A bounty on his head

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This vintage toy shot means a lot because well, it's me. I found this picture while cleaning my garage last weekend and it's one that's very special. 12" IG-88 was not easily found in Canada (and purists will note that's an American box beside me) and I remember being really happy with this.


Sadly, I sold hin during lean times in college, it's a long shot but if you purchased a 12" IG-88 at the Toronto toy show circa 1990-91 from a tall, possibly hung over man please drop me a line. I'd love to have him back.


Before you say it, I'm totally aware my fly is open. Also, happy to add that my grandmother's living room is exactly the same 32 years later. No wonder I like going there.

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[cjefferys]

That's a fantastic photo, Brian. From what I've read, the large size IG-88 wasn't sold in Canada at all, Kenner Canada apparently cancelled the line before he was released (therefore there is no Canadian biligual box in existence). I do know that I never saw him in Canadian stores. Perhaps your grandmother (?) bought him over the border for you? Anyway, that totally reminds me of getting the large size Boba Fett from my grandparents the year before. Aren't grandparents wonderful? I really wish I had a similar photo to share, I'm really jealous! (and I hope you can someday get your IG-88 back, like I finally got my Fett back )

[palitoy]

He seems to have been imported here in limited quantities from what I'm told. There is no CDN version of the box, so only English Canada got him. Grandparents rule!

[Earth 2 Chris]

Awesome pic Brian. And the open fly only adds to the innocent charm of the pic.

Chris

[palitoy]

Then I still retain much of my innocent charm to this day.

[mazinz]

great pic, if it means anything to you at all, I never saw him anywhere on the shelves in the US either

[cjefferys]

It's interesting to learn that there were a few available in Canada as imports. Wonder what stores carried them? The only large IG-88 that I ever saw back in the day was one that my cousin in Florida owned. I ended up with it from one of our many toy trades, but I eventually traded it away myself in the early 90's. Haven't owned one since, but I'd like to someday.

[darkmonkeygod]

Large IG-88s were one of those items that were available by the case load on the shelves of my childhood Lionel Playworld for several years after their discontinuation (yet I never got one as I didn't collect the 12 inch figures. More by my parents choice than mine, of course. ). I truly loved roaming that giant warehouse of a store. Not my photos, but here is my main childhood toy store, really a church for me:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11035256@N05/3293245334

Roughly twenty minutes from the house I grew up in, I was there pretty much weekly from the '70s until they all closed - and it wasn't the only Lionel in the area. I'm pretty sure I still remember the phone number: 404-923-7492, which I'd call so regularly on stock days that they people working there often knew what I was after ("Yep, we just got FX -7, no there are plenty and we won't need to hold it for you. No we don't have Skyla. No, I don't know when we'll get that one."). Plus, there was a Steak N Shake next door, a Service Merchandise right up and across the street (which was in the tan building seen through the legs of the Lionel sign http://www.flickr.com/photos/11035256@N05/3293242214 ) and a similarly aged K Mart just South. Oh, and for quite some time a Zayre was close as well.

Several miles further down was my childhhod comic book store, the place my first copies of Famous Monsters and Monster Times came from; the Book Nook (which still exists in other locations). On the stretch in between; the Collector's Corner and another hobby shop who's name I've forgotten, and often - though it moved a lot over the years - a movie collectibles store; The Paper Chase, which also carried comics. Ah, Buford Highway and Atlanta in the '70s and '80s. Greatest place on earth!