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It's amazing what you find out long after the fact. Case in point: When I was three or four, I remember my father inflating a YOGI BEAR figure while sitting on the back step at the side of the house. (Yeah, the 'back' door was at the side of the house - go figger!) I had what seemed like loads of Yogi merchandise when I was young. In that house alone, I had a MARX Yogi on a scooter, a cardboard Yogi Hallowe'en mask, a pair of Yogi slippers (with little Yogi heads on the toes) and the above inflatable Yogi. (I also had a Marx Yogi & Huck ramp walker about this time, but I may not have got that until we'd moved to our next house, I'm not sure.)
I loved punching the bejabbers out of my inflatable Yogi (in an affectionate way, of course), but no longer remember exactly what happened to him. I have a vague idea that he sprung a leak and was discreetly disposed of, but I probably wasn't told of his fate at the time. I recall my dad putting sand in the base to weigh him down on the day that Yogi first arrived, but I never knew where he'd come from - until now that is.
I recently bought this flyer, which reveals that the punch toy was a special offer from FAIRY SNOW and associated washing powders - so, over 50 years later, I at last know where one of my best boyhood buddies originated. (Confusingly, the flyer says that either sand or water can be used to weigh Yogi down, but the instructions which accompanied him said that water should not be used.) Now if only I could find a replacement. Does anyone know where I can get one? If so, I'll let you have the first punch.
Did anyone else have an inflatable Yogi when they were a kid? (No - an inflatable sheep doesn't count, you perv!) Then leave your reminiscences in the comments section.
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Didn't realize Marx had such a presence in your country. They were quite big in the states until their fall in the late 70's.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Marx_and_Company
This was my favorite of their offerings.
http://www.buymarxtoys.com/2013/06/1978-marx-antique-electronic-bowling-game/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b5UXmiqKcE
Marx was a well-known name in British toy shops, Chris. Some of the stuff was made here, although most of it was made in Hong Kong. I loved the twistable Batman, the wind-up robot, and their Dalek toys.
ReplyDeleteI could understand sending that to Hong Kong (no different from what we've done for years). The best toy they had here in the states was the "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots"
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27Em_Sock_%27Em_Robots
I remember those robots, although I never had them myself. A few years ago, I bought a little plastic figure of Mr. Marx. They made some great stuff. One of my proudest possessions is a Marx Yogi Bear on a yellow scooter. You'll probably see it on the 'You might also like' row at the bottom of this post.
ReplyDeleteChris, on reflection, weren't these robots by Ideal and not Marx?
ReplyDeleteNo, they were Marx, unless Ideal ended up with them at one point.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=joDjwtjIQS8
One must've taken over from the other, as the picture on the Vintage Toy Archive (in my blog list) shows the box with the Ideal logo on it.
ReplyDeleteWhatever the case, Mattel appears to have ended up with them in the end. Seems like them and Hasbro are the only two mammoth toy companies you ever hear about these days.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/Mattel-CCX97-Rock-Sock-Robots/dp/B00LJ2WF6A/ref=dp_ob_title_toy
That first link you provided has quite a bit of info, Chris. The game has been produced by more than just Marx, Ideal, and Mattel, and has come in different sizes and with variant robot designs. Must've been popular, right enough.
ReplyDelete