JMChladek
Sr Member
Oh man, so many memories of this stuff. I can remember a few of the things I had:
Mattel Space 1999 Eagle playset
Flying Aces planes (didn't have the carrier though, remember the BSG version with Vipers?)
Hot Cycle (the cooler version of the Big Wheel, which added a drag brake a few years later probably to compete with the Green Machine, safer to drive too)
And of course I had the Star Wars toys when they came out. While most of my vintage SW stuff is long gone, I did keep a Takara wind up R2-D2 which I got, thanks to my family being stationed in Okinawa in 1978-79 (the one toy Lucasfilm wanted imported that Kenner never did import to the states, but it could be found in Canada).
I never had a Starbird as a kid, but I did purchase one a couple years ago (I may refurbish it with a new paintjob).
As for other cool things, anyone else remember "Chutes Away" (I believe I had the Night Rescue version)?
Chutes Away
The Southbend Electronics TMP Enterprise and Phaser game were a couple cool toys that squeeked into the end of 1979 (I still have the Phasers, which predated Laser Tag by about 5 years, you shot the guns instead of other targets).
Tomy Pocket Cars were somewhat popular in the 1970s (they never caught on like Matchbox or Hot Wheels, but you had some cool cars in the line, such as F1 cars with tobacco sponsorships).
I still have Girder and Panel stuff stored away. I had the Airport set. Anyone remember Matchbox Build-a-road? Buildaroad I think first came out in the 1960s, but sets were still being made in the 1970s. Combined with Matchbox cars and Girder and Panel, you could do some cool things.
And then we had Fisher Price who came out with the "Adventure People" action figures about three years before Kenner did their first 3 3/4" Star Wars action figures. They had some cool sets available as I recall (before they got goofy with space themed ones to try and compete with Star Wars).
And no mention of 1970s toys would be complete without the Dinky Toys of that era, such as the UFO Interceptor, the Eagles (freighter and transporter), Thunderbird 2 (blue in color in the 1970s) and some of the more common types they made back then.
Mattel Space 1999 Eagle playset
Flying Aces planes (didn't have the carrier though, remember the BSG version with Vipers?)
Hot Cycle (the cooler version of the Big Wheel, which added a drag brake a few years later probably to compete with the Green Machine, safer to drive too)
And of course I had the Star Wars toys when they came out. While most of my vintage SW stuff is long gone, I did keep a Takara wind up R2-D2 which I got, thanks to my family being stationed in Okinawa in 1978-79 (the one toy Lucasfilm wanted imported that Kenner never did import to the states, but it could be found in Canada).
I never had a Starbird as a kid, but I did purchase one a couple years ago (I may refurbish it with a new paintjob).
As for other cool things, anyone else remember "Chutes Away" (I believe I had the Night Rescue version)?
Chutes Away
The Southbend Electronics TMP Enterprise and Phaser game were a couple cool toys that squeeked into the end of 1979 (I still have the Phasers, which predated Laser Tag by about 5 years, you shot the guns instead of other targets).
Tomy Pocket Cars were somewhat popular in the 1970s (they never caught on like Matchbox or Hot Wheels, but you had some cool cars in the line, such as F1 cars with tobacco sponsorships).
I still have Girder and Panel stuff stored away. I had the Airport set. Anyone remember Matchbox Build-a-road? Buildaroad I think first came out in the 1960s, but sets were still being made in the 1970s. Combined with Matchbox cars and Girder and Panel, you could do some cool things.
And then we had Fisher Price who came out with the "Adventure People" action figures about three years before Kenner did their first 3 3/4" Star Wars action figures. They had some cool sets available as I recall (before they got goofy with space themed ones to try and compete with Star Wars).
And no mention of 1970s toys would be complete without the Dinky Toys of that era, such as the UFO Interceptor, the Eagles (freighter and transporter), Thunderbird 2 (blue in color in the 1970s) and some of the more common types they made back then.