Author: rhavens01

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Update

HEROES IN A HALF SHELL!

Since the values of certain items can fluctuate greatly over time, The Toy Collectors Guide prides itself in keeping up with the most current market trends and any shifts that may affect the various secondary market prices. There are many factors that drive those trends and shifts which include, an item’s time period, scarcity, consumer demand and overall condition. The good news for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles collectors is there’s always a demand for items from this era, as Playmates created some truly iconic toys. The original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle line has always remained popular and retained its value, but the line has seen a revival over the last couple of years. This was mostly due to the new Mutant Mayhem film and multiple mew animated series over the years. The new Mutant Mayhem movie was a huge hit with fans and critics alike, and toys were launched from the new series in 2023 with new versions of fan favorite characters. In addition, Playmates also brought back their Classic line with a commemorative vintage line, which featured molds of the original toys in their original packaging. The big question for collectors was…….how would these “re-issues” affect the values of the original toys from the 1980’s and 1990’s? That question has now been answered.

The commemorative vintage line is obviously a MUCH cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to affect buyers in different types of ways. For dedicated collectors, this may inspire them to go back and acquire the original toys of their childhood, but for more casual fans who don’t have the desire to drop hundreds or even thousands of dollars on originals from their youth, these “new” vintage re-released figures offer the perfect alternative. The re-issued line has had a slight impact on the values of the original toys, but nothing to concern over. The original carded figures that have been re-released are ticking slightly downward, while playsets, accessories and vehicles look to be actually steadily increasing in value. Loose versions of the original figures are also showing good upward movement. Figures and Accessories from non re-released lines have all see quite the increase in value over the last year, as collectors and fans of the show are trying to snatch up vintage items from their youth.

The re-release of new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles toys should be considered a good thing for everyone. Not only does it allow us the opportunity to buy new Turtles toys again, but it also introduces this amazing universe to a whole new generation that never would have had the opportunity to experience it otherwise. It keeps the franchise alive with brand new stories being told about our favorite childhood characters. At the end of the day, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans just want to see their beloved series continue on, so this is an amazing gift that we get to share with others who have not been able to do so in the past. Besides, isn’t it a truly beautiful site to be able to walk down a Wal-Mart or Target toy aisle, and see new Turtle toys lining the shelves again!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles over the years:

MegaCon 2024 Orlando

MegaCon 2024 In Review

MegaCon is an annual event that’s held in Orlando each year, ever since its inception back in 1993. It has grown to become one of the biggest and more popular shows in all of North America with massive growth. This year’s MegaCon was held from February 1 – 4, at the Orange County Convention Center and attracted well over a hundred thousand visitors from all over the world. Since fans come in all shapes and sizes, MegaCon is the perfect gathering spot for those who enjoy just about every aspect of fandom. There is truly something for everybody, and this year’s MegaCon was bigger and better than ever before. The show was held at the West concourse of the Convention Center, which means LOTS of room for shopping, cosplay, exhibits, photo-ops, celebrity autographs, panels, or just soaking in the atmosphere.

MegaCon 2024 boasted more than 400,000 square feet of fan goodness this year, with an incredibly expansive area for shopping and sight seeing. The area included hundreds of exhibitors, retailers, and artists. If you can’t find anything to buy at MegaCon, then you’re just not even trying. There are toys, clothing, comic books, masks, artwork, cosplay accessories, gaming supplies, swords and more Funko Pops than you can possibly imagine. In addition, there are displays, activities and fun zones for fans of all ages. There are also dozens and dozens of panels featuring everything from cosplay, collecting, podcasts, design, paranormal interests, art, gaming, and many more than I can list. Let it suffice to say, that there was a panel or display for everyone. There are also unique celebrity panels set up for the many attendees to speak of their experiences on our favorite shows, movies, comics or other fan culture. A few higher profile celebrity panels offered pre-purchase tickets for guaranteed seating throughout the weekend, but all of the panels are included with the price of general admission.

Speaking of celebrities, MegaCon always comes through with some of the biggest names in the business, and this year was no different. In fact, the guest list for 2024 was (in my humble opinion) the biggest they’ve ever had, as MegaCon featured the hottest names from the big and small screens. Attending the event this year were the stars from Back To The Future (Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, and Tom Wilson), Tom Hiddleston, Paul Bettany, Marisa Tomei, Ke Huy Quan, Stranger Things stars (Finn Wolfhard, Gaten Matarazzo and Grace Van Dien), the stars from A Princess Bride (Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Wallace Shawn, and Chris Sarandon), Rainn Wilson from the Office, Anthony Daniels, Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor from Star Wars, The Charmed Crew (Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, Rose McGowan, and Holly Marie Combs), Thelma and Louise (Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis), Giancarlo Esposito, Gina Carano, William Shatner, Danny Trejo, Randy Quaid and so many more. For animated fans, there was the legendary Peter Cullen and Frank Welker, along with Star Wars superstars, James Arnold Taylor, Ashley Eckstein, Dee Bradley Baker and Matt Lanter, the voices from X-Men 97, and many many more.

One of the biggest parts of any convention nowadays are the absolutely amazing cosplayers! Since MegaCon has such a broad spectrum of fans, every single corner of pop culture was extremely well represented. There were plenty of tributes to iconic franchises such as, Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Doctor Who, and more. The comic book world was certainly well represented with cosplayers from every part of the Marvel and DC universes. Disney was everywhere with their large selection of princesses and characters. The Anime world was also out in full force with Cosplayers from Dragon Ball Z, My Hero Academia, Full Metal Alchemist and more. The most commonly seen costume for women this year goes to Marvel’s Scarlett Witch/Wanda with Female Loki and Barbie coming in at a close second. For the guys, Spiderman and Batman were well represented, with the Mandalorian finishing not far behind.

