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This Day in Kenner History…

Posted on June 7, 2013 by flarida

Posted in Toys | Tagged Kenner Products, Star Wars, Twentieth Century Fox | Leave a comment

ZICA Toys 3 3/4″ The Six Million Dollar Man Action Figures

Posted on June 4, 2013 by flarida

It’s a great time to be a toy collector if you are a fan of vintage Kenner action figures. ZICA Toys has just announced their plan to make a line of 3 3/4″ Six Million Dollar Man action figures in the classic Kenner style.

The company looks serious about getting that vintage feel based off of this initial tease. These new sculpts were even created by someone that used to work for Kenner. It’s also interesting to note that Kenner’s vintage 14″ Bigfoot figure was used as a reference for this smaller figure.

The initial plan is to make the figures available online, but ZICA hopes to eventually have them sold through Toys R Us.

Here is the press release from Zica Toys:

New from ZICA Toys, The Six Million Dollar Man retro style action figures! Get ready to travel back to 1974 and relive the adventures of the world’s first bionic man. Sculpted in 3.75” scale, these harken back to the heyday of action figures, when the designs were simple and the fun factor was off the charts!

Assortment 1 includes Colonel Steve Austin (red tracksuit) and Bionic Bigfoot. ZICA Toys has big plans for this line and is hopeful that vehicles and playsets will eventually be available. Variants and exclusives are also planned but rest assured that everyone will have a fair opportunity to get them. Preorders are expected to begin soon so keep checking your favorite online retailer for more info.

Posted in Toys | Tagged Bigfoot, Six Million Dollar Man, Steve Austin, ZICA Toys | Leave a comment

Kenner Employee Toy Store Receipt From 1995

Posted on May 29, 2013 by flarida

Kenner employees were able to buy currently produced toys at a discount from a company ran store. Here is an employee’s receipt from 1995. This receipt is quite a bit more involved than the ones issued in 1983. Maybe Kenner was just doing a better job at record keeping at this point, or maybe they were well aware of some employees using the company store as a way to make a little extra cash on the side, and this was a way to discourage it.

The receipt measures 8.5″ wide x 11″ tall and is for the following toys:

Spiked Tail Predator
Queen Face Hugger
Alien Arachnid
Congo Karen Ross
Swamp Thing
Lasershot Predator

Posted in Internal Items, Paperwork | Tagged Alien, Congo, employee, Employee Store, Kenner Products, Predator, receipt, Swamp Thing | Leave a comment

Kenner 1973 Snoopy Toothbrush Magazine Advertisement

Posted on May 14, 2013 by flarida

Kenner magazine advertisement for the Snoopy Toothbrush. This was found in the December 1973 issue of Cincinnati Magazine.

The ad reads:

Snoopy makes it fun to brush your teeth!
Battery operated – no plug-in.

The ad also has the following copyright information:

1973 United Feature Syndicate, Inc.

1973 GENERAL MILLS FUN GROUP, INC.
by its Div., KENNER PRODUCTS, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

The Snoopy Toothbrush from the 1973 Kenner Toy Fair catalog:

Posted in Advertising, Magazine Ads | Tagged 1973, Ad, Advertisement, catalog, General Mills, Kenner, Kenner Kid, Snoopy, Snoopy Toothbrush, Toy Fair | Leave a comment

Kenner 18″ Alien Toy Factory Photo From Cincinnati Magazine

Posted on May 7, 2013 by flarida

Here’s a fun behind the scenes photo from the December 1979 issue of Cincinnati Magazine. This shot of multiple Alien 18″ figures being packaged at Kenner is from an article about different consumer items being made in the Cincinnati area.

For some Alien images from the 1980 Kenner Toy Fair catalog, check out this link at plaidstallions.com.

Posted in Internal Items | Tagged Alien, employee, factory, Toy Fair, Toys | Leave a comment

Super7store.com Adds Alien Order Page And Ship Date

Posted on May 5, 2013 by flarida

The excitement keeps building for Super7′s new line of Alien action figures. The figures are based off of Kenner’s unproduced 3 3/4″ prototypes. Super7 has updated their site with an order page for the figures, as well as a promise date of September 2013. Pre-order will begin at San Diego Comic Con.

