About Us

KennerCollector.com is a place where fans of Kenner can come together to share their love for the toy company!

Contributors:

 

John Wooten

John Wooten
john@kennercollector.com

Hello! My name is John Wooten and I’m a collector of vintage Star Wars toys and Kenner memorabilia.  I became interested in Kenner memorabilia through my interest in vintage Star Wars prototypes.  I was fortunate enough to meet some Kenner employees along the way and their passion and creativity was inspiring.  As I met these folks and listened to their stories, I became not only interested in just Star Wars prototypes, but all things Kenner, from softball hats to internal awards.  I have a deep regard for the way Kenner toys were developed and the folks involved in all phases of the process.  I always look forward to a chance to talk to someone who worked there, because I don’t think it’s always obvious to them how special their creations were to millions of children over several decades.

I currently collect Kenner employee memorabilia and internal items like awards, giveaways, paperwork…pretty much anything that has to do with the process of developing, manufacturing and selling a Kenner toy.  I look forward to sharing some of the things I have and for any opportunity to find something to add to my collection.

Matt TrakkerJoe Ilagan
joe@kennercollector.com

Greetings!  My name is Joe Ilagan and I am a collector of vintage Star Wars, and MASK, among other vintage and current toy lines.  I am new to vintage collecting and still learning new things everyday about Kenner.  My childhood as many of yours is filled with memories of playing with toys and the joy of being able to open up that new toy the second you get home.

My collecting started back when I was in high school and my parents were cleaning and came across a box of all my old toys.  They asked me if they could donate or give them away.  I rummaged in the boxes and pulled out the toys that meant the most to me, Star Wars, MASK, and a few other lines.  I threw them all in a box and forgot all about them until my parents were moving while I was in college and asked me that same question again.  Opening that box brought a wash of nostalgia over me and the rest is history!

I am currently collecting vintage loose Star Wars figures and vehicles and have a focus on the B-Wing Pilot and ship.  I am also an avid collector of MASK toys.  I have recently discovered that Wonder World, Silverhawks, Jurassic Park, and Mega Force were all made by Kenner.  My collecting goals really revolve around tracking down all the toys I remember having when I was young.  I look forward to sharing my collection, my memories, and any help I can offer.

Steve Meister KennerCollector.comSteve Meister
steve@kennercollector.com

Hello my name is Steve Meister and I am a nerd who collects toy lines.  I began collecting around 1995 with the rerelease of the Power of the Force 2 Kenner Star Wars line.  This particular line reminded me of my childhood toys and so began my collecting addiction for gathering Star Wars figures.

Along the way I found a group called the Ohio Star Wars Collecting Club (OSWCC) who shared my passion of collecting.  I became a member and ironically, the first meeting I attended was at Dan Flarida’s house.  Joining the club, introduced me to a lot of interesting collectors and peaked my interest into other toy lines.

I am currently working on several 80’s toy lines from G.I Joe to Transformers to Super Powers to even Clash of the Titan figures.  My goal is to collect the lines that I remember playing with as a kid.  I look forward to sharing my memories with other like-minded ‘nerds’.

Joe Curcio KennerCollector.com

Joe Curcio
curch@kennercollector.com

Hi, my name is Joe “Curch” Curcio and I am an avid collector of vintage toys.  My passion for the hobby started in 1990 when I started collecting Starting Lineups with the sole purpose of gaining the baseball card within each one.  This, combined with the influence of friends, got me more involved and my collection has grown ever since.  My current collection contains well over one thousand Starting Lineups.  The pride of my collection is my one hundred prototypes, many of which I acquired through a retired Kenner employee.

Over the years I have attended countless Starting Lineup Conventions as both a buyer and seller.  I work to the keep the passion for the hobby alive and am an active member of the Starting Lineup Message Board.  I also founded the Kenner Starting Lineup Group on Facebook which to date has over five hundred members.  If you are interested in joining the Facebook group please click here.  I enjoy discussing toys and promoting interest in the hobby.