MegaCon Orlando is a four day event, and even that isn’t nearly enough time to see everything. One of the most amazing things about this show, is that you can walk around for all four days, and still see things on day four that you had never even come across. MegaCon has truly grown into one of the premier fandom cons in the entire country, and only continues to grow as pop culture fans flock to the event each year. Fan Expo does an amazing job of putting this show together and has truly come up with a winning formula in Orlando. Overall, MegaCon is a large sized show with something for everybody. There is a complete sense of awe and wonder from the moment you walk in the door until you reluctantly have to leave at the end the end of the day. Despite being such a large show, MegaCon maintains a tremendous sense of of organization with very few issues along the way. Even though it may get a bit tight on Saturday’s, navigating the showroom floor and various other areas are generally painless and easy to figure out. MegaCon is most definitely one event that I circle on the calendar each year, and truly can’t wait to see what the next year brings.

CHECK OUT OUR COSPLAY SLIDESHOW FROM MEGACON 20024

Top Ten – G1 Transformers Groups/Teams

TOP TEN TRANSFORMERS GROUP/TEAMS FROM HASBRO’S G1 LINE

The Toy Collectors Guide continues our new monthly feature that highlights various toy lines with a emphasis on a top ten, because honestly, who doesn’t love a good top ten list!

This month, we put the spotlight on the Transformers line with the TOP TEN TRANSFORMERS GROUP/TEAMS FROM HASBRO’S G1 LINE. Hasbro created some pretty memorable and iconic characters for their G1 Transformers action figure line, and many belonged to specific groups or teams that were separate from the standard Autobots or Decepticons. This list puts the spotlight on those amazing and creative groups and teams from Hasbro’s 1980’s G1 line.

Top Ten lists are usually subjective by the author, and that is absolutely the case here as well. These lists are meant to inspire conversation and debate, so please feel free to leave a comment with who would make your list. Without further ado, here is November’s Top Ten list. We hope you enjoy and have some fun with it.

Top Ten – Transformers Groups/Teams From Hasbro’s G1 Line

Number 10

TECHNOBOTS
(Afterburner, Lightspeed, Nosecone, Strafe, Scattershot)

Afterburner

Lightspeed

Nosecone

Released in 1987

The Technobots were a group of Autobots that are able to transform into various futuristic vehicles. They included Afterburner, Lightspeed, Nosecone, Strafe and their leader Scattershot. They came together to form Computron! Fun Fact: On the sitcom “The Office”, the team pretended to have an AI assistant named Computron to impress a banker looking for discrepancies. The episode was hilarious, but more importantly thrust the Technobots onto my Top Ten list!

Number 9

SEACONS
(Nautilator, Overbite, Seawing, Skalor, Snap Trap, Tentakil)

Nautilator

Skalor

Tentakil

Released in 1988

The Seacons are a team of Decepticons made up of: Nautilator, Overbite, Seawing, Skalor, Tentakil and their leader Snap Trap. They transform into sea creatures and merge together to form the mighty Piranacon, one of the harder to find Transformer Gift Set Multipacks.

Number 8

PROTECTOBOTS
(Hot Spot, Blades, First Aid, Streetwise, Groove)

Blades

First Aid

Streetwise

Released in 1986

The Protectobots were a group of Autobots that are able to transform into various first responder vehicles. Included in the group are Blades, First Aid, Streetwise, Groove and their leader Hot Spot. They can combine to form the valiant Defensor.

Number 7

INSECTICONS – Series 1
(Shrapnel, Kickback, Bombshell)

Bombshell

Kickback

Shrapnel

Released in 1985

The Insecticons are a trio of Decepticons who transform into insect-like forms, often causing chaos and confusion. The Series One team is comprised of Bombshell, Kickback and Shrapnel. A second series of Insecticons were also released with Barrage, Chop Shop, Ransack and Venom. The coolest thing about these guys is they turn into awesome looking bugs, such as a Grasshopper, Stag Beetle or Rhinoceros Beetle.

Number 6

COMBATICONS
(Onslaught, Brawl, Vortex, Blast Off, Swindle)

Blast Off

Brawl

Vortex

Released in 1986

The Combaticons were a group of Decepticons that transform into various military and fighting vehicles. They are made up of Blast Off, Brawl, Swindle, Vortex and their leader Onslaught. They can combine into the powerful Bruticus, forming a menacing presence on the battlefield.

Number 5

MONSTERBOTS
(Doublecross, Grotusque, Repugnus)

Doublecross

Grotusque

Repugnus

Released in 1987

The Monsterbots were a small group of Autobots that fought for the side of good, but just had that monster kind of look about them. They even had monster sounding names, such as Doublecross, Grotusque and Repugnus.

Number 4

AERIALBOTS
(Silverbolt, Air Raid, Fireflight, Skydive, Slingshot)

Air Raid

Fireflight

Slingshot

Released in 1986

The Aerialbots were another fantastic team released in 1987, made up of Air Raid, Fireflight, Skydive, Slingshot and their leader Silverbolt. They specialized in aerial combat, and could combine to form the mighty Superion.

Number 3

CONSTRUCTICONS
(Scrapper, Hook, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Mixmaster, Scavenger)

Scrapper

Bonecrusher

Scavenger

Released in 1985

What kid doesn’t love Kids construction vehicles, and Hasbro knew that too, so they gave us the Constructicons. The group of Decepticons was made up of: Scrapper, Hook, Long Haul, Bonecrusher, Mixmaster and Scavenger. They were builders and engineers who can combine to form the massive Devastator, a formidable force on the battlefield.

Number 2

PREDACONS
(Razorclaw, Divebomb, Headstrong, Tantrum, Rampage)

Razorclaw

Divebomb

Rampage

Released in 1986

The Predacons were made up of Razorclaw, Divebomb, Headstrong, Tantrum and Rampage. They are a team of Decepticons that transformed into powerful and savage animals, and eventually merge to create the mighty Predaking, the largest of the combined Transformers.

