In 1978, Rack Toy Manufacturer Imperial Toys snapped up the licensing rights to Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and it was the selling point of their 1978 Catalog. However, Imperial also made a lot fun toys in the "Rubber Snakes and Monsters" vein that seem to be the real stars. Check out The 1978 Imperial Toys Catalog .

In 1981, Mattel toys licensed what would be cinema magician Ray Harryhausen's last movie, Clash of the Titans. It turned out to be only midly successful and Mattel cancelled such cool things as the Playset we have featured. You can see it all for yourself in the 1981 Mattel Clash of the Titans Catalog..

One heck of a neat-o update if you're a toy geek (and why would you visit this site if you weren't?), thanks to a good friend I've obtained shots of the 1975 Mattel Barbie and Big Jim Toy Fair Show Rooms. Probably the first time they've been since 1975, it's all here, the planes, the dune buggys, the campers, Big Josh and Ken, see it all right here!.

The 1976 Saturday morning series "The Monster Squad" combined the classic movie Monsters with the antics of the live action "Batman" series of the 60s and I admit, I was hooked. While only lasting one season, a surprising amount of merchandise was planned and/or released, check out the Monster Squad Merchandise Gallery for some spooky fun!

The 1983 Remco Catalog really showed the early 80s interest in sword and socery properties, including comic characters such as Crystar and Warlord. The universal monster toys are still hanging in there, including a new line called "Monsters At Home", visit the the 1983 Remco Catalog.

More Vintage Toy store photographs! Chapter Seven includes shots of boxed Shogun Warriors, Big Jim displays, whole endcaps of Aurora Monster Models, a frightening appearance by Raggedy Anne and some classic Dinky toys. Be sure to vist Chapter Seven on Vintage Toy Stores and be sure check out parts 1 through 6 if you haven't already, maybe your childhood haunt is in there.

Our final Halloween costume Catalog this season is again from Collegeville, the year is 1979 and KISS is the biggest thing ever, if you're a sci fi kid there's Battlestar Galactica and for the fantsy nerds there is Lord of the Rings. It's fun and trippy and weird how so little has changed, check out the 1979 Collegeville Costume Catalog.

The second in our trifecta of Costume Catalogs this October, the 1978 Collegeville catalog is a fun mix of popular tv and movie characters along with cheezy Star Wars rip offs. It's a great mix of cool and lame, lots of fun to be found in the 1978 Collegeville Costume Catalog.

As October 09 begins, so does our month long celebration of Halloween here and on the blog, Today's Friday feature is a look in Halloween Costumes from 1973, lots of cool licensed pieces like the Shado pilot from UFO and Japanese Hero Ultra-Man along with tons of kooky unlicensed goodness, check out the 1973 Collegeville Costume Catalog.

While they weren't any Star Wars toys available for Christmas 1977, Kenner toys made the market was completely saturated when "The Empire Strikes Back" launched in 1980. Sweet Merciful Crap they made a lot of cool toys! Check out The 1980 Kenner Empire Strikes Back Toy Catalog .

Another visit to Germany with a look at their version of G.I. Joe called "Action Team" and in 1975 instead of adding characters like Atomic Man to the frey, the Germans added guh-guh-girls to the mix instead, as well as cool costumes for Joe like Native Americans. Check it all out at The 1975 G.I. Joe Action Team Catalog .

Nothing says "Back to School" more than a shiny new lunch box, so let's go back to 1980 and figure out what to get? The cute robots from "The Black Hole"? The Universal Monsters? Holly Hobbie? How About the Hulk or Superman? It's all in The 1980 Aladin Lunchbox Catalog .

In 1981, Azrak Hamway was still cranking out the cool and sometimes crazy rack toys that made them a 70s institution. This year say the introduction of some dubious items such as "Superhero Mystery Pipes" but also saw the return of the Universal Monsters to their offerings, sadly this is one of the companies last catalogs, check out the always fun The 1981 Azrak Hamway Toy Catalog .

