36 replies to this topic

[hushicho]

Since there's a 'worst ever' topic, I thought I might start one to let us talk about the toys we love that perhaps didn't get enough attention in their day, or perhaps even now. Show off these underdogs by letting people know how you feel about them!

Personally one of my favorite toys ever is the Crystal Castle from She-Ra, which remains one of my favorite shows; she could do more cool things than her brother He-Man, and actually her action figures were really good as well. One of my best friends, who never got to watch much She-Ra when he was younger, has become a huge fan when I showed the episodes I have...it's just a great show!

Anyway, not to get too far off subject, the Crystal Castle is a gorgeous sculpt and, if you aren't mortified by the fact its base is bright pink plastic, it's an excellent addition to anyone's toy collection. The paintjob is exquisite and keeps up even over the years, and the accessories...the accessories are what is the best about the Crystal Castle. It's a shame that accessories are so often lost with playsets like this, because they really made the Crystal Castle shine leaps and bounds over He-Man's Castle Greyskull playset. She-Ra's base included a comfortable bed (with an actual soft mattress!), a treasure chest with a false bottom to hide treasures, a lift with a key that you could put in small holes on the outside of the Castle, to suspend the lift at different levels, and best of all, a strategy table with a map of Etheria on it so you could plan out your battles against the Evil Horde. The map is really what sells it, not the shutters or the drapes (which are also included), and although the other accessories are great, the map just makes the set the coolest playset of the entire combined toy line of He-Man and She-Ra. This is a great headquarters that you can really use the heck out of.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Well, I had to think about this for a while, but there was this toy line that came out in the 80's. It was probably popular for a little while, but just about all the world has forgotten the line or just pushed it into the back of their minds. They were roughly 2 inches high, and came in about 9 or 10 colors, I'm not sure really, There may have been more, and there were tons of different figures to collect! Some of the characters had fin like things on their heads, and I remember a turtle man, and um....OOOH!!! A GIANT HAND!!! I thought they were really awesome. Some of you guys might know what I'm talking about, help me if I'm wrong, but I think they were called Muskulls or something?? Anyway! It was a really fun line and highly underated for the great imagination that they allowed for.

haha....

[Kevin Mayle]

Hushicho, did they ever make a figure of this guy?

[hushicho]

Hahahah! You're right about MUSCLEs, although here they're certainly not underrated. But yeah, I do get the impression that in the West, they weren't given near the respect as many of their contemporaries. But besides, MUSCLE, I mean.

And yes, they did make a Lookee, although I believe it was only ever released in Europe and even then was extremely, extremely rare so it's very valuable these days. Another kind of rare one was Kowl, the little creature that followed Bow around, and I actually managed to get my hands on one not too long ago! But as for Lookee, you'd be lucky. He turns up on ebay sometimes though, and you might luck out finding one at a collector's shop, but be prepared to pay dearly!

[Rokk]

Micronauts. Very underrated and still the coolest toys ever made during their time in the late seventies. Yeah, sorry Star Wars, that means even cooler than you, too.

Edited by Rokk, 12 January 2006 - 07:32 PM.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

But in all seriousness. I really liked the Starriors line when I was a kid. As well as some of the old Robostrux toys. Like there was this big dragon named Radox that was totally killer! They were essentially zoid knock offs for the U.S. back in the 80's. Awesome toys and very sweet. They run a very nice premium price nowadays since all the zoid fanatics out there will pay top dollar for the old stuff. Not a zoid person myself, but I used to have Radox and my brother had the Starriors. They seen many a battle, and finally their sparks were exstinguished. That is if starriors have sparks.


That's Radox!

Edited by Universal Ruler Supreme, 12 January 2006 - 10:35 PM.

[Kevin Mayle]

I liked Living Toys Krofft Superstars, but unfortunately they were so underated that the company went out of business after the first 4 figures and the second wave with the Sleestak was never produced. I think they failed because they came out a couple years too early. Now that the shows have been coming out on DVD the line would have fared better. The same thing happened with the Muppets line. The line died, albiet after a successful run, then the 1st season was released on DVD and the prices for the figs shot up in price on the secondary market. But again, unfortunately the line had died before they could produce the planned Veternarian Hospital playset and Stage with Balcony that was planned and would have completed the collection.

