Met a former Mego employee today...

[Blue Meanie]

Had the pleasure of meeting a former Mego Employee here on Long Island today. Worked at Mego from just around 1978 to the almost the end of Mego in '84/'85. Found out some interesting stuff. He was a warehouse worker doing pick pack/forklift operator/and loading big rigs for distribution. We talked about the all the stories that have been around over the years and the first thing I asked him about was the so called underground warehouse. I hate to disappoint but there was NO underground warehouse in the main building over in Bohemia. He said that there were 2 big warehouses behind the main building and that there was a tunnel that connected the 2 warehouses...but no underground warehouse. Also found out that near the end around 83 - 85 that Mego took over Marx or distribution of Marx product and that they also had the old Big Wheel in house at the very end. Just some great and new stuff for me. He told me he had some catalogs from when he worked there and that he also still has his Mego Softball uniform from the Mego Softball team. Hopefully I'll get to talk to him next week again. Gave him my name, number, and email to let me know if he finds any of the catalogs and any other Mego items. Who knows...there may be some more prototypes in the future Keeping my fingers crossed

[LonnieFisher]

How cool!!

[EmergencyIan]

Very intriguing! Looking forward to updates.

- Ian

[daz71]

very interesting.i wonder if they got given any figures.he probably has 20 carded iron man figures in his loft.

[Blue Meanie]

He did mention Ali's opponents and I mentioned the only 1 that was ever released was the one that looked like Joe Frazier. He said that he thought that the 3 others were also made. He described them to a tee from what they look like in the Mego Catalog. I think they stood out to him because after his time at Mego he was a boxing trainer:

http://www.megomuseum.com/sports/muhammedali.html

I told him that they never were released and he mentioned that they were in the catalog and he thinks he saw them at the Toyfair in NYC. He used to help with the Toyfairs in NYC. He said he also remembered talking to and meeting Mr. Kaufman before he and his brother started Kay Bee Toys that were based in malls back in the day. Kay Bee was started before then...but when into full on retail mode when they started building stores in malls and shopping centers. He was a regular that would meet at Mego's headquarters.

[ScottA]

That is so cool. He should be a quest speaker at MM.

[imp]

…first thing I asked him about was the so called underground warehouse. I hate to disappoint but there was NO underground warehouse in the main building over in Bohemia. He said that there were 2 big warehouses behind the main building and that there was a tunnel that connected the 2 warehouses...but no underground warehouse.

Just out of curiosity, where did you hear that Bohemia had an underground warehouse? I've heard a lot of stories about Mego, but I never heard anyone claim an underground warehouse. In my book, I talk about the tunnel (p. 145) and the actual arrangement of the three buildings Mego would ultimately inhabit. His description sounds like it was a little inaccurate, as the tunnel connected the original building (the primary warehouse) to ONE of the later-added buildings (next door, not behind) which Mego used as a Production Facility. The building in back (not connected by tunnel) was eventually used for deadstock storage.

Anyway, very exciting that you found him, and I look forward to hearing more!

- Benjamin

[Blue Meanie]

Just out of curiosity, where did you hear that Bohemia had an underground warehouse? I've heard a lot of stories about Mego, but I never heard anyone claim an underground warehouse. In my book, I talk about the tunnel (p. 145) and the actual arrangement of the three buildings Mego would ultimately inhabit. His description sounds like it was a little inaccurate, as the tunnel connected the original building (the primary warehouse) to ONE of the later-added buildings (next door, not behind) which Mego used as a Production Facility. The building in back (not connected by tunnel) was eventually used for deadstock storage.

Anyway, very exciting that you found him, and I look forward to hearing more!

- Benjamin

Something I heard back when the museum used to have the chat room. Again, just something I heard. It's like anything else when a story is started by the time it gets to the last person it has changed a lot. I'm hoping he has photos of the Bohemia warehouse and maybe some stock from when they closed up for good. Like I said he's a former boxing trainer and when he started talking about the Ali opponents my eyes lit up a little bit. He mentioned the name of a boxer that he thought the "Carrot Kid" was designed from was a boxer named Jerry Quarry. He also said that when The Hulk show hit big Mego started doing full cases of Hulk figures to be distributed to the stores. The funniest thing he did tell me was that the warehouse was basically stocked to the ceiling with Mego figures and that he thinks that there may be figures still up on the steel beams in that warehouse. He said when they would do pick and pack that you would hoist fellow workers up literally to the rafters of the warehouse and sometimes co-workers would take some figures out of the boxes and forget that they left them up there. Now THAT would be funny if there were tailend Megos still up there

[imp]

…literally to the rafters of the warehouse and sometimes co-workers would take some figures out of the boxes and forget that they left them up there. Now THAT would be funny if there were tailend Megos still up there

I think it's safe to say you just fueled the dreams of every Mego Collector who reads this thread tonight! I know what I'll be thinking about when i close my eyes tonight. As I drift off, I hope to take flight and find myself floating up toward the ceiling of a grubby former warehouse in Long Island, cherry-picking MIB and MOC WGSH…!



- Benjamin

[Blue Meanie]

If he should come up with photos I will definitely show them here.

[mego maniac mark]

Very cool Berto. Out of curiosity , how did you meet this individual ?

[EMCE Hammer]

Great story Berto. I'd love to see a pic of the Mego softball team for some reason.

[Earth 2 Chris]

How cool is that? Thanks for sharing!!!

Chris

[HardyGirl]

Sweet! What a cool experience for you. I hope you're able to share more cool stuff!

[toys2cool]

great story