Retro Gaming Galore!

Posted on April 30, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Video games consoles, cartridges, hand-held games, computers and electronics – as featured in the 1983 Hamleys Christmas catalogue.

Warning: TVTA cannot be held responsible for any sensory overload you may encounter as you feast your eyes on 80s electronic heavy-hitters like Atari, Coleco Vision, Vectrex, Texas Instruments, Bandai, Philips, C.G.L., Parker carts, and classic games like Frogger, Q*bert, Mario Bros., Donkey Kong, Galaxy Invader, Snoopy Tennis, Pitfall!, River Raid, Space Invaders and more!

Some modern Doctor Who adverts

Posted on April 29, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

I was supposed to start scanning pics for a retro video game post meant for later today, but became temporarily distracted by these modern Doctor Who adverts. Despite the young age of the ads, and as with many things Who, the subject matter is often rooted in the show’s past and the previous incarnations of the Tardis-dwelling Time Lord from Gallifrey.

I’m kicking off this post with an enchanting photo of one of my top-five favourite Doctors Jon pertwee as used for a 2013 Big Finish ad.

UK. Doctor Who Magazine. 2013.

Next up is a rare treat photo session featuring five Doctors on the cover of Doctor Who Magazine!

Six Doctors, if you count the cheeky appearance of Matt Smith in the top right corner 🙂

UK. Doctor Who Magazine. 2013.

UK. SFX Magazine. 2015.

UK. Doctor Who Magazine. 2013.

UK. SFX Magazine. 2013.

UK. SFX Magazine. 2015.

Character Options Doctor Who. Tomart’s Action Figure Digest N°143. 2006. US.

Airfix 2008 catalogue

Corgi toys, 2004

Thanks for looking 🙂

Tony the Tiger Frosties ads

Posted on April 21, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

By Kellogg’s – Life Magazine-page 133, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17184950

Kellogg’s Frosties is a breakfast cereal introduced in the United States in 1952. Tony the Tiger has been the brand’s mascot since its introduction, and has the catchphrase:

“They’re Grrrrreat!”

Tony is always drawn wearing a red bandana around his neck, which is sometimes plain red, can sport the name ‘Tony’, or is chequered with circles – as seen in early renditions like the Life Magazine pic above. In the first advert below, Tony can be seen wearing a spotted bow tie – perhaps in honour of his “roaring reporter” role.

I’ve always liked Tony as a breakfast mascot, he seems a friendly sort of Tiger who would probably organise lots of tiger dinner parties, and not only play the part of perfect host but keep peace between the likes of Shere Khan, Tigger, Tigress, Richard Parker and any other famous tigers you can think of!

Enjoy the ads, they’re grrrreat!

UK. Planet of the Apes. 1976.

Denmark. Anders And & Co. 1981.

Denmark. Anders And & Co. 1987.

Denmark. Anders And & Co. 1986.

Denmark. 1988.

Denmark. 1986.

Denmark. 1984.

Denmark. 1982.

Denmark. 1986.

You guys kick ass!

Posted on April 12, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Kick-Ass 2. SFX Magazine. 2013.

I usually don’t bother too much about WP awards or achievements, but yesterday was really cool because I received two messages from our platform overlords – one for receiving 1K worth of likes and the other to say “happy anniversary” (11th April 2011 was the date I registered here).

So, here’s a quick thanks to all you folk who take time out to read and look at my posts. Thank you kindly for your likes, comments and support, which help me to keep on doing what I’m doing and makes me feel like I’m part of a really cool family.

Never mind the adverts… here are the toys (Pt7)

Posted on April 10, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Welcome to part 7 of TVTA’s series Never Mind The Adverts.

In this edition we focus on vintage and modern Playmobil figures.

Playmobil is one of my favourite toy lines for its simplicity, feel-good factor and traditional themes. As an archiver of toy advertising and a bit of a junkie when it comes to collecting toys, it’s always fun to add some Playmobil, whether from the secondary market, new, or by nagging the family to dig out any childhood stuff. Some of the following sets below are incomplete, but will still, I’m sure, have the power to bring a smile to your face.

