Greetings vintage mates. TVTA is pleased to welcome a new toyline to our archives – welcome Tonka Toys ! I already had a handful of Tonka adverts from the 1986 to 1997 period, but nothing prior to these dates and worth making a category for. Thanks to a kind donation by TVTA friend, Anna, I now have two catalogues circa 1963 to add to my archives. Thanks Anna!
Catalogue #1. Cover. Tonka Toys Incorporated. Circa 1963. US.
Catalogue #2. Cover. Tonka Toys Incorporated. Circa 1963. US.
Cover detail. Arbois toy catalogue. France. C1978.
Greetings vintage mates! It’s that time of year again when your humble TVTA editor and his intrepid office cat, Wooof, search high and yo-ho-ho low for some seasonal scans to warm the cockles of your Christmas heart!
So, sit back, slip on your Ewok slippers, grab a mince pie, and allow us to mull your wine and get figgy with your pudding, as TVTA presents you with some delightful toys and games from yesteryear courtesy of the French Arbois catalogue (no date printed on this catalogue, alas, but I’m staking the Christmas raffle on it being 1978! Wooof says it’s 1980… but I think he’s had one too many sherries and is meowing up the wrong Christmas tree. Furballs ahoy!). This Arbois catalogue features toys and games from the CEJI imports company.
Enjoy the scans. Have a very merry Christmas and a fruitful and creative New Year!
Ford
Below images: Action Joe figures. Action Joe (or Group Action Joe) is the French version of the UK’s Palitoy Action Man and the US’s Hasbro G.I. Joe. Alongside Lego and die cast cars, Action Man was the toy I had ‘the most of’. The below adverts bring back happy memories as I had almost all of the uniforms featured.
Action Joe parachute. Arbois toy catalogue. France C1978.
“America’s Movable Fighting Man”
G.I. Joe was first marketed by Hasbro in 1964 as a 12 inch (30 cm) scale posable action figure, then later again in 1982 as a 3.75 inch (9.5 cm) scale figure. In the UK the toy was sold by the Palitoy company as ‘Action Man’ (12 inch) and ‘Action Force’ (3.75 inch).
TVTA is pleased to present scans for G.I. Joe figures, clothing, accessories and vehicles from the 1964 and 1965 Hasbro catalogues, the G.I. Joe Army Manual, and the G.I. Joe Club.
G.I. Joe product catalogue. 1964.
G.I. Joe product catalogue. 1964.
1978 Italian advert for G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane toys from the Polistil company.
Italy. Topolino. 1978.
Thanks for looking 🙂
Jouets Mont-Blanc General Catalogue 1969. France. Front cover.
The Mont-Blanc 1969 tri language catalogue (French, English and German) featured not only a small range of traditional toys and games but a selection of household telephones and, bizarrely, a full-size kitchen.
Being a 1969 catalogue it’s good to see the famous and iconic Concorde aeroplane represented – possibly one of the very first toys to do so.
Remote control Intercontinental Concorde with patented tilting nose system, imitation engine hum and flickering jets. 1969.
I love this picture of a futuristic space vehicle and traditional farm tractor. Sci-fi meets agriculture! Somehow War of the Worlds by HG Wells came to my mind.
Electric motor non-stop Unique Space-Car and remote control McCormick Tractor. 1969.
Onto the full scans. Here we see everything from motorised and remote control cars, planes and cranes – to building bricks – to globes – to rubber ducks – and that full size kitchen we were talking about 🙂
Electric motor Taunus and remote control Ferrari. 1969.
Remote control Jaguar E Type. 1969.
Remote control and friction-power Matra 530 GT. 1969.
Intercontinental Concorde. 1969.
Caravelle and Boeing 727. 1969.
Mobi-Tec. 1969.
Various toys and games. 1969.
Remote control giant cranes. 1969.
Play sets. 1969.
Les Blocs. 1969.
Telephones. 1969.
The Diane kitchen. 1969.
And finally, the back cover. Thanks for looking.
Jouets Mont Blanc General Catalogue 1969. France. Back cover.
TVTA is always pleased to add paperworks from countries we have never featured before. Today’s post welcomes Greek toy company Mister P which manufactered and distributed toys between the late 1960s and the late 70s.
The remote control Mercedes 450 SE
I can personally attest to the high quality of at least one of their toys: Christmas, 1980-ish, I received the Mercedes 450 SE remote controlled car as a gift; it was a beast of a toy (sizewise almost on par with Action Man vehicles) complete with flashing lights and opening boot/bonnet.
I had no idea that my childhood Mercedes was made by Mister P. So was very pleased to see the inclusion of it in the 23 page catalogue I acquired. The catalogue contains a host of road and air vehicles, slot car racing sets and trains. Most of the toys are depicted with some truly delightful artwork. Click to enlarge the images.
Thanks for looking 🙂
The Vintage Toy Advertiser 