Apart from Starting Lineups I have expanded my collection to include iconic eighties memorabilia.  Eighties toys will always have a special place in my heart because they are the toys that I played with as a child.  Many items in my current collection have sentimental value.  It is exciting to acquire pieces that I never had as child but wanted.

My interests are as varied as the toy lines themselves.  Some of my larger collections include Star Wars, G.I. Joes, and Transformers, which I am still working to complete.  More recently I have been exploring international toy lines such as Funskool and Lili Ledy.

I look forward to sharing my passion and collection with all of you.  Please feel free to contact me with questions or just to talk toys!

 corky_josh

Josh Blake
josh@kennercollector.com

Greetings! My name is Josh Blake and I am a collector of vintage Star Wars, The Real Ghostbusters, Batman the Dark Knight Collection toys and internal employee related Kenner memorabilia and photographs.  My passion for toy collecting has been consistent throughout my life, but my hobby involvement and interest went into ludicrous speed when my family moved to the Cincinnati area in 1994. I vividly recall my first visit to Traders World Flea Market where I stumbled upon a booth selling vintage Star Wars figures, vehicles and playsets. My heart was pounding, the blood was flowing and my $5 allowance quickly took the form of a 3 3/4 Luke Skywalker action figure! It was the first Star Wars purchase I had made since 1991 and that purchase reignited my passion for the toys I once owned or had always wanted as a child!

Since that time I have met many of the employees that have worked directly on the lines that I collect. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than listening to employees fondly recollect company stories and learn how they mastered their craft during that period of product development!

Today my main collecting focus is prototype relics relating to the Star Wars Micro Collection line from 1982, internal documents and product photography. I am always interested in learning more about company history, its people and hearing their stories of creating the toys we love! It’s also a bonus when I can add one of those items to my collection!

Bill Wills

Bill Wills
bill@kennercollector.com

The 70’s was a great time to be a kid.  The toy landscape was changing quickly with a continued shift away from role play and cheap, gimmicky toys to more creative and innovative action figures and accessories and Kenner was leading the charge.  Some of my earliest and best memories are centered around Christmas mornings with toys like the Six Million Dollar Man and his Bionic Transport or Stretch Armstrong under the tree.  I remember seeing spinner racks, dump bins and other incredible displays filled with Star Wars figures at retailers like Sears, Gold Circle, Hills and K-Mart as well as toy stores like Children’s Palace and Kay-Bee and wanting them all!   Somewhere in a forgotten box or drawer in my house is a letter and hand-sketched idea for a toy that I submitted to Kenner back in 1978 along with their rejection letter.  It was a sad day for 8 year-old Billy.

Fast forward to 1993, I found myself leafing through a toy collecting magazine at Waldenbooks filled with beautiful color photos of all the vintage Kenner Star Wars action figures still on their original cards.  I was blown away that things like this still existed and that other people thought they were cool as well.   It didn’t take long before I had purchased my first vintage Kenner Star Wars item, a Jawa on a Return of the Jedi card,  for what seemed like a ridiculous price of $35.00.   I had no idea what a life-altering decision that was.  The impressions and memories these toys inspired as a kid have lasted a lifetime and the fact that these toys were created right here in Cincinnati adds an entirely new layer of wonder and mystique.  Today I collect Kenner prototypes, internal paperwork and manuals, original artwork, tools, employee service awards and other items, store displays, you name it.  My main focus is on the Luke Jedi character.  I look forward to using Kenner Collector as a platform to share my passion for collecting as well as shining the spotlight on some of the great Kenner artisans responsible for creating all those great toys.

56 Responses to About Us

  1. Hi Dan & John,
    Just discovered your very nice website and wanted to let you know you’re doing something great here !
    Keep on with the good work,
    Cheers
    Olivier

  2. Andrea says:

    I like your site. I love the old toys i grew up with, and my most favorite is the Kenner littlest pet shop toys. I have about $400.00 worth of them. I am saving them for my children when i i have them that is. I love them, and they even look better then the new ones. Have you seen them they look nothing like animals or pets they look scary. Big old eyes like they have something wrong with them. I enjoyed this website a lot. 🙂

    • wooten says:

      Thanks Andrea! We are having a lot of fun bringing information about Kenner toys to everyone! I am glad you are enjoying the website.

