Recently dug up this cool double sided Toltoys promotional flyer featuring three 1970′s MEGO Action Jackson accessories.

All three items are scarce today, particularly when boxed. The Action Jackson Formula Racer had an Aussie cousin, a yet to be formally documented promotional release in BP livery, if you have one I’m buying!

The Action Jackson Campmobile is a great VW Combi playset, Toltoys changed the “Discover America” sticker on the door to “Discover Australia” for the local release, but only managed to scratch out the “America” for the promo flyer shown above.

The Toltoys “Discover Australia” door sticker.

The reverse of the flyer shows the large Action Jackson “Jungle House”. This great playset is better known by its later release as the MEGO Planet of the Apes Treehouse.

For all things MEGO be sure to visit the MEGO MUSEUM

MEGO Toltoys Action Jackson Accessories Flyer is a post from: Toltoys Kid

One of the most viewed posts here on Toltoys Kid is the entry featuring Willy Water Bug. I receive regular requests asking where they can be found today, unfortunatey I’m not much help, suggesting they start a ongoing search on ebay. It seems the kids of the 70′s want their kids today to enjoy the same summer fun we had, running on the lawn with water splashing everywhere and not a care in the world.

I feel I may be in for more requests with today’s post featuring a cousin of Willy, the Wham-O “Fun Fountain” clown sprinkler. The example below is again the Toltoys Australia branded version, I was lucky enough to find this guy in mint unused condition. When the hose is attached to the base and the water turned on, the hat rises above the head on a stream of water. Unlike Willy Water Bug I do remember this toy, in particular hitting the hat by swinging a cricket bat at it. Really loved the 70′s I did.

Enjoy!

1979 Toltoys Fun Fountain is a post from: Toltoys Kid

Continuing the theme of Toltoys stickered MEGO figures, here are three examples of Australian issued figures from the 1970′s Happy Days line, based on a the hugely successful US sitcom, we have Potsy, Richie and the Fonz.

MEGO Toltoys Happy Days Action Figures is a post from: Toltoys Kid

Not many toys captured the 70′s zeitgeist as well as these Starksy & Hutch action figures, inspired by the funky cop show of the same name. The figures below were part of the Mego range of S&H merchandise, the Toltoys stickers indicating these examples were Australian releases.

MEGO Toltoys Starksy & Hutch figures is a post from: Toltoys Kid

A nice ebay find from a couple of years ago was this packaged Toltoys Frisbee. Another product of the Wham-O / Toltoys partnership, Frisbees were heavily promoted by Toltoys in Australia in the early days, as this article on the AFDA website discusses.

How many of these were lost over the back fence or in the surf in the 70′s?

Toltoys 1973 Frisbee Mint in Pack is a post from: Toltoys Kid

A rare trio on display here, the Tie Fighter, X-Wing and Landspeeder on hard-to-find early release Toltoys logo cards!

Thanks to Superdans Auction House for the pic.

Toltoys Star Wars Diecast Ships is a post from: Toltoys Kid

And finally we have the Toltoys pages from the Toyworld 1975 Christmas Sale catalogue!

The 6 Million Dollar Man heralded the arrival of Kenner as a licensing force in toys, cemented a couple of years later by their securing of the Star Wars license. Toltoys would come to profit greatly by this relationship, coming under Kenner owners General Mills group of companies themselves around this time. The Bug Catcher is the only toy still produced today under the Toltoys brand, essentially unchanged from this 1975 model. Colourful Child Guidance branded toys were a multitude of plastic toy designs for younger kids, and included the wonderful railway system that everyone had, but whose name was remembered by no-one!

The Toltoys Jenny doll was based on the Kenner Dusty doll, and featured a Qantas hostess outfit, with other outfits sold separately. (Of course!) Jenny was modelled on real hostess Jenny Tregaskis, and the 1974 launch was held on a 747 Jumbo above Sydney Harbour during Toy Fair, with a video featuring Bert Newton as the pilot introducing Jenny the hostess and Jenny the doll to a captive audience of toy buyers. The launch was a huge success, as was the doll, outselling even Barbie in Australia that year.

The Puffing Billy train set is a new one to me, based as it though on one of Melbourne’s most famous tourist attractions, Puffing Billy. Toltoys produced most of the Play Doh sets of this era in their own livery (including the individual cans) I have a Fuzzy Pumper Barber set somewhere that I’ll add to this post when located. The less said about the dishwasher set the better I think!

Wrapping up the catalogue is great page of Tonka toys, my brother still has his “Mighty Dump”, trying but failing to destroy it over a childhood of sandpits and school yards. They really were “Tonka Tough”!

Toltoys in the 1975 Toyworld Catalogue is a post from: Toltoys Kid

I remember Toyworld stores of the 70′s as the quintessential local toy destination, a medium sized store on the local strip, jam packed with toys of all descriptions.  They had the latest TV backed hits, along with the wonderful cheapie rack-toys for the after-school run.

This great catalogue showcases the range available for Christmas 1975, including the Toltoys distributed Six Million Dollar Man, a pointer to the licensed film and TV toy tsunami on the horizon.

Tonka, Kenbrite’s AFX, Mattel Baby-That-A-Way and Toltoy’s version of Kenner’s wonderful Super Sonic Power “Smash-Up Derby”, one of the best toys of all time in my opinion.

The Kenbrite page featuring some of the great brands distributed in Australia by Kenbrite including Cox gas planes, TYCO electric trains and the awesome MEGO Muhammad Ali boxing ring and figures set.

1975 Toyworld Catalogue is a post from: Toltoys Kid

The iconic Speederbike was one of the most loved toys from the Kenner USA Star Wars range, and they were also sold here in Australia in Kenner boxes during the ROTJ era. Recently though the keen eyes of Aussie super-collector Pat O’Brien noticed that some local versions were issued in a slightly larger box than the US version, and backed up the claim to a local variation with the famous “PO Box 72 Alexandria NSW” Toltoys mailing address being present on the included instructions.

The Toltoys box overlapping the Kenner example.

The Alexandria address.

Small differences but significant to Toltoys variation hunters! Is your a Toltoys version? Let me know below…

Thanks again to Pat O’Brien for the find and photos.

Will

Toltoys Return of the Jedi Speederbike is a post from: Toltoys Kid

I blogged way back in June 2007 about the TV spot for the Kelloggs ROTJ Decoder Disc competition, and I’m delighted to present the full set of Decoder Discs below, still sealed in their cellophane baggies…

Thanks again to the Naylor Collection for the pic.

Full Set of Kelloggs Return of the Jedi Decoder Discs is a post from: Toltoys Kid