NERF stands for Non-Expanding Recreational Foam and it's also one of those "Evergreen" toys that seems to always be around. 1976 was a good year for NERF, we've go planes, cars and missiles as well as NERF's own Superhero in NERF MAN! This catalog is kind of special to me as it belonged to my dad and you can see some of his pricing notes on some of the pages. Check out the The 1976 NERF Catalog .

In the 1970s, Mexican law made the import of Hong Kong made toys impossible, so everything had to be manufactured internally. This resulted in some wonderful variations of US toy lines such as G.I. Joe, Six Million Dollar Man and the Mego Superheroes. Check out the The 1977 Lili Ledy Toy Catalog . Mucha diversión!

1982, saw the return of the original "action Figure" G.I. Joe after a four year absence, no stranger to innovation, Joe would change the way toys were marketed and become one of the strongest toy lines of the 1980s. Try turning on a TV this week without seeing that name, Check out the The 1982 GI joe Real American Hero Catalog . It's 100% Marlon Wayans free.

1977 saw toymaker Remco charge forward with toys based on Walt Disney characters, McDonald's,Space:1999 and most importantly Superheroes which would be their stock and trade for the next few years. Check out the The 1977 Remco Catalog for Batcopters, Ray Guns and Utility belts galore.

I'm very excited to announce a new book project that I'm involved with that could also use your input! Christmas in the 1970's is a photo essay book chronicling the yuletide season during the age of orange and polyester, got a story or a photo to share? Visit the Christmas in the 1970's Official Blog and tell us about it!

1977 saw UK Toymaker Denys Fisher take a popular Japanese Toy Line and create their own back story and packaging. The result was Cyborg and it's pure toy magic, check out the The 1977 Denys Fisher Cyborg Catalog and help save the world from the evil Muton!

In 1974, Well-Made Toys like many other companies jumped on the Planet of the Apes Bandwagon and tried to cash in on "Simian Fever" by releasing piles of plush novelties that resembled Doctor Zaius and Galen (this was TV based stuff) check out the. The 1974 Well made Planet of the Apes Catalog

With the new movie getting everyone amped up about pointy ears again, it seemed apt to release a list of what I consider the best Star Trek toys of time, the ones made in the 1970s. Lots of fun imaginitive and wonderfully "Low Tech" stuff in this list, see if you agree with The top ten coolest 70s Star Trek Toys. If you don't please refrain from drop kicking me, I don't care for that.

Thanks to some luck and the help of a good pal, I've got another DVD of cool toy commercials. This time it's all about 1979, which includes Hot Wheels, Elastic Superheroes, Barbie, Battlestar Galactica, Shogun Warriors, Batman, Star Wars and Godzilla just to name a few. I'm selling them in my online store, mostly so I can break even and do this all over again. Check out the PlaidStallions Online Store.

Fleetwood was one of the neater players in the rack toys game, they made some rather logical stuff based on hot tv properties like CHiPs, BJ and the Bear and Buck Rogers. Their standout stuff however was all the cool stuff they made for the Marvel comics superheroes. Check out the 1980 Fleetwood Catalog here.

One of our bigger fascinations as children of the seventies seems to be the daredevil stuntman, thanks likely to Evel Knievel's meteoric rise in the early 70s. Toy lines like Kenner's Turbo Tower of Power became extremely popular as a result, it's a wonder any of us survived all those bike jumps. Check out the The 1974 Kenner Turbo Tower of Power Catalog .