First up…. vintage Playmobil Indians from the late 70s / early 80s

Various figures and accessories from vintage Playmobil indian sets.

And the band(s) played on

Circus bands. The top is a vintage set from the mid 1970s missing a few pieces, while the bottom is from circa 1991 and is missing the stage and a cymbal stand.

The Midnight Café

I was pleased with how this photo turned out. This set was available in France as a mail away order in the Playmobil catalogue supplement.

Rabbit Klicky Bunny Bizarreness!

Playmobil Easter bunny with eggs, basket and cane. Loose and packaged example. This strange but cute figure was given away in meals by French fast-food chain Quick in 2016. It has the feet and head of a rabbit appearing on the body of a Playmobil figure. The character is the same as the one sold in 2014 in the Playmobil Easter calendar pack. Playmo Easter bunnies can be dated back to 2004.

More Quick promotional Playmo figures

Sealed baggies. Quick promo figures from 2014 / 2015.

Recreio Comic from Brazil

Brazil. Sealed Recreio comic with Playmobil promotional figure in baggie. 2015.

I like to move it

E-Rangers Robot and driver. 2012. This very cool toy has articulated arms, legs and feet, and can grasp objects. It comes with a crate of red rocks for lifting (not pictured).

Elvis and Lady Gaga are in the house

From Playmobil’s ‘Fi?ures’ collection. 2011. Series 2 Elvis and Series 3 Lady Gaga.

Vintage Playmo-Space

Vintage Playmo-space. GE 5P robot with RG 9-5 vehicle and figure. Circa 1980.

Playmobil Special Plus

From the Playmobil Special Plus collection. Fairy and deer. 2016. This particular set was given away free by French company Prince when you collected ten tokens from their biscuit products.

Baby Dinosaur

Baby dinosaur, dinosaur egg, scientist. Circa 2011.

Table tennis

Table tennis players from 2011.

Zulu

Playmobil Zulu warrior. 2009.

Executioner

Off with their heads!! I call him “The Executioner of Lille”. He’s actually from the 2011 Playmobil ‘FI?URES’ Series 1 line

Zombie Pirates

I call these my “Zombie Pirates” but they’re really just various ghost pirates pulled together from sets between 2009 and 2012 to form an undead motley crew of ocean-bound vagabonds.

That’s all for now. Thanks for looking, and join us again soon for another Never Mind The Adverts!

Dates quoted from official Playmobil catalogues.

Thanks also to Klickypedia

Latest ads: Sci-Fi cereals and then there was Groo

Posted on April 5, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

Seven new ads (and one book cover) packed with scintillating sci-fi flavours, a twist of Spider-ery Cap ‘N Crunch breakfast cereal, and some sword and sorcery buffoonery of the highest degree from Groo the Wanderer.

US. Alpha Flight. 1987.

US. Ghostly Haunts. 1976.

France. Pif Gadget. 1980.

UK. Starburst. 1984.

UK. 2000 AD. 1987.

US. X-Factor. 1986.

US. X-Factor. 1987.

2000 AD Sci-Fi Special: posters, features and adverts

Posted on April 1, 2017 by The Vintage Toy Advertiser

2000 AD Sci-Fi Special 1996.

Aside from its regular weekly issues (known as PROGS), British comic publication 2000 AD also published summer special issues known as 2000 AD Sci-Fi Special. The comic was released each summer from 1978 up to 1996, and recently underwent a reboot by the current publishers. Typical issues contained new and reprinted stories, posters, fan art, film and book reviews, puzzles and fact files. I really like the Sci-Fi Specials and tend to regard them as ‘summer break’ versions of the UK hard back Annual which is traditionly published each Christmas, 2000 AD being no exception. I’m also a fan because the stories are complete and not serialised.

2000 AD Thrill-Power rating: a no nonsense ten out of ten!

Here are some selected scans.

Various artists from credits: Gibson, Fabry, Davis, Demarkus, Percival, Bisley, Smith, Kennedy, Rowley.