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In the early once explainof modems:Similarly thefor children"compatible blocks." Eve3¾" scale foTakara Toysfigures quickstandard, a from G.I. JoeA-Team. Inused for actiBif Bang Pow

In 1975, thretheir first aunched th

The first Adrescue truckwith animalsdaredevil spwith 3¾" scaand legs, anthe average Additional sncluded ve

buggies and and even a k

By the latewere driftin

days of homned to me th: Hayes, anere are two n: LEGO, with the lea

en though Kor action figs), their linkly set that scale that we to the Du

n fact, that sion figures tw and ReAct

ee years befStar Wars

eir line of dventure Peok, a safari ads), an air-sea

ports plane. ale action fignd slightly m

Star Warssets followeehicles suchvans and ra

kayak.

e 1970s, hong upward,

me computinhat there wend "Hayes kinds of bui

and thosading brandKenner didngures (that'sne of Star

size as the was used by

ukes of Hazzsame scale today by comtion.

fore Kenner s figures, Adventure ople playsetdventure Jeea rescue helic

Each of thegures with pomore head ms figure woed each yeh as boatsace cars and

owever, chiaway from

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ng my fathere two kindcompatible.ilding block

se that ard of buildingn't invent ths credited toWars actionaction figury everythingzard and this still beingmpanies lik

cranked ouFisher-Pric

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ese sets camoseable arm

mobility thanould containar, sets tha

s and dund motorcycle

ildren's eye lakes and

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ntains and astronomica

Wars, a nding toy se quickly ctica, Buck

res and shipe 3¾" scale toh, escape dater if necessa

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up toward al (no pun inew wave ostores. Natu

shoved asRogers, and

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E Q U I N O X

the stars. Bintended) suof space toyure-themed side by Bd Black Hohem stickingck Rogers co

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playsets Battlestar

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E Q U I N O XX 2 0 1 5

39

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40

In 1980, the hit movie theand launcheSometimes rfirst of these#325 – the AShuttle.

Static, non-mKids wanted"did stuff," adelivered. pilot seat thagain entrancopened to reOn the Alpbuttons thatights, pow

Two of the

same year Teaters, Fisheed their ow

referred to ae playsets wlpha Probe,

movable toyd toys that and in that The Alpha at slide backce, and largeveal an esc

pha Probe's t activated ered by a buttons pla

The Empire er-Price joinewn space-t

as the "Alphawas Fisher-Pmodeled af

ys were ouwere confi

regard the Probe itself

kwards andge pod baycape pod hi

rear wingelectronic single 9-v

ayed sounds

Strikes Backed the crowdthemed setsa Series," thPrice playseter the Spac

ut of vogueigurable andAlpha Probf included

d forwards toy doors thaidden inside

were thresounds and

volt batterys of rockets

k d s.

he et e

e. d e a o

at e. e d y.

launcthirdflashbottowheeand l The Recostoreit, thbay dand moutinsidAlphreattaakin insta

ching and cd played an hing red lighom of the els to accomlandings.

included eson" on the ed either insihanks to modoors. Alphaopened notth, allowing

de. The larha Probe cached to th

to removalling it on yo

E

computers calarm soun

hts on the reshuttle con

mmodate gr

scape pod (ioutside of

ide the shutolded plastica Recon cont unlike a Tg a single rge rockets could also

he rear of Alving a Corour lawnmo

E Q U I N O X

chattering, wd that also aar of the prontained threound-based

identified athe box) c

ttle's bay or oc rails on to

ntained a singTyrannosaurfigure to bon the reabe remov

lpha Recon.rvette's engower; a mod

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while the activated obe. The ee small

d takeoffs

s "Alpha could be on top of op of the gle hinge rus Rex's e placed

ar of the ved and . This is

gine and ification

E

ta Tt"t(fbtltgswA

E Q U I N O X

that would any engagem

The Fisher-Ptwo Astro P"male astronthe male a(brown hair female astrblonde andtranslucent imited articu

their arms gloves and bshoulder of which also aAlpha Probe

X 2 0 1 5

ensure you ment in space

Price Alpha Pilots, refer

naut" and "festronaut onand groovy

ronaut app brunette and non-reulation of thand legs

boots) wereeach figur

ppeared on e's wings.

would neve, ever.

