Archive for the ‘Used & Abused’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Take me to your Imperious Leader.

Wednesday, December 17th, 2008

So, here it is – Part 2 of my toy-finds at the Greater York Toy Extravaganza. Let’s keep it simple and just itemize what makes this toy so weird.

Ready?

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

1. Freaky alien fish face

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

2. Big, purple, 70s afro

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

3. Flippers for hands

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

4. Weird, split, flippery things for feet

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

5. Weird, cracking neck thing

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

6. And she’s completely nude (I’m calling her “she,” because she’s pink, dainty and just kind of girly looking.)

She actually looks like a crabby, old, alien grandma.

I saw this little gal at a guy’s booth. And I literally exclaimed to the guy, “What the hell is this thing, and how much is it?!” The guy kindly rejected my enthusiasm with a slight shrug of his shoulders, walked over to his buddy, mumbled with him a bit, came back over and simply told me, “It’s from Battlestar Galactica and it’s $5.”

(Click to enlarge)
Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

So what do you think? Worth the five bucks? I dunno. It’s a bit run down and scraped-up. I’d usually pay one or two bucks for something like this, but I guess I was eager to buy since I’d never seen it before. I have since tried to convince myself that the wear-and-tear of the toy gives it more “character.” Who am I kidding? I could’ve gotten this toy MOC (that’s mint-on-card for all you non-dorky types) for $10 probably.

Well, it didn’t take long, but I did find more info about the toy. It’s Imperious Leader from the Battlestar Galactica toyline released by Mattel in 1978.

Imperial Leader of Battlestar Galactica

Looks like I’m missing the cape/shroud thingy.

Wow! With the blanket accessory, the alien grandma look is complete. You know how cold grandma is all the time. Maybe we need to get her a Snuggie, so she can drink tea and stay warm at the same time.

Ya know… now that I think about it, maybe the nude alien is best. That way we get to see all the hidden freakiness.

I never really watched Battlestar Galactica (classic or modern era) or cared about any of the toys, so I’m not really familiar with this character or what her role is in the show. I guess she’s a bad guy. Probably the leader of the Cylons. The description on the package actually reads: “Sinister mastermind from the TV Space Saga!” But how imperious of a leader or sinister of a mastermind could you possibly be if you have no opposable thumbs or even sleeves to let your flippers out?

Imperial Leader as Rick James

Oh, and one last thing.

Is it just me, or does that hairstyle look like it’s really inspired by Jheri Curl? Classic.

Buy Imperious Leader toys on eBay!

Posted in Alien, Bizarre, TV and Movies, Used & Abused, Weird | 12 Comments »

Greater York Toy Extravaganza 2008

Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008

I’ve just returned from the Greater York Toy Extravaganza at the York Expo Center in York, Pennsylvania. I’ve never been to a toy “extravaganza” before, but I’d really have to say this seemed to be one.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

First of all, the show was freakin’ huge. Seriously, I’ve been to dinky, little, local toy shows a lot, but nothing prepared me for this thing. There were two huge banquet halls (a total of 28,202 square feet) filled with vintage-to-modern era toys and other collectibles. (There was also a train show going on somewhere else at the Expo Center, but screw that. This isn’t “weirdotrains.com.”) And to top it all off, they had music playing in both halls – non-stop Christmas songs. It was great. It felt like we were all going Christmas shopping for ourselves.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show
(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

As I did with my trip to the Allentown Antique Toy Show last year, I’d like to let you know some things I’ve taken home from this experience.

1. There are still tons of toy lovers out there.
There were 800 or so tables set up at the show, all surrounded by people eager to buy and sell toys. That means there are tons of people that still have plenty of money to waste on toys… which excites me. It means even in the “recession” the US economy is in, we can still take time to spend money on the unnecessary, fun stuff (myself included). It’s great to see people flocking to tables, mingling and laughing, and squeezing through the toy aisles. We are obsessed by our hobby. Some more than others, but there is a common thread  for every grown man and woman there. You were either buying something to add to your trash pile at home, or you tagged along with someone who was buying stuff to add to the pile of trash at home. There’s nothing wrong with it. I do it. Maybe even you do it. I think it’s that quest for the missing or undiscovered gem of a toy… or we’re filling a void in our lives… or it’s just plain fun.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show
(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

2. This selection was diverse and so was the crowd (not really).
This show was much more to my liking than the Allentown toy show I attended last year. It had a lot more “weirdo” stuff at a better price range.

The crowds, on the other hand, were not nearly as diverse as the selection. There was not much diversity in race or gender, but in age? Definitely. There were kids all over, teens, middle-aged folks, and even old fogies. It was great seeing the different generations and their generational toy gaps.