Number 1

DINOBOTS
(Grimlock, Slag, Sludge, Snarl, Swoop)

Grimlock

Snarl

Swoop

Released in 1985

And now for the big NUMBER ONE Team or Group from Hasbro’s G1 Transformers line….THE DINOBOTS!!! Did you really expect anyone else? This team of awesome Autobots transforms into robotic dinosaurs, and that’s just incredibly cool! The team was made up on Snarl, Slag, Sludge, Swoop and of course, their leader, Grimlock. These guys were known for their independent and rebellious nature, and exceled in fighting. The Dinobots were also beautifully designed and fun to play with. When you put all of this together, you get the coolest group of Transformers that Hasbro ever put on store shelves!

HONORABLE MENTION

Here are a few more awesome Groups or Teams that just missed the cut:

Stunticons (Breakdown, Dead End, Drag Strip, Wildrider, Motormaster) – 1986
The Stunticons are a group of five rather rebellious Decepticons that transform into high-speed vehicles with fast sounding names. They merge together to create the mighty Menasor.

Terrorcons (Blot, Cutthroat, Hun-Gurrr, Rippersnapper, Sinnertwin) – 1987
The Terrorcons were a group of Decepticons that transformed into various robotic monsters. They also came together to form the formidable Abdominus, which is just ominous sounding.

Triggerbots/Triggercons (Backstreet, Crankcase, Dogfight, Override, Ruckus, Windsweeper) – 1988 The Triggerbots and Triggercons are a group of Autobots and Decepticons that house concealed heavy duty weapons that can flip out whenever needed.

Triple Changers (Astrotrain, Blitzwing, Broadside, Octane, Sandstorm, Springer) – 1985/1986
These guys don’t necessarily fall into the traditional sense of a themed team, but they still make honorable mention because they were just plain awesome!

We hope you enjoyed this month’s TOP TEN LIST! Be sure to check out our other Top Ten Lists from past months, Thanks.

Star Wars (Vintage) Update

Unlike other vintage toy lines, such as Masters of the Universe and Transformers, the new Star Wars action figure lines do not affect the original released toys in a negative way. In fact, it’s the complete opposite. This is mostly due to Star Wars toys being around for such a long time, and collectors having already been through several different iterations of their favorite characters. For some toy lines, buying the newer “Retro” toys are obviously a much cheaper way to re-live your childhood, so it’s naturally going to have an affect on the values of the original toys, but the Star Wars toys from past generations are still consistently trending in the right direction. The 1978-1985 Kenner line looks as healthy as ever and very much in demand, with many items still remaining very affordable. This bodes well for the future of Star Wars items and collectibles with an absolute rabid fanbase of collectors, who continually seek out items from their favorite galaxy far, far away.

In addition to the value updates, there has also been some additions and enhancements to the Vintage Star Wars pages to expand your viewing experience. We hope you enjoy the newest Star Wars update and as always, keep the feedback coming.

Star Wars through the years:

1978 – 1979

1980 – 1982

1983 – 1984

1985

Wrestling Action Figures have arrived at the Toy Collectors Guide!

“Whatcha gonna do, brother, when Hulkamania runs wild on you?” — Hulk Hogan

The Story of Professional Wrestling action figures is certainly a long one that has traveled through several decades. Unlike some other mainstream franchises, Wrestling action figures and toys were cranked out by a few different toy companies (LJN, Remco, Galoob, Hasbro, Toy Biz and Jakks Pacific) along the way, and they’ve all had their positives and negatives.

Professional Wrestling has been around since the 1800’s in some form or another, but it started becoming a pop culture event during the 60’s and 70’s. This popularity shifted into HIGH gear when Vince McMahon brought the WWF into existence during the early 1980’s. The WWF was stocked full of colorful and fun personalities, which appealed to fans across the globe and was tailor made for action figures based on these larger than life characters. This continued with other wrestling leagues such as the AWA, WCW, ECW and eventually the WWE.

The Professional Wrestling toys that are featured on our Toy Collectors Guide site cover the period between their initial launch by LJN in 1984 through the Jakks Pacific line, which came to an end in 2009. Each individual page covered on our site is separated by the toy brand and year of each. Every page contains a full breakdown of all items released during that particular line, including photos, secondary market values and more. Like the rest of the site, these values are taken from the most current data available from all the major secondary market sites across the internet. This data is based on actual sales of the individual items and not necessarily the listed prices.

I hope you enjoy our new Wrestling Action Figure section and have fun exploring the site.

Click These Links to See The Individual Wrestling Action Figure Pages

WWF LJN
1984-1989

AWA Remco
1985-1986

WCW Galoob
1990-1991

WWF Hasbro
1990-1994

WCW Toy Biz
1999-2001

WWF/WWE Jakks Pacific
1996-2009

Batman’s Wayne Foundation (Mego – 1977)

A Landmark Playset by Mego!

This Toy Spotlight focuses on an iconic playset from Mego, and an item that sat atop the wish list of many kids back in the late 1970’s. Mego’s World’s Greatest Super Heroes line was a MASSIVE hit at the time, to say the least, and enjoyed worldwide success. Mego certainly gave us plenty of figures and accessories for the line, but their playsets were simply amazing! (Star Trek Enterprise, Bat Cave and Planet of the Apes Tree House to name a few). By 1977, Mego was the undisputed king of the toy world, so they could afford to take some risks, and boy did they ever! Mego released the largest item ever produced for the World’s Greatest Super Heroes line…….. and it was a good one. So without further ado, I humbly present Mego’s Wayne Foundation Playset from 1977.

