Toei brought forth a team of five super-powered heroes, the Super Sentai, in 1975, aiming to entertain the nation’s youth. The series’ blend of martial arts action, explosions, and giant robot fights made it an immense success. As it led to a franchise in addition to a new genre in Japan, it would take over […]
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.
Ten Most Expensive Remco Toys and Other Collectibles
Multiple toy companies created beloved toy lines that remained beloved by collectors for decades. One of these companies was Remco Industries, Inc., which was founded in 1949. While the company never stood at the peak of the toy industry, it produced dozens of toy lines that implemented the advancing technology of the time. This love […]
The Ten Most Expensive He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Collectibles
Mattel exited the 1970s defeated, having been blindsided by Kenner’s successful toy line. So, they became determined to create a mega-hit that would place them back at the top. Rather than dealing with a licensed product, Mattel opted to create an original brand that they could fully profit from. Taking advantage of their marketing department, […]
The Ten Most Expensive Takara Microman Toys
After years of producing 12” action figures, Takara decided to revolutionize the Japanese toy industry by introducing a micro-sized hero: Microman. The legacy of this toy line began years ago when Takara licensed G.I. Joe from the American manufacturer, Hasbro. These licensed toys became a perfect foundation for Takara to experiment with. Responding to the […]
The Ten Most Expensive LEGO Toys and Collectibles
For over 90 years, LEGO has manufactured quality toys that entertain both children and adults. While they initially crafted typical wooden toys, their business exploded after they introduced the LEGO building brick. The company designed these plastic bricks to link together so that they could build nearly everything securely. The ambitions of the builds expanded […]
10 Unfortunate Vintage Toys that Were Pulled from Store Shelves
In the last century, the toy aisle exploded to become one of the most profitable industries. While not every toy or company successfully becomes a long-lasting success, there are millions of toys produced each year. Most of these toys are played for hours on end with no negative effects. However, there have been multiple times […]
The Ten Most Expensive Gundam Collectibles
Throughout the 1970s, Japan produced multiple anime series featuring giant mechs. Some of the earliest examples were Mazinger Z. They gained fans across the nation, helping to launch popular toy brands like Chogokin. However, none of these early entries experienced the acclaim and success of Gundam. In 1979, Sunrise Entertainment took a chance with Yoshiyuki […]
The Ten Most Expensive Indiana Jones Collectibles
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg joined forces to modernize the adventure and magic of serial films. Even though the world was no longer as mysterious and unexplored as it felt in the early 1900s, Lucas felt the fanciful tales of discovery. In addition to recapturing the intrigue of early archeological discoveries, the pair interweaved magic […]
The Ten Most Expensive Jurassic Park Collectibles
Steven Spielberg and Michael Crichton joined forces to bring dinosaurs back to life in a way that was never seen before with the film, Jurassic Park. From the earliest stages of its development, Crichton’s story was destined for the silver screen since it had begun as a script. Spielberg also knew that audiences would fall […]
The Ten Most Expensive Star Wars Collectibles
Since the start of time, people have stared at the stars and made tales about what was out there. In the beginning, they dreamed up awe-inspiring gods who looked down on them. However, by the 19th century, dreamers began to consider extraterrestrials and other aspects of the science fiction genre. These wars of the worlds […]