Here is yet another toy line I do not remember ever seeing before. The Ring Raiders by Matchbox.
A series of Micro Machine sized aeroplanes mounted on rings that you could wear. Launched in 1989, it did not last very long, and is from a few years before I became interested in toy collecting.
Most of the aircraft are modern types, including a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird. The colour schemes were very wild.
The Story of Ring Raiders: Like Micro Machines But Planes & On Your Fingers! - YouTube
Yours Sincerely,
Paul Adams from New Zealand
The Story of Ring Raiders: Like Micro Machines But Planes & On Your Fingers! - YouTube
Yours Sincerely,
Paul Adams from New Zealand
Anyone know this toy line?
I don't remember ever seeing the toy line myself but it did come out in 1989 in the UK along with a 6 part comic by Fleetway who also published the New Eagle at the time. I do recall seeing adverts for the new comic in the Eagle. Great artwork as always by Fleetway. There's a cool article about the comic and the toys here:
ReplyDeletehttp://the-oink-blog.blogspot.com/2017/09/ring-raiders-1-high-octane-high-drama.html
Back in the 80s there seemed to be a new toyline every few months!
Thanks for the link Yorkie.
DeleteAbsolute rubbish, basically just a Micro machine sized plastic jet on a plastic stalk attached to a ring. The idea being you whizzed round the room making plane noises with it standing two inches above your finger. Like Pogs, a limp attempt to update and market a stupidly dimple concept
ReplyDeleteI like the sound of them and can imagine running round the room zooming jets and planes, which is something I do now anyway.
DeleteI remember this line as pretty much peg warmers. They did have a very nice selection of planes.
DeleteThat said, the drawbacks to this line are many. Heavy reuse of the molds but in different colors to help pad out the size of it. Wild paint jobs that while looking nice made it hard to believe these were military jets. It also showed just how many times certain molds were reused. The mixing of props and jets. No kid who loves planes is going to buy into the notion that a piston powered plane is going to keep up with a jet. Heavy reliance on the ring gimmick. Rings don't fit everyone. Plastic breaks. The planes have no gear to land on. Rings also make it a bit harder to play with and limit the play value imo.
Micro Machines were far superior of a product. Thy may not have had as wide of a variety of planes but the grouping of them in a package made sense. The paint jobs were decently scaled done versions of real ones. The had landing gear, often retractable! They had crisper molds and the weaponry looked like weapons not blobs. They also did not rely on a gimmick like a ring or electronic flightstick to "enhance" the play value.
Mattel brought this idea back a few years back but the ring was redesigned and the plane were now Star Wars vehicles. Now the ring was called a flight navigator but was too small for most fingers.
https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81my4rycfGL._SL1500_.jpg
Fascinating Lance! I saw a Ring raider at a car boot sale during the summer when weren't in lockdown. It was a ring with a jet on a stick attached to the ring. I nearly bought it! I like the ring being a flight navigator! That's marketing!
DeleteSteer clear, utter pants. There was a larger Stealth Carrier vehicle cum playset which was ok, but the main line was crap. As Yorkie says, the marketing in Eagle comic was great, with Ian Kennedy doing the art chores and beautiful painted artwork
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