About Me

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No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Sunday, May 7, 2017

B is for Baseball

It's a sort of glorified Rounders, that takes all afternoon but scores lower!

This is one of the odder things that came out of Galoob Towers in the later period of that company's Micro Machine range. As there was only ever the one set, we have to assume it was a toe-dipping exercise, which, upon poor sales was given the chop!

A shame really, as the concept is a good one, and were it to be extended to other sports or 'Track & Field' there would be literally an endless supply of names to collect. What's ironic though is that there is probably more collectability in the accompanying busts, which are very similar to the old cereal and coffee premium busts of people like Kellogg's (historical characters and Indian chiefs) and Quaker (military heroes of the sea, and land) or turntable centrepieces of Y'Bon and Banania (French pop stars).

It's like the recent failures of Hasbro's 54mm Star Wars Command range or World's Apart's short-lived Horrible Histories figures, the modern toy industry doesn't allow enough time for things to grow, an idea is had, a budget is agreed, a production schedule and marketing campaign are then squeezed into (or out of?!!) that budget, and if after a cut-off point, the profit margin hasn't reached a pre-agreed level - it curtains, folks!

So we have just the four 'microverse' figures and four busts, most still sold like this - MIP! - on evilBay and 'microplay' actually hit a dud!

2 comments:

Corporal_Trim said...

It seems a rather peculiar concept, Hugh. You get busts, you get figures, then what ? Not sure the combination of the two would appeal to collectors of either. Then again, the popularity of baseball in the US is not what it was. Unless they also play, young people no longer follow the sport.

Good observation about the profit-driven development cycle, spot on.

Hugh Walter said...

Thanks for that Corporal T, over here we still sort of think Baseball is still joint tops over the pond with American Football, figures for which (also from Brain B) will be appearing here shortly!

H