So we’ll take it as read that everyone had at least one Star Wars figure, because otherwise this is just going to be an uphill struggle - the card-mounted Kenner character was the standard unit by which all collections were measured and/or founded, whether you owned just Luke Skywalker or a whole squadron of stormtroopers. ... more>>>

Although the 1960s had seen impressionable young viewers bombarded with all manner of Dalek merchandise, it was not until 1977 that a toy manufacturer realised that there was mileage in producing an entire range of action figures based on children’s programme, Doctor Who. ... more>>>

You won’t get anyone like Evel Knievel again. A mid-western bike shop owner with a taste for self-publicity, Evel somehow managed to hold great swathes of the international media in his hand, as he set up ever more elaborate stunt jumps with his trusty bike. ... more>>>

In our youth, and back in the day when he was still wearing the wig (and - be honest - who wasn’t genuinely surprised when he revealed he’d discovered “a way to comb his hair to cover the bald patch” and discarded the rug?), there was nothing we wanted to save up our pocket money for more than to buy another one of Paul Daniels’ TV magic tricks. It was, of course, marketing genius. ... more>>>

Shrinky Dinks sat at the end of the hobby scale marked “high concept”. We can only imagine the phone call that took place when these puppies were pitched over the phone. (Alternatively, we could just bastardise the famous Bob Newhart “Walter Raleigh” monologue. Which is actually what we’re going to do. Here goes.) ... more>>>

“Gentlemen, we can rebuild him - we have the technology”. Yes, and every last cent of it was funded by sales of the spin-off merchandising. In red tracksuited action figure form, Steve Austin came complete with an impressive array of pseudo-bionic features that included a magnifying lens eye (and which featured none of those cool bar-chart things that appeared when we “saw” through his eyes in the series), an arm with easily torn fake skin that rolled back to reveal various plastic fittings, and a “bionic grip” operated by pressing the substantial red button protruding awkwardly from his back. Affluent individuals could also invest in a set of interchangeable limbs, namely a Laser Arm (which shone a red light), a Sonic Neutraliser (some sort of karate chop/ray gun combination) and the self-explanatory Oxygen Supply Arm, plus a couple of pairs of legs that simply repeated the peel-to-reveal-bionic-workings gimmick. ... more>>>

Surely any right-thinking merchandiser scanning through the enviable Windsor Davies CV would realise that the prime plum to squeeze here was tied up in Never The Twain and churn out those Oliver Smallbridge action-figures double-quick? Alas not, and doubtlessly beguiled by the brand awareness that comes with anything Gerry Anderson, Bandai threw their lot in with that World of Sport-warm-up, Terrahawks. ... more>>>

No prizes for guessing Transformers’ gimmick. They were, the ads reminded us, robots “in disguise” – i.e. figures which could transform; into a car, truck, aeroplane, or (at the less sane end of the spectrum) cassette tape. Stupidly collectable, these die-cast anthropomorphs had an in-built “double the value” argument for kids eager to pressure a parent into parting with their hard-earned. It’s a model VW Beetle! And it’s a robot reconnaissance soldier! It is not a rip-off. ... more>>>

Possibly the earliest foray into virtual reality, albeit on a budget and with little chance of any horrific, Lawnmower Man-esque, side effects. ... more>>>

A hundred and one outdoor hobby books showed us kids how to make plastic cup telephones, stretching a dozen feet of fraying string (or washing line) across the back garden into the den or treehouse. Like pre-infrared remote controls, though, they were deeply unsatisfying and could similarly cause one or more members of the family to trip up and drop a tray of Sunday tea and Jaffa Cakes. ... more>>>