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 | The Story of American Toys: From the Puritans to the Present by Richard O'Brien Format: Hardcover, 252pp. ISBN: 0896599213 Publisher: Abbeville Press, Incorporated Pub. Date: June 1990 From Library Journal This excellent book traces the history of American toys from the 18th century through 1987, emphasizing not only the toys themselves but also the people who invented them, the companies that manufactured them, and the ways in which social, political, and technological changes affected the toy business. The book includes over 300 handsome illustrations, two thirds in color. Its only real weakness lies in its lack of balanced coverage, particularly in the illustrations. Half the photographs are devoted to just three areas: toy road vehicles, airplanes, and military equipment; some other major areas such as construction sets, activity sets, stuffed toys, dolls, and girls' toys of all types are almost ignored. The book should appeal to a wide range of readers, from passionate toy collectors to those who simply enjoy remembering their childhoods.-- Frederick A. Schlipf |
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Star Wars: From Concept to Screen to Collectible by Stephen J. Sansweet, Nion McEvoy (Editor) Steven Essig (Illustrator) Format: Paperback, 132pp. ISBN: 0811800962 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: October 1992 From Amazon.com Nowadays nearly everything linked with the original Star Wars trilogy is valuable, from bottle caps to shoelaces to posters. This beautiful volume, published by Chronicle Books, follows the design and development of these items--and the development of George Lucas from filmmaker into "merchandiser par excellence." Even casual fans will be delighted by dozens of photos of toys they wanted, toys they had, and toys they wish had been made. Models of some of these never-produced toys provide tantalizing glimpses of what might have been, for better or worse. Thankfully Leia wasn't turned into a Barbie clone, but what child wouldn't have loved a Boba Fett's Bounty Set? Many familiar characters and vehicles are accompanied by concept sketches marked by Lucas's rubber stamps, from "O.K." (translation: try again) to "WONDERFUL." The marketing blitz may be off-putting, but it is fascinating to look back over the wide range of licensed products: linens, shoes, watches, and, of course, food. You might remember C-3POs and the ice-cream bars, but did you know that English fans were offered Star Wars Yogurts with flavors such as Luke Skywalker raspberry, Darth Vader black cherry, and tasty Jabba the Hutt peach melba? A photograph of a tiny, vinyl-caped Jawa action figure, now selling for several hundred dollars, reminds us of the true lesson of Star Wars: You should have held on to those toys! --C.B. Delaney |
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Toy Wars: The Epic Struggle between G.I. Joe, Barbie, and the Companies That Make Them by G. Wayne Miller Format: Paperback, 348pp. ISBN: 158062104X Publisher: Adams Media Corporation Pub. Date: January 1999 From Booklist Miller is an award-winning journalist with the Providence Journal-Bulletin. Hasbro, a manufacturer of toys and games, ranging from G.I. Joe to Monopoly, is one of Rhode Island's largest companies, which made it a likely place for Miller to look to satisfy his curiosity about how a mass-produced toy is made. Instead, he stayed on for five years behind the scenes at America's second-largest toy maker to chronicle the drama within the intensely competitive toy industry. In focusing on Hasbro, Miller compassionately tells the story of the Hassenfeld family, who for three generations have run the company. When Stephen, whom Business Week dubbed the company's "guiding genius," died from AIDS, his brother, Alan, was forced into a leadership role and immediately had to thwart a hostile takeover attempt by Mattel. Along the way, he restructured management, negotiated movie spin-off deals and licensing agreements worth millions, and scrapped a $45 million virtual-reality project. -David Rouse |
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GI Joe: The Complete Story of America's Favorite Man of Action by John Michlig; Preface by Don Levine Format: Hardcover, 208pp. ISBN: 0811818225 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: May 1998 From School Library Journal YA-In the mid 1960s, Hasbro launched one of the most successful toys in the history of its company: G.I. Joe. Michlig chronicles it from its meteoric rise to its seemingly overnight fall because of the antiwar sentiment that swept the nation to its eventual evolution into the small action figures that are part of almost every boy's toy chest today. Much of the book is taken up with the initial concept and design and the quest for historical accuracy. The text also covers the marketing of the toy-how the product was initially pitched, how it was made more appealing with tie-ins to comic books and clubs, and how it was advertised and sold internationally. The numerous illustrations will attract casual readers. This book will be a great resource for students doing case studies in marketing or for those researching cultural icons from the 1960s.-Robert Burnham |
