World’s Greatest Toys!

It’s been a while since I posted a new blog in my Poster Fun! Blog series, so it’s probably time for a new one.

I always thought it might look cool to line up all of the book’s character “Splash” pages into one collage. I finally did it, and this is what it looks like:

Kinda cool.

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

Originally a manufacturer of electric trains, Lionel Corporation became a holding company in 1969, specializing in toy stores. By the early 1980s, Lionel operated some 150 stores, under the names Toy City, Lionel Kiddie City, Lionel Playworld, Lionel Toy Warehouse, and Lionel Toy Town.

After multiple Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings, Lionel attempted to merge with bankrupt Child World in 1992, but was unable to secure financing. Lionel stores went out of business in 1993.

In other words, Lionel was a big-time player (reportedly the second largest toy retailer) during Mego’s heyday. They must have been pretty big, as they were one of the few retailers that offered Mego’s Fist-Fighting Power Fist line of action figures, including this Fist-Fighting Joker:

The sticker reads:

• SKU 147439
• LIONEL 097
• $1.91

I have to think if I’d seen one of these in a store in 1975 or 1976 (for $1.91 no less!), I’d have been all over it. I know my mom would have hooked me up for that price.

Sheesh.

I honestly don’t remember ever seeing the Fist-Fighters in any store.

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

Thanks to Mego-head Scott Adams, we have seen some unusual examples of Mego price stickers. Today we offer a gem from Scott Adams’ MIB collection. The very first “Mego Price Stickers” blog, back on April 15th 2007, was a look at price stickers affixed to the original Mego packaging — the “Solid” boxes. We have come full circle.

Given how scarce any “Solid” box is today, it’s really special to locate specimens that retain their original price stickers. We have already been fortunate to show two such stickers.

Today, Scott adds yet another retailer into the fray of early Mego adopters: Roses also purchased Solid Boxed WGSH!

The sticker reads:

• Roses Special
• $1.97

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

Recently, I have focused attention on any retailer that sold Mego WGSH, with little regard to which toys those particular retailers offered. I am especially interested in comparing retailers that sold related Mego toys simultaneously.

We know that Mego offered better pricing for larger orders, so it’s fun to examine differing price-points each retailer required. The printed ’sale price’ is a strong indication of how large a retailer was… in other words, the cheaper the ’sale price,’ the larger that retailer’s purchase order with Mego.

Today, we examine Mego price stickers from two different retailers from the same time period (1976); both stickers are affixed to MIB 4th Wave “Marvel” Super-Heroes. Both Thornbury’s and Toys By Rizzi offered Mego’s final wave of WGSH-branded figures in 1976, at a time most retailers were cooling on Mego products.

First up, Thornbury’s (AKA “The Fun Place”) and this sticker, affixed to a MIB Thor:

The sticker reads:

• The Fun Place
• GJB664b
• THORNBURY’S
• $3.99
• Toys-Bicycles

Next is Toys By Rizzi and this sticker, affixed to a MIB Conan:

The sticker reads:

• TOYS BY
• RIZZI
• 1313
• 256 MGO
• $4.29

It’s interesting that Toys By Rizzi used part of the Mego Item Number (1313) on their sticker, not to mention the fact that Toys By Rizzi’s toy cost $0.30 more than Thornbury’s toy. The price discrepancy reveals the relative scale of each retailer’s buying power. Clearly, Thornbury’s placed a larger Mego order (at least in 1976) than Toys by Rizzi.

Three cheers to both retailers for supporting Mego in the face of diminishing consumer interest and slowing sales. I hope your Mego inventory eventually sold out. Heck, I wish I’d been there to buy them all up!

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

It’s hard to believe it’s been almost a year since I posted the first What in the Mego World? contest. How time flies.

Anyhoo, time for another contest!

Correctly identify each of the following four Mego-related items:

Contest starts at 9am EST today (May 28, 2008). Eligible answers must be posted in the comments section below. I look forward to your answers!

_____

Update: May 28, 2008 6:32pm PST
The contest has officially ended. To recap:

Kolin E. (Wyatterb)

Here we go:

Kolin submitted the following answers at 7:19am:

1. Riddler face
2. Thing Suit
3. Action Jackson jumpsuit with dogtag
4. Batmobile rear sticker

Congratulations to Kolin E. Please Email me your address and I’ll get your prize out to you. Thanks to everyone who played, including Mitch, Derek, Jay, Bryan, Scott, Chris and Thomas!

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

Yesterday, we looked at an early Toys “R” Us price sticker. Today, we look at the more common, later orange price sticker (most commonly associated with Mego “2nd Issue” cards) that Toys “R” Us affixed to Mego toys, such as this “6th Version” (New Logo) Superman box:

What’s cool about this particular sticker is that it demonstrates approximately when Toys “R” Us introduced the orange sticker (i.e. while Mego was producing the final box variation). I always associated the orange Toys “R” Us stickers with the “2nd Issue” cards, which started appearing after 1977, but now we know the retailer actually introduced the new sticker design in 1976.

Cool!

The sticker reads:

• 51300 F
• TOYS R’ US
• 118893 $2.82

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

On this Memorial Day, I wish to acknowledge all of the brave men and women in the Armed Forces, and give thanks and remembrance to those who have given their lives serving their country.

Here’s a nice example of an early Toys “R” Us price sticker, affixed to a 5th Version (5-digit/Old logo) Shazam box:

Many Mego toys (especially the “2nd Issue” card variants) feature the later orange Toys “R” Us sticker, but this sticker pre-dates all of those more common tags.

The sticker reads:

• TOYS R’ US!
• 429791 $2.48

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

I don’t know much about King’s history in the world of retail and/or Mego, but they did sell this 4th Version (4-digit/Old logo) Batman box:

The sticker reads:

• KING’S
• 7 75 19
• 310 M 24
• 861
• $3.27

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

I know very little about Fedco, inc., except to say that they sold Mego WGSH. And that’s enough for me! Here’s a diminutive Fedco sticker, affixed to a 4th Version (4-digit/Old logo) Tarzan box:

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?

Simpsons was a Canadian retailer. After merging with U.S.-based Sears, Simpsons became Simpsons-Sears LTD. In 1978, the retailer was further modified, becoming Sears Canada. Here’s a cool shot of a Simpsons price sticker (from the pre-merger days), affixed to a 3rd Version (4-Panel) Spider-Man box:

The sticker reads:

• SIMPSONS
• 158-6
• A9
• $2.49

Post your comments below. I’d like to hear your thoughts.

Benjamin

Want to learn more about Mego and the World’s Greatest Super-Heroes?
Pick up a copy of Mego 8″ Super-Heroes: World’s Greatest Toys from Amazon.com today! All sales support the author and help finance the blog. How cool is that?!