Description from Super7′s order page:

In 1979, prototypes for 3 ¾” action figures for the ALIEN film were developed but never manufactured. Through our network of industry and collector contacts, Super7 has unearthed reference material and original 34-year-old prototypes and will now make these “lost toys” a reality.

Under authorization from 20th Century Fox, Super7 will produce the full series of ALIEN toys as part of our ReAction Figure Series (Retro-Action). Each is stylized exactly as items from the “golden age” of action figures with approximately five points of articulation, accessories, and period-authentic blister card packaging.

Collect all five ReAction Figures -
* THE ALIEN (“BIG CHAP”) – w/ removable transparent dome, extendable jaws and glow-in-the-dark head!
* RIPLEY – w/ Flame Thrower
* ASH – w/ Motion Detector
* DALLAS – w/ Flame Thrower
* KANE IN NOSTROMO SPACESUIT – w/ removable helmet and transparent visor

$19.99 each

Click here for images of the new/old toy line from Super7′s booth at Wondercon.

Posted in Toys | Tagged Alien, Prototype, Super7 | Leave a comment

Like Walking Out Of A Time Machine And Into A Vintage Toy Aisle

Posted on April 12, 2013 by flarida

It’s no secret that we like our vintage toy store photos around these parts. We’ve been known to drop examples like this and this on you without a moments notice! These pictures from fellow collector Spencer Smith, are what I imagine it would feel like if my time travel dreams ever came true. Aisles and aisles of Kenner toys stacked floor to ceiling.

Spencer isn’t sure, but he thinks these were taken at a Children’s Palace or Big Blue Store. He does remember taking home the 8″ large size action figure Jawa he’s reaching for. I’m so jealous that he has pictures like this to remind him of that awesome feeling of shopping for toys as a kid.

Here is a shot of Spencer checking out Kenner’s Empire Strikes Back Star Destroyer.

If you have any pictures you would like to share, please contact us here!

Posted in Toys, Uncategorized | Tagged Kenner, Star Wars, Toy Aisle, Toy Store, Toys | Leave a comment

New Images of Super7′s Upcoming Kenner Alien Action Figure Line

Posted on April 7, 2013 by flarida

Collider.com has posted an article about the upcoming line of Alien action figures that are based off of Kenner’s unproduced prototypes. Cruise on over and check out all the great photos from Super7′s Wondercon booth.

Sign me up for a set!

Images property of collider.com.

Posted in Fan Made, Toys, Uncategorized | Tagged Alien, Super7 | Leave a comment

Steel Production Molds for Kenner’s Silverhawks Play-Doh Set

Posted on March 27, 2013 by flarida

Here is a set of three steel production molds used to create the plastic forms/molds for Kenner’s 1986 Silverhawks Play-Doh playset. The plastic Play-Doh forms are shown along with the matching steel mold that was used to create them. Each of the steel molds measure around 5″ x 6″ x 4″ and weigh approximately 35 lbs.

These steel molds were used as part of a process called plastic injection molding, and it was one of the final stages in the toy creation process. Once a toy’s design was finalized and signed off on, a moldmaker would cut the molds from hardened steel. The molds would then be placed in an injection molding machine. Small plastic pellets would be melted down and the liquid plastic would be forced (injected) into the steel molds. The plastic is then allowed to cool, and the hardened plastic is ejected from the steel molds.

Multiple shots of the Tally-Hawk and Stargazer mold:

Mon-Star and Quicksilver mold:

Steelwill and Bluegrass mold:

Production playset:

Production playset unused contents:

Posted in Internal Items, Prototypes | Tagged mold, Play-Doh, Prototype, Silverhawks | Leave a comment

Kenner Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure Speaker & Tape Prototype

Posted on February 24, 2013 by flarida

This is a packaging prototype for the 1991 Wyld Stallyns Speaker & Tape toy from the Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure toy line. Engineers at Kenner would create mock-ups of toy packages using whatever spare cardboard they had on hand. In this case they attached a prototype of the speaker and a generic cassette to a 1991 Starting Lineup baseball proof card.

Package samples like this would be used for anything from getting a feel for what the finished product would look like, to testing how the toy would fit inside the plastic bubble.

Close-up of the speaker and generic cassette tape:

Close-up of the production toy:

Posted in Internal Items, Prototypes, Toys | Tagged Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Prototype, Starting Lineup | Leave a comment