As a side note, I’d have to say toy collectors are predominantly white. I’d say that 99.99% of the crowd that day were white people. Not that it matters or anything really. I just thought I’d mention it. (Now that I think of it, most of the human toys I’ve featured on the blog are caucasian. Crap. Sorry readers. I don’t intend on being so racially biased, but it appears the weirdo toy market is.)

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show
(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

3. Sometimes you have to buy out of obligation.
When you’ve traveled over 600 miles to get to a toy show, you damn well better find something. I’m not sure if what I’m going to feature over the next several weeks will entertain you all. I have a fear that I’ve resorted to buying things out of desperation or over-excitement. I feel like I bought some things that I might not have at a local show, and I resorted to buying pricier things I wouldn’t have at other shows. Oh well. No regrets.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show
(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

4. Some of the toy collecting stereotypes appear to be true.
Not everyone there was a socially awkward, overweight, unwashed, middle-aged, single man, but there were enough of them there to scare me. I seriously was sorting through a bin while a guy next to me was crapping himself. I kid you not. It was either that, or a major shart… and he smelled like cheese. As long as I bathe, keep running a few times a week and keep my girlfriend, maybe, just maybe, I won’t follow that pattern. Seriously, all we have to do is clean up a bit. It’s not that difficult.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show
(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

5. An empty suitcase is a good suitcase.
Here’s some advice for folks traveling to toy shows by plane: pack lightly. I brought a nearly empty suitcase with me to York. I only packed toiletries, an extra t-shirt, undies and socks. The rest of the suitcase was dedicated to my hopefully large toy haul. I just brought it along as carry-on luggage, and it worked pretty well for me. It also gave airport security screeners something to chat about when screening my luggage.

(Click to enlarge)
York Toy Show

Stay tuned loyal readers, because now it’s time for me to start posting some of my findings. Have a good week. Hopefully I can update this blog again before the end of the week.

Posted in Antique, Toy Shows, Used & Abused | 13 Comments »

Outer Terrestrial Creatures: The Next Batch

Sunday, October 5th, 2008

Remember these bendy aliens I featured late last year?

(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

I found these three guys at the Allentown Antique Toy Show (which I am unfortunately too poor to attend this year). They are part of a series of six aliens called Outer Terrestrial Creatures and were produced by Marty Toy in 1983.

Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

Believe it or not, the toys are bit of a challenge to find.

First of all, no one ever knows what they’re called, so it’s impossible to find them “correctly” listed on eBay or anything. You just have to luck-out when looking for alien toys.  I’ve also never see them at other toy shows, flea markets, etc.

Luckily for me, a Weirdo Toys reader, Jimmy K, happened upon last year’s entry and offered to sell them (thanks Jimmy!)… and of course, I bought them ;)

Outer Terrestrial Creatures
(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

So, looky here. The family has been reunited. I’ve finally gathered the other three alien characters, and a couple of them are alternate-color versions of those featured on the box. So, if I get bored or desperate, I can try to collect all the alternate colors of these guys.

Blobby – (Blue Version) The coolest of the bunch. His eyes look like worms crawling out of his eye sockets.
(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Blobby - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Blobby - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

Mooky – (Green Version) A green monkey-looking guy with glasses and double biceps
(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Mooky - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Mooky - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

Okky – (White Version) Octupus/squid-faced guy with suckers all over his body
(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Okky - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

(Click to enlarge)
Outer Terrestrial Creatures - Okky - Weird, bendy alien toy by Marty Toy, 1983

That’s it. Thanks for looking. Oh, and let me know of any place I can find the alternate colors of the toys I’ve featured here. Thanks.

Buy some alien toys on eBay!

Posted in Alien, Used & Abused | 10 Comments »

K.O. Kewpie

Monday, August 18th, 2008

“Fwoat wike a buttafwy, sting wike a bee.”

Some very familiar words from this adorable, (yet scrappy) little boxing kewpie doll.

(Click to enlarge)
Boxing Kewpie Doll

I don’t know much about the little guy. He’s just as small plastic squeeze toy I found at a toy show… buried in a plastic bin full of crappy McDonald’s Happy Meal toys.

(Click to enlarge)
Boxing Kewpie Doll

I like the attitude of this guy. He’s cute, but he looks a tad hesitant, but he’s determined and ready to fight. Adding to his aged charm are his faded green boxing gloves and orange pull-ups diapers. There’s also plenty of dirt and grime on the guy. Probably from some back-alley street fights he’s been in recently.

