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The Great Sci-Fi Toy Slump of 1979

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    Museum Robot
    • May 9, 2007
    • 5786

    The Great Sci-Fi Toy Slump of 1979



    It's really hard to believe but in 1979, Star Wars and other Sci-Fi related toys hit a major slump. So much so that many retailers considered it all a "fad" and stopped ordering new items.



    This article taken from a "Toys, Hobbies and Crafts" magazine interviews major buyers and the vice president of Mego about the then-uncertain future of space toys. Surely Star Trek the Motion Picture and the Black Hole were going to kick it back into high gear!


    The recent release of two new space movies, with a third on the way for the spring, means kids will again be looking into space toys in droves, say manufacturers.
    But retailers are leery about space, since sales dropped off as much as 30% for some last year on licensed and nonlicensed space toys.
    The retailer's attitude for 1980s a "wait and see" philosophy. Most are hoping that Star Trek, The Black Hole and the Star Wars sequel, The Empire Strikes Back, will rejuvenate sales.
    Still, buyers say they plan to go slow in placing orders for sci-fi toys, depending upon the interest.
    TH & C spoke with representatives from Heck's, Winns Stores, Singer and Co., Sprouse-Reitz Co.,Toy Fair, Kenner and Mego. This is what they had to say:


    For more Fashion Mockery and 70's toy love visit us at Plaid Stallions.com


    More...
  • Ranger 3
    Veteran Member
    • Oct 25, 2007
    • 323

    #2
    Even though we look back at this time with the idea that we were in the 'middle' of the golden age of Star Wars and sci-fi, I can see how this was the prevailing thought. Even as kids who knew there was a Star Wars sequel coming, we were clinging to anything that kinda reminded us of SW. If you rate all the sci-fi properties from '77 to early '80 starting with SW, you would definitely see a downturn up to this point.

    Comment

    • palitoy
      live. laugh. lisa needs braces
      • Jun 16, 2001
      • 59200

      #3
      Yeah, I think the culprit was likely oversaturation. SW sales were likely cooling off and then there was BSG, touted as the next Star Wars, it sold really well until it left the airwaves when it sunk like a stone.

      People tend to fixate on Mego's blunders but every article I've read from this era, BSG gets the most mentions as being something of a disappointment for retailers.
      Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

      Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
      http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

      Comment

      • Earth 2 Chris
        Verbose Member
        • Mar 7, 2004
        • 32498

        #4
        It would makes sense that eventually the demand for Star Wars from the first movie would cool. The initial reaction was so rabid, by the time 79 rolled around, pretty much every kid had everything they wanted, or were likely to receive.

        Chris
        sigpic

        Comment

        • Hedji
          Citizen of Gotham
          • Nov 17, 2012
          • 7246

          #5
          If only Mattel had sprung for painting eyeballs on the BSG figures, and unique sculpts for their 12 inch characters!

          Comment

          • starsky
            veteran member
            • Aug 26, 2007
            • 6200

            #6
            Originally posted by Hedji
            If only Mattel had sprung for painting eyeballs on the BSG figures, and unique sculpts for their 12 inch characters!
            i totally agree with you! i was so disappointed that the face had no detail at all and that they didn't make a captain apollo figure as well.

            Comment

            • drquest
              ~~/\~~\o/~~/\~~Shark!
              • Apr 17, 2012
              • 3741

              #7
              Originally posted by Hedji
              If only Mattel had sprung for painting eyeballs on the BSG figures, and unique sculpts for their 12 inch characters!
              I would have given up eyeballs for ships that fit with their 3 3/4" toys and an actual Battlestar Galactica! I know one was planned, but good grief.
              Danny(Drquest)
              Captain Action HQ
              Retro shirts and stuff
              More retro shirts
              Stuff For Sale

              Comment

              • sprytel
                Talkative Member
                • Jun 26, 2009
                • 6539

                #8
                If only we had YouTube in 1979. Can you imagine that angry geek's rant?

                "Ooh, lookie here... another Leia 12 inch action figure. And what is this doing in the boy's aisle? I'll talk about that later. And this TIE Fighter... it's big action feature is... wow... it's wings fall off. What kid would want that! And again, they have like a dozen of them. More proof that Kenner and Lucasfilms are in big trouble. They clearly have no idea what they are doing."