Mego certainly went heavy on the Batman action figures and accessories, and why wouldn’t they! Batman was insanely popular, with reruns of the 1960’s show, a successful animated series and of course, several best selling DC Comics. Batman was also among Mego’s best selling action figures, along with all things Batman selling extremely well. They had already made the Bat Mobile, Bat Copter, Bat Cycle, Mobile Bat Lab, Joker Mobile and Bat Cave, not to mention numerous versions of Batman related action figures. It looked like Mego was starting to run out of ideas for Batman items, so they borrowed an idea from the DC Comic world. Neal Adams’ Batman storyline at the time was trying to separate itself from the 60’s show and take Batman back into the “Dark Knight” detective storylines. Robin was off to college and Batman was running solo. Because of the new storyline, Bruce Wayne took up residence at the Wayne Foundation in Downtown Gotham. Penthouses and offices were on top, with secret labs and Bat rooms below. The guideline for the Wayne Foundation Playset was literally the Barbie Dream House and Neal Adams Studios helped design the playset, as well as the artwork for the décor, wall panels and packaging.

Of all the amazing and well-done playsets released for Mego’s WGSH line, the Wayne Foundation Playset stands alone as not only the biggest accessory made, but also among the most fun. Standing at a whopping 40 Inches tall and nearly Two Feet wide, this thing really had it all. There were four levels of fun, a bunch of accessories and it even came with a working elevator.

The playset was billed as a three story building with a penthouse (but isn’t that actually four stories?), anyway, starting at the top, the “Penthouse” was a secret room with a cardboard backdrop that was kind of science looking room with not much else. It was labeled a the “Bat Lab”. The next floor was the Hangar or Garage. This cardboard backdrop featured the Bat Plane, Bat Boat and Bat Cycle. There was also various repair tools and accessories painted onto the backdrop. Next is the Trophy Room. This is the iconic room that features all of Batman’s souvenirs and war spoils. On the cardboard backdrop, you can see the dinosaur and giant penny, along with a Man-Bat Portrait, Two-Face’s Coin, Giant Glass Eye, Cat Woman’s Whip, a Meteorite, Bat Mite Statue, and the Mad Hatter’s Hat Collection. This was always my favorite part of the playset. There were so many little Easter Eggs for fans and the artwork was gorgeous. The bottom floor acted as the Bat Lab or bad guy catching room. Even though the top floor actually says “Bat Lab”, this floor looks more like it. This is where the computer console would sit. The freestanding computer console itself is actually pretty darn cool because it features screen pictures of the Joker, Riddler, Lex Luthor and possibly Brainiac? The main photo on the bottom screen is the same one used for the Comic Action Heroes Superman Fortress of Solitude playset computer console with Superman, Green Arrow and others. Also included in the backdrop were all kinds of machines and gadgets to help Batman solve crimes and catch bad guys. The elevator stopped on all floors and ran on a cord that pulled it up and down. I won’t lie, the elevator instructions kind of read like an IKEA instruction manual, so I just winged it and it seemed to work fine.

In total, the Wayne Foundation Playset included a Computer Console, Conference Table with Screen, Four Chairs, Trophy Case, Bat Elevator and of course…the Secret Bookcase. The bookcase had a sliding door that you could move to hide various parts of the playset, depending on where you wanted it on that particular day. The artwork on the box was beautifully done by Neal Adams, with a lot of nods to Batman history and lore. This really was the Barbie Town House for boys! Alas, the Wayne Foundation Playset marked the last of the great playsets for the 8″ figures, but at least Mego went all out on it.

The Wayne Foundation Playset was a bit of a gamble by Mego back in 1977, but is highly coveted by collectors nowadays. At an average price tag of around $17 – $20 (depending on where you bought your toys back then), and the large amount of space it took up on shelves, retailers weren’t exactly crazy about ordering bunches of these for their stores. As a result, there weren’t a ton of them sold back in the day, which obviously affects its value now. Obviously, this playset remains extremely poplar on the secondary market, and boxed Versions of the Wayne Foundation can be tough to find. Even loose sets can be hard to track down, mostly due to all the individual pieces. Finding one at a reasonable price will likely prove a tough task and could require some patience. Loose versions range in value from $400 – $600, depending on condition and whether they are complete. Boxed versions can fetch up to $1,500 or more, again depending on the box’s condition and whether it’s complete. Obviously, graded or sealed versions will sell for higher prices. This really is a centerpiece item for just about any Mego collection. Despite its large size, it worked really well, and provided hours of entertainment for children of that era. The Wayne Foundation was big, colorful, awesome looking, full of Easter Eggs, great details and just plain fun. Big Kudos to Mego for giving us a fantastic toy that entertained us and captured our imaginations.

We hope you enjoyed this TOY SPOTLIGHT! Be sure to check out our other Toy Spotlight articles from past months, Thanks.

Toy Spotlight – TMNT TECHNODROME by Playmates
Toy Spotlight – Transformers FORTRESS MAXIMUS by Hasbro
Toy Spotlight – Star Trek USS ENTERPRISE PLAYSET by Mego
Toy Spotlight – GI Joe USS FLAGG by Hasbro
Toy Spotlight – Six Million Dollar Man Action Figure by Kenner
Toy Spotlight – Star Wars EARLY BIRD CERTIFICATE by Kenner

Top Ten – Ghost/Monster Figures From Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters Line

TOP TEN GHOST/MONSTER FIGURES FROM KENNER’S REAL GHOSTBUSTERS LINE

The Toy Collectors Guide continues our new monthly feature that highlights various toy lines with a emphasis on a top ten, because honestly, who doesn’t love a good top ten list!

