Sixties City - Leisure designs, Toys and Memorabilia

Toys and Books
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	By the mid-sixties Corgi die-cast toys featured elements such as boots that opened to reveal luggage, bonnets that housed finely-detailed engines and removable plastic tops for convertible models like the Jaguar E-type. Battery-powered front and rear lights were also introduced during this period.
	They also developed a smaller pocket-sized range known as Husky cars ( later renamed Corgi Junior ). The success of these led to the creation of Rockets, special small cars with fast wheels designed especially for racetracks. In 1965 Corgi started marketing licensed toys, the first of which was the Aston Martin DB-5 from the James Bond movies. Like its big brother, the car featured a working ejector seat.
	Corgi produced many cars based on vehicles used in films and television shows such as Batman, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Avengers and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the last of which has become one of the most-desired Corgi collectibles.
	Matchbox’s range of models changed regularly but its basic line always contained 75 cars. New cars were introduced and less popular ones were put out to grass but the “Matchbox 75” remained a constant of the toy world.
	Ruth Handler, co-founder of Mattel Toys, unveiled 'Barbie', the teenage fashion model, at New York's annual Toy Fair in 1959. In the early sixties she began wearing designer outfits such as Gay Parisienne modelled after Parisian haute couture fashions. As the 60s gave way to the "British Invasion", Barbie got a fashion makeover and her body style, hair, face and makeup changed as well. In addition to wearing mod fashions, Barbie's body acquired a new 'Twist 'N Turn' waist and a younger face with rooted eyelashes.
	'Sindy - The Doll You Love To Dress' - 1962 First manufactured by Pedigree of Kent and bearing a striking resemblance to the American doll 'Tammy', she was launched with a then unprecedented advertising campaign. Sindy became an instant hit with 200,000 dolls sold by Christmas of that year. Now considered to be the British version of 'Barbie', she was joined by boyfriend 'Paul' in 1965. Pictured in the 'weekender' outfit designed by Foale & Tuffin
	'Action Man' 12" posable figure by Palitoy Ltd, of Coalville, Leicester. Introduced January 1966, based on Hasbro's American 'G.I.Joe' and in the face of fierce competition from 'Tommy Gunn'
	Brian Jarvis, and Bert and Ted Coleman formed a company in 1967 under the name DÜBREQ and were responsible for this groundbreaking invention. The Nationwide TV coverage on Rolf Harris's show and other programs led to the Stylophone becoming highly popular. In the early days, Stylophone was only available by mail order, each unit being hand made. The original cost £8 18s 6d in the late 60's which in today's money is the equivalent of £95!
	Scalextric - Fifties toy that was a big Sixties hit Minimodels Limited introduced a range of metal bodied model racing cars in 1952 which contained a unique type of clockwork motor. The inventor of these was Mr B. Francis and the trade name was SCALEX. Minimodels was sold to the Tri-ang Group in November 1958. In 1963 four new cars were launched, making a total of 18 different cars, two motorcycle combinations, complete with Tri-ang's RX motor and accurately moulded plastic bodies. The variable speed hand throttle replaced the original controller and new track sections and buildings enabled reproductions of actual race tracks to be launched.

'Ker-Plunk' Ideal 1967	Wham-O’s 'Super Ball', marketed in Summer 1965, was invented by Norman Stingley. Combining compounds under extreme pressure and temperature he produced a material called ‘Zectron,’ which was able to retain a high degree of bounciness when dropped.		In 1965 Denys Fisher introduced children to geometry with a set of ridged and toothed plastic shapes called Spirograph. This amazing toy created intricate designs when a pen traced the path of a small shape as it rolled inside one of the bigger ones. It was awarded ‘Toy of the Year’ in '67, and was then acquired and marketed by Kenner.
	Playplax by Trendon 1965 Designed by Patrick Rylands		'Space Hopper' by Mettoy was available in blue or orange
	'Trolls' - DAM Things - Denmark Invented by Thomas Dam, 1964		'Tiny Tears' - Palitoy - 1966 wet herself and cried with help from bottled water
	FAB 1 - Thunderbirds Dinky Toys 1967		Thunderbird 2 Dinky Toys 1967
	Twister, invented by Reyn Guyer, was a large vinyl mat and a spin-board. It grabbed the attention of millions of viewers when Johnny Carson played it with Eva Gabor on his late night talk show in 1966. Players took turns spinning the plastic arrow around a small board with 4 quadrants: right leg, left leg, right arm, left arm.		If your arrow landed on a blue spot in the “Right Leg” corner, you located the blue spot that was the most physically possible for you to reach. The first player to collapse was the loser but since he usually brought all the others down with him, the winners didn’t have a long time to gloat.
	'Avengers' Gift Set Corgi Toys 1965		The Batmobile Corgi Toys c. 1966
	'The Saint' Volvo P1800 Corgi Toys c. 1963		The Daleks - Mid 60s Marx - 60s Palitoy - 70s
	The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Gun-firing T.H.R.U.S.H.-buster car and ring Corgi 1966		Monkeemobile Airfix c.1966 also by AMT and Corgi Juniors
	James Bond '007' gun with silencer, c.1963		Beatles 'Yellow Submarine' Corgi 1969
	The Man From U.N.C.L.E. T.H.R.U.S.H. multi-purpose weapon Ideal 1965		The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Agent's Badge Ideal 1965
	The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Gun and Silencer Ideal 1965	'Mouse Trap' Ideal 1963	'Battling Tops' also ' Battling Spaceships' Ideal 1968
	'Twiggy' fashion doll