Most Surprising Toy Line

[Falstaff13]

As I think back on and find out more about a variety of vintage lines, some stand out to me as real surprises. The Waltons comes to mind as the most bizarre choice for Mego. Ignoring today's collector's/nostalgia market, I find it fascinating that this show (which I did love, actually) was ever targeted by any toy makers. After all, running a wood mill does not really produce a major place of action, and John Boy's dream of becoming a writer is hardly going to allow much drama. And then the female figures don't really lend themselves to be marketed, ala Charlie's Angels, in more of a fashion doll approach either.

So I was wondering what vintage toy line do you think was an odd choice at the time, given then the market was driven by what children would play with? I vote for either The Waltons or a line I think would have been great fun for me but am no surprised flopped, the Butch & Sundance: The Early Days. That prequel came out ten years after the original film (which wasn't a kids or family film anyway) at a point the western was wheezing and gasping (and two years before Legend of the Lone Ranger, which did produce a great toy line). So I find it surprising someone at Kenner sought to follow up Star Wars with this.

So what do you think is the most surprising choice for a line and why? This is not about how good the line was but just how odd it was to market.

Hugh

[Doc]

The Waltons has to be the biggest "What the?" toy line. What kid in the 70S ever said lets go out to the sand box and play depression era backwoods family? Can you imagime 5 kids sitting around saying Good night Jim Bob. Good night Sue Ellen?

At the time toys were really just geared for kids so I doubt anyone marketed those for adult collectors.

Second toy line was Nightmare on Elm street. I cant beleive Match box Put out a line on a monsterous child molestor.

[Falstaff13]

Second toy line was Nightmare on Elm street. I cant beleive Match box Put out a line on a monsterous child molestor.

Of course, Nightmare on Elm Street also had that TV spin-off along the way, and I feel like it got diluted with each outing. It's kind of like there managing to be a Rambo cartoon and toy line, ending up "suitable" but not by the standards of the original First Blood.

[SpaceCrawler]

The Archie Bunker's Grandson (Joey) doll from All in the Family was rather odd.



Also the celebrity endorsements of the 70s were weird too- like Lucille Ball's picture on Pivot Pool games. What the hell was the connection there?



Sean

[Jason73]

The Love Boat figures come to mind.

[4NDR01D]

Maxx f/x Freddie Kruger was cool, but seems a strange choice as it was prior to a time that toys were marketed to adults.

[Falstaff13]

I don't think I knew there was a Joey Stivic doll (did it come with its own baptismal font?). Love Boat definitely fits. I seem to vaguely remember these in a catalog but never saw them. And why wasn't there a Fantasy Island companion set?

And I love the idea of wacky endorsements. Why get Jackie Gleason to sign off on your pool set when you can have Lucy?

[LadyZod]

I believe the thinking behind the Waltons was to try a get a piece of that doll/dollhouse action with a known property. It was a girl line. Nothing more.

[Werewolf]

Waltons? Let's play crushing poverty and rural America. Wheeee!!! To be fair though, it probably made sense to Mego as a girl's line in a 70s sort of way. Holly Hobby and Little House on the Prairie were big in the 70s. Kinda fits in with that.

Love Boat might have made sense if they had not been made like SW figures. 8 inch or fashion dolls, maybe. 3 3/4 inch SW style action figures, no.

Captain and Tenille does not make sense. 70s celebs like Cher and Farah, sure. But I just can't see kids having a burning need to re-inact the glory of Muskrat Love with Captain and Tennile fashion dolls.

Laverne and Shirley: Popular Show, sure, but not exactly toyetic. It's like having Barney Miller dolls. "No, ma, I don't want Superman or Luke Skywalker. I want the new Fish and Wojciehowicz dolls!" Just because a show is popular doesn't mean they'll make good toys for kids.

Kenner's 1979 Alien figure. Great figure but, making a monster from a very gory R rated movie for kids in the 70s, not a great idea.

Rambo: Good movie, but not one that should be turned into a cartoon and a Coleco toy line for kids.

Kenner's Robocop and the Ultra Police. Yes, the toys are actually from the very toned down animated series, but the characters are still based on the brutally violent R-Rated movie.

Terminator: Not nearly as bad as Robocop but still, a violent R-rated movie should not be made into kid's line.

Demolition Man: Same, violent R-rated movie should not be turned into a kid's toy line.

Toxic Crusaders: Toys are from the silly Toxie cartoon but the main character is still based on the very not kid friendly R rated movies.

But the worst by far are the Matchbox Freddy Kruger toys. Those were way before the adult collector market and meant for children. Making a talking plush doll of a murdering child molester for kids is beyond poor taste.

[bizzaro megomauler]

and sadly no muppet movie stuff.

[MegoAddict]

yes indeed there are weird lines out there...some that come to mind are:

Pirates of Black water
Willow
Waltons
Mork and Mindy
Mego Pocket heroes---horrible sculpts i think

[Falstaff13]

The lines might have been bad, but I can understand licensing Pirates of Black Water (which had a Saturday morning cartoon) and Willow (the latest Lucas project). I think if Mork had been licensed to match already available Happy Days products it might have made sense.

[jwyblejr]

Laverne and Shirley: Popular Show, sure, but not exactly toyetic. It's like having Barney Miller dolls. "No, ma, I don't want Superman or Luke Skywalker. I want the new Fish and Wojciehowicz dolls!" Just because a show is popular doesn't mean they'll make good toys for kids.

These might have done better if they were 8" instead. At least that way,kids could do the cross-overs with Happy Days like on both of the shows.

[Werewolf]

These might have done better if they were 8" instead. At least that way,kids could do the cross-overs with Happy Days like on both of the shows.

But unlike Happy Days, there was no Fonz type character in L&S. Even at 8 inch you are just adding more dull Ralph Malph peg warmers to cross over with Happy Days. There's no hook for kids. No play value. Just more boring characters for kids to pass over. Playing motorcycle jumps with the Fonz is fun. Pretend working a dead end job in a brewery with L&S isn't.

Adding Pinky Tuscadero to the existing 8 inch Happy Days line makes more sense. At least then girls would have their own dare devil/cool character to play with.

[bizzaro megomauler]

[QUOTE=SpaceCrawler;546198]The Archie Bunker's Grandson (Joey) doll from All in the Family was rather odd.

EVEN odder, he is "Anitimically correct...."
Laverne and Shirley did have Carmine, but I never thought the "Big Ragu" was near as cool as "Ragu" spaghetti sauce.