Wheeljack’s Lab – Vintage Toy Blog

Follow this blog for the new, the unusual, the rare and cool Generation 1 G1 Transformers toys. Reviews, news, toy resources, galleries, unboxing, opinions and personal reflections on vintage toys.

Zoids Retrospective

Posted on January 10, 2025January 10, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, comics, manga, model kits, The 1980s, The 1990s, The 2000s, The 2010s, Video Games, Zoids

Jump into the world of Zoids with us in our Retrospective of Zoids. Short for Zoic Androids, these Zoid bio-mechanical creatures began an incredible, widespread franchise. The Zoids franchise began in 1982 when the Japanese company, Tomy (now Takara-Tomy), made multiple series of plastic model kits. These models resemble many different species such as reptiles, […]

LEGO Inflation- Why LEGO is Now Targeting Adults

Posted on January 9, 2025January 9, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1960s Toys, 1970s Toys, 1980s Toys, 1990s Toys, 2000s Toys, Uncategorized, LEGO, minifigures, playsets, toys

The amazing world of LEGO has been around for decades, giving children all over the world the ability to use their imaginations to create anything. LEGO allows kids to put sets together resembling occupations or characters from their favorite movie. They also allow kids to stretch their imaginations and create a vast world of their […]

Zorro Retrospective

Posted on January 7, 2025January 7, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, 2000s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, comic books, Movies, novels, television series, toys, Video Games, Zorro

Join us in a Retrospective of Zorro. The franchise begins in 1919 when Johnston McCulley created this incredible superhero western character. Zorro first appeared in All-Story Weekly in August of 1919. This masked, swordsman vigilante in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California appears in many stories across practically every form of media for […]

V Visitors (V) Retrospective

Posted on January 4, 2025January 4, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, comic books, novels, The 1980s, toys, V, video game, Visitors

Beginning in 1983, a crew of reptilian humanoids began their awesome franchise through four different television series, novels, comic books, a toy, and computer game. Kenneth Johnson, an American writer, producer, and director, first began this loved world of V Visitors. This Sci-Fi world of lizard-like aliens, the Visitors, appear on earth in search of […]

What’s the Difference Between Robo Force Galoob and Ideal?

Posted on January 2, 2025January 2, 2025 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, 1990s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, Ideal, The 1980s, The 1990s, toys

The awesome world of robot and humanoid toys sparked immense popularity from the 1950s to present day. These toys especially showed popularity in the 1980s with many versions of humanoid toys hitting the store shelves. Of these, the Robo Force toy lines, brought humanoid robotic characters to kids all around the world once again. Ideal […]

Sky Commanders Retrospective

Posted on December 23, 2024December 23, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Uncategorized, animated series, Sky Commanders, The 1980s, toys, vehicles

Soar into the world of Sky Commanders with us! Join us in an action-packed Retrospective of Sky Commanders. The franchise begins in 1987 with incredible action figures and vehicles. The toy company, Kenner, released many immensely popular toys through its reign and this one fit right in. Kenner’s Sky Commanders toys gave people in the […]

MAS*H Retrospective

Posted on December 20, 2024December 20, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1960s Toys, 1970s Toys, 1980s Toys, Uncategorized, action ifgures, books, M*A*S*H, MASH, movie, playsets, sitcom, spin-off, television series, The 1960s, The 1970s, The 1980s, toys, video game

The widely loved franchise, M*A*S*H, began in 1968 with Richard Hooker’s (H. Richard Hornberger) book series. The books, inspired by Hornberger’s own experiences as a military surgeon during the Korean War, told of great stories. Hornberger’s books told of inspired stories during his time serving as a captain in the 8055th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital […]

Are My Toys From Garage Sales Worth Anything?

Posted on November 25, 2024November 25, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1960s Toys, 1970s Toys, 1980s Toys, 1990s Toys, 2000s Toys, Uncategorized, action figures, cars, dolls, garage sales, toys, value, vintage toys, worth, yard sales

Do you ever come across old toys at garage sales? Do these toys hold any value? How can you know if the toys you find are worth anything? The simple truth is, many people find extremely valuable toys at garage sales without even knowing it. Moreover, many people also get rid of extremely valuable toys […]

James Bond Retrospective

Posted on November 23, 2024November 23, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1960s Toys, 1980s Toys, Uncategorized, 007, action figures, books, comics, films, James Bond, The 1960s, toys, Video Games

In the year 1953, Ian Fleming created one of the most popular and epic characters ever, James Bond. The British secret agent spy character, typically known as 007, gained popularity through many movies, comics, toys, and more. The James Bond film series sparked the most popularity, with one of the highest-grossing film series of all […]

When Were the Original Speclatron Action Figures Made?

Posted on October 12, 2023September 16, 2024 by Chris Ingledue
1980s Toys, Speclatron

The world of vintage action figures is a treasure trove of hidden gems, each with its own unique history and appeal. Today, we delve into the nostalgic universe of one such gem: the original Speclatron action figures. Born in the exciting, colorful era of the 1980s, Speclatron offered children a world of adventure and fantasy […]