best "Kermit" memories was when he was the trench-coat/hatted reporter for "Sesame Street News":

"Hi-ho! This is Kermit the Frog of Sesame Street News, and I'm here now at the humble cottage of the 3 Little Pigs".......

Ahhh, the memories!

 

Speaking of Sesame Street and the Muppets......

Remember those cute lil' rubber Sesame Street finger puppets, way back in the late 1970s and early 80s?

 

Speak & Spell (Texas Instruments, 1978)

Speak & Spell (toy) - Wikipedia

Speak & Spell (US, 1979 Version) : Texas Instruments : Free Borrow & Streaming : Internet Archive


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From the early 1960s (BIG battery operated REMCO toys)

"MIGHTY MATILDA" (battleship)

"BARRACUDA" (submarine)

"WHIRLYBIRD"(HUGE transport helicopter)

"FLYING FOX" (prop-jet airliner)

AWESOME toys that command BIG $$$$$$$$ today!!!!

 

California Raisin toys (1980's)

One of the California raisin TV commercials during the 80's featured an animated Michael Jackson.


Remembering the California Raisins - Antique Trader


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YouTube video:

 

TOTALLY forgot about the California Raisins!!!!!!!!!

LOVED them, and had ALL the figures!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANKS for the memory re-boot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

"I heard it through the grapevine..............."

The California Raisins - Wikipedia