What toys capture the 70's?

[Marvelmania]

While they're not toys when I think of 70's toys I think of 7-11 Superhero slurpee cups.

[kingdom warrior]

Megos...Especially the TV ones...Eagle Eye Gi Joe,Bulletman,Big Jim,Evel Knievel,SMDM, Racing Cars sets...Donny and Marie dolls, Supersize Barbie,and The Barbie that tanned..lol! Star Wars!!

[Bo8a_Fett]

Shrinky Dinks - Make your own character keychains and necklaces for Mom

This was more fun when you found out that you could make your own for free by using crisp (chips?) packets...there was even a craze at school for shrunken crisp packets....bit like the "Tomorrow People" story about the "red and the green" except it was cheese and onion or salt and viniger...

[z3zep]

As a girl -- I think Dawn Dolls were the rage in the 70s -- I had a bunch and even though the scale was off, they dated my mego Superman, Batman and Aquaman.

Somehow I never even heard of Dinah-mite as a youngster - I learned about her here at the MM.


Dawn Dolls
Megos - WGSH, POTA
SMDM/Bonic Woman
Evel Knievel with stuntcycle
Stretch Armstrong

Playsets for action figures
Colorforms
lite-bright
Green Plastic Army Men
Board Games

Big Wheel
Skateboards
Atari

[MegoNinja]

While they're not toys when I think of 70's toys I think of 7-11 Superhero slurpee cups.

Yes the 7-11 cups are great, any thing promotional actually, like cups with Hulk's big ugly head on them, I don't have them any more but I remember having a Hulk promotional Mug.

Isn't Atari an 80's thing? My Atari box says (c)1982 and my pacman cartridge says (c)1987. I could be wrong, I thought Atari was 70's as well but my box says different, maybe it was a later release or some thing to that effect.

[Bo8a_Fett]

Here's a pretty comprehensive list of gaming systems in the 70's
A History of Home Video Games from Atari to Xbox, Playstation and Wii

[Delusional B]

Yes the 7-11 cups are great, any thing promotional actually, like cups with Hulk's big ugly head on them, I don't have them any more but I remember having a Hulk promotional Mug.

Isn't Atari an 80's thing? My Atari box says (c)1982 and my pacman cartridge says (c)1987. I could be wrong, I thought Atari was 70's as well but my box says different, maybe it was a later release or some thing to that effect.

The Atari 2600 (then the VCS) was released in 1977. I don't think it really "found its legs" until the early eighties when Atari bought the home rights to Space Invaders. After that, Atari quickly became a household name. I definitely think of the Atari as an 80s thing even though it was released in the late 70s.

[z3zep]

Isn't Atari an 80's thing? My Atari box says (c)1982 and my pacman cartridge says (c)1987. I could be wrong, I thought Atari was 70's as well but my box says different, maybe it was a later release or some thing to that effect.

My friend had the Atari Stunt Cycle and the Atari 2600 in the late 70s (77-78), we played that thing a lot. I guess most other people didn't get one until the early 80s and the Pac-man type games. But I definitely played Atari in the good ole 70s

I somehow think that toys, fashion etc of the ending years of a decade somehow get lumped into the new decade.

[grayhank]

Well prior to video games there were lots of board games: Monopoly, Sorry, Masterpiece, Pay Day, Clue, etc. Many of these have been around alot longer but still hold up today.

Megos defined the 70s in my opinion. I actually hated when Star Wars figures came out because they were so small in comparison. But I love them now!

Then of course there is my personal favorite - Fisher Price Little People (but most of you knew that already I'm sure.)

Johnny West by Marx was an excellent line because of all those accessories that came with each figure.

And who could forget the Donny & Marie doll line from their variety show. Doesn't get any more 70s than that.

I also remember getting solid color plastic Walt Disney characters. They were much like green army men only larger. The were more like statues than toys, but for some reason I always seemed to have them around.

[Delusional B]

I also remember getting solid color plastic Walt Disney characters. They were much like green army men only larger. The were more like statues than toys, but for some reason I always seemed to have them around.

Oh, wow. I remember those! I had completely forgotten about those. They were kind of like the Marx (?) solid color Marvel figures (statues). My uncle used to buy those Disney figures and give them full-color paint jobs.

Like this guy:

Marx Walt Disney 6" Green Plastic Donald Duck Figure - eBay (item 110217471452 end time Jan-29-08 18:00:00 PST)

[Bo8a_Fett]

Weebles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MegoNinja]

Krusher, Suckerman and Pulsar!

[nvmbrsdoom5]

For me the toys that really capture the essence of the 70s would be, specifically-

Mego Star Trek figures and Enterprise

Fisher Price Little People Garage playset

Weebles Haunted House Playset

24" Shogun Warriors

Silly Putty

AHI rack toys, especially the parachutist superheroes

Bulletman and Mike Powers

Celebrity dolls, like Cher, Donny & Marie, Happy Days, etc.

And of course Mego WGSH, especially Spidey & Hulk, as those were just so popular at the time.

[PCofmisfittoys]

mousetrap, silly putty , games of all kind

atari games

and of course later star wars

[MegoNinja]

For me the toys that really capture the essence of the 70s would be, specifically-

Mego Star Trek figures and Enterprise

Fisher Price Little People Garage playset

Weebles Haunted House Playset

24" Shogun Warriors

Silly Putty

AHI rack toys, especially the parachutist superheroes

Bulletman and Mike Powers

Celebrity dolls, like Cher, Donny & Marie, Happy Days, etc.

And of course Mego WGSH, especially Spidey & Hulk, as those were just so popular at the time.

Yeah I have the Mike Powers doll, I think that is a pretty notable 70's toy icon. I see him as sort of a prequel to SMDM, which he was, but he is really cool in his own right, even if his light up eye function is really lame.
Celebrity dolls have to capture the 70's if they were made in the 70's simply because they were based on popular people at that time, I would love to start collecting the Mego celebrity line's for that reason.