[hushicho]

That's so sad, when toy lines end early because they began just a tad too early. It's especially sad when you look back at lines that should have done better than they did, but for some reason or another they just didn't. Jem is one of those sad instances, where they were just too ambitious...they released figures that, while gorgeous and desirable, were too different a size from the standard fashion doll, put the price too high, and didn't support the line as much as they should. When they resigned to failure and marked the line down, they were snatched up like hotcakes, proving too late that if they'd just had the price a little lower, they could've been a smash success and started a new trend.

I honestly think that's the biggest problem with more lines than simply bad manufacturing or bad design (although those happen too)...making a poor choice of when or how to release can often spell doom for a toy line, especially an ambitious one.

[Drtooth]

The same thing happened with the Muppets line. The line died, albiet after a successful run, then the 1st season was released on DVD and the prices for the figs shot up in price on the secondary market. But again, unfortunately the line had died before they could produce the planned Veternarian Hospital playset and Stage with Balcony that was planned and would have completed the collection.

I actually could go on endlessly about the Muppet line. Basically, certain major retailors botched the Line (Ack... ahem TRU). but then again, Palisades was going to revamp the line before the contract expired last year with an all new series 10, supposedly to have been tied in with the lousy Muppet Wizard of Oz movie. They didn't finish the prototypes in time, and we never saw series 10. I'm sill P.O.'d we never got Sal Manila to go with Johnny Fiama. There's supposed to be a retro Sesame Street line, but lord knows when that will show up.

I think some underrated toys include the Fist Full of Power, Saint Seiya (called, ugh, "Knights of the Zodiac") the Popeye line (I never got the chance to get any of them), and the new Fat Albert non-articulated figurine line. I got Dumb Donald for Christmas.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

Jem is one of those sad instances, where they were just too ambitious...they released figures that, while gorgeous and desirable, were too different a size from the standard fashion doll, put the price too high, and didn't support the line as much as they should.  When they resigned to failure and marked the line down, they were snatched up like hotcakes, proving too late that if they'd just had the price a little lower, they could've been a smash success and started a new trend.

I honestly think that's the biggest problem with more lines than simply bad manufacturing or bad design (although those happen too)...making a poor choice of when or how to release can often spell doom for a toy line, especially an ambitious one.

I have to completely agree with you on the Jem line. The show was such a hit with girls and some boys alike that they got complacent, and marked the prices up too high. That usually proves to be the death of many toy lines. Poor marketing. Now you have to drop about 30$ and up for one MIB on eBay. I guess they thought all that glitter gave them an excuse for the high prices back in the day. I would collect the line myself if I wasn't so insecure about my masculinity. j/k Jem just kicked Barbies !!! I bet if they were to revamp the series and the line now it would get a big following.

[THEGODBEAST]

Jem is one of those sad instances, where they were just too ambitious...they released figures that, while gorgeous and desirable, were too different a size from the standard fashion doll, put the price too high, and didn't support the line as much as they should.  When they resigned to failure and marked the line down, they were snatched up like hotcakes, proving too late that if they'd just had the price a little lower, they could've been a smash success and started a new trend.

I honestly think that's the biggest problem with more lines than simply bad manufacturing or bad design (although those happen too)...making a poor choice of when or how to release can often spell doom for a toy line, especially an ambitious one.

I have to completely agree with you on the Jem line. The show was such a hit with girls and some boys alike that they got complacent, and marked the prices up too high. That usually proves to be the death of many toy lines. Poor marketing. Now you have to drop about 30$ and up for one MIB on eBay. I guess they thought all that glitter gave them an excuse for the high prices back in the day. I would collect the line myself if I wasn't so insecure about my masculinity. j/k Jem just kicked Barbies !!! I bet if they were to revamp the series and the line now it would get a big following.

RADOX

I sold one (played with) w/ box & instructions for $99 months ago! Wish I knew you wanted one of those. That is a really rare piece nowadays.

TGB

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

It's kinda funny, cause I used to see the stupid things at the fleamarkets all the time MIB. It sucks to know all the stuff you pass up over the years that seems like crap, only to find out you could make a nice chunk of change off of it later. Then there are the things you get rid of thinking they aren't worth anything at all! Certain ones are quite rare nowadays. The last one I saw was in a doll shop loose and without any accessories for $40 bucks. Of course the shop owner never sells anything and is quite crazy, but it's hair was quite clean and straight though! It didn't have the original dress either. Ick! I sound like a girl! I've been talking to Marty too much!

Anyways! For the rest of you guys don't let all this Jem talk discourage you from posting in this thread.

[Mr. S]

Not exactly sure how underrated these are, but I loved the X-Men toy line as a kid. They were fairly cheap, and looked very good and very comparable to the T-V/Comic designs. Although most of them lacked in features/assesories and articulation I couldn't get enough of em plus my imagination as a kid made up for lack of things to do with them. They were always on the top of my want list from when I was 6 or 7 all the way to 11 or 12 when the simple X-Men toys were starting to get replaced with the bigger, more expensive collectors type toys and by that time I got into the Series 1 Spawn figures that were comparable to the X-Men toyline in terms of being fairly cheap yet not having much in terms of features/assesories or articulation. I guess that might also be another underrated toyline, the first few Spawn toy series'. I was also heavy into those until about series 4 or 5 when again they were beggining to get replaced by the larger more expensive collectors toys and nowandays McFarlene toys are basically $15-$30 plastic statues with rotating arms and heads.

[hushicho]

The X-Men toys were on the whole very good. I was disappointed that they went from playable, generally fun figures to the 'collectors' line that seems to be much, much uglier and less playable. I was especially fond of some of the less common characters that they'd release in those lines, which would nonetheless get enormous amounts of play from me. At that point I hadn't touched an X-Men comic in ages, but I still enjoyed the animated series, as often on-the-cheap as it was, and the figures were a lot of fun to play with and create my own scenarios with. I wish they'd make toys more for fun than for 'collecting' nowadays, because so many 'collectors' toys aren't very pretty or fun, which makes it difficult to understand why anyone would want them.

Isn't that weird? A lot of American-designed toys for 'collectors' are just so uncollectible! I guess they figure that if people aren't going to play with them (and indeed some 'collectors' just let things sit in package on their shelves) then there's no reason to make them playable.

But I sure don't feel like buying something I can't do anything with!

[TheOrgg]

I remember the X-Men toyline; I collected a few figures and started getting into the show, then recieved a 'collector's boxed set' from TRU; the TRU set was glued into the display box, and the articulation was fixed with stiff glue or was never put into the figure in the first place. I remember crying my eyes out in dissappointment. That turned me off on that toyline.

I don't remember the time period, but I also like the Ghostbusters line of figures for a while, and the Toxic Crusader figures/show.

I now dislike this fact intensly, as it caused me to watch the Toxic Avenger movie, a horrible x-rated gore movie. Yecch! Troma films are not for me.

[hushicho]

Yeah, a lot of Troma films are outright terrible, but some of them are surprisingly good. I'm something of a crap film connoisseur with a friend of mine, but even we don't get into much Troma. They often try very hard to make very bad films!

That's so odd about that TRU pack; I never bought a pack that was glued in place, although I did buy a pack or two that were arranged in a display diorama. But they weren't glued! That's really, really odd. And I collected them for a really long time, from the beginning until just about near the end really. I must've missed one of those glued sets! But that really is awful, that's about like the 'collector figures' I was whining about earlier.

The Toxic Crusader toys I remember as being pretty good, and the Ghostbusters ones were quite good too if I remember correctly. They weren't super-articulated (mainly arms and legs moved, and head), but they had lots of great features (like the transforming people, those were brilliant) and were on the whole really well made. I also really liked the Extreme Ghostbusters, both series and toys, although they didn't make near enough of the characters into toys. It was unfortunate, because everyone I know who saw that series loved it, but you just never heard about it. They never really promoted it very well, or the toys either. They just were released and then quietly slipped off shelves.

It's odd like that. Usually it's the best series that seem never to get hardly any attention until after they're gone.

