My VINTAGE Action Figure Collection: JRNY to K-Mart Plaza!!!

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here we go with My next special showcase. I simply call these guys Karate Figures. My Grandma MiMi got Me all of these from a bubble capsule vending machine way back in the 80s. I believe she got'em at National which I have just recently & greatly showcased only a few short days ago along with My National Cowboys & Native American Indians collection. If you haven't seen it then its a must as I go down memory lane huge time with some great content that has been forgotten by most, just go back as it was the previous presentation that I made It is possible that I got these guys from Tru-Buy which sometimes I lean toward that direction further which I may showcase about them briefly at a later time. I have no clue who made them. The 80s had so many great things, even the little vending machines had top quality toys

I was huge on Karate & Kung-Fu stuff in the 80s. Bruce Lee was such an inspiration for Me back then when I was a youngster so like wrestling, I was interested anything that had to do with fighting, I even took Karate classes and became a dominant force which is a whole another story I may talk about later on down the road in a possible showcase

So she always got Me stuff out of the the cool bubble capsule vending machines when they only cost a quarter or 25 cents. Remember them cool Kaiju Gabara Hand Stamps I showcased earlier on Well I do know for a fact she got Me them and many others at Tru-Buy

So whether these guys came from National or Tru-Buy, these guys are fun and dandy and took Me a bit to find'em all in storage. Their all still is nice condition too and here they are

Karate Figures Super Group: So we have many of them, all with sculpted weapons. A couple different bald European mongrels, some Middle-Eastern fighters and we also have several Ninjas warriors. Three of them are in black & white Gis and we also have different ones in all white and plus a special bonus one that is all in black that SERIOUSLY looks like & predates Mortal Kombat's NOOB SAIBOT by many years




They turn at the waist & disassemble there for movement and kitbashing which I'll get to in a bit



Ninjas: Now these guys are way different. They have no paint nor articulation but their really nice in quite authentic Ninjutsu poses with weapons! There is a couple different kinds here however, the other kind is very rubbery and somewhat painted.





Karate & Ninja Figures Ultra Group: Here they are all together. They look rather sweet if I do say so Myself



Assembly: Here is how you can take them apart with many different color kitbashing creations



Size Comparison: Here they are compared to My previously seen Micro G.I. Joe Sgt Slaughter and one of My just very recently seen National Native American Indians



Karate Kombatants & Ninjas vs. G.I. Joe's Sgt Slaughter



So that later time I spoke about is NOW Here is where Tru-Buy once was. It was a great little local grocery store that was quite fun to go to. My Grandma MiMi knew most of the employees including the owner Joe (she knew so many people back in the day, her tribute that I made for her about all the people she knew was just a sample, She knew Annie Burke & her Daughter's Movie Mogul, Verna from Mr. T's Video, many people at National & Schnucks & Star, Blockbuster & Hollywood Video, I mean you wouldn't believe how many people she knew, I miss them days when most of everybody was nice and cared for each other unlike this rotten time we are in now) and they all appreciated her. Like National they were great around Halloween time as they would have a great selection of decorations to choose from. I loved their logo and own brand of soda & can goods which had really cool logos. They also had the aforementioned Kas reg & BBQ Potatoes Chips that We just craved that I spoke about in My superb National showcase. I have had many fond memories of Tru-Buy and there is not one, NOT A SINGLE MENTION of this great store ANYWHERE on the net that I can find...it makes Me SICK of how limbolic, oblivious and pathetic this situation has become The generation that's in that area has absolutely no clue how great it was. We only lived a couple blocks away from it, We could just walk there Our region we used to live at was so good, I miss it everyday. The building that is across the street from Tru-Buy was also fantastic because I had many great childhood memories there because it was Rainbow Video that later became The Ringmaster which I have such incredible stories to tell about them I gotta do a special showcase about them soon in My fantastic Odds & Ends topic So all of these great places are gone for decades now. Seemed like after we moved in 1990 everybody went out of business and everything changed, I think of this quite often. A Family Dollar moved in where Tru-Buy once was and and soon went under due to the neighborhood's unfortunate bad habits Something else moved there later as well that I'm not sure of what it was. As of this moment as I speak now I have no clue what's there currently. There's people there but never any signs, lights or emblems or anything to indicate what kind of business it is Here is the complex that was Tru-Buy way back in the 80s!



