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View Full Version : 5 Amazing (and 5 Underwhelming) Mail-Away Action Figures


wilbs518
Nov 17, '10, 7:35 AM
Check out this great article by Brian H.
http://www.toplessrobot.com/2010/11/5_amazing_and_5_underwhelming_mail-away_action_fig.php
palitoy
Nov 17, '10, 7:41 AM
Heh, I didn't even know this was up.
david_b
Nov 17, '10, 8:20 AM
Topless usually has some excellent articles.. Occasionally few and far in-between, but I liked this and the one on the best/worst playsets.

He was spot-on about the Star Wars Early Bird Mail-in Offer.

Only 'Star Wars' could have pulled that off..

david_b
Earth 2 Chris
Nov 17, '10, 9:32 AM
Great list! I like the "quite mad" bit about Lucas.

I still have my Clark Kent and Cobra Commander figures. The CK figure took the full 14 weeks(!) to get here as stated on the promo sticker. The Super Powers line was practically canceled by the time it got here!

One more thing that made the CK figure great: The great commercial for the offer featured Marc McClure as Jimmy Olsen, making the figure even more legit!

Chris
Werewolf
Nov 17, '10, 11:42 AM
The Ambush Predator is an awesome figure.
Bruce Banner
Nov 18, '10, 6:10 AM
Ah, mail-aways. The source of such childhood joy and frustration in equal measures!

Still remember visiting a toy stall at the local market several times during the 90s and finding a whole heap of mail-away ROTJ Emperor and "mummy" Mumm-Ra figures, still sealed in their mail-away boxes & baggies for a few pennies each. (The stall owner just didn't really know what they were).
Gotta love surplus stock!
Good days!
Nostalgiabuff
Nov 18, '10, 8:25 AM
cool list. I of course had all the Star Wars and Gi Joe mail in's....let's not forget the Emporer was a freeby too
ThatBatmanGuy
Nov 18, '10, 12:14 PM
That's an interesting list. I had the Cobra Commander, Fridge, and Sgt. Slaughter. I remember selling them in the 90's for good money too.
Bob
huedell
Nov 18, '10, 1:45 PM
Solid article... but I always thought FC Aunt May got a bad rap.

First time I saw May in the comics in the 70s, I literally thought she was
some kind of monster/creature... and the FC figure captures that vibe well.
starsky
Nov 18, '10, 2:08 PM
awesome article!
TrueDave
Nov 19, '10, 11:18 AM
Nobody EVER gets mail as a kid. I LOVED getting those figures.

Aunt May was a test. You had to but all four of teh first Famous covers, cut the boxes up, save teh reciept PLUS pay 25 bucks ( more than teh store) for a character nobody liked.

Toy Biz wanted to expirement with how far "Collect them all would go"

She made a lousy "hostage " figure. I never could get myself to have spidey save her in time.