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.
Being the consummate promoters that Toltoys were in the 70’s, it should be no surprise that Lee Majors and his glamorous wife of the time Farrah Fawcett-Majors were bought out to Australia for the launch of his Col. Steve Austin character action figures. There must be some images or video of their visit floating around, I’d love to add them here if anyone has some!
The figures were released in Australia in regular US Kenner boxes with Toltoys stickers applied as in the examples below.
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?
The 5c price point on this Australian Milk Bar store display for Streets Mountie ice creams suggests it is from the early 70’s. That also happens to be when I remember watching a lot of Rocky & Bullwinkle on Saturday morning TV. A Canadian moose in a Mountie uniform – what a coincidence!
Anyone remember these? As kids I would presume that we’d never have known we were eating bootleg character confectionary, nor would we have cared!
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.
Last Friday I was lucky enough to attend the opening of our latest pop culture destination, All Star Comics Melbourne.
The brainchild of a couple of old mates of mine – Mitch and Troy – ASCM has been lovingly crafted using the combined wisdom of 28 years in the comics-trade.
Ascending in an ultra-modern lift from the inconspicuos Lonsdale St entrance, your smile will be unhidable when the doors open up onto a red, black and white themed fit-out designed (and mostly built) by the guys themselves, with cool fixtures influenced by comic book staples including a gothic-tower bookstand and a huge art-deco counter. Apart from the latest weekly new-release comics, the guys pride themselves on their huge range of graphic novels and trade paperbacks, as well as three glass cabinets filled with vintage toys for sale including Star Wars, MEGO, Hot Wheels and LEGO, some from your author *insert hard sell here*
Like happy Mitch above, All Star is friendly, clean, fresh and welcoming so drop in next time you’re in town and tell’em the Toltoys Kid sent you.