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Action Figures of the 1980s by John Marshall Format: Paperback, 160pp. ISBN: 0764304941 Publisher: Schiffer Publishing, Ltd. Pub. Date: May 1998 Publisher's Book Description From G.I. Joe to Star Wars, John Marshall has provided a thorough, informative, and entertaining look at the action figures produced during the 1980s. In over 430 superb color photographs, fans of the pocket-sized G.I. Joes, of movie and TV characters, of fantasy figures, He-Man, the Thunder Cats, super heroes, of those ever-popular quick change artists of the robot world-the Transformers, and even pro-wrestling fanatics will find figures here to warm their souls! Price listings are provided for every figure shown and for every known figure produced within a particular product line. Price ranges are provided both for figures that are mint-in-the-box and for those which, while running loose, have retained all of their accessories and lost none of their finish. |
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The Encyclopedia of Marx Action Figures: A Price and Identification Guide by Tom Heaton Format: Paperback, 192pp. ISBN: 0873416732 Publisher: Krause Publications Pub. Date: January 1999 Although there is still no overall look at Louis Marx's great toy company that reigned over the toy world until the late 1970s, in the meantime Tom Heaton's book is an excellent resource for Marx collectors. It is packed with interesting and informative text, clear and colorful photos, and also doubles as a much-needed price guide. Equally impressive is how thoroughly the author researched each figure. Extensive documentation includes detailed photos of figure, accessory, and packaging variations, as well as intriguing information on rare prototypes. Even better, Heaton includes a list and usually a photo of all the accessories which originally came with each figure--a goldmine of information for collectors trying to complete their toys. |
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Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive Stephen J. Sansweet (Editor) Format: Paperback, 184pp. ISBN: 0811822796 Publisher: Chronicle Books Pub. Date: February 1999 A comprehensive book for the legions who collect miniature figures of Princess Leia, Han Solo, Yoda, and all of the other "Star Wars" figures. 2000+ color photos. If you're looking for a great reference for Kenner/Hasbro's Star Wars lines, from 1977 to 1999, you won't find a better guide than this. |
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Mego Action Figure Toys by Jon Bonavita Format: Paperback ISBN: 0764309935 Publisher: Schiffer Books Pub. Date: February 2000 Publisher's Book Description Toy action figures are highly popular collectibles and Mego is the premier maker. Super Heros from comics, television and movie stories are made with interchangeable clothes, equipment and vehicles, all shown here with their original packaging in over 375 color photos, with catalog pages and current values. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Hulk, and the characters from Star Trek, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Wizard of Oz, Planet of the Apes, The Black Hole, Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and many more are included. Prototypes, never produced figures, and foreign exclusives join the regular production in this fun-filled reference. |
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This is pretty much the granddaddy of slick magazine toy reporting. With large, focused color photos, Tomart's has stayed ahead of the pack in terms of quality views of upcoming toys and retrospective looks at lines gone past. Not to mention level-headed price guides. The depth of their reporting could be a little better, but for most collectors, this is a minor nitpick. |
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If you prefer an irreverent look at toys and toy collecting, then this is the magazine for you. While the news photography isn't always as large as some may like, the articles, gags, and exclusives help put this at the top of the Wizard family of magazines.
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Simply put, this trade magazine for collectors has been around for ages, and before eBay was about the only place to find the true market value of current toys, not to mention about the only place to find rare ones. Still the best resource for networking with the true insiders of the trade. |
