Toy Fair Catalog - Tonka 1985, GoBots!

It was 1985, and according to Tonka, "The Magic is Here!"

A lot of people tend to make unfavorable comparisons between the Transformers and GoBots lines, but I find there is a place in my heart for them both, as I suspect is a common feeling for those who grew up at that time. In fact, my very first ever 'transforming toys' I ever saw or heard of were given to me by my dad. Seeing Pumper and Spay-C flipped a switch in my head..."you mean, they change from robot to vehicle, and back?!". And thus began a life long obsession.

This was not the first year for GoBots, so it's fun to see how they were expanding the product line in this 1985 catalog, and all of the 'later season' figures that are now a little harder to track down. Flip through the pages and enjoy!












Posted by charlie on January 24th 2023, 12:32 PM
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Mego 1976 Toy Fair Catalog

The Mego brand is a fan favorite if you grew up in the 1970s. With many popular licenses of the day, like Wizard of Oz, Star Trek and let's not forget Starsky & Hutch (!) there was a little something for everyone. Throw in consistently great cloth goods, and an incredible variety of playsets for nearly all lines and this was one highly productive company who knew their audience!

I was able to recently obtain the 1976 product catalog, and these old Mego catalogs are not easy to get a hold of. Please check out the excellent products it contains, and here is a sampling of the coolness!



Starsky & Hutch!

Fortress of Solitude!

Of Course Star Trek!


Posted by charlie on December 28th 2022, 05:41 PM
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1979 Schaper Toy Fair Catalog

Check out this spectacular 1979 Schaper catalog! This one is full of cool products that I admit I'm largely unfamiliar with, and had a great time learning about them through this book. That, of course, is the whole point of this project!



There really is something different about products from the mid '70s until about the early '80s. It feels like they had some truly cool technology that was a little earlier than it seems it should have been, then we sort of regress back into basic articulated figures for the '80s and beyond, as home video games took over. I like to attribute this to the huge group of Apollo engineers who left the program after the 1969 moon landing and the program ramped down, many of whom perhaps became designers at other companies, like our toy industry. It's a pet theory of mine, but might have some truth to it!

I mean, check out this black hole game

And how about this voice controlled Corvette?

And whatever is going on with this crazy bulldozer farm!

Lots more coolness to see here, be sure to have a look!


Posted by charlie on September 12th 2022, 08:18 PM
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Coleco 1980 Toy Fair Catalog

The 1980 Coleco Toy Fair catalog has joined the Preserve archive, and it really contains some fantastic products!



One of my favorites is the Star Trek game, in an Enterprise shaped case!



Also feast your eyes on a one-person football game, and an entry in their home unit pinball collection!



Be sure to see the full catalog for more excellent items!


Posted by charlie on September 1st 2022, 06:09 AM
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Cadaco Toy Fair Catalog 1997

The 1997 Cadaco Toy Fair catalog has perhaps the most gloriously 1990s cover artwork that I have ever had the pleasure of witnessing. I am absolutely delighted to unearth this rare catalog and shine the digital light of day on it here at the Preserve, for that reason if nothing else.



But, in addition to that graphic design triumph, of course it's packed full of the usual Cadaco goodness, like Super Slam Soccer and Super Slap Hockey!




Posted by charlie on December 4th 2021, 12:13 PM
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New Catalogs: Irwin 1995, Irwin 1997, Invicta 1980

We are adding lots of catalogs to the Preserve catalog archive! In order to make it easy to see what's new, I'll do periodic update posts here with a sample of the new books. Here's the latest!

Irwin Toys 1995 (Spawn and Techno Zoids!)


Irwin Toys 1997 (check out that stencil cut!) (Reboot toys!)


Invicta 1980 (A wild German catalog)

Posted by charlie on September 10th 2021, 08:26 AM
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Play Meter Magazine - June 01, 1985

While I am busy building out the modest Play Meter magazine archive here at the Preserve, I am already finding the spectacular information that I had hoped to see in these important vintage artifacts. To see what I mean, have a look at the June 01, 1985 Spring Buyers' Guide!



What would be in a Buyer's Guide from 1985, you ask? Well, page after page of the 'new machines' that operators were being enticed to add to their routes and arcades, to get that quarter! Click the images below for larger views - spectacular.







And, if you wanted perhaps to see the prices that operators were paying for these machines, look no further than the classified section at the back of the book!




Posted by charlie on August 2nd 2021, 06:00 AM
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Captain Power VHS #2 - Final Stand (1987)

Did you know that there were six volumes of Captain Power episodes, released on beautiful VHS tapes by Hi-TOPS in 1987? There sure were! And it's hi-time that we add them to the Preserve! Here is a personal favorite, Final Stand which was a chance for fan-favorite (at least this fan) Sven-Ole Thorsen to really shine. Also includes the episodes "Pariah" and "Abyss". The rest of the series, coming soon!




Posted by charlie on June 10th 2021, 06:41 PM
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1984 Fisher-Price Toy Fair Catalog

This catalog is 1984. What an incredible cover! While way shorter than the mammoth Fisher-Price catalogs that would become standard a decade later, this one is full as usual with fun and exciting products. Be sure to check out the big Construx section at the end!



I think I actually had every one of these sets - most excellent.




Posted by charlie on May 18th 2021, 06:12 AM
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1980 Selchow & Righter Toy Fair Catalog

In 1980, not only did Selchow & Righter, who you may recognize as the company behind both Scrabble and Parcheesi, introduce their famous logo, but they also unleashed a whole host of retro-tastic electronic games to compliment their more traditional offerings.



Behold the Scrabble Sensor! The "first space-age word game"!



And do be sure to check out their comments on the beautiful new (for 1980) logo!




Posted by charlie on April 23rd 2021, 09:05 PM
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