This month, we put the spotlight on the Real Ghostbusters line with the TOP TEN GHOST/MONSTER FIGURES FROM KENNER’S REAL GHOSTBUSTERS LINE. Kenner created some pretty memorable and iconic characters for their Real Ghostbusters action figure line, but they also created some equally memorable GHOSTS to to get busted by our heroes. This list puts the spotlight on those fun ghosts and monsters that gave our Ghostbusters action figures someone to battle.

Top Ten – Ghost/Monster Figures From Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters Line

Number 10

Stay Puft Marshmallow Man

Released in 1986

As iconic as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man is, I hated that his figure was essentially the same size of the other figures in the line (7″ actually). Seriously Kenner? That being said, what would a Ghost top ten list be without him! A slightly taller Marshmallow Man would’ve been awesome, but this was still a great figure for the line………but again, shame on you Kenner!

Number 9

Tombstone Tackle Ghost

Released in 1988

Tombstone Tackle Ghost is part of the Haunted Humans line. Watch as a plain old simple Football player changes into Tombstone Tackle. With his vicious looking jaw, pigskin tongue motion and rotating eyes, the Tombstone Tackle Ghost was ready put anyone out of the game!

Number 8

Gobblin’ Goblins

Released in 1990

The Trio of Gobblin’ Goblins included Nasty Neck, Terrible Teeth and Terror Tongue (love those names). Each had a fun action feature that allowed it to make life difficult for our favorite ghost busting heroes, such as pushing on Terrible Teeth’s tail allows his mouth to open and gobble up nearby Ghostbusters.

Number 7

Frankenstein Monster

Released in 1989

Frankenstein is one of the Monster series figures. When you squeeze his knees together, his arms raise up and his mouth opens wide. The reason he makes my list is because of his awesome look. I know Kenner was trying to make the monsters cartoony looking, but Frankenstein still looks creepy when his mouth is open and arms outright in front of him.

Number 6

Proton Pack Green Ghost (Slimer)

Released in 1989

This new version of the Green Ghost, AKA Slimer, now came with a fright feature action that allowed Slimer to look scared in a cartoony kind of way. His eyes bugged out and jaw dropped when activated. Also, this version of Slimer now comes with his own Proton Pack and Ghost Zapper!

Number 5

X-Cop Ghost

Released in 1988

X-Cop Ghost is part of the Haunted Humans line from 1988. Watch as a simple friendly motorcycle cop changes into X-Cop, with a fully exposed skeleton. This was actually a pretty cool effect and worked really well when in ghost mode.

Number 4

Bug Eye

Released in 1987

The Bug-Eye Ghost was another action ghost released in 1987. His action feature was that his cyclops eye would shoot out of the socket when you squeeze him. This thing actually had pretty nice distance and made for a SUPER fun effect by shooting an eye ball at your friends and family!

Number 3

Fearsome Flush

Released in 1989

For all the kids who really wanted a toilet action figure……..Finally!! The Fearsome Flush was one of the action feature ghosts released in 1989. His action feature was that his lid would raise up and down when pushed along the floor, revealing the fearsome ghost inside. When you looked at this thing from above, it’s actually kind of gross, in that gas station bathroom sort of way.

Number 2

Gooper Ghosts (3)

Released in 1987

The Banshee Bomber, Sludge Bucket and Squisher made up the three Gooper Ghosts. They each came with a jar of slime that would be poured into the provided bucket, that would ultimately be used to slime our favorite ghost busing heroes. Anything thing that involves slime is automatically elevated on my list!

Number 1

Green Ghost (Slimer)

Released in 1986

And now for the big NUMBER ONE Ghost or Monster from Kenner’s Real Ghostbusters line….Slimer!!! Come on, did you really expect anyone else? Aside from the Ghostbusters themselves, Slimer is among the most iconic characters from the Ghostbusters movie or animated series. Slimer was actually called by his proper name, Green Ghost. Of course, once the animated series popularized the Slimer name, it just stuck. Slimer comes with cool food props to re-create his famous sliming scenes. I know I already had another Slimer on this list, but he’s so cool that it just warranted two spots.

HONORABLE MENTION

Here are a few more super fun Ghosts and Monsters that just missed the cut:

Bad To The Bone (1987): The Bad to the Bone Ghost was one of the action ghosts released in 1987. His ribs opened & closed, along with bugged-out eyes and a dropping jaw when activated.
Granny Gross Ghost (1988): Granny Gross Ghost is part of the Haunted Humans line. Watch as sweet little granny changes into Granny Gross with her jaw & tongue action and googling third eye.
Wolfman Monster (1989): The Wolfman was another Monster series figure. When you squeezed his knees together, his head rears back, his jaw closes and his arms spread open. Great action features!
Green Ghost (Gooper Ghost) (1988): The Green Ghost (AKA Slimer) was another Gooper Ghost that could slime other figures, with a jar of slime that was poured into the character’s bucket.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s TOP TEN LIST! Be sure to check out our other Top Ten Lists from past months, Thanks.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – Technodrome (Playmates – 1990)

A look back at a Turtles Legend!

This Toy Spotlight focuses on a true icon in the world of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and an item that sat atop many kids wish lists from back in the day. Playmate’s TMNT line was a MASSIVE hit at the time, to say the least, and enjoyed worldwide success. Playmates gave us plenty of vehicles and accessories for the line, but early on, only one large scale playset had been produced with the Sewer Playset in 1989. So in the following year, Playmates released the biggest Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle toy of the action figure line, which is now considered a true toy classic. So without further ado, I humbly present Playmate’s Technodrome from 1990.

Shredder and his band of misfits acted as the main antagonists for the animated series and comics, and there were bunches of figures, vehicles and accessories created for the bad guys, but they didn’t have a base or headquarters until Playmates gave us the incredible Technodrome in 1990. The Technodrome made its debut in the first season of the TMNT animated series in 1987, and was featured in multiple episodes thereafter. It was originally designed by Krang, and built to be the ultimate war machine, although it did spend a lot of time not working correctly. With its foot thick titanium armor plating, trans-dimension portal, massive armory of weapons, unique structure and impressive size, the Technodrome was truly a nightmare for our favorite pizza chomping heroes, ready to dish out some serious turtle smackdown!