(Click to enlarge)
Boxing Kewpie Doll

One thing that is weird, is the large, yellow puff of smoke he’s resting on. Could be a fart cloud… or just some weird organic mound of jaundiced flesh. Kind of strange. Seems like a more well-thought-out prop could’ve served him better. A small stool or something would’ve been more appropriate. That way, when he’s sent to the corner he can sit on his stool and yell, “CUT ME MICKEY!!”

(Click to enlarge)
Boxing Kewpie Doll

I’ve tried to decipher the markings on the bottom of him, but they’ve been virtually removed by the toy’s production process. A sloppy seam of melted plastic is covering most of the letter forms. Oh well. Looks like it might read “© Taiwan,” but that makes no sense. Anyone else out there like to take a stab at it?

Little Mac punching Glass Joe

One last thing. This boxing kewpie kid kind of reminds me of the old Nintendo game, Mike Tyson’s Punchout. He’s a lot like the main character, Little Mac – he’s small, scrappy and has green gloves (okay, it’s a bit of a stretch, but I thought I’d share my train of thought).

Anyone have any clue to where this guy came from or if there are others like him? Maybe other sports kewpies or something? Thanks for the help.

Posted in Cute, Human?, Used & Abused | 4 Comments »

Madballs: Head-Popping Action Figures

Tuesday, August 5th, 2008

So, it all started around November of last year when I was writing my Anniversary Madballs post. While searching online for various tidbits about the origins of Madballs, I came across a bunch of Madballs paraphernalia and other toy images, but I was quickly overcome with excitement when I discovered these guys.

(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Head-Popping Figures by AmToy

They look like awesome little Madballs action figures… and upon further reading, I soon confirmed that they are Madballs Head-Popping Action Figures released in 1986 by AmToy. These 4 inch figures have spring-loaded heads/necks. With the flick of a trigger on their backs, their heads go flying.

They look this cool AND their heads pop off? Wow!!

(Click to enlarge)
Screamin' Meemie toy package - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Screamin' Meemie toy package - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Ya know, these may be the only worthwhile spin-offs of the Madballs brand. I don’t really remember seeing these things as a kid. I just had a couple of the original Madballs. I never took it to the extreme of wanting any of the spinoff toys and other random Madballs products (luckily for my parents).

It only took one look at them, and now that I had discovered these things, my obsession began. Not only do they encompass the great “grossness” of the original Madballs, but they’ve been taken a conceptual step further – these heads now have bodies which further illustrate their unique personalities (and maybe a hint at their origins).

As I searched online and at various toy shows, I soon discovered that these things are fairly hard to come by… especially if you want any of the Madballs figures with its corresponding head. And not only that, but most of the old ones I found have major paint flaking, damaged necks and broken triggers, so the heads wouldn’t stay attached or even launch anymore.

Freaky Fun for Everyone!
(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Head-Popping Figures by AmToy

Well, as you can see, my patience and persistence (with the help of eBay) have prevailed. I am now the proud owner of a complete set of the ever-elusive Madballs Head-Poppers. They’re not all in perfect shape, but I still love ‘em all the same.

(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Head-Popping Figures by AmToy

Let’s meet the gang, shall we?

Wolf Breath – The original dog face, this guy’s breath could stop a clock!
(Click to enlarge)
Wolf Breath - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Wolf Breath - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Wolf Breath - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Slobulus – A gruesome drooler with one eye dangling for gross fun!
(Click to enlarge)
Slobulus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Slobulus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Slobulus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Screamin’ Meemie – A crazy baseball with a ghastly grin!
(Click to enlarge)
Screamin' Meemie - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Screamin' Meemie - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Screamin' Meemie - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Dust Brain – A dried up mummy head who’s not too tightly wrapped!
(Click to enlarge)
Dust Brain - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Dust Brain - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Dust Brain - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Lock Lips – A creepy creature with locked-lipped feature!
(Click to enlarge)
Lock Lips - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Lock Lips - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Lock Lips - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Bruise Brother – A real tough cookie who’s a regular crumb!
(Click to enlarge)
Bruise Brother - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Bruise Brother - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Bruise Brother - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Horn Head – A one-horned cyclops with a ring through his nose!
(Click to enlarge)
Horn Head - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Horn Head - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Horn Head - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Skull Face – A mask of bone, teeth and frightening delight!
(Click to enlarge)
Skull Face - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Skull Face - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Skull Face - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

Oculus Orbus – A big, bloodshot eyeball to freak out your friends!
(Click to enlarge)
Oculus Orbus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Oculus Orbus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy Oculus Orbus - Head Popping Madballs figure by AmToy

It’s great seeing the cartoony grossness of this set. I think the modern politically-correct children’s toys makers would never have allowed these “cute” kids toys to have open, bloody wounds or torn flesh with exposed rib cages and spines. That’s just genuine, vintage 8os grossness. MMM-mm.

