Category Archives: 1980’s

Silverhawks Copper Kidd Animation Cel

Posted on June 20, 2013 by

Over the years, I’ve been able to add a few animation cels to my collection. I find them fascinating just because, to me, they are far more than just artwork. These cels are literally what brought a cartoon to life. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Animation, Art, Ben, Toys | Leave a comment

Mattel’s Food Fighters Variations – Now in Four Exciting New Flavors!

Posted on March 4, 2013 by

Were you ever scolded as a kid for playing with your food? Well, I was lucky enough to grow up in an era where there was one time that it was absolutely okay to get your hands all over donuts … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Action Figures, Ben, Food, Humor, Monsters, Toys, Weird | 2 Comments

Manglor Mountain: A Tale of When Lightning Strikes Twice

Posted on February 14, 2013 by

Not surprisingly, I’ve made quite a few friends over the years in the collecting community. Since I’m out and about constantly hunting for vintage toys, I often ask my friends if there are any specific items they’d like me to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Action Figures, Ben, Monsters | 5 Comments

LJN Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Fortress of Fangs

Posted on January 14, 2013 by

When I go to a toy show or a flea market, chances are that I can afford whatever I want to buy. Granted, the things that I collect tend not to be terribly valuable. Most of the most valuable things … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Action Figures, Ben, Monsters, Toys | 4 Comments

G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero Christmas Ornaments

Posted on December 21, 2012 by

I’ve been fortunate to grow up in an era in which character ornaments have been commonplace. Heck, in 2012, it’s a great time to be a child of the 1980s. In Hallmark stores alone, there’s a DeLorean Back to the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, 1990's, Action Figures, Ben, Christmas | 2 Comments

Have a Very Disney Christmas with Mickey, Goofy, Tron, and V.I.N.C.E.N.T.

Posted on December 4, 2012 by

As evidenced by the other articles you’re seeing pop up this month on The Collector Gene, we’re a family that’s very, very, VERY much into the holiday season. My parents have been very, very lucky to amass such a nice … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Advertising, Ben, Disney | Leave a comment

Rock Lords – The Gnarliest of Narlies, Snarlie Narlie!

Posted on November 27, 2012 by

I’ve mentioned Rock Lords in passing in my Kojak article, but I’ll elaborate a little further. While Transformers and Go-Bots were the most popular of the transforming toys of the 1980s, there were several other smaller lines that were popular … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Action Figures, Toys, Weird | 6 Comments

Meet the Oh Lantern Family!

Posted on October 24, 2012 by

As much as I’d like to say that I was a pretty decent artist as a kid, I was never able to master the art of pumpkin carving. From drawing the outline on the uneven surface of the pumpkin to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Amy, Ben, Halloween, Holiday, Humor, Monsters, Toys, Weird | 18 Comments

I Know I Am a Child of the 80’s and 90’s… But I Totally Had a Monster-Nik Growing Up.

Posted on October 18, 2012 by

It feels like forever since I have written an article, and in honor of it being October I wanted to write about something Halloween-related.  In this case, I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Halloween toys as a … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970's, 1980's, 1990's, Action Figures, Amy, Halloween, Holiday, Humor, Monsters, Toys, Weird | 2 Comments

Thunder Wings Lion-O

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

I’m a huge Thundercats fan now, but as a kid, I was only really familiar with some of the toys and had only a passing knowledge of the cartoon. It wasn’t until Cartoon Network’s Toonami started rerunning old episodes in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980's, Action Figures, Ben, Monsters, Toys, Weird | Leave a comment