Stop! I can’t stand any more news. The Smartest People in the World want to bring back communism, thus proving that they’re really The Dumbest People in the World. And I just can’t stomach any more today.
So let’s flee back to 1961, when Great Garloo by Marx was one of the top toys. You could sort of have your own monster movie right there in your bedroom, if you felt like setting up toy buildings and railroads for Garloo to destroy. Or he could carry your kid sister’s doll. Whatever.
Garloo’s remote control wasn’t wireless, as you can see. And he cost $17.98, which was rather a prodigious price for a toy in 1961. You’d have to put a gun to my mother’s head to get her to spend that kind of loot.
But the ad is endearing, isn’t it? In less than a minute, Great Garloo transforms from a rampaging monster to a meek domestic servant. If only you could’ve gotten him to do your homework for you…
1961 was a period when there was no TV in our home, so I don’t recall ever seeing that ad before. That’s a pretty advanced toy for 1961, I’ll have to say. The price? Well that was probably more than my father made in one day. Not only would I have had to put a gun to his head to get one, but he would have had to rob a liquor store too. 🙂
I miss real, stamped steel Tonka Trucks.
Less perishable than wax dinosaurs
Indeed so.
This is a new one for me. Never heard of it, but how about Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head 🙂
One of my favorite toys.
Those expensive battery operated toys were exciting to get for Christmas presents, but it didn’t take long to be bored with them. They ended up on the shelf to collect cobwebs. Then again, if a person still had them they are probably collectors’ items and worth some dough on Ebay.
Not to mention that the batteries went dead quickly and I never had the money to buy replacements.