The Kenner Star Wars/The Empire Strikes Back stuff starts at 2:43. Brother and sister demo the Wipeout set at 4:04.
The mother of all Christmas morning Star Wars videos is here.
Archive for the 'Hot Wheels' Category
Christmas Morning Home Video, 1980: Hot Wheels Wipeout and Star Wars Toys
Published December 10, 2014 Christmas , Christmas Morning , Home Video , Hot Wheels , Kenner Toys , Star Wars (Original Trilogy) 3 CommentsHot Wheels Scene Machines (1979)
Published February 25, 2014 Comic Books , Hot Wheels , Make Mine Marvel 6 Comments
I’d completely forgotten about these. I had the cleverly named Space Van (on the package it was called Space Vehicle). You looked through a viewer in the back of the van and saw what was going on inside—the Hulk, for instance, was smashing stuff. It doesn’t sound like much, but it was a cool illusion, a momentary voyeuristic satisfaction. It’s not like we’d ever find out what was going on inside the real vans the older kids inhabited.
The scene on the card is what you saw inside the van. Here’s the Space Vehicle card and actual viewer image, the latter via Hobby Talk. (Click link for more viewer images.)
The Scene Machines were released in ’79 and continued to be produced until at least ’81. You can see some later models (Thor and the Human Torch included) at Plaid Stallions.
(Images via Hot Wheels Wikia, eBay, and Hobby Talk Forums)
1977 J.C. Penney Christmas Catalog: Matchbox Combat Zone Playset and Thundershift 500
Published November 30, 2012 Catalogs , Hot Wheels , Matchbox 1 Comment
The Matchbox Combat Zone was a play case only. You had to buy all the vehicles separately. I guess it’s a riff on the Marx war sets, but not a very good one.
I don’t think I had the Thundershift 500, but I remember playing with one. “Control vehicle speed with the shifter—a strong stroke sends your car through the tunnel and on to victory.”
If that doesn’t sound familiar, take a look at this video.
It’s a lot more fun when you’re racing someone.
(Catalog images via WishbookWeb)
(Video via cozythunder1/YouTube)
2 Warps to Neptune 