KiDDiE ZOO Miniature Playset

[countzackula]

Okay, kids...got ahold of this thing of beauty...


......breathtaking! No?



I absolutely love finding obscure old stuff that reads high on the weird-o-meter. I mean...look at it. So damn whimsical! I've admired many a plastic figure playset. There are some which I won't bother chasing, some I know little or nothing about, and some which I just gotta have. So much cool stuff out there...and the more obscure, the better! Hell, I never saw this before. I was carousing eBay for the usual crap and somehow stumbled on this thing. It caught my eye immediately. I had to get it. I did.

Absolutely no competition.

Won it for a little less that five bucks plus six something for shipping (I think)...so eleven bucks ain't bad total. I wouldn't doubt if it were made today, it'd cost twenty bucks in some plastic tote at at TRU.

I had an old Marx Troll Village. This reminds me of that to a degree. I sold the Troll Village after I got my jollies out of it, but at least that's kinda got a following. This Kiddie Zoo set? Not sure.



Here's the full spread. Animals, vehicles, foliage, and other accessories. Nice. Again...so damn whimsical!

Some more spread shots:





Near as I can tell, it seems complete and in great shape. No instructions or parts list, but if you go by the box photo...seems to all be here (with minor variations...mostly color schemes).

No year or maker's mark...but made in Hong Kong. Not one clue on the box! Damn. The play mat is glossy paper and the toys are all plastic. Banners are cardboard. I'm not sure how you adhere the flags and such to the poles...tape?

Time to explore the enticing wonders of the Kiddie Zoo! Shall we? Get your skippin' shoes on...it's time to get gay (literally...or if you prefer, also figuratively).

First, the vehicles.



I'll call this "Mister Choo-choo"...it might be alive. Who knows? It has a face and arms.



When you roll him along the ground, his "arms" move the wheels, and his hat pops up. Classic cartooniness! Nyahhh-nyahhh...so whacky! His tongue also sticks out at you as he rolls. Now that...is just creepy. The cage he pulls is just a non-gimmicky cage car you'd expect on an olde tyme zoo train. You can fit certain animals in there. I assume it's also for capturing children.

Man...that face...so weird, so creepy. That tongue, razzing you as Mister Choo-choo moves along. That jaunty bowler hat tootin' along...he's evil. No question. I'm assuming this guy is tasked with tricking children into coming to the zoo of mystic wonderment.



The clown car also has a gimmick...roll it along and the sides jiggle about a bit and the ball in front drops up and down. Don't trust a clown with a driver's license. 'Nuff said.

Here's the Kiddie Zoo gang!

Wow...there are over forty of these things. Over forty! No repeats! That's class. Each one has a few choice paint apps. Again...whimsy levels are spiking! I've love to shake the hand of the designer/sculptor. Some real love went into this set.









I could comment on each one 'til my sphincter turns blue, but I'll reserve that pleasure for all a y'alls. Each one has a number and the Hong Kong maker's mark on it along with an unidentified logo. Soooo whimsical!!! I can't deal with it!!!

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!


........*whew*...okay...maintain...[deep breath]...


Now, whom I assume to be the ringleader of this gaggle of goons. The pixie/fairy!



Being the only non-animal, I'm assuming she has leadership status of some kind at yonder zoo. I bet she's the one who enslaved these poor beasts and gave them tiny hats and what not, forcing them to perform lewd acts of whimsy to lure small children into the park...then...the fairy CONSUMES the children! *GASP*...only logical explanation. Sorry. It's a cruel world.

Well, here's the logo below...hard to see in a pic, so I squinted and scrawled out this quick sketch so you can get an idea. Any help? Love this set and would love to find out what else this company made.



Here are some similar animal figures I had gotten some time ago. Somewhat similar...also made in Hong Kong, but no fancy symbol on them...just numbers.



Kinda makes you wonder what else weird and wonderful stuff is out there ripe for the pickin'!

[3 3/4"collector]

i remember your troll set, didnt know you had gotten rid of it. seeing stuff like this sort of makes me sad thinking about how much fun i could have had when i was a child and how my toys are art now and not something i enjoy playing with.

[countzackula]

"gotten rid of" sounds a bit...harsh. I'd say more like...passed it on...heh heh!

Hey, there's no law that says you can't play with your toys now. I do, kinda, if I get some free time...but that's rare. Man, I wish I didn't have to have a stupid job and crap like that...totally cramps my style.

[wumarsha]

Not sure why the images cannot work well, I can't open these

[bowheadwhale]

I OWN THAT GIRAFFE!!! The one with the head rurned to the back... Man, and it's only now that I find out what line it belongs to! I have it in my tiny animals collection since my birth and I always saw it was different. nd now, 35 years later, the mystery is solved... WONDERFUL!!!

[rihia2k]

Jul 15, 2012 10:06:35 GMT -6 countzackula said:

Hey, there's no law that says you can't play with your toys now. I do, kinda, if I get some free time...but that's rare. Man, I wish I didn't have to have a stupid job and crap like that...totally cramps my style.

I.Hear.That.

Kiddie Zoo beats Troll Village on the creepy scale, and colourwise it's totally berserk.
I think Troll had a better, um, storyline, and basically gets my vote overall.

The apex concept here?... Kiddie Zoo versus Troll Village, like a total mash-up, that would be unreal. ;D

[countzackula]

Eh, I'm sure the Marx Trolls are just escapees from the failed Kiddie Zoo side show.

[bowheadwhale]

Jul 24, 2012 16:18:39 GMT -6 countzackula said:

Eh, I'm sure the Marx Trolls are just escapees from the failed Kiddie Zoo side show.

Kiddie Zoo is a lot cuter to my opinion.

[twoheadedboy]

I'm in love and I want one - there'll be competition for these on eBay now, bah!