Top five toy lines of all time?

[shaxper]

What do you think were the five greatest toy lines (for boys) of all time? Don't choose your favorites unless you believe that your favorite toy lines really are the greatest toy lines (in most circumstances, I don't). Use whatever criteria you think is appropriate to define "best."


For me, I'd say...

5. Marvel Superheroes At a time in the early 1990s when the action figure seemed dead, Marvel/Toy Biz brought the genre back to life with bright, colorful, and action-featured renditions of their classic characters. Soon after, they extended the toy line to feature a wider cast of grittier, more mature figures. Marvel Superheroes seemed to single-handedly transition the action figure into a more mature arena where adolescents and adults enjoyed collecting the ever widening array of characters even more than younger children. Though I think many figure lines have gotten too mature since then, Marvel Superheroes achieved that perfect balance, halfway between Super Powers and McFarlaine toys.

4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles This was just the silliest toy line of all time, and I love it for that reason. While so many other toy lines of the time dealt with brave warriors and mostly serious heroes, TMNT featured characters that spun plastic pizzas, barfed slime, and wind-up break-danced (to name a few). TMNT was always imaginative, always fun, and often in poor taste. Add to this a few great play sets and vehicles, from the Sewer playset and Turtle Van, to the Turtle Blimp (yes, they actually made one), Techno Drome, and Foot Cruiser. There's never been a toy line quite as fun as this one.

3. Diaclone What began as a toy line featuring amazingly imaginary convertible robot/vehicles and robot/playsets went on to produce robots that could transform into realistic, every-day vehicles. Everything great about the Transformers was done best by Diaclone. Those high quality, die-cast vehicle/robots were Diaclone toys before Hasbro paid the big bucks to get them renamed as "Transformers." Meanwhile, Diaclone includes legends like Great Robot Base and Fortress X, neither of which carried over into Transformers.

2. Chogokin Chogokin produced most of the greatest robot toys of all time, from all three Voltron robots to the pre-Power Rangers megazords. These giant robots and space vehicles, made of rich die-cast and vibrant colors, first introduced the world to combining/transforming robots and were eye candy to the extreme. Any true lover of robot toys has to admit that Chogokin did it all first and with the most concern for quality design and materials.

1. Star Wars The sheer breadth of this line blows my mind. There's been at least one figure made of every character ever to appear on screen in each of the films (with the possible exception of Aunt Veru?), as well as the Expanded Universe series, which produced figures from non-continuity books, video games, and drawing board material that just never made it into the films. On top of this endless myriad of figures, Star Wars featured (and continues to feature) some of the absolute best vehicles and playsets ever designed for action figures, from the Millenium Falcon and TIE Fighter (as well as the TIE variants) to the AT-AT and Royal Starship. No other toy line has ever matched Star Wars' sheer breadth of characters, vehicles and playsets. It truly is a galaxy unto itself.

[80s Action Figures]

they made Beru:

[shaxper]

That's just awesome...



edit: I just checked ebay and, believe it or not, they did make a real Beru action figure. I honestly thought it was Veru all this time. That would explain why I never found any figures of her before

[80s Action Figures]

Ya, she even came with a cup for her blue milk...

5) TMNT

4) Micronauts

3) Sectaurs

2) Masters of the Universe

1) G.I.Joe

[gort]

5. G.I. Joe (12") - We collcet "Action Figures" not "dolls", because in 1964 Hasbro said so. Without Joe there would be no Henshin Cyborg, therfore no Microman and so on...

4. Lego - I don't think I knew a single kid growing up who didn't have at least some Lego.

3. Playmobil - Thirty-odd years and still going strong.

2. Mircroman - The line that possibly invented and certainly popularised the 3 3/4" size action figure as well as being another major source of G1 Transformers.

1. Star Wars - While they didn't invent the 3 3/4" figure they certainly ran with it. Never the most ground breaking, but probably the most influential toy line there's been.

[drbo]

Good tread Shaxper, my choice recut most of Gort:

- Star Wars: Brought movie-tie in toys to a next level, merchandising at large and offered so much variety of playset, vehicule and the figure themselves. Their influence is still vibrant today.

- Masters of the Universe: Took big guys figure, made them strong and durable, sported them with awesome (and industructible for the most part) playset and vehicule but mostly really redefined what's an action figure, almost one for every figure.
Also the first action figure series to be both tie-in with a cartoon based on it (except of the contrary) and also to be adapted in film.

