Tag Archives: vintage

TVTA is retiring

Posted on by
46

Greetings vintage mates.

It is with a degree of sadness yet a positivity for the future of my blogging endeavours that I am announcing the retirement of The Vintage Toy Advertiser. At the least it will be a hiatus or very long holiday.

Since 2011 my aim for the site was to create an online resource and archive showcasing vintage advertising and catalogue images spanning the subject of toys, movies, comics, video games, food & drink and much more!

Ten years on – I think I’ve largely done as much as I can and want to do for the time being regarding this. The decision has been made easier by my dissatisfaction with the WordPress drive of switching to blocks. As a paying customer I am no longer willing to part with money for a service which does not meet the needs of TVTA.

My archive (4.5K advert and catalogue images + hundreds of toy images from my own collection + hundreds of comic book and magazine covers) was always meant to be added to and enhanced. Having to edit with blocks is unwieldy and time-consuming to maintain the good standards of my work, and it seems there are far too many hoops to have to jump through just to publish even a simple post these days… when blogging should be easy, quick, and fit for everyone’s purpose?

Another issue is that I will soon reach my current plan limit for image space, requiring me to upgrade to the next and more expensive plan with additional features I do not need. Maybe WP could consider offering one-off extra image space packages for blogs which are picture heavy? I doubt that. As much as I’ve always loved WP, they never seem to listen.

So, onto the future…

I will be launching a new site soon. Likely on WP still, but without the costs I’ve been incurring. The site will be simple. Focussed on writing, art projects, and with the occasional feature on vintage books and comics.

As such, The Vintage Toy Advertiser will no longer be updated, and will be left in the capable paws of TVTA office cat extraordinaire Wooof to curate while he idly munches his way through cat biscuits and re-watches all those VHS films we never returned to Blockbusters.

As for my dear vintage mates here… I intend to very much keep in touch, and I would like to give a HUGE, huge, huge, massive, storming, magnificent, mammoth, mega-big thanks to everyone who has been a part of TVTA over these past ten years. The interaction, inspiration, encouragement, fun and laughs, likes, comments, reblogs, shares and links has quite simply made my days 😊

It’s April, and April is my big TVTA blog anniversary – 10 years old this month! And now a retirement to add to it. Sometimes these things work this way.

I’ll leave you with a quick gallery of a few of my favourite archived images over the years (too many to choose from!!), and I’ll be sure to post the link soon for my new site once it’s up and running.

Adios you lovelies, see you on the other side! 😎

Ford, editor TVTA

As always, thanks for looking 🙂

The Pandemic and I (11) – an odyssey: living with the virus, plus finding stuff down the back of the sofa and behind the TV…

Posted on by
15

Odyssey 7 comic shop advert. 1987. UK.

Report – 2 June, 2020

Déconfinement

Today in France, 2 June, many of the remaining restrictions and social distancing measures are being lifted – known as déconfinement.

Here, the same as in many other countries, we will have to learn to live with Covid-19 as we go about our daily business as normally as possible in the most un-normal circumstances.

For many of us it will mean wearing a mask in a situation as mundane as entering a shop (many of us already are). Attending work, social, and study gatherings in limited numbers. Observing stricter hygiene measures than we are used to.

I’m in no rush to head to a restaurant, cinema, beach, park, or a busy shopping mall just yet – but I am looking forward to extending my social interaction with as much protection as I can get (mask, hand gels, respecting distances, avoiding large crowds, washing hands, not touching my face).

For me, it does mean a certain few treats:

Continue reading →

In praise of trees

Posted on by
13

“Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.”

Chinese Proverb

The How and Why Wonder Book of Trees. Written by Geoffrey Coe. Illustrated by Cynthia Iliff Koehler and Alvin Koehler. Grosset and Dunlap. New York. 1973.

This was one of the books included in my recent free lot of novels, and is not a novel but The How and Why Wonder Book of Trees, originally published in 1964. My copy is from 1973, and I’m featuring selected images illustrated by Cynthia Iliff Koehler and Alvin Koelher.

Enjoy 🌲🌳🍀🍂🍃🌿🌱🌱🌱

Continue reading →

Office Cat Tales: the back of the sofa and behind the fridge

Posted on by
20

Collage. Cat brooch from a late 1970s UK toy vending machine.

“O woe, bleak January, bringer of lean times to our editing house. Your wintry rap upon the door of our office does chill our fingers, paws and bones to the bit. The Vintage Toy Advertiser archives… ah, too grim a place to visit upon days such as these… with its hibernating vampires dangling from rafters, and frozen monsters awakening to thaw their claws and teeth in corners where sit our old photocopier and broken down time machines covered in dust. Hark! No post! No post! Our deliveries for new ads and catalogues held up by raging battles above rooftops, between dragons and banshees and mercenary raptor-bots. Grim times for office cats and editors, indeed!” 

“What an exciting story,” said Wooof. “Please tell more!”

“Crivens, cat!” I retorted. “This is no tale, this is but a reality! We have no ads nor catalogues to scan… I fear our vintage readers will go hungry this winter. As shall we!”

“Tooting scarpers!” said the cat. “There’s no need to paint such a stark picture. Do you want me to search down the back of the sofa and behind the fridge and such places? There are always a few stray ads to be found.”

“Good thinking,” said I. “I’ll go warm up the scanner.”