The toy itself was impressive looking , but not quite as big as you would’ve imagined it would be (972 rooms for the real deal). At just 15″ from top to bottom, Playmates packed a lot of stuff into that space. Besides, if they were to make this to actual scale of the action figures, the Technodrome would have been around 72 feet tall……which would be freakin’ awesome, but a tad difficult to fit in the house. Still, it was bigger than every other TMNT item produced by Playmates at the time, including the Sewer Playset. The Technodrome was billed as “The bulbous, burrowing battle base” and “the ultimate foot fortress”, and I would say it certainly checked all those boxes.

The central dome opened up into two halves. The inner playset was big and included two rooms in each dome half. On one side was Shredder’s Master Mutant Command Center w/ View Screen, the Mutation Chamber with Ooze-Dripping Scanner, Mutation Mat, and Retractable Hand Grip Laser Gun. The other half of the dome included the Front and Rear Gunner Stations (Figures wouldn’t fit well without being in awkward poses), Turtle-Trap Trick Door leading into the Mutant Jail Cell, Spring Loaded Brain Scrambler, Dimensions “X” Portal Screen, Krang’s Rotating Life-Support Throne, Krang’s Escape Hatch, and Weapons Storage Room. Between the two dome halves was the Inter-Dome Connection Bridge that connected one side of the playset to the other. Attached to the bridge were Mutant Manacles to suspend the turtles high above the ground. There was also a spiked back portal cover and a secret ooze pit with Shredder’s secret entrance that led into the mutant jail cell. Side Note: The Brain Scrambler fit into the base of the playset and would spin around when wound up.

The exterior of the Technodrome has a number of cool looking Hand Grip Laser Guns for mostly cosmetic purposes and also for figures to cling onto, along with Front and Rear Rock Blasters, which were essentially large guns. On either side were Turrets that point out and pivot on a hinge with a small purple platform. The drome base was large and obviously contained the track/wheels so the Technodrome could roll around on the floor (with that memorable & unique rolling sound). And finally, on the very top of the Technodrome was one of its most recognizable features, the Tricky Turtle Smashing Eye Spy Radar. This was actually my favorite part of the playset because your eye (no puns intended) is automatically drawn to it. Another super cool feature of the Technodrome was the Portal Access for connecting to the Sewer Playset, kind of like a big hamster environment with connecting tunnels.

The Technodrome was a bit of a gamble by Playmates back in 1990, but is highly coveted by collectors nowadays. At a price tag of $49.99 back then and the large amount of space it took up on shelves, retailers weren’t exactly crazy about ordering bunches of these for their stores. As a result, there weren’t a ton of these sold back in the day, which obviously affects its value now. It remains extremely poplar on the secondary market, but this is not necessarily a “difficult” item to find. There are generally several listed at any given time, but finding one at a reasonable price may prove a tougher task. Loose versions range in value from $200 – $400, depending on condition and whether they are complete. Boxed versions can fetch up to $1,000, again depending on the box’s condition and whether it’s complete. Obviously, graded or sealed versions will sell for higher prices. This really is a centerpiece item for just about any collection. Despite its large size, it worked really well, and provided hours of entertainment for children of that era. The Technodrome was big, awesome looking, full of traps, plenty of weapons, great details and just plain fun. Kudos to Playmates for giving us a fantastic toy that entertained and captured our imaginations.

We hope you enjoyed this TOY SPOTLIGHT! Be sure to check out our other Toy Spotlight articles from past months, Thanks.
Toy Spotlight – Transformers FORTRESS MAXIMUS by Hasbro
Toy Spotlight – Star Trek USS ENTERPRISE PLAYSET by Mego
Toy Spotlight – GI Joe USS FLAGG by Hasbro
Toy Spotlight – Six Million Dollar Man Action Figure by Kenner
Toy Spotlight – Star Wars EARLY BIRD CERTIFICATE by Kenner

Top Ten – Masters of the Universe Action Figure Accessories (1982-1988)

TOP TEN MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ACTION FIGURE ACCESSORIES (1982-1988)

The Toy Collectors Guide continues our new monthly feature that highlights various toy lines with a emphasis on a top ten, because honestly, who doesn’t love a good top ten list!

This month, we put the spotlight on the 1980’s Masters of the Universe line with the TOP TEN MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE ACTION FIGURE ACCESSORIES (1982-1988). Mattel created some pretty memorable and iconic characters for their MOTU action figure line, but they also created some equally memorable and just as iconic accessories to go with those action figures. This list puts the spotlight on those amazing vehicles/creatures/playsets that captured our imaginations back in the day.

Top Ten Masters of the Universe Action Figure Accessories (1982-1988)

Number 10

Night Stalker

Released in 1985

Just the name of Night Stalker sounded crazy cool. He was essentially the evil version of the good and pure Stridor. This was a great sculpt as well, with a unique design. The turret for the laser gun actually moves around on his back. There wasn’t a ton of articulation to Night Stalker, but it was definitely a fun addition to the line.

Number 9

Land Shark

Released in 1985

The Land Shark was a nifty looking vehicle with a shark’s mouth at the front and the figure sitting in the back. When you pushed the vehicle around, the jaws of the shark would chomp open and closed. The Land Shark also included twin cannons and an engine cover. There wasn’t a whole lot else to the Land Shark, but man this was awesome looking and a super fun vehicle.