- McFarlane Toys early Spawn, comic and Movie Maniac: The guys that grew up in the 1970's and 1980's are young adult now and McFarlane was they're to get them still hooked with action figure for adult. The perception of what theme, sculpt and detail in an action figure have been broaden and evolved to new ground.

- Microman and early Transformers: The tranforming toys changed what a toy can be, and have proven successful almost non-stop with them with careful adaptation and adjustment to new trends.

- G.I. Joe (1960 12"): A doll for boys, with military and adventure accessories to equip them? The real starting point, with influence that goes way beyond the first use of the name.

[shaxper]

gort said:

5. G.I. Joe (12") - We collcet "Action Figures" not "dolls", because in 1964 Hasbro said so. Without Joe there would be no Henshin Cyborg, therfore no Microman and so on...

4. Lego - I don't think I knew a single kid growing up who didn't have at least some Lego.

3. Playmobil - Thirty-odd years and still going strong.

2. Mircroman - The line that possibly invented and certainly popularised the 3 3/4" size action figure as well as being another major source of G1 Transformers.

1. Star Wars - While they didn't invent the 3 3/4" figure they certainly ran with it. Never the most ground breaking, but probably the most influential toy line there's been.

Microman and G.I. Joe were both excellent choices. I strongly considered including them, myself.

[80s Action Figures]

It is funny to me to see "Microman" instead of Micronauts.

I never even new Micromen existed until a couple of years ago on ebay. I am pretty sure Microman never appeared in North America until the late 90s, at least at regular retail. I have collected Micronauts for many years, since the 70s and then Cosmoman in the late 80s................so whats up?!?!?!

[gort]

Well for my part my selection was based on what I know now, and not what I grew up with. At one stage I knew G.I. Joe only as Action Man, Playmobil as Play People and Microman as Micronauts but now days I enjoy finding out a little about the history of toy lines and so I guese I take more of a retrospective view.

While I own somthing from every line I've mentioned I don't actively collect any of them, it's just in my opinion they are among the important or influential lines. Some lines may have been more prominent in different countries or on different continents (I'm fairly sure Playmobil is not as popular, or at least as established, in North America as it is in Europe and other areas), but these are ones I think of as having a greater long term global influence.

[shaxper]

spillspleen said:

I never even new Micromen existed until a couple of years ago on ebay. I am pretty sure Microman never appeared in North America until the late 90s, at least at regular retail. I have collected Micronauts for many years, since the 70s and then Cosmoman in the late 80s................so whats up?!?!?!

Well Microman was the original toy line. Micronauts was just the American version. As far as I know, every Micronauts toy was a Microman toy first.

[drbo]

shaxper said:

spillspleen said:

Well Microman was the original toy line. Micronauts was just the American version. As far as I know, every Micronauts toy was a Microman toy first.

If I remember correctly the Aliens with the glow-in-the-dark brains were created by MEGO. Naturally they're was some adaptation on the Microman figure, like Pharoid symbol turned into Hieroglyph instead of a japanese Microman logo, that sort of thing.
But Indeed, Micronauts was a superb line but it was an adaptation so overall Microman had a greater impact since it's the root of the whole idea.

[Captainamerica]

Gort, i think you nailed it. I might modify #2 to be Popy's Chogokins, but that's kind of splitting hairs (one die-cast japanese robo-themed line vs another).

gort said:

5. G.I. Joe (12") - We collcet "Action Figures" not "dolls", because in 1964 Hasbro said so. Without Joe there would be no Henshin Cyborg, therfore no Microman and so on...

4. Lego - I don't think I knew a single kid growing up who didn't have at least some Lego.

3. Playmobil - Thirty-odd years and still going strong.

2. Mircroman - The line that possibly invented and certainly popularised the 3 3/4" size action figure as well as being another major source of G1 Transformers.

1. Star Wars - While they didn't invent the 3 3/4" figure they certainly ran with it. Never the most ground breaking, but probably the most influential toy line there's been.

[clambo]

I'll agree with Gort's list as well, but substitute Microman out for the Mego 8" Super Heroes line, then for the G.I.Joe at #5 I would also include the 3-3/4" Joes.