(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Head-Popping Figures by AmToy

So, I have a goofy story to share. As as I searched and slowly gathered the Mini Madballs figures, I soon discovered the “holy grail” of the set – Horn Head. Apparently he was an exclusive figure that was included with the Mad Rollercycle. You thought finding good Madballs figures was a challenge? Try finding a Mad Rollercycle complete with a Horn Head figure. The Rollercycle is usually by itself or comes along with a headless or “wrong-headed” Horn Head.

(Click to enlarge)
Mad Rollercycle Box

Well, just a few weeks ago after some super-laborious web-searching, I came across a Dutch website where a seller was actually offering a Rollercycle with Horn Head. What luck! But wait. There was only one problem. I couldn’t understand a single word on the website. Luckily, with the help of Babelfish Translator, I quickly had the site translated. It was broken English for sure, but it did allow me to at least locate the appropriate links to contact the seller.

So, being the desperate man that I am, I composed a message to the seller, asking how much the toy is and all that jazz. Now remember, the site was Dutch, so chances are I’ll have to make contact writing in Dutch… and that’s exactly what I did. I translated my message hoping whoever read it could make enough sense of what I’m sure was a horrible translation. I also made sure I attached my original English message (you know. .. just in case). With luck on my side, the seller wrote back. He was in Belgium and could understand English (YAY!), and he still had the toy available for me to order (YAY!x2).

So, here it is in all of it’s ugly-clunky glory.

Mad Rollercycle
(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Rolelrcycle by AmToy

(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Rolelrcycle by AmToy

(Click to enlarge)
Madballs Rolelrcycle by AmToy

The Mad Rollercycle is basically a motorcycle-steamroller combo. It comes equipped with a catapult to launch the various Madballs mini-figures’ heads. There’s also a basketball goal if you feel like shooting a few Madhoops. Last but not least, there’s the little skull-topped gear shifter. Pushing it forward or backward activates a small mechanism in the backs of both seats which presses the triggers on the backs of the Madball figures – sending their heads flying.

Honestly, the whole thing seems like a half-hearted attempt ot just make more money on a crappy, arbitrary Madballs vehicle. Even on the packaging, you can see they slightly attempted to create a story for these guys. They’ve even been specified as GOODBALLS and BADBALLS (I’m telling you, it feels good to know a skeleton and a mutilated, rotting-flesh zombie are a couple of good guys).

Just a side note: Doesn’t the figure on the Mad Rollercycle box look a lot different than the actual Horn Head toy? I’m glad the toy didn’t turn out to look like the prototype.

(Click to enlarge)
Horn Head Madballs - box detail

Wait!

It’s not over yet.

You think everything you just saw was cool?

You aint seen nothin’ yet.

Imagine the coolness of these figures….

Now imagine the coolness of these figures packaged in Japanese, super-unbelievably-awesome, super-well-illustrated-and-designed re-closeable boxes.

Did they look something like this??

(Click to enlarge)
Japanese Madballs Head-Popping Figures toy packaging

(Click to enlarge)
Japanese Madballs Head-Popping Figures toy packaging

(Click to enlarge)
Japanese Madballs Head-Popping Figures toy packaging

(Click to enlarge)
Japanese Madballs Head-Popping Figures toy packaging

(Click to enlarge)
Japanese Madballs Head-Popping Figures toy packaging

That ultra web-scouring I mentioned earlier brought me to a nice fellow toy-lover who somehow got a hold of these beautiful things (thanks for the photos Kelly. You’re the best).

If anyone has any of these Japanese Madballs Head-Popping figures he’d like to get rid of (or any other photos to share), you better email me right now!

1986 WEIRD BALL PUNT N' GRUNT MADBALLS CARDED
US $35.00 (0 Bid)
End Date: Friday Jul-30-2010 20:03:42 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

MADBALLS COMPLETE SET 1-7 MARVEL NICE!!!!
US $0.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Tuesday Aug-03-2010 17:09:34 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Madballs # 3 Star Comic Book 1986 Limited Series
US $1.99 (0 Bid)
End Date: Saturday Jul-31-2010 13:40:04 PDT
Bid now | Add to watch list

Posted in Gross, Monsters, Ugly, Used & Abused | 19 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »