Happy National Teddy Bear Day!
Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Playset from Matchbox (1988)
Released in 1988 by Matchbox, Pee-Wee’s Playhouse Playset extended the whimsy and vibrancy that audiences came to know through the Paul Reubens-led television series.
Tabletop Games, Vintage Toys & Games
Strolling Bowling from TOMY (1987)
Released by TOMY in 1987 the Strolling Bowling game let kids take the fun and excitement of bowling with them wherever they went.
Cassette Movie Projector from Kenner (1973)
For budding cinephiles in the 1960s & ’70s, Kenner rolled out a whole host of toys for watching movies and cartoons of popular characters of the day. One of the more short-lived and quirky toy lines was the Cassette Movie Projector.
Francis Turner, Louis Marx and Company
Francis Turner collects toys produced by Louis Marx and Company. In this edition of Collector Spotlight, Francis explains how he came to open a museum dedicated to Marx toys and details the items in his collection that were personal to Louis Marx.
Juliet Lublin, Matt Nuccio, Pillow People
Juliet Lublin is the daughter of Pillow People creator Penny Ekstein and Matt Nuccio is president of Design Edge. In this edition of The Friday Five, Juliet and Matt discuss the return of Pillow Pillow and share how the kidult market influenced the relaunch of the beloved 1980s dolls.
Video Game History Foundation Acquires Seminal Gaming Publication
The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) announced its acquisition of Computer Entertainer, one of the earliest American publications devoted to video gaming.
Masters of the Universe x Transformers Figures from Mattel
Mattel Creations introduces Masters of the Universe x Transformers figures, a clash of titans straight out of a Saturday morning special.
Both Mattel’s Masters of the Universe and Hasbro’s Transformers lines expanded the limits of toy mechanics in the 1980s. MOTU figures used rotating torso power-punch mechanisms, while Transformers pioneered modular transformation engineering.
The Art of Acquiring: Four Considerations When Buying a Collection
Collector Jody Day offers four considerations when buying an established collection of objects.
Jewel Magic from Mattel (1975)
When loaded with beads, Jewel Magic produced “oodles of baubles ‘n bangles” at the turn of its handle.
The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct."
— Carl Jung
