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Monday, January 30, 2012

Marx #1440 Crossing Shanty and Man w/o Light

The Marx #1440 Crossing Shanty and Man has been a staple of toy train layouts since at least 1951 when it sold for the a whopping $3.87. It may actually date to before 1951, but I don't have any catalogs prior to that. The Shanty came in only two versions that I'm aware of - with and without light. Enjoy!








Sunday, January 29, 2012

Mattel 2010 T9751-09A0AG1 Track Stars Batman...The Batmobile

I found this Mattel Hot Wheels Batmobile a couple of months ago but had put off posting it because there were just too many other things going on. Now that I'm starting to feature the Flintstones on Friday, Sunday can go revert to Batman or other Super Heroes - and of course whatever other stuff comes to to the fore! 

This is a nifty little Hot Wheels offering done up in a matte black finish. It's actually covered with a very fine grain flocking type of material giving it that retro look of the the 1966 Batmobile. For those who may be unaware, During the 1960s, when the Adam West/ Burt Ward 'Batman' series was popular, there were several of the 1966 Batmobile's made specifically for touring the country and for awhile they had a matte black flocking material applied to them. I actually saw one of those vehicles along with Adam West at a car show back in the either the late '60s or early '70s. There are two concerns I have with this particular toy. First, on my car, small patches of the flocking had been worn off, probably due to being banged around in its packaging. Imagine what punishment it will take in the hands of a youngster! Also, this finish attracts dust faster than a Swiffer Duster! Holy Cow! I took it out of the package, set it directly on my photo area for picture takin' and there was already dust on it!. Canned air (the type used for blowing dust off of the computer) works well in these instances, followed up by a little Photoshopping as needed. Still, it's a real cool addition to the Batmobile collection.

As a bonus I have added an info graphic: 'Batman and The History of The Bat-Suit' by Benjamin Andrew Moore. I had first seen this on the Bat-Blog (http://tomztoyz.blogspot.com/) and followed up with a written request to Mr. Moore for using the graphic here. He kindly consented and it is presented here for your enjoymment. So, without further ado - Enjoy!



















Saturday, January 28, 2012

Playmates - #66002 Gripping Kong

Today's posting comes a little late but it's been kind of busy here, trying to take a gazillion photos of things to blog. Anyway, today is Sci-Fi and Fantasy Saturday and Toys & Stuff continues with our entry of Playmates 'King Kong' series of toys: the #66002 Gripping Kong. The set comes with a highly articulated King Kong figure gripping a length of rope, an Ann Darrow figure, and a large bug - a Weta-Rex. The Weta is a real bug found in New Zealand, they're just not THIS big, so it must be a hats-off salute to Peter Jackson's native homeland.  It's a nice set and Kong's extra articulation, to include gripping feet, was sure to please youngsters. Enjoy!





















Friday, January 27, 2012

Dairy Queen 1998 Rock DQ Flintstones Premium - Wilma on Keyboards

Today marks the start of a small transition here at Toys & Stuff. We are moving away from Fire Engine and Emergency Vehicle Friday to Flintstones Friday! Fire Engines and assorted toys will still appear here on Friday as they become available. I do have a few more to feature, but quite frankly I'm running out of toys! Took me awhile though huh? Flintstones have been and continue to be a popular theme. The quirky Stoneage Family never fails to bring a smile to people's faces however, to the best of my ability, Sunday's will still be reserved for comic book or Sunday comics related toys.

Today we start the transition to Flintstones by featuring the 1998 Rock DQ Dairy Queen premiums. There were four figures in this set: Wilma on Keyboards, Fred on Vocals, Dino the Rythm Ace, and Barney on Bongos. Each of the figures features some kind of movement and Wilma swivels left and right on her seat. When we're through featuring all four figures I'll show you how to make a quick display for them. Enjoy!


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