“Meow!”

Continue reading →

Latest ads – SSP, Solar Ball, Skittle Baseball, Sea-Monkeys and more!

Posted on by
16

Kenner SSP Racers. 1971. US.

Glow in the Dark Solar Ball. 1985. US.

Aurora Skittle Ball. Weird War Tales N°1. 1971.

Seamonkeys. 1977. US.

Space 1999 model kit by Centuri. 1976. US.

Doctor Who Records and Tapes. 1980. UK.

Sphere sci-fi books. 1989. UK.

Sizzlers Fat Track. 1971. US.

Aurora Powerslicks. 1971. US.

Fleer football cards. 1991. US.

Thanks for looking 🙂

Happy 50th birthday the Apollo 11 moon landing!

Posted on by
9

Examples from the “Luna Station play set” by Jean Höfler, early 1970s, West Germany. From the collection of TVTA.

Inspired by good friend and WP blogging buddy Wibi Wonders I’m joining in the celebrations of the Apollo 11 moon landing which is 50 years old today! Be sure to check out Wibi’s wonderful space exploration stamps 

Here are four of my own Apollo mission stamps, along with vintage print ads and other retro space and moon-related goodness.

Thanks for looking 🙂

Ajman Apollo 11 moon landing stamp. 1970s.

Space stamps. 1982. France.

Atari Moon Patrol. 1984.

Playmobil Space. 1981. Denmark.

MOON ROCKET, battery operated tinplate spacecraft, by Masudaya, Japan, 1960s.

Space pinball. UK. 1983.

Space Shuttle Mission Jacket. US. 1982.

NASA Poster. Space Ship by Kotaro Hirano. Starlog Japan 1981.

Thank you for mooning with us 🙂

View-Master reels – Star Trek, 1982

Posted on by
25

Presenting: packaging and reel images for the 1982 View-Master Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. View Master. 1982.

Reel images. Click to enlarge.

Thanks for looking 🙂 More View-Master goodies can be seen here 

Top tips for being a successful blogger in an age of uncertainty

Posted on by
26

Greetings vintage mates,

If you wish to become a successful blogger in this age of uncertainty,

you will need…

#1 – a ridiculous but click-worthy title. Like the one I’ve used for today’s post. Utterly meaningless. But somewhat intriguing. I’d click on it for sure.

You will also need…

#2 – attention-grabbing pic fairly early on, as some people simply won’t be bothered to read your words, no matter how good a wordsmith you are. I already added a cool pic at the start of the post, but here’s another one to keep things fresh…

How to handle your hamster correctly.

#3 – you will also need a sense of self-deprecation. As editor of TVTA I daily suck at many things. I try to do well but often fail miserably, or spectacularly. Here I am one time in Paris, trying to look cool but in reality taking up valuable image hosting space which could be used for something far more useful. Thank goodness I don’t have a Facebook or Instagram to share this photo on!

I eat croissants. Portrait of the artist in pre-tentious moment of vintage grandeur. Mon Dieu, I love France, and it’s curious and beautiful people, and old-school postcards, and display rack anti-theft devices.

To be a successful blogger in an age of uncertainty you will also need:

#4 – a loyal and intrepid office cat. Like TVTA’s very own Wooof! 75% of stuff that gets done around here can be attributed to the cat. The other 25% is me, but only because the cat has mind-control powers which I am unable to resist – no matter how often I wear my protective blue and red lens vintage 3D glasses, or the orange and purple-striped teflon-lined woolen jersey Mrs Coldkettle the tea lady knitted me last winter.

Wooof, TVTA intrepid office cat (in secret moustache and Dicky Bow disguise kit).

#5 – a fear of clowns. This will help you to focus, stay sharp, and keep you on your blogging toes at all times!

Run like the wind!

#6 – space ships. Statistics show that 71% of successful bloggers in an age of uncertainty have access to functional spaceships.

#7 – Giant motorised fruit and vegetables. A must-have for bloggers in an age of uncertainty!

#8 – you will also need a Karma Credit Roll…

What’s this?

A Karma Credit Roll, or as TVTA likes to sometimes call it The Boomerang In Your Arms Effect is quite simply the force of love. In the words of the great German thinker/Scorpions vocalist, Klaus Mein: “The more love you give, the more you’ll find.” In blogging terms this can be related to an appreciation of the works of your fellow bloggers to gain an appreciation of your own work, while at the same time creating an enriching environment for all.

#9 – you’re also gonna need a stack of vintage adverts, magazines and comics! (if that’s your thing). Luckily Wooof and I have a few thousand of these scattered around the place…

#10 – and lastly, to be a successful blogger in an age of uncertainty, you will need to post a Top-Ten list of something you think is cool, even if it’s been done before, or it’s not cool, or it doesn’t make any sense – you absolutely must (by internet law) make a Top-Ten list of something… which is exactly what I’ve done with this post 🙂

Now, sit back, soak up all those likes, comments, reblogs, and endorsements from major corporations and Hollywood stars. You’ve earned it baby!

Suggested power song to blog to today: “The Best” by Tina Turner.

As always, thanks for looking 🙂

This post was brought to you by office cat disguise kits and top ten lists of top ten things to top ten list about when you generally avoid top ten things. No hamsters, fruit or vegetables were handled incorrectly in this production. All images courtesy of French comic/magazine Pif Gadget