Here is the Kaiju Gabara Hand Stamps that I previously showcased that My Grandma MiMi got Me out of their really cool bubble capsule vending machines




So that will conclude this special Karate & Ninja Figures presentation with a special bonus Tru-Buy showcase and I hope you liked it If you haven't seen My recent National Cowboys & Native American Indians showcase then you gotta see that one, just go back to the previous page as I just posted a few short days ago Next showcase will a great one also, until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

I meant to comment on your cowboys and indians and it just slipped my mind. Those are pretty neat. I wonder if they can even sell them anymore. I mean, you can't even keep a sports team name anymore if it's to do with that. Those single color ninjas remind me of the old army men. I used to love those things. I remember having a US, British, German, and Japanese set of them at some point.

Now, your karate guys, Those look so familiar to me, especially the guys in the orange pants. I'm sure I must've had them at some point back in the day.

It's kind of sad about old stores. Everyone had their own stores in their region. Now it's just Walmart, Target, and some more regional grocery stores. I never even saw a Walmart until the late 90s. I miss places like K-Mart, Hills, Ames, Child World. It's not the same anymore and that's a shame, so I enjoy seeing your writeups on local chains. We had grocers like Super Duper and Bells around here that I remember. And I've mentioned stores like Gold Circle and Two Guys before. Stores had such unique names.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Thanks a lot PB I know, everything is racists now, they just keep adding on to the list and I'm sick of that crap Oh yes, I have some of the German & American ones but really don't know where the collection of them are I might throw in a few of'em as bonuses later on down the road in various showcases. Maybe you did If you did then you probably got'em out at a bubble capsule vending machine like I did

Indeed Actually I first went to My first Walmart way back in 92...holy moly, that just triggered a memory there It was 30 years ago this year It wasn't a joyous trip however. My Grandpa PoPo had to go to a meeting of some kind which I still really don't know what it was for. It was really far out in Missouri, I mean a few hours a way My Grandma MiMi went with us too. Even though the trip for him was really for nothing because they turned him down or some crap like that after all of that time, like I said, I still don't know. I saw a Walmart there and I wanted to see it cause I had only seen'em on TV & movies. They got Me some Joes, one I remember was Barricade, the 91 & 92 series' ruled IMO. We ate a McDonalds too, I remember getting them Michael Jordan Mini Frisbees...gosh I hadn't thought of this is a long while At least it wasn't a total wasted trip. It actually became a good memory for Me, I then wouldn't go to a Walmart till 96 in South County which is way closer to the house, only about 15 minutes or so and from then on it would be often. Like I said in My Famous-Barr showcase, people wanted them in that plaza but no, they didn't want to be there

Oh yes, I miss K-Mart too, very much They were arguably My favorites. Yes, it is all a very big shame to say the least. The only other store I know that you said about was The Hills because of the cool commercials you posted before. They looked to be as good as GrandPa Pidgeons and if I had the chance to go there I'm sure I would have had as much fun too because I had tons of good times over at GrandPa Pidgeons

Well thanks. I'm glad you do PB They are quite crucial to Me and every chance I get I'm gonna post'em, I work hard at doing it. I especially will have some special ones in My Odds & Ends soon because they won't necessarily fit here so keep checking there as well as within My Vintage topic as well. I appreciate your reply very much PB

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here we go with a different one that I originally intended to be in the beginning of the topic but I changed things around quite a bit. This is going to be a mixture of figures from classic animated cartoon characters from the classic times including 80s that is some of My favorites. Most of these I got with My Grandparents. Ready Here we go



Bugs Bunny & Wile E. Coyote: I love these figures. They are made by Lucky Bell. I got these at My local K-Mart back in 89 that i always talk about. I remember it like it was yesterday going with My Grandma MiMi there. I had others in the series but I can only locate these two but they are great. I always thought that Bugs & Wile E. looked very similar in ways. They are fuzzy, has five POA at the head, shoulders & hips and are about 5" or so in height. They are very authentic and even to this very day I have always thought that they are truly the ultimate Looney Tunes figures to have because of their ultra realism





So here is another Looney Tunes series but this one is made by ERTL and they are only about an inch or so in height and they are metal figures. I only have Daffy Duck & Bugs Bunny but their your two most popular ones so this has always been alright with Me. They were made in 1989 and it's possible I got them from K-Mart as well. They are painted nicely and look really well.



Here they are compared to Lucky Bell's terrific versions!