    • Andrea, I was the one who came up with the original story for a group of cute animal drawings that resulted in our presenting the Littlest Pet Shop concept to management at Kenner. I was SRVP of Product Concepts at the time and Kathy Cavnar, a very talented artist in my group drew the first cute animals and their accessories. As you note, the line is still sold by Hasbro and the look has evolved quite a bit from the original look. HB

  3. Ron says:

    So much great information and great artifacts. As a kid who great up in the 80’s and has just hit his 30’s this type of stuff is right up my alley. It’s not enought to just see old commercials and advertising. I want to know how things were developed so seeing prototypes is great and where things go when they “Die” or are put hold in the morgue.
    Thanks for all the great info and great memories ur bringing back.

  4. susi says:

    I was making some enquiries about a tree house that i think your company made some where around the 1970’s. It is a small green tree with a pop up lid about 50 cm high and inside it had a little family including furniture, car, lift, swing, dog house and dog etc.

    Do you know if this is your company? Any way, over the years, ( I am now 31) many of the pieces have gone missing and I would dearly love to get some more, as now my children are ready to play with it, and I would love to be able to fiil the house again for them. Myself and so many other children have had so much enjoyment from it over the years. If you can’t help me I wonder if you could suggest some one else for me.

    Many thanks
    Susi

    Look forward to hearing from you.

  5. Scott Walker says:

    Hi Fellas — great site. I’ve just come across a Winnie the Pooh Hunny Pumper. Just wondering how rare or valuable this thing is. Haven’t been able to find much about it. Probably wouldn’t be able to sell something with a name like that these days. Thanks and I enjoy the site. Scott

  6. Steve Miklos says:

    Hi great site! I recently purchased a Kenner power-sub. It came with 11 sets of tablets I have used one set and they worked exactly how I remembered!

    Is there a source for these?
    Does anyone have any information on how they were made?
    I have tried dried vinegar and baking soda with no luck.
    Thanks in advance!
    Steve

  7. Daniel Cevallos says:

    I think is wonderful all this work you’ve doing with this page… I grew up almost fascinated with Kenner toys, I met the Star Wars original figures because of my older brother. I discovered then MASK and my two favorite lines: The Real Ghostbusters (which I collect) and Batman: The Animated Series. I always was fascinated by the toys, but also the design of the cards, packages and boxes. It was a great time to be a kid then. I hope to see more of old toys like I liked when I was a kid. Bless oyu all guys!

    • Daniel, Back in the day, I was SRVP of Product Concepts at Kenner. Mattel was way ahead of us in the marketing of vehicle-based toylines…Hot Wheels for instance. I came up with the idea that putting figures with vehicles with a unique feature was the thing to do so we could do animation to promote the line. I started with a model of a semi and the ideas started coming…stacks that turned into cannons..front bumper as a ram..sleeper that housed a rocket…etc..that spawned the concept, Bob Allen, a guy in my group came up with the helmet idea. It was first called A.T. Wheeler..then M.A.S.K. HB

  8. Damian Lluy says:

    Hey guys how’s it going? I too love the Kenner line…everything from Star Wars to smaller lines like police academy lol! But I’m more into searching for prototypes and unreleased items…I have 2 of the 12″ MASK Jim Carrey figures that never made it into production, both have the same outfit but different styles(Long jacket and short jacket) do you guys have any info on those guys? I also had the talking one but just came to realize that there are 2 variations to him, one with a solid white tie and one with black dots….and my favorite piece is the talking Robocop, man I can’t believe that never made it into production…anyways, love the site and keep up the great work guys

  9. Tony Racliffe says:

    Hello, fist of all your web page is fantastic, it holds so much infomation on Kenner’s background and past.

    Please can you tell me if you know anybody who worked on the Centurion action figures back in 1986? I am a huge Centurions fan and am trying to collect as much infomation I can about the making of the Centurions. I have serched through the Centurions links that you have provided and managed to get quite a bit of infomation regarding the figures. Please please can you help.
    Thank You

    P.S. People like you keep the Kenner dream alive! Thanks again.

