Toy Island Monsters Talking Figures by Paul Adams

The Toy Island line of talking action figures came up recently - 

here is a bit more information on their Talking Monsters line, which contained just three figures. 

All depicted classic monsters, but they were generic enough to avoid any licencing problems.

The name of each creature appears on the front of the card, with the Monsters name only appearing on the back of the card, along with a photograph of the whole range. The copyright date is 1992. Card size 10.25 x 7 x 2 inches according to what appears to be a trade catalogue for the range.

The figures did not have buttons, the talking mechanism was activated by just touching them. 'Their voices are complete with echoes and sound effects', according to the advertising. It seems each figure had only one phrase.

A screwdriver was required to open the battery compartment, so the batteries, a trio of LR-44 button batteries, could be replaced.

The Assortment Number was Asst. No. 34210.

1. Stock No. 34201 The Vampire Talks - resembles Nosferatu rather than Dracula. Phrase 'I want to bite you'. Studded belt with bat.
2. Stock No. 34202 The Howler Howls - a very dog-like werewolf. Phrase 'Aaaooooo'. Chain and padlock belt.
3. Stock No. 34203 The Zombie Talks - could be Frankenstein's Monster. Phrase 'Help me' - which does not seem very scary. Rope belt with rat.

The figures were 7 inches tall, and came with removeable clothing, a weird plastic belt, and two different weapons. A sword with a bat between the hilt and blade; an axe topped with a skull; and a mace with a spiked head. None are wearing shoes, which shows off their clawed feet.

The address of the Toy Island Manufacturing Company Limited, was 33 Canton Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, but the toys are marked Made in China. These seem to be rare figures, and there are few listings or photographs of them on Worthpoint or Ebay. The Plaid Stallions site says they are most common in England. Universal Monster Army actually says they were exclusive to the UK.

There are a few sites which give further details, and photographs.

Universal Monster Army, an excellent site.

http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=22735.0

Plaid Stallions, including catalogue pages.

https://plaidstallions.com/reboot/toy-island-monsters/

The Toy Box

http://thetoybox1138.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-howler-vampire-zombie-aka-monsters.html

1993 Toy Island catalogue from Worthpoint

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/toy-island-1993-color-catalog-talking-1820046012

Just three photographs, all from Worthpoint.

Here is a shot of the card rear for the line, showing the full range of three figures. There are very few listings for these figures, and few photographs.

From what Plaid Stallions and Universal Monster Army say these figures are mainly found in Britain, so you probably stand the best chance of finding some examples. I had never even heard of them before your recent post on the Toy Island Talking police figures. But then, I know next to nothing about action figures!

Hope this is useful. Anyone got any?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

CLIPPED WINGS

I was interested to see how the wings were fastened together on this NASA Probe Force 3 I saw on auction.

I have this particular toy at Moonbase but I haven't seen the stapled paper fastener before. I assume the simple clip is what a mint packaged example would have like this one.

Have you got one of these toy readers?

THE LOST PLATOON

 One more platoon I found in my junk drawer!

Back left are two modern Lanard CORPS! from 2005. The larger group are Chap Mei troops with three unknowns at the back near the pole.

The seated group on the left are odd - five fully articulated softish soldiers by what looks like a firm in Heyuan in China. The lettering on their feet is tiny!

Do you know them?

ODDs 'N' SODS

 The final shots of the toy weekend.

Three plastic action figures found in the nearby street freebie table. Any idea who the spider robot thingy is?

A Hulk buster van from a charity shop and a Robocop plane found again on the freebie table on our street.

Both have great sound and light effects!

Additions to my 1970's Hot Wheels fleet, the white Spoiler Sport van and the yellow Bubble Gunner.

The car boot at York where I got my old Star Wars figures was brimming with die-casts too.

and a few emergency vehicles.

Well worth a visit if you're near York Racecourse on a Saturday!

Have you been to a car boot or flea market this summer readers?

CHAP MEI/ LANARD/ HASBRO TOOLBOX: YOUR HELP NEEDED!

 Here are some plastic tools and equipment from the  Lanard/ Hasbro/ Chap Mei swap Wotan and I haven't managed to ID yet.

Any idea what these are? From the black case forwards. So, the black case, the various coloured backpacks, the black binoculars and the blue bits from a frogman. There's a small blue axe tool too.

and here's a much bigger group of what we think are Lanard or maybe Chap Mei bits. Do you know which figures they're from readers?

Any help gratefully received!

THERE'S A GOOD CHAP ... MEI

 More of Wotan's toy figures from our marvellous swap.

These guys are mostly Chap Mei.

Anyone know the five at the back. Wotan knows but do you readers?

Anyone know the two small helmets shown here at the front behind the grey tools?

Turns out I had company lining up my chaps!

Are Chap Mei toys collectable?

THE GREAT PRETENDERS ON THE STREET

As luck would have it a free street table of old plastic toys appeared a week or so ago further up the road from Moonbase, the sort of thing that used to happen all the time during lockdown.

When it first appeared I was chuffed to find a nice boxed ELC construction set, Ground Control, for Junior, along with a Darth Vader cup and a Skateboarding action figure track set.

After being topped-up this weekend, it brought greater table riches in the form of a Robocop patrol plane, a rhino transformer, a Human Torch, an Ice Age 3 cup and a few other modernish Star Wars bits, all destined for Junior's room.

But the true gems were two plastic Pretender figures from Gen1 of the Transformers line. I had seen these before in my trusty loose action figures book but have never seen them in the flesh, but there they were, on the street and eager to come back to the Base! 

The big moustached fella is complete with his back half too but the skeletal fella is just the front. Neither have their little inner robots but hey, its free booty and I'm thrilled they've joined my gang of Transformers.

Have you got the Pretenders?

Do your neighbours leave free stuff outside?

A GREAT DISTURBANCE IN MY CABINET

 My beginner's vintage Kenner-Palitoy Star Wars collection trebled in size as well this weekend!

A chance meeting with a bag of car boot goodness for £20 brought me lots more figures from the first three films.

I can't name them all off hand. I know Wotan can. Can you?

Have you got all 98 old Kenner-Palitoy figures at all?

Moonbase Junior will really feel the force too on his Sixth birthday in October. Thanks to friends Paul Vreede and Wotan for helping me out hugely with that - more to follow on the subject in October!