                Comment

                • Mr.Marion
                  Permanent Member
                  • Sep 15, 2014
                  • 2733

                  #9
                  BSG did release one of the best 3.75 figures . IMG_20171221_114904418.jpg

                  Comment

                  • PNGwynne
                    Master of Fowl Play
                    • Jun 5, 2008
                    • 19444

                    #10
                    Originally posted by sprytel
                    If only we had YouTube in 1979. Can you imagine that angry geek's rant?

                    "Ooh, lookie here... another Leia 12 inch action figure. And what is this doing in the boy's aisle? I'll talk about that later. And this TIE Fighter... it's big action feature is... wow... it's wings fall off. What kid would want that! And again, they have like a dozen of them. More proof that Kenner and Lucasfilms are in big trouble. They clearly have no idea what they are doing."

                    You made my day.
                    WANTED: Dick Grayson SI trousers; gray AJ Mustang horse; vintage RC Batman (Bruce Wayne) head; minty Wolfman tights; mint Black Knight sword; minty Launcelot boots; Lion Rock (pale) Dracula & Mummy heads; Lion Rock Franky squared boots; Wayne Foundation blue furniture; Flash Gordon/Ming (10") unbroken holsters; CHiPs gloved arms; POTA T2 tan body; CTVT/vintage Friar Tuck robes, BBP TZ Burgess Meredith glasses.

                    Comment

                    • Werewolf
                      Inhuman
                      • Jul 14, 2003
                      • 14615

                      #11
                      Originally posted by sprytel

                      "Ooh, lookie here... another Leia 12 inch action figure. And what is this doing in the boy's aisle? I'll talk about that later. And this TIE Fighter... it's big action feature is... wow... it's wings fall off. What kid would want that! And again, they have like a dozen of them. More proof that Kenner and Lucasfilms are in big trouble. They clearly have no idea what they are doing."
                      Spot on. I am forever grateful social media did not exist when I was a kid.
                      You are a bold and courageous person, afraid of nothing. High on a hill top near your home, there stands a dilapidated old mansion. Some say the place is haunted, but you don't believe in such myths. One dark and stormy night, a light appears in the topmost window in the tower of the old house. You decide to investigate... and you never return...

                      Comment

                      • cjefferys
                        Duke of Gloat
                        • Apr 23, 2006
                        • 10180

                        #12
                        Great pic, wish it was in color. Cool to see some Super Joes at the very far right too. But someone should have straightened that one Colonial Scarab box before snapping the pic!

                        Comment

                        • palitoy
                          live. laugh. lisa needs braces
                          • Jun 16, 2001
                          • 59200

                          #13
                          Originally posted by sprytel
                          If only we had YouTube in 1979. Can you imagine that angry geek's rant?

                          "Ooh, lookie here... another Leia 12 inch action figure. And what is this doing in the boy's aisle? I'll talk about that later. And this TIE Fighter... it's big action feature is... wow... it's wings fall off. What kid would want that! And again, they have like a dozen of them. More proof that Kenner and Lucasfilms are in big trouble. They clearly have no idea what they are doing."
                          Oh that's so funny, a while back Lenzi and myself cooked up a blog featuring the notes of a toy reviewer from the 1970s. We wrote stuff like "Sorry Kenner, but last I checked Lee Majors doesn't have a hole in his head". Trouble is, it was so negative and gross we both kind of lost interest....
                          Places to find PlaidStallions online: https://linktr.ee/Plaidstallions

                          Buy Toy-Ventures Magazine here:
                          http://www.plaidstallions.com/reboot/shop

                          Comment

                          • Hedji
                            Citizen of Gotham
                            • Nov 17, 2012
                            • 7246

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Mr.Marion
                            BSG did release one of the best 3.75 figures . [ATTACH=CONFIG]22147[/ATTACH]
                            Agreed. Those extra articulated limbs blew my little 6 year old mind.

                            Comment

                            • jwyblejr
                              galactic yo-yo
                              • Apr 6, 2006
                              • 11141

                              #15
                              Originally posted by sprytel
                              If only we had YouTube in 1979. Can you imagine that angry geek's rant?

                              "Ooh, lookie here... another Leia 12 inch action figure. And what is this doing in the boy's aisle? I'll talk about that later. And this TIE Fighter... it's big action feature is... wow... it's wings fall off. What kid would want that! And again, they have like a dozen of them. More proof that Kenner and Lucasfilms are in big trouble. They clearly have no idea what they are doing."


                              That or we would get "What's the deal with Boba Fett? We gotta wait and wait to get this figure and then his rocket doesn't even fire?"

                              Comment

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