The Top Ten Greatest PlaySets

[Earth 2 Chris]

Good picks. Not really easy to narrow those down, since toy makers used to take playsets seriously as "the set piece" and really put some thought into them. As much as I love Mego, I think the heyday of playsets was the early 80s with MOTU and GI Joe giving us multiple awesome sets, as well as Super Powers and others. Personally, the SP Hall of Justice is my favorite playset of all time, even though the yellow color bugged me slightly (that was how it was portrayed in the Super Friends comic usually). Grayskull most definitely has the greatest playset box ever conceived. That painting gave me the willies pretty bad on Christmas morning of 1982. I was such a weiner!

My son has the Spidey and Friends headquarters. It was a alot of fun, but not very well made. Several pieces on it broke a few months after he got it. I think the Imaginext Batcave will oneday deserve a place on a list like this.

Chris

[jwyblejr]

So true. I mean look at the G.I. Joe H.Q. for the 3 3/4" line. I had that before I got out of action figures the first time around.

[toys2cool]

yup Gi joe & He-man take the cake on playsets

I even love the Fright Zone even though it was pretty small

[Seeker]

Yeah I think the USS Flag, GI Joe Mobile Command vehicle, The Gi Joe Space shuttle and Mobile lauch center deserved to be mentioned.

Also The Muppet line had several outstanding sets from the Swine trek bridge to the Swedish Chefs kitchen.

Ghost Busters Firehouse. (Also reused many times)

McFarlanes Monsters also had many highly detailed sets.

Transformers had Metroplex, Scorponok and Fortress Maximus.

YA wanna stick with classic. Where was the Ape Tree house? Also used with Action Jackson?

Matt Mason had a incredible space station set.

[cjefferys]

The only other sets that come to mind for a couple of the Fisher Price Little People playsets. They were younger but I really dug the Garage, Airport and the Sesame Clubhouse. Come to think of it, I'd put that garage in the top 5!

Yeah, I had the Fisher Price garage and loved playing with it. But I think the number one Fisher Price playset would be the castle. That thing was a work of art.

[draconianguard]

*ahem!*

"Fortress of Fangs"....?

Don C.

I agree 100%! The spiked wall caving in was awesome! Best playset ever!

[toys2cool]

I agree 100%! The spiked wall caving in was awesome! Best playset ever!

yeah that one's pretty cool,I still have mine some where

I almost forgot one of my all time faves,The Ninja Turtles Sewer one

[Evel KMego]

Always fun to read a good top ten list!!!

[csstuba]

I have to totally agree on the Super Powers hall of justice. Great playset, and the line as a whole is VASTLY underrated.

[misterdroid]

I don't know if it is cool, or sad, that I have owned 7 of the 10 playsets...

[SlipperyLilSuckers]

I like the way you write Brian, it makes me feel like I am kicking back, having a chat with a friend. Keep it up.

[ctc]

Hmmmm....

I would love to make an 8" scale Fortress of Fangs, but I've never owned one and can't find good pics at different angles. (OR a cheap one on ebay....)

I think by the 90's playsets were pretty much dead. "Collecting" took precedent, and it was easier to do repaint figures.

Don C.

[palitoy]

I think by the 90's playsets were pretty much dead. "Collecting" took precedent, and it was easier to do repaint figures.

Well, that and the modern playset has very little play to it.

Zach from Toyfare made a comment as to how I was blinded by nostalgia because I didn't include things like the Buffy Library.

Out of curiosity, I went and looked at the thing, it's very nicely made but is nothing more than a backdrop to display figures. It should have had breakaway railings, moving bookcases and the like.

[toys2cool]

Hmmmm....

I would love to make an 8" scale Fortress of Fangs, but I've never owned one and can't find good pics at different angles. (OR a cheap one on ebay....)

I think by the 90's playsets were pretty much dead. "Collecting" took precedent, and it was easier to do repaint figures.

Don C.

I remember Robin Hood using the Ewok Village

[Earth 2 Chris]

Okay, I'll "bite". What the heck is the Fortress of Fangs?

Chris