Kenner had a real evergreen property with their line of easy bake ovens, which encouraged children to bake treats by a small light bulb, I'm not sure how it worked but brother did it work. This look into 1974 sees a logical alliance with Betty Crocker and the birth of "Kiddie Fondue" which sounds kind of dark to be honest. The 1974 Kenner Easy Bake Oven Catalog

In 1975, Marx toys introduced children to the world of Buck Hunter and SGt. Kogo with Safari Adventure, a well made series of 8" action figures who often confuse collectors today. Check out all the cool goodies Marx made for Buck and his crew with the the 1975 Marx Safari Adventure Catalog

In 1975, Hasbro decided to strike back at all the G.I. Joe imitators and create their own pretender to the throne. Thus the Defender was born, a blow molded "mannequin" (their terms not mine) whose accessories were primarily made up of overstocker Joe items but he did get a cool tank, take that Joe. Visit the 1975 Hasbro Defenders Catalog and you may discover a long forgotten friend.

We've added so many new weird Planet of the Apes Rack Toys to the site, I declare it "Ape Day"! Unfortunately it's not a civic holiday, so you can't skip work. Check out the amazing weird goodies added to the Larami Page and of course, the The Azrak Hamway Planet of the Apes Gallery. lots of goofy Ape toy insanity on both pages...

Schaper toys had a real hit on their hands when they unveiled "Super Toe Football" in 1975, so by 1978 it should come as no surprise that they had expanded the concept to include everything from Baseball to foreign sports like Soccer Click here to visit the 1978 Schaper Super Jocks Collection.

Despite the real guy threatening to retire twice, Ideal's Evel Knievel toy line was still an amazing powerhouse in 1976, with new additions such as a rocket cycle and the "Escape from Skull Canyon" playset, where Evel has to deal with Big Foot! If you were to squeeze that toy, you would get a glass of pure 70s juice. We hope you'll dig the 1976 Ideal Evel Knievel Toys Catalog as much as we do!

Despite adding some cool characters like Big Foot and the Venus Space Probe, 1978 would prove to be the last year for Steve Austin, the Six Million Dollar Man. Kanner still threw some new surprises out there for us before they decided to devote all resources to Star Wars. Check out the the 1978 Kenner Six Million Dollar Man Toy Catalog.

Children's Palace is a well known Toy chain to anyone who grew up on the East Coast.This 1974 Toy circular shows a retailer in it's prime, many fully colour pages showing all the hot toys of the day. Familiar brands like Barbie, G.I. Joe and Big Jim along with TV greats Batman, Spiderman, Sesame Street, the Planet of the Apes and Rodney Allen Rippey Click here to visit the 1974 Children's Palace Toy Circular

Another fabulous trip in the wayback machine to see those long lost toy stores of our youth in what is our SIXTH edition of this fun feature (for previous editions Visit Here) This time around we visit stores like Intellitoys, Casselmans and Lionel Playworld around Halloween and check out a group of early eighties electronic games stores (for plenty of Atari action), it's all in Vintage Toy Store Gallery Part 6

Show somebody one of the Zee Toys Metal Men figures and chances are you'll get the response "I had those, what are they called?" this well designed toy line didn't have much advertising so it's no surprise the name was forgotten. The 1979 catalog shows the offerings for that year and as an added bonus we have images from what is likely one of the best collections in the world. Please to visit The 1979 Metal Men Catalog.

I probably would never have posted the 1981 Daisy cap guns catalog (mostly because I know nothing about cap guns) if it were not for the fact that Daisy may have been the only toy company in the world to produce toys based on the "Misadventures of Sherrif Lobo" a spin off of "BJ and the Bear" that I was really fond of. Daisy thought the Sherrif was "in tune with today's youngsters" Check out the The 1981 Daisy Toys Catalog.

It's almost summer break (hey, a guy can dream) and that means time for inflatable pools and other outdoor fun from the good people at Ideal Toys. You'll recognize familiar faces such as Batman and the Barba Pappa family along with the hottest moms 1979 had to offer. Please to be enjoying The 1979 Ideal Summer Toys Catalog.

While Mattel's Big Jim faded away in North America in 1976, that's only the first half of the story. The line thrived in Europe and even expanded into other areas US kids never saw, check out the 1977 Congost Big Jim Catalog for some familiar faces and a few surprises.