    • flarida says:

      Hi Tony,

      Thanks for the kind words! I don’t know of any specific designers that worked on the line, but hopefully we’ll be in contact with some soon!

      Thanks,

      Dan

    • Tony, I was SRVP of Product Concepts at Kenner and I invented Centurions. This is one of those toylines that just didn’t catch on. I don’t remember what competition was out there at the time but something was unfortunate about the timing. I think we got initial orders of about $60 million from the trade and then it didn’t sustain momentum. HB

  10. Sarah says:

    While I have no interested in anything Kenner that isn’t Care Bears related, I have a ton of Care Bear related information that may be of benefit to your site. Let me know if there is anything I can contribute!

    Love the site so far!

  11. james chipps says:

    i was at Kenner from 1977 thru 1982and had worked with Bernie at Mattel,where as Director of Manufacturing made products for the Division Managers of which Bernie was one of the Heads
    along with Josh Denham.
    I enjoyed reading the interview with Bernie who was a great guy to work with and maybe the greatest toy marketeer/creator ever.

  12. Ty Martin says:

    Great site guys. I worked at Kenner/Hasbro in the product engineering and product development area from 1990-1997. The content on this site brought back many great memories…thanks!

  13. Tom says:

    Hi, absolute fantastic page and superb collection of Kenner information. Thanks and please keep running 🙂 Best wishes, greetings from Germany, Tom

  14. james gonzales says:

    Hello,I need some serious help.I am collecting super powers,I have LOTS of carded figrues moc & have coloring books,loose figures but I am despretly looking for a shelf talker sign the one that says power action toys.Might there be anyone out there that may help me aquire this?I am also looking for a complete fan club offer.Do you have anything that you might be able to send me?Anything would be greatly appreciated.Anything cool,promo,artwork,anything?I am a die hard fan of this toy line.Enough to be the one to ask.If you can help me please send to james gonzales 2315WESCOTT AVE. SAN ANTONIO TEXAS,78237 or 210-436-2294

  15. james gonzales says:

    looking for super powers stuff anything spinz2401@yahoo.com

  16. james gonzales says:

    Looking for anything super powers,fAN CLUB OFFER,SHELF TALKER SPINZ2401@YAHOO.COM

  17. I’m not a toy collector, but I love that Gooney Bird Mascot..It’s so strange. If you want to see a piece of Gooney Bird fan art, feel free to check out my blog at the website above. And yes, I do enjoy your site.

  18. Chris Woods says:

    I have one…Ann
    Will first ask daughters if they want it, if not I will have it for sale.

  19. Ace says:

    I stumbled across this site today. I am very interested in 4×4 toy monster trucks from the 80s/90s and recently purchased a boxed, mint version of Kenner’s The Claw. It is great to know there are others out there, who have the same nostalgic desire to seek the toys of yesterday. I am from the UK and wasn’t even aware of The Claw until I picked up a couple of examples from Galoob’s Power Machines range (article on my blog). My kids are allowed to play with the toys, which is probably considered sacrilege by some collectors, but it is all part of getting them outside to build obstacle courses and enjoy the garden or the great outdoors no matter the weather. Toys back then were just better. Merry Christmas 🙂

    • Ace…I was the person who did the rounds of meeting with toy inventors back in the day for Kenner…The Claw was an invention of Breslow Morrison and Terzian..known as BMT in Chicago. They presented it to me…we made a deal and the toy was…as I remember a relatively successful product for us…glad you like it! HB

  20. Mike Smith says:

    I have Star Wars Stickers printed by Sidney Printing Works Cincinnati OH in 1977, about 100, any interest?

  21. Hi,

    This is a cool site. Just wanted to tell you my dad did a lot of the advertising artwork for many Kenner products. I was actually on the box of the Easy Show Projector. I also have several toy fair catalogs from 1965, and the early 70’s. The Daddy Saddle I saw on this site is on one of the pages of the catalogs. Kenner was a great toy company here in Cincinnati, named after the street it was located on.

