Vintage Collectibles Thread

[FLOSI]

The turn in the industry during the mid-90s with direct market figures and McFarlane's domination is the end of the vintage era, so TMNT and the end of the GI Joe line should be considered "vintage".

Bronze Age: 1950s-1964, First licensing of characters from media in various forms of dolls and figurines; Marx Toys

Silver Age: 1964-1975, Term action figure coined, GI Joe; Capt. Action; MEGO licensing Marvel, DC, TV figures; James Bond merch; 1st Japanese robots, Shogun Warriors; Oil crisis shrinks figures and...

Golden Age: 1975-1994, In 1975 the Fisher-Price Adv People line is where we first see 3 3/4" with cool vehicles, Star Wars & GI Joe follow suit and become huge. FCC loosens laws of 30 min animated "toy commercials, Masters of the Universe 1st to take advantage and others follow suit, Super Powers/Secret Wars; Japanese import domination with Transformers, Robotech, Voltron, etc. Licenses that will remain in the toy aisles for the rest of our days. License-based Cons begin to pop-up

Industry Age: 1994-2001, Direct market figures to comic shops; Internet & Ebay shopping; figures become "collectable"; McFarlane; Sideshow; Toy Biz; figures carried by video game and entertainment stores; short-packing; multiple versions and repaints (see: your local flea market)

Modern Age: 2001-Now, Small brick/mortars close, Internet marketplace explodes; Marvel Legends; DC Direct; Hot Toys; Medicom; 1/6 figures become new pinnacle of quality and detail; High-quality Anniversary throwbacks (TF, GI Joe, He-Man), re-productions of 12 inch GI Joes, Mego-style figures, Captain Action; 80s licenses dominate still (SW, GI Joe, TF)

Artist Age: Now-?, Customizing from 3 3/4" Joes to Justice League to Marvel Legends to 1/6 scale

Damn, a little action figure history there!

 

[godaiking]

Silver Age: 1964-1975, Term action figure coined, GI Joe; Capt. Action; MEGO licensing Marvel, DC, TV figures; James Bond merch; 1st Japanese robots, Shogun Warriors; Oil crisis shrinks figures and...

Shogun Warriors actually came out in 1977 or 78. Maybe your referring to the Chogokin line issued by Bandai/Popy in 1973? They're the first anime robot toys produced with metal (Translation: Cho: Super Gokin: Metal) Also Chogokin was the material used to create Mazinger Z in the anime (Mazinger Z was the very first Chogokin made in 1973 GA-01).

Sorry, I'm a big Japanese Toy robot nerd...

 

[Darth Waller]

No, just vintage.

The turn in the industry during the mid-90s with direct market figures and McFarlane's domination is the end of the vintage era, so TMNT and the end of the GI Joe line should be considered "vintage".

Well said!

Good post Slade; makes quite a bit of sense

So good you said it twice.

I'm surprised you can still type grandpa. but then I turned 38 last week...

*shakes fist*

 

[Wor-Gar]

The turn in the industry during the mid-90s with direct market figures and McFarlane's domination is the end of the vintage era, so TMNT and the end of the GI Joe line should be considered "vintage".

Bronze Age: 1950s-1964, First licensing of characters from media in various forms of dolls and figurines; Marx Toys

Silver Age: 1964-1975, Term action figure coined, GI Joe; Capt. Action; MEGO licensing Marvel, DC, TV figures; James Bond merch; 1st Japanese robots, Shogun Warriors; Oil crisis shrinks figures and...

Golden Age: 1975-1994, In 1975 the Fisher-Price Adv People line is where we first see 3 3/4" with cool vehicles, Star Wars & GI Joe follow suit and become huge. FCC loosens laws of 30 min animated "toy commercials, Masters of the Universe 1st to take advantage and others follow suit, Super Powers/Secret Wars; Japanese import domination with Transformers, Robotech, Voltron, etc. Licenses that will remain in the toy aisles for the rest of our days. License-based Cons begin to pop-up

Industry Age: 1994-2001, Direct market figures to comic shops; Internet & Ebay shopping; figures become "collectable"; McFarlane; Sideshow; Toy Biz; figures carried by video game and entertainment stores; short-packing; multiple versions and repaints (see: your local flea market)

Modern Age: 2001-Now, Small brick/mortars close, Internet marketplace explodes; Marvel Legends; DC Direct; Hot Toys; Medicom; 1/6 figures become new pinnacle of quality and detail; High-quality Anniversary throwbacks (TF, GI Joe, He-Man), re-productions of 12 inch GI Joes, Mego-style figures, Captain Action; 80s licenses dominate still (SW, GI Joe, TF)

Artist Age: Now-?, Customizing from 3 3/4" Joes to Justice League to Marvel Legends to 1/6 scale

Did you just make that up?