Number 8

Panthor

Released in 1983

Since He-Man had Battle Cat, Skeletor needed a super cool “steed” as well, so Mattel gave us Panthor. This was a great looking large cat with a nice sculpt and bright purple color scheme, but what made it even cooler was the imitation flocked hair it was covered with. This gave Panthor a unique feature that Battle Cat didn’t have. Also included was a saddle for figures to sit in. The one down side to Panthor is that he had no moveable parts, but that could certainly be forgiven.

Number 7

Snake Mountain

Released in 1984

Skeletor and his crew finally get a place to hang-out with the introduction of Snake Mountain. This playset had a unique looking demon face on the side of a large purple mountain. It’s actually much cooler that it sounds. My favorite thing about Snake Mountain was the snake head microphone, which allowed your voice to be disguised as “frightening and evil” when you talked into it. This was a worthy bad guy playset to the good guy’s Castle Grayskull.

Number 6

Roton

Released in 1984

Roton was a pretty interesting looking vehicle, especially with its two big red eyes on the front of it. It was the first vehicle made for Skeletor’s Evil Warriors, and it was about time! The Roton vehicle had a red saw blade all around it, which spins when the vehicle is pushed forward or backwards. I just love the insane design on this thing and the sinister looking color scheme.

Number 5

Fright Fighter

Released in 1986

The Fright Fighter was a compact vehicle that fit one figure inside. A trigger would activate the flapping wings, and the front pinchers could grab other figures. It also included a radar scanner and laser guns for battle. This was a very cool looking vehicle with a unique dragonfly-like concept, and who doesn’t love watching dragonfly’s!

Number 4

Spydor

Released in 1985

Spydor was exactly what it sounded like, a giant scary looking mechanical spider that shot laser cannons at you. When you turned it on, Spydor would actually walk around the floor with a figure sitting atop of it. This thing moved pretty well and was just menacing looking, and how about that box art!!!

Number 3

Slime Pit

Released in 1986

The Slime Pit was essentially a MOTU version of Nickelodeon’s Slime Time. The premise was fairly simple. A character gets trapped in the pit by a large dragon/dino claw and green slime was poured onto them from the dragon/dino head above. The slime would allow the character to be mind controlled to do Hordak’s evil bidding. This was a lot of fun back in the day and worked really well. Sure, it was pretty rough on the figures, but that’s what they were for, right!

Number 2

Battle Cat

Released in 1982

Prince Adam’s cowardly tiger, Cringer, could change into the mighty Battle Cat whenever trouble was looming. Battle Cat was He-Man’s trusted ally and friend against Eternia’s evil forces. This was a nicely sculpted figure and remains incredibly popular with collectors. This was a must have accessory back in the day to have a proper MOTU adventure.

Number 1

Castle Grayskull

Released in 1982

And now for the big NUMBER ONE Masters of the Universe Accessory from their 1982-1988 run….Castle Grayskull!!! Did you expect anything else? Aside from He-Man and Skeletor themselves, Castle Grayskull is arguably the most iconic item to come out of the Masters of the Universe line. The image of the legendary castle can be instantly recognized by anyone who grew up in that era and if action figure playsets had a Mount Rushmore, Castle Grayskull would certainly be on it. With its trap door, opening & closing drawbridge, throne, laser cannon and weapons armory, there was a lot to do in this playset, not to mention a most impressive front exterior shot of the skull with fangs. This was just freakin cool!!!!

HONORABLE MENTION

Eternia (1986): I know what you’re thinking…..how could this playset not make my top ten list!!! The reason is this was a late release for the MOTU line and wasn’t widely distributed at the time, so not many kids actually had it back in the day. Also, due to its high price and size, it was a tough sell back in 1986. Yes, I know it’s super cool. Yes, I know it’s freaking huge. Yes, I would do a lot of evil stuff to have one, but the fact is……I never knew anyone who actually owned one of these until later in life, so it doesn’t make my Top Ten list. That being said, I love the Eternia Playset and it remains on my ” Holy Grail” list!! This thing was big and was the largest and most expensive MOTU playset ever created. If you are lucky enough to own one of these, you have truly done something right in your life.

Here are a few more super fun MOTU accessories that just missed the cut:

Wind Raider (1982): Among the first wave of vehicles released in the MOTU line, the Wind Raider, had a working grappling hook and winch. This was a great design and lots of fun to play with as a kid!
Zoar: Fighting Falcon (1983): Zoar was one of He-Man’s allies that would assist him in battle. Zoar came with a red bomb pack, perch, a colorful paint scheme and wings that could flap up and down.
Point Dread and Talon Fighter (1983): The Point Dread and Talon Fighter was a bit of a vehicle and playset combo, but what makes it so cool was the actual Talon Fighter. It had a unique design and looked awesome perched atop the Castle Grayskull playset.
Road Ripper (1984): The Road Ripper was a self-propelled vehicle that took off when you pulled the ripcord through it. One thing that I discovered as a kid is the Road Ripper doesn’t work so well on carpet…..Just saying.

Top Ten – Worst GI Joe Codenames (1982-1994)

TOP TEN WORST GI JOE CODENAMES (1982-1994)

The Toy Collectors Guide continues our new monthly feature that highlights various toy lines with a emphasis on a top ten, because honestly, who doesn’t love a good top ten list!

This month, we put the spotlight on the 1980’s GI Joe line with the TOP TEN WORST GI JOE CODENAMES (1982-1994). Hasbro created some pretty memorable and iconic codenames for their rebooted Joe’s (Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Duke, Scarlett, Roadblock), but they also created some……not so awesome codenames. This list puts the spotlight on those less than specular names that left fans and collectors kind of scratching their heads. It’s worth noting that part of the GI Joe charm was their diverse and quirky code names, but these guys are just unforgivable.