    So, if you want me to look up anything in the catalog and maybe scan a page for you, let me know!
    Steve

  22. Terri Cheslock says:

    Hello,

    I have a small doll in a plastic jar that is called Strawberry Jam. You can push her into the jar and probably put a cover on her, (but I’m not sure because I don ‘t have one) then you push here up from the bottom to reveal the doll. It says she was made in 1991 by Kenner. Do you have anymore information on her? Any help would be appreciated.

    • Terri, This had to be part of the Strawberry Shortcake line that was developed in my group at Kenner when I was SRVP of Product Concepts, although I don’t remember us making small dolls that went in jars!

  23. Lisa says:

    Where are the Sea Wees dolls? I am sorry they are not represented on this site because they were my absolute favorite Kenner toys – worked in the bathtub, pool and were a great toy especially when the movie “Splash” was so popular! Can you add something about them here? I understand they were manufactured and sold from 1979-1984. It makes me incredibly sad that the Sea Wees that are available at retail today are terrible! Do you know if that brand get sold off separately before the Kenner acquisition? Any insight you have would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

  24. Ed Ruddom says:

    Hey Guys, really dig this site! Will there be any hope of you guys doing anything on Kenner’s ALIENS and PREDATOR toyline which was released from 1992-1995? There’s some awesome little bits from that line including stuff which was never put into production. It was one of my favourite toylines growing up and it doesn’t seem to get too much love.

  25. Debora Davies says:

    I was born in 1977 so I guess I was about 3 years old when the strawberry shortcake came out! Oh boy I love those dolls but my parents could never afford it! They were very expensive in Brazil and I had a cousin who had one or two of them! She let me play sometimes! Well today I have a two years old and i started collecting it for her since I found out I was having a girl! She has more than 100 dolls! Including the most expensive and rare ones! The only two missing is the peach blush and lemon merengue berrykins!!! I love this dolls! They are the cutest on the planet! I love everything about them! Their shape! Their size! Their clothes, designer etc!!! So does my daughter!!! :0)

  26. Hi! I am the responsible to the official star wars fan club in Portugal.I am a star wars collector and in our club we organized several star wars events where we can show our collections.

  27. Hi there, HUGE Centurions fan, you may use the images from my blog. Any questions just email me and I will do my best to answer.

  28. Marti Messia says:

    I have a numbrr of 1960’s and 1970’s mint toys in box including a Kenner’s Easy Wash Jet Action Dishwasher. Where could I sell these other than Ebay; and where would I be able to get their auction value? Would someone please respond with help. My late father collected these and we were not allowed to play with them so they are all in mint or near mint condition; any help will be appreciated.

    • Joe Curcio says:

      Hello Marti,
      Thank you for contacting us about these toys. eBay is usually the best place for selling something like this. Other options may be a private auction house. In addition, if you check eBay ended listing, you may be able to generalize some sort of value, though it may be tough with mint, in box items, since they are so old. Please feel free to forward pictures. We would love to see them!

      Thank you,
      Joe

      Kennercollector.com

  29. Daniel David Pawlowski says:

    11/17/15
    From 1978 to 1988 I work at Kenner Parker Toys 17th. floor tooling Department as Senior Tooling Engineer. I work on Star Wars,Strawberry Shortcake and Easy Bake Oven toys. I came across an article in Library Links–Winter 2016–Volume 23–Issue 1 about Kenner and KennerCollector.com . I’m looking forward to seeing the exhibit starting this weekend. I will try to attend the Symposium on Dec. 12, 2015. I will start to follow your e-mail page. It bring back memories.

    Daniel David Pawlowski —S.T.E retired

  30. Michelle aprague says:

    This may be a long shot. I am wondering if kenner ever produced a short stocky blue rabbit. He had a patch over one eye and had a bandolier with grenades on it that were mice. He had spikey shoulderpads as well as he wore a loin cloth. I had one that was stolen at work and am desperately trying to find another.

  31. Ty Scott says:

    Hello I recently started collecting JP toys from antique stores and was hoping to find out prices.