[Mr. S]

Yeah I remember that TRU collection display, and mine were also glued into place and the articulation was fixed and I was quit dissapointed x-mas morning. But my dad who also recognized that as being really lame we took it back the first day they were open and I spent whatever the amount was on other stuff.

I also loved the Toxic Crusader when I was a kid, and only recently found out how the live action flicks were

[Kevin Mayle]

Though not underrated, my current favorite toyline is SOTA's Street Fighter. I can't imagine anything they could have poosibly done to make even the slightest improvement to these figures. I think they are the highest possible quality.

[Universal Ruler Supreme]

I now dislike this fact intensly, as it caused me to watch the Toxic Avenger movie, a horrible x-rated gore movie. Yecch! Troma films are not for me.

Not only do I find this quite hilarious, but I can totally relate! I was about 5 or 6 and me and my family was at K-mart. Me and my older brother came across the Toxic Avenger Movie and were like "Aw Man! I didn't know they make a Toxic Crusader Movie!" Then we asked our parents if we could get it! They said Okay! They didn't even know what was about to occur! We got home and me and my brother started watching it in my parents room, while they were in the other room. We were literally shocked! Not only was it not funny and cartoony, but the amount of killing and sex was enough to send a 6 year old into a state of horror! So we watched it for about 5 more minutes, we were already 30 minutes into it. We cut it off and told our parents about it! So they took it back! Not only was I very dissappointed, but now my head is forever stuck with the images of the first 30 minutes of that film. I even think I stopped playing with my Toxic Crusader toys for a while.

[Ridureyu]

Be glad you missed the end of th emovie. it included such highlights as Grandma in the clothes dryer, post-mutation Toxie having sex, and the main bad guy getting his guts splattered everywhere.

ugh.


But yes, the toys were fun. They had great acessories, too.

[Teacher of Madness]

A toy line from my childhood which I have spent the last year hunting feverishly are Nerfuls. I know they're really kidsy and are without any film or television tie-ins to speak of, but I love the designs, and they have a very universal appeal to me. I've managed to find all the generally avaliable figures and playsets, All the mail-away exclusives (including the original magazine coupon page for one of them), all the Happymeal figures and a happymeal box, and four figures that were produced in limited quantities but never commercially released due to the cancellation of the line. I really was able to do all that with about $250 as well, which in the world of collecting is a spit in a bucket too. Plus there are rare argentinian variants and 4 additional produced-but-unreleased figures to hunt still, so the fun continues for me.

Seriously though, Nerfuls are cool.

Also, again on the kidsy side recently Megablox put out a series doomed to failure called Radix, which is basically preschool aimed knights toy line. The figures are a nice soft vinyl, and remind me a lot of some of the designer toy stuff going on in Europe and Japan (and costing me in the US a fortune in shipping fees). I especially like the King Drake and Ogre figures. Unfortunately the most interesting looking figure, the wizard, has not been released though it is pictured on the card. Apparently Mega Blox stole Moose's playbook and is advertising things we'll never get. Ah well.

And I'm really going to have to check out the Toxie movies now. I keep looking at that "Tox Box" DVD collection some video stores around here have, wondering if it's worth seeing. Based on your descriptions it sounds endearingly awful.

[hushicho]

I'd love to see what these Nerfuls look like! They sound interesting, certainly if you're willing to go as far as all that to get them!

As for the Toxie movies...well...some of them are in some ways endearing, but most are just awful. Troma is notoriously hit-or-miss with most of their films, sadly; you can watch one and wonder how they stay afloat, then watch another and wonder why they don't make them all like the one you just watched! It's one of those things that I suppose heavily depends on the viewer. I haven't sat through the Toxie films because I really didn't think much of them in general.

But whatever you'd like, I'm sure you're the best judge. Rent before you buy, though, definitely!

[Ridureyu]

NERFULS

[Teacher of Madness]

Here's my page on my Nerfuls collection. I spent about 3 days putting up this page, and havent touched it since May. As such it doesn't have my Happy Meal figures and box, and I also make an error at the top (Burger King did not release Budd, they released Fetch).

I also have my Qee collection up, also unupdated so it's missing about 10 new figures. I just took pictures of my Great Adventures collection, so that's next. Someday I'll update....

Nerfuls