Christmas in the 70s Flickr Group

Still working on the upcoming photo essay book, Christmas in the 70s and we've created a Flickr Group for you to share your favourite kodak moments. So please come aboard and join us in your favourite moment when there was gold shag under the tree.

Christmas in the 70s Flickr Group

While most companies were superhero and talking monkey obsessed in the 1970s, LJN was busy making action figures of various heroes from TV shows like "Emergency" and "The Rookies", resulting in well made and memorable toys. Check out the LJN TV SuperStars Catalog here.

I think everybody had a yo-yo at some point in their life. This 1981 Catalog from Duncan shows that the company had other lines like toy trucks and licensed items like Batmobiles and Superhero Yo-Yo's. check out the 1981 Duncan Catalog here.

1978 marks the year toy maker Remco launched energized Spider-Man as well as a slew of other superheroic goodies like utility belts and I dream of Jeannie dolls, check out the 1978 Remco Catalog here.

It may seem a bit odd to feature a catalog of school supplies but not when you see what Mead had going on in 1976. This was the year they launched their awesome line of Marvel Comics items which every 6 year old boy coveted, who wouldn't want to go to school with Captain America? check out the 1976 Mead Catalog here.

Hasbro had one of the bigger pre school toy successes with the roly poly adventures of the Weebles. If you grew up in the 1970s there is no way you haven't heard of them, their memorable commercials made every kid under five want them. check out the 1975 Weebles Catalog here.

OK, so it's not the seventies but I still considered myself a kid in 1983 so there. Today's update is a look at a toy catalog produced by the now defunct Simpsons chain, including G.I. Joe RAH, Masters of the Universe, Smurfs, Crystar all laid out in a wonderfully eye catching manner rarely seen today. Check out all the toys here.

I am extremely happy to anounce a new toy gallery at Plaidstallions, dedicated to what is definitely one of the finest and somewhat under rated action figure lines of the 1970s, Gabriel's Lone Ranger. Thanks entirely to the generosity and support from collectors Bill Frost and Rob Chatlin, we now have on display what might be the most comprehensive and staggering archive of the Lone Ranger Toy Line ever compiled.

With the dawn of a new year, many of us will make that empty promise to ourselves to get back into shape. With Brick Mantooth's Guide to 70s Fitness we see all the gadgets that promised a maximum weight loss for a minimal effort, sadly very little has changed in 30 years....

Nothing says Christmas to me like Fisher Price, it was a given item under the tree each year. I started with the little people and graduated to the adventure people, it's in my blood. Chances are you had some of the toys featured here as well. 1977 Fisher Price Toy Catalog..

What can I say, vintage toy newspaper circulars are my weakness and this 1975 Zayre piece is a good reason why. It's chock full of what was under the tree back in the day including Mego Star Trek,Fisher Price Sesame Street and a lot more. Check out the 1975 Zayre Toy Flyer..

It's been a while since I did a list (for this site anyway) so I've put together a top ten in the spirit of the season, Come read what I think are the Top Ten Coolest Monster Toys of the 1970's., lots of familiar undead faces in there from Stretch Monster to Gre-Gory.

I can only go so long without talking about Stretch Armstrong, this time we check out the 1980 catalog where he's joined by a new alien villian, Stretch X Ray. Check out the 1980 Kenner Stretch Armstrong Catalog.

Time for another delve into the world of licensed rack toys, this time we look at Larami, who made weird toys like Batman Roller Skates, Star Trek putty and the awesome Martian Chronicles figures. 1980 Larami Toys Catalog.

Remember all those cool cheap magic tricks you'd see in comics and at joke shops? Chances are they were by a company called Franco, check out the Franco Magic Catalog. for a little magical memory lane action.