  32. Don Ariano says:

    I inherited a number of your toys (Winner’s Circle) racing cars/drivers still in their origional packaging. How can I best find their current value?

  33. heather says:

    I know this may be weird but im just finding out that my mother worked for the company that used to be in Cincinnati and she has now passed and I was told I should be receiving benefits from the company and have no way of contacting them can someone help?

  34. Levi Rynkievich says:

    Hi. I have about a 130 starting lineups I’m wanting to sell as a lot package. I’m trying to find information of people or companies who may buy them.

  35. Michelle says:

    Could anyone give me any information on the Kenner mummy surprise doll?

  36. Dick says:

    Hi all,

    I ran into some M.a.s.k sculpts helmets online and was wondering how I can be sure that these are real. Any tips? They have a pink type color and are placed on a green torso. Also I found an unrealeased 3D render of a Matt Trakker figure that never was released. It’s a Matt Trakker with an puffy jacket. Has any of you heard about this figure.

    Greetings,

    Dick

  37. Jimmy Nipper says:

    I am a kenner silverhawks collector and I have loved them since I was young. I like seeing other people that have the love of 80’s toys like I do . I have one question if anyone can help me I would appreciate it what is the millimeter holes on silverhawks toys

  38. Lorraine Paulette Ryan says:

    I am seeking a 1983 Strawberry Shortcake Berry Happy Home for my daughter and my 5year old granddaughter. It was one of the things she would have passed along, but when I got divorced from her dad, he threw it out. I have found them on E-Bay but they are so far away that I can’t afford the shipping. I am willing to pay $260-300 for it, but the shipping charges are $250. Yikes!! I would drive to states within a few hundred miles of Chicago to pick it up. Please put the word out for me and make a dream come true for my girlie-girls.
    Thanks
    Nostalgic Grandma

  39. Bonita Rice says:

    I have a Kenner Nursery Birds Baby’s first plaything No. 333 crib mobile, Copyright 1953. It is in excellent condition, complete and in original box, 7 different birds. I am interested to know what is the value of it and recommendations to offer it for sale.
    I’m happy to answer any questions about it.

  40. Michael D'Andreano says:

    Hi, I would much very like it if someone could help me. I tried to go on the internet to find a car that kenner had sold I believe during late 1970’s or early 1980’s. The car or vehicle was displayed I believe in a star wars mini catalog. The vehicle, I believe was sound or motion activated. I think it came with a special wristband that made it move. It came out the same time that the Legends of the West figures, like the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid figures. It was battery operated, also because I do not know whether it was a car or tank, I have had great problems in trying to find out more about it also to find it on E-Bay. Did Kenner ever produce this vehicle and was it ever sold?

  41. Natalie says:

    Hi!
    I was wondering if you can help me out. I’ve been searching everywhere for the Kenner Furrever Friends. They are these plush kitties from the 1980s, with velcro paws and velcro detachable tails. Would you be able to help me out? I am particularity looking for two of them, called Blushytail (pink) and Posietail (purple). I will appreciate any help and advise you can give me. Thank you!

  42. Tank says:

    Hi Guys,

    I love sites like this that are dedicated to the history and preservation of specific toy companies but also reports about all the people and circumstances that brought them about. It’s always so interesting and I appreciate that you all have created and actively contributed to something so unique and loved by many.

    This may be a real long shot, but I needed help identifying a specific color on a Robocop figure I have. He needs a little paint touch up and wanted to do it the right way. I was wondering if anyone out there knew the color used on the Robocop figure that came with a white vehicle, and on the package it was called “Robo-Command”? It was from series 2 of the toyline. The color I was inquiring about was the bronze/silver color that Robocop was painted with. It has such a unique bronze tint to it. The action figure itself had the robocop figures’ arms come off and he could use the weapons that were attached to the vehicle as weapon arms. He also had little teal/light blue paint details on him. In all honesty, if anyone also knew that teal/light blue color too, that would be helpful. If you’ve read this far, thanks and I hope everyone continues their love for the toylines of Kenner. Thanks

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