Probe playsrred to by emale astronnly came iy brown sidarently camvarieties.

emovable hehe astronaut(complete w

e still poseare was an Alpha Reco

ver be late t

set containecollectors a

naut." Whilin one styldeburns), thme in bot

Their blueelmets fairlt's heads, buwith golde

able. On thatomic logo

on's hood an

to

d as le le

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The supppiecequesend. astrocouldthat floatiAlphwishposefor athing

WhilsomerougWithitselfdo ru

final accesport tether. e of plastiction mark a

Alpha Ponauts contad be inserte

the astroning in oute

ha Probe vihed that the

able, the ma lot of creatgs to other th

le many vinewhat fragil

gh play, the Ah few actuaf, there wereun across the

ssory inclu This mold

c was shapand includedProbe, Alphained holes ed. The renauts (or Aer space ania the tethe

tether woumultiple pegs

tivity when hings.

ntage Star le and didnAlpha Probeal moving pe few things ese in the wi

uded was ded and noped roughlyd three pegsa Recon, ain which thsulting illus

Alpha Recond connecteder. While Iuld have bes and holes it came to a

Wars vehicn't survive e itself is preparts on the

to break offild, most com

41

the life-on-pliable y like a s on each and both he tether sion was

on) were d to the I always en made allowed

attaching

cles were years of

etty solid. e shuttle f. When I mmonly

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42

I find either commonly, ttail wing ofrather thanassuredly unfortunatel"yellow" at aship, for Altime orbiting

Successful sAlpha Probmore sets inine, inclu

Alpha Star buggy withthe Alpha (a smaller with a cockpit), and(a small speeder). confusingly, Price releorange moalso nameRecon, the ncluded w

(Apparently decided to reunique astrothose figure

the Alpha the rear rockf Alpha Rec

n hard plakept it

ly, the diffea different rlpha Probesg the sun.

ales of the be led to

n the Alpha uding the

(a moon a trailer), Interceptor space ship

rotating d Firestar 1

one-man Somewhat

Fisher-eased an on buggy d Alpha same nam

with the Athey loved

euse it.) All onauts and es, several

Recon shuttket jets are mcon is madeastic, a de

from breaerent materirate than thes that spent

me as the eAlpha Probthe name soof these setsaliens. In other spa

tle or, moremissing. Thee of rubbercision thataking off;ial tends toe rest of thet too much

escape podbe playset.o much theys came withaddition to

ace-themed

t

figuX-Rsoldtheythosfind I've

h

X-RProbyearrighWarpart

ures (includinRay Man andd only as cy were not ise additiona

d today.

always app

Ray Man at thbe for a birtrs old (pr

htfully assumrs-related spt of my colle

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ng Opticon,d his wife Xcarded actioincluded in al figures a

preciated thPrice's Ad

wwWtiAexnHwPbeanuHWinw

he local cantthday preserobably fromed I alreadpaceship), anection ever si

E Q U I N O X

, Brainoid, CX-Ray Womon figures.

any of the are much h

he fact thatdventure Peo

were size-cowith KenneWars line. imes, whi

Alpha Pilotsxploring ew worlds

Han and would take th

robe out foehind theind it wncommon

HammerheadWalrus Man ntergalactic

with Clawtrtina. I got mnt when I wom someondy owned evnd it has remince.

X 2 0 1 5

Clawtron, an) were Because

playsets, harder to

Fisher- ople toys

ompatible er's Star

Many ile the were off

strange on foot, Chewie

he Alpha or a spin ir back,

was not for

d and to share

stories ron and

my Alpha was eight ne who very Star mained a