I ask because its fairly impressive. I disagree about the Artist Age though.

And where's the Dark Age? Maybe during the 80's. Golden Age seems a little too long. Wasn't there a difficult period for Toy companies in the late 80's? Didn't Kenner go under Hasbro in that time? Maybe not so "golden" a time for them.

 

[DPrime]

Seems weird to have the bronze and silver ages before the golden age. Guess I'm just used to the comic way of things.

The '75-'95 era should be called the "Cartoon Tie-in Age" or something like that though.

 

[MadCow]

The Toy Show this weekend produced some new vintage goodies! I'll snap some pics tomorrow and post.

 

[Darth Waller]

A bit of advice for you guys. Don't try to bid during the last 20 seconds of an auction or your ____ing iPad might lose Internet connection.

 

[Nintenjoe]

A bit of advice for you guys. Don't try to bid during the last 20 seconds of an auction or your ____ing iPad might lose Internet connection.

That's the only way I bid, but I wait for 10 seconds. What did you miss out on?

 

[Dollmanron]

That's the only way I bid, but I wait for 10 seconds. What did you miss out on?

I go two or three seconds, I don't like getting sniped for .01.

 

[MadCow]

Were you using the eBay site or mobile app? I had a problem with the mobile app the other day where I bid on something for $69, it had me confirm my bid and it immediately went to the "sorry you have been outbid" message and the other buyer won for $67 about a minute later. It didn't make any sense.

 

[Darth Waller]

I was using the eBay app, but I know it was my Internet. Sometimes it seems to just lag for no reason.

I was trying to bid on the Sears Cantina cardboard diorama with pegs. Lost out on getting it for a great price.

 

[MadCow]

I was using the eBay app, but I know it was my Internet. Sometimes it seems to just lag for no reason.

I was trying to bid on the Sears Cantina cardboard diorama with pegs. Lost out on getting it for a great price.

Daaamn! I know how you feel, I've had no luck with eBay at all lately.

 

[MadCow]

The Toy Show this weekend produced some new vintage goodies! I'll snap some pics tomorrow and post.

First up are 2 belated Birthday gifts from a couple of good friends, a Mego Spidey and almost complete G1 Optimus Prime in amazing condition:

Next up are some new additions to the wax pack collection:

This helps complete my run of the Original Trilogy wax packs:

And lastly for the Indy collection, a loose Marion and LJN TOD Indy! Indy is in amazing condition and would probably grade a 90 if I AFA'd it:

 

[Darth Waller]

Nice pick ups!

 

[galactiboy]

A bit of advice for you guys. Don't try to bid during the last 20 seconds of an auction or your ____ing iPad might lose Internet connection.

I started using the justsnipe website awhile back. I have the free version so I get 5 bids per week. I enter the item number, what my high bid will be and it will bid with 8 seconds left

Then set it and forget it. Afterward either there was no bid as my max was lower than the price at the time, I get outbid as someone bid more in less than 7 seconds or I'm the winner.

Either way no having to hover around the computer counting down seconds and/or getting into a last second bidding war

 

[choopie]

Picked these up in San Antonio. Not too vintage, but I'm always looking to add to the Indy collection, and the TMNT piece I had never seen before. Can't find too much info. on it on the web, but it's Donatello and he was always my favorite. I love the artwork on the box and the text is just hilarious: The Mountainous Master of Metamorphosis.

 

[MadCow]

Nice pickups, choopie! That mutating Turtle is awesome.

 

[Khev]

Seems weird to have the bronze and silver ages before the golden age. Guess I'm just used to the comic way of things.

The '75-'95 era should be called the "Cartoon Tie-in Age" or something like that though.

Reagan lifted the ban on cartoons based on toy lines in 1980 or so.

 

[DPrime]

Reagan lifted the ban on cartoons based on toy lines in 1980 or so.

Seems like a good start point for an "era" to me.

 

[MadCow]

I just picked up another mini grail that I've wanted since childhood:

I'm also working on another classic figure/car combo, I should have it soon.