So if you stopped by My Odds & Ends topic, you saw I briefly showed My Gumby & Car Keychain! Here is a couple figures of Gumby & Pokey. Say what you will about their show, I really liked it. I loved the ones where he went in outer space onto the moon. I used to have really big & tall bendable ones as well but I didn't take care of them unfortunately These are made by Jesco, the same company whom made My great Pink Panther & Popeye bendables I featured near Halloween last year They look really good and in fact they appear to have just came out of the boob tube and onto the shelf. I was with My Grandparents when I got these guys over at Peaches/Soundwarehouse. They had a ton of stuff, just not Records, Tapes, CDs but you could rent movies and also they had really cool novelty stuff including figures! One day I plan on showcasing them because they were another special store in My childhood and you've never been to a record store till you were there These Gumby & Pokey figures are not bendable but they are like a rubbery plastic and I always loved to handle & feel them often, they just have a very nice feeling to think that is soothing.






So here is Mcdonald's Mickey's Birthdayland cars from 1988 which My Mom got Me these. They are pullback racers and still all look mighty fine and dandy. There is five in total and this is one of My most prized collections despite how I think of Disney now compared to then. It's just not how they took over Star Wars, Alien & Predator and all this other stuff. Its the true intentions of them I recently woke up about with their subliminal messaging & programming, cryptic nasty visuals and their overall nature. If you have kids, do your research about them, Disney is quite deceiving. Ever wonder why you feel uneasy watching a Disney movie and it becomes a tearjerker and so forth Believe Me, the reveals are all over YT and its quite crucial to know these harsh things Just be warned you WILL NOT like it when you find out When I found out the truth I was just crestfallen with so much gloom...I mean I was absolutely appalled Recently there is a lot of truths coming out that you wouldn't believe I hope your already aware. With that being said, I loved them way back when just like the next youngster did at the time. Thank goodness I took care of these guys!

Here is Mickey & Minnie Mouse!



Here is Goofy, Donald Duck & Pluto!



Here is the whole set together!




Copyright!



Here is Mickey's size comparison with Gumby & Bugs!





So I got a couple of Tailspin from McDonalds as well which was in 1989. This was still during a fun time when cartoons was on in the mornings & afternoons and when they were still fun and especially when you were ready to go school they were on and when you came home from school they were on. I was never a big fan of Tailspin however but I loved knowing it and that you could go to McDonalds and get something you saw on TV. I did get a couple of the characters which are Baloo & Molly Cunningham. Their vehicles are very sturdy and metal and overall they look good!



Here is a size comparison with Mickey's Birthdayland!



Here is the Copyright!



So that's all for now outta this special animated cartoon showcase, next up will be another Disney one but its going to be one that is completely unexpected, something I found rather recently, until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Cool, I remember so many cool Happy Meal toys but they're all lost time around here. Such memories though. I've said in the Toon thread many times how I was a big Looney Tunes fan growing up, so those are neat. especially the fuzzy ones trhat make me think of MOTU Mossman, lol. We used to have a WB Store in the mall when I was a teenager and I loved going in that place. They had so many cool art cells and autographed artwork that I wish I was older and had money for some of that stuff back then, but in my teens to early 20s or so it just wasn't feasible to spend hundreds of dollars on artwork. And then the place closed many years ago. The Disney Store lasted a few years more, but even that's gone now. Malls are pretty depressing these days. No book stores, no toy stores besides something like a Gamestop or Spencers. Even the Food Courts are a shadow of what they used to be. They're just another thing lost to time, I guess. I loved the scenes in Stranger Things where they're at the mall because it's cool to see something that represents more of the glory days of malls. Here's a quick vid I found with some of it...

[BrandonDaCollector]

Yes, I know how much you talked about them in your great topic PB Well I'm gad you liked My Looney Tunes. Yes, they are similar like Moss Man. Its possible I had a WB store in one of My local malls but not sure. Oh I know how they were, I have a lot of stories I mean, K-B, K & K, Sears, GNC, book stores...so much. I've been waiting to do a showcase of these stores & times and all thatstuff when the time is right. Oh I know how depressing it. You've heard Me talk about them a lot which was My big plaza mall at Crestwood is completely gone, I mean its nothing but landscape & woods now, everything went out of business and was torn down, that is beyond depressing I went there so many times and did & got a lot there. I saw so many movies at the AMC theater there as well, all was so memorable, one day I may showcase this entire area because it was so awesome to be at I saw all of Stranger Things so far despite I hate Netflix's true nature and I remember that scene. It did malls justice. Shame today's kids can only know about how it was by watching the nostalgia craze stuff like that and not have an actual experience, TPTB is going for mEta over the great times of yesterday Thanks for the reply PB

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here is a very special piece of Mine that I found in My disastrous storage only a few short weeks ago. I had been thinkin' about this for many, many months if not longer and I finally found it and got it out It's My Fisher-Price Walt Disney Movie Viewer My Mom got it for Me when I was very young, possible only 3 or 4 years young I'm not sure where she got it, possibly Venture but due to the Copyright which I'll get to in a sec makes Me question this. Thank goodness I have taken good care of it and its just as fun today as it was yesterday!