[Deleted]

The toy lines I would pick for top five are.

1. Transformers
2. M.A.S.K.
3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
4. Power Rangers
5. LEGO

[thekurgan81]

In no particular order:-

Masters of the Universe
Star Wars
Action Force/GI Joe
Dino Riders- The best dinosaur toy line ever still over 20 years later!!
LEGO

[else3573]

1.Star Wars
2.Transformers
3.GI Joe (even though I never collected the line, it's just enormous)
4.MOTU (action figures with ACTION features made it really original)
5.JLU (sooo many characters from the DC Universe that most people would have thought would never see the light of day)

HM's-Marvel Legends, TMNT, Super Powers, DCUC, DC Direct, Battle Beasts, AD&D, Minimates and Superhero squad.

[bowheadwhale]

1- Schleich's 1:32 scaled SEALIFE CREATURES! Made in Portugal (and not in China), this incredible but slowly retiring line features (or featured) museum-quality figures of animals like Grey Whale, Humpback Whale, Sperm Whale, Blue Shark, Minke Whale, Whale Shark, Octopus, Walrus...

2- Bullyland's FOSSILS! This now retired line labeled "Made in Germany" (like all vinyl Bullylands) featured prehistoric invertebrates: two Ammonites, a Trilobite, a Belemnite and a Jellyfish.

3- Safari ltd's INCREDIBLE CREATURES! Labeled Made in China, but features so many oscure species it's unbelievable! A blue-spotted ray, a batstar, a pelican eel, an ermit crab...

4- Imperial's DRAGONS, KNIGHTS AND DAGGERS! For a monster-loving little girl for the one I was, it was one of the most perfect lines ever. And so many steeds for MOTU still moving by foot!

5- Mattel's SHE-RA, PRINCESS OF POWER! Finally a line where girls don't just comb their hair and wait for the Charming Prince! Finally, a line where girls take an active role and are not afraid of taking initiatives to defend themselves!

[else3573]

@bowhead, not arguing with your choices, but those seem to be more YOUR personal favorites than a list of the great lines in history.

[bowheadwhale]

Dec 2, 2011 17:44:15 GMT -6 else3573 said:

@bowhead, not arguing with your choices, but those seem to be more YOUR personal favorites than a list of the great lines in history.

But Shaxper said "use whatever criteria you think is appropriate to define "best"...

[else3573]

I know, I was going by where he said Don't choose your favorites unless you believe that your favorite toy lines really are the greatest toy line

But it's not a big deal, just saying. i think it's cool and really unique that you collect those lines.

[proteus]

1.star wars
2.mego star trek
3.denys fisher dr who
4.cyborg and muton
5.micronauts

[cyberwolf76]

1) Lego 1978 - 1992 (any set that has the head with the standard grin)
2) Transformers G1
3) G.I Joe 1983-1994
4) Star wars kenner
5) Masters of the Universe Vintage toy line

[bowheadwhale]

Dec 3, 2011 16:30:16 GMT -6 else3573 said:

I know, I was going by where he said Don't choose your favorites unless you believe that your favorite toy lines really are the greatest toy line

But it's not a big deal, just saying. i think it's cool and really unique that you collect those lines.

Oh! I see... I'm sorry.

Let's do it again, then, now.

BEST TOYLINES FOR BOYS
1- TRANSFORMERS. Many little boys still love them. And the transforming action develops their cause-to-effects senses.
2- My Little Pony BIG BROTHERS. Finally, Ponies for boys! They had, with BB ponies, the opportunity to play with their little sisters,without giving up their boyhood.
3- G.I.JOE. Not a big fan myself, but seeing real people (soldiers in this case) instead of fantasy mutants as heroes is a good concept.
4- MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE. Yes, because a little fantasy never hurt anyone...
5- GARGOYLES. Gargoyles clan doesn't just include super-muscular Goliath: it also includes fatty Broadway, skinny brainiac Lexington and tall and slim Brooklyn. Boys can identify themselves to more than a scheme instead of being confined to just one.

[BoogDoc7]

I pretty much go with longevity+impact on the industry.

1. GIJoe
2. Super Powers
3. MEGO
4. Transformers/diaclone
5. Power Rangers

[proteus]

1.star wars
2.star trek mego
3.wgsh mego
4.gi joe
5.transformers