The 1975 Mattel Toys Show Room

[RSS]

Thanks to some tremendously thoughtful efforts from a good friend, I have a bit of toy history to unveil today. It's one of those things I've always wanted to see but never thought possible.

But these rare shots featuring both the massive Big Jim and Barbie displays for that year have finally been unearthed. While they look primitive compared to the paegentry thrown at current toy fairs, it's still a wonderful look at how some of our childhood friends are marketed.



Click Here to see the 1975 Mattel Toyfair Show Room

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


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[rche]

Brick Mantooth : Big Jim .... separated at birth?

Those are awesome displays. Those planes... ahh. Greatness in toys.

[megoscott]

That plane in the air is great! I secretly loved that playset when I was a kid.

[ctc]

NEAT!

Always loved those kind of displays. When I was a kid we'd always terraform the back yard to make suitable lay areas; sorta like the pic.

I think the best display EVER is still the Toronto Eaton's space Lego set; from the late 70's. (Can't remember the year.) The one where they'd welded a bunch of baseplates together to make a 5 foot high space station.

Don C.

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

That looks like fun.

[Meule]

With a display like that, who wouldn't want those figures?

[wilbs518]

Cool Pic!

[clemso]

I also love that plane, I wonder if the showroom display props ever show up for sale?

[ScottA]

How cool....

[HardyGirl]

Super cool! I had the Country Camper. A friend of mine had the plane.

BTW, Brian, you link in the box isn't working.

[Wee67]

This is just plain awesome! I'm surprised to see that more of these types of shots didn't survive the 70's. You would think that businesses and the people who put the displays together would have snapped tons of shots. Thanks for sharing this great little piece of toy history.

[generic]

You would think that businesses and the people who put the displays together would have snapped tons of shots.

If I had put together a display like that, I know I would have taken pictures. I think the main problem would be the people who worked there and took the photos probably don't know anyone would want to see them, so they're sitting in an old shoebox or photo album in someone's attic.

[palitoy]

I got these through someone who worked on the Big Jim line, I owe them dinner next time I'm in New York, which I'm only happy to oblige. A friend of mine met the person and convinced them to scan the photos for me, I also owe him dinner in two weeks.

[Captain]

Great stuff! I love presentations like that, and would have gone nuts if allowed to play with that display as a kid (or now even!). Wish we lived in a world where toy lines like this could still be produced by a major company without the usual "needs a tv show, movie, etc. etc." claptrap!

We need Big Jim back, and look at Barbie as pictured here, compared to what she has become nowadays....Light years apart.

[toys2cool]

man those displays rock