So the Coyright says 1973, this was a long, long way before I was even a thought so this marvelous piece is a quite a vintage beauty. This was decades before Mattel would acquire Fisher-Price along with their parent company Tyco in 1993 So the Movie Viewer is like an old school film camera with a small lens and rotating hand lever to maneuver the viewer like an actual camera. It has old fashioned cartridges that you put it similar like an 8-track or the cartridges of computer & video game consoles that would be the standard in the 80s & 90s. Here is a look at it without any cartridges and it's lever.




Now here is the Cartridges that is one of the points and necessary accessories to have with the Movie Viewer because without them the Movie Viewer would be pointless to use. So My Mom got Me four of'em which is Lonesome Ghosts, Good Scouts, Bone Trouble & Three Little Pigs. My fave of the bunch has always been Lonesome Ghosts. Thank goodness everything still works like it did decades ago




Here is the Fisher-Price Disney Movie Viewer with Lonesome Ghosts in it and its ready to view The lever or crank is so cool because the fun thing is you can go forwards & backwards on it and go fast or slow at your own desired speed or even make it seem like an instant replay. It's so thrilling to perform this nice feature Another aspect is that it has a focus knob as well which is very crucial if you want a clear picture



Here is a clip of Lonesome Ghosts, notice the clicking sound, that is the noise that the lever makes when maneuver the Movie Viewer



Here is a Size Comparison of My Fisher-Price Disney Movie Viewer compared to with My very recently seen McDonalds Mickey Birthdayland Minnie and of course I thought it would be very apropos to have My go-to guy MOTU's Prince Adam since his maker would eventually own Fisher-Price



That's all for now, I hope you liked this unexpected journey of a true masterpiece of vintage history! My next showcase will be a superb installment that you ain't gonna to want to miss it. Until then I'll see you around

[packerbacker180]

Neat. My cousin had one of those and seeing these I distinctly remember the Lonesome Ghost.

[BrandonDaCollector]

Well that's cool. Glad they had one and that your familiar with it. Thanks for the reply PB

[BrandonDaCollector]

So here we go with My next vintage showcase which is going to be quite different compared to My previous installments. Here be GREMLINS I loved the first movie when it came out, I was only about 3 or so when it was released. I believe I saw commercials of it then not to longer on VHS and it was just fun. All of these items are from My Mom from this great era except for the special bonus at the climax of this presentation. IMO the 1984 film is just a classic but as I matured I realized that it's kinda cruel in many ways but its still good. The sequel, Gremlins 2: The New Batch in 1990 is great but we'll get to that in a while. So I don't have a lot of Gremlins stuff however I have enough to show that I was a big fan when I was a youngster and without further ado here we go!

Stripe: This candy head was a trending concept of the 80s that I just loved. I thought it was a fine alternative to action figures. They lasted till the very early 90s. These types of novelties were made by Topps. The candy was little tiny, oddly shaped balls similar Nerds but tasted way different. There is very little paint here but the sculpting is really good and you can clearly tell who this guy is you know Gremlins



Topps Info: So as usual, I love Copyrights and company information. Here is a small gander at that!



Size Comparison: Here is Stripe with My previously seen Harry the Bigfoot/Sasquatch from Harry and the Hendersons, Batman & The Joker 89 & Leonardo from TMNT. I think that this is an excellent lineup if I do say so Myself



Gizmo: Ah hah, here is My little pal when I was very young. I slept with him a lot back then as he was just so sweet to grasp. He is made by Hasbro of all companies She got Me him over at Venture because she worked there as a Baker. He squeaks a bit when you shake him. He is very furry and he has a very nice likeness. You can tell he's been through a lot playtime in bed but I assure you I never fed him after Midnight nor ever got him wet



Tag & Copyright: Yep, here it is. Hasbro Softies 1984. I may have roughed My little Mogwai friend up a bit when we were young but surprisingly his tag is nicely intact and you can still the whole print on it



Gizmo & Stripe Size Comparison: Here he is with Topps' Stripe!



And as a bonus here is the size comparison with My go-to guy Mattel's MOTU Prince Adam!