Top Ten lists are usually subjective by the author, and that is absolutely the case here as well. These lists are meant to inspire conversation and debate, so please feel free to leave a comment with who would make your list. Without further ado, here is October’s Top Ten list. We hope you enjoy and have some fun with it.

Top Ten Worst GI Joe Codenames (1982-1994)

Number 10

Skidmark

Skidmark
Released in 1988 exclusively with the Desert Fox Jeep

This poor guy was named after underwear stains and there’s just no coming back from that. I know that “Skidmark” may initially sound like a cool name for a Jeep driver, but I just wonder if the Hasbro creative team even thought about the ramifications of a Joe named Skidmark.

Number 9

Dee-Jay

Dee-Jay
Released in 1989 as part of the “Battle Force 2000” line

Dee-Jay debuted in 1989 as part of the “Battle Force 2000” line. At first glance, the word that comes to mind is……What? His outfit was a complete mess of different colors with no real theme. He’s a radio/telephone operator from Rhode Island, who was the “hottest DJ in Boston” before enlisting with the Joe’s. If that doesn’t get you excited for this guy, I don’t know what will.

Number 8

Effects

Effects
Released in 1994 as part of the Star Brigade Sub-Set

This was just pure laziness on the part of Hasbro. I mean, they named this guy “Effects”. I get that he specializes in ordinance with a talent for using “masterful special effects” to confuse the enemy (I’m sure that isn’t even that hard with Cobra), but how about just FX? Or Holo Blitz? Effects just sounds lazy, not to mention lame.

Number 7

Sea Slug

Sea Slug
Released in 1987 exclusively with the Cobra Sea Ray

Ok, so follow me here…..Cobra EEL’s or Frogmen are the elite Navy fighters for Cobra, kind of like our Navy Seal Teams. The best of these guys are selected to go on to an elite submersible unit that includes piloting the super cool looking Cobra Sea Ray. The name of this elite Cobra fighting team consisting of the best the Cobra Navy has to offer is……. SEA SLUG……… Nuff’ Said.

Number 6

Crystal Ball

Crystal Ball
Released in 1987

Crystal Ball hit the store shelves in 1987 and I distinctly remember still seeing this guy still in stores in the early 90’s. He was a Cobra Hypnotist with a Romanian father and American mother from Maine. Why Maine you ask? Because he was actually created by Stephen King, who apparently was a big GI Joe fan back in the day. This guy just looks ridiculous.

Number 5

Robo-JOE

Robo-JOE
Released in 1993 as part of the Star Brigade Sub-Set

Robo-J.O.E. was released in 1993 with the Star Brigade series. According to his file card, his personal quote is “I am stronger. I am faster. I am Robo-J.O.E.”…..Chills, right? The Joe team went all six Million Dollar Man on this guy when he was killed by Destro in his secret space lab. I understand what Hasbro was doing here, but the name is awful. I could think of a dozen better Cyborg names than Robo-JOE.

Number 4

Snow Job

Snow Job
Released in 1983

Snow Job was released in 1983, when the codenames were still pretty cool sounding, so I just don’t really know what happened with this guy. I can completely imagine a bunch of Hasbro creative team guys sitting at a table just snickering about this one. I mean, come on Hasbro…..Seriously. This is way too close to the popular and widely used nickname of a certain sexual act. Whenever I see snow Job, I always think back to that Robot Chicken skit with Fumbles the Joe sniper.

Number 3

Scoop

Scoop
Released in 1989

Scoop…..this guy is named Scoop. Do you want to know what he does for the Joe team? He’s a Journalist who comes with a microphone, satellite relay station backpack, and a hi-tech camera. It’s common knowledge that none of those things I listed above make for good weapons on a battlefield. Again, I get what Hasbro was doing here, but Scoop?

Number 2

Capt. Grid-Iron

Capt. Grid-Iron
Released in 1990

This one kind of hurts me, because I’m a huge Football fan, but if you’re going to to make a Football themed GI Joe character, does his name have to be Captain Grid-Iron? I mean, we already had the Fridge action figure, so why another one? Besides, this guy is mentally damaged if he’s still holding on to his glory years as quarterback of the West Point football team. Now he tosses football grenades, but what does he do when he runs out of them? It just doesn’t sound very practical.

Number 1

Ice Cream Soldier

Ice Cream Soldier
Released in 1994

And now for the big NUMBER ONE worst GI Joe Codename from their 1982-1994 run….ICE CREAM SOLDIER!!! It’s very appropriate this figure was released during the final wave of GI Joe figures from this era, because it definitely signaled the end of the line. I mean, come on…Ice Cream Soldier! How ridiculous! He’s wearing bright ketchup and mustard colors, and he’s named Ice Cream Soldier. It just doesn’t make any sense. His file card quote is “Eating ice cream without hot fudge is like fighting without ammunition!”. Wow……just wow!

HONORABLE MENTION

There are literally dozens more I could have put on this list, here are a few that just missed the cut:

Ferret (1988): Packaged with the Iron Grenadiers DEMON. I don’t know about you guys, but a Ferret just doesn’t scare me. In fact, Ferret’s are nice cuddlers, so this guy would be popular on cold nights.
Mercer (1987): Released with Sgt. Slaughter’s Renegades three-pack with Red Dog & Taurus. He’s a Mercenary……and his name is Mercer. I don’t even think Hasbro was trying the day this guy was named.
Night Creeper (1990): Initially released in 1990. He just sounds……..creepy, not to mention very illegal. I can just picture this guy hovering around windows at night, just trying to get a quick peek.
Bazooka (1985): Initially released in 1985. It’s a bit on the nose for a character that uses a Bazooka to actually be called….Bazooka. I’m just saying.
Headman: Drug Kingpin (1992): He was leader of the Headhunters in the DEF series. if you don’t remember the DEF series, don’t worry, nobody does. Who doesn’t want a drug lord action figure!