In 1972, hot off the anti-war toy sentiment of the late 60's, Mattel created the muscle bound "Big Jim", a gentle giant of a man who engaged in hunting, fishing, camping and of course, Kung Fu. His safe but masculine antics captivated a generation (including yours truly), check out the 1972 Mattel Big Jim Catalog. and be sure to visit the other Big Jim galleries as well.

Before they became a juggernaut of licensed toys, Kenner toys would try their hand at unique action figure concepts that were home grown. Enter, Duke the dog, the only German Shephard in the world his own secret headquarters. check out the Kenner Duke Catalog.

A two fisted end to the whirlwind month that is October 2008, first we have the cool and weird selection from the 1983 Collegeville Halloween Catalog. because every boy wanted to be Scott Baio. Also, we've created a gallery devoted to the many, many wonderful Vintage Halloween Shots I received. I never thought I'd say this but I'm all Halloween'd out!

Going with a personal favorite today, 1981 saw toy maker Remco put aside superheroes and move into cosmetics and Universal Monsters. The big push this year were the highly addictive mini monster action figures. As a bonus, there is also a toy gallery featuring packaging for all the Monster figures, check out the 1981 Remco Catalog.

With this being a countdown to Halloween, it's important not to forget the all important Halloween Costume. One of the bigger players in the 1970s was Collegeville who in 1974 had everything from cool licenses like G.I. Joe and H.R. Pufnstuff to bizarro knockoffs like "The Spider" and "The Bat", both of which I went as for Halloween as a kid. Please furiously enjoy the 1974 Collegeville Halloween Costumes Catalog.

Before VCRs we had silent 8mm loops containing scenes from our favourite movies and we liked it! Especially considering how many of the titles contained the Universal Monsters. Check out the 1973 Castle Home Movies Catalog here, another thing I'll be scowering Ebay for....

We kick off our Halloween features with a look at the 1973 Rapco Crafts catalog. Rapco had the good sense to license an entire line of Universal Monster crafts such as candles, busts and bisques. They also utilized my top four favourite monsters, I hate when I'm motivated to spend money. check out the 1975 Rapco Catalog here

It's October and that means one thing, Halloween! Every day this month, I'll be adding cool Halloween related items to the Plaidstallions Blog The month will be filled with classic monster toys, costumes and memories. Expect a very phoned in November....

From the file marked "Odd Moments of Superhero licensing" these train cars made by Tyco in 1977 were a strange marriage of comics and the railyard. Check out the Tyco Superhero Boxcars Catalog

What better way to conclude Sesame Street Week than by taking a look at some of the offerings Child Guidance had for us in 1978. From cool games and novelties to standbys such as Finger Puppets, Child Guidance was giving Big Bird some serious respect Check out The 1978 Child Guidance Sesame Street Catalog

Puffy Stickers took us by storm in the early eighties and Imperial Toys was leading that charge with their line of "Puffy Stickatoons" which included characters such as Buck Rogers, Web Woman, The Freedom Force, 1941 and bootleg Star Wars and Superhero characters. Check out The 1980 Imperial Puffy Sticker Catalog

We have yet another fine example of comic book marketing this week, with the Ideal Toys/ Marvel Comics conglomeration of Star Team. In 1978, Marvel comics created a back story for these thrown together toys meant to catch some Star Wars sales heat. For an obscure toyline it has some big names attached like Dave Cockrum and Archie Goodwin! Check out Ideal Toys Star Team Comic

In 1974, Palitoy took the popular Spanish toy "MadelMan" and redubbed him "Little Big Man" for the UK market, this pint sized hero (LBM was 6 inches tall) made up for stature with a tremendous variety of outfits and accessories. Check out the 1975 Palitoy Bradgate Little Big Man Catalog

Continuing yet another look at Playground equipment of days gone by with this new gallery. This time we don't focus on a theme, just some of the whacked out things designed by people who enjoyed the 60's a bit too much. You really have to check out Retro Playgrounds Gallery