“What Madness is This?”
This website is my private little shrine to my childhood. I was born in 1975 in the Netherlands and spent most of my childhood years in a funky little decennium called the 1980’s. I have very fond memories of watching Saturday and Sunday morning cartoons on Sky Channel’s Fun Factory and lusting over the multitudes of cool toys these cartoon were based on.
80’s toys rule!
“By the Power of Grayskull”
I grew up on a healthy diet of Transformers, Masters of the Universe, M.A.S.K., G.I. Joe and many many more cool products of the 1980’s. I’m an incurable nostalgiac and I have a nerdy obsessive compulsive streak, so it was pretty inevitable that I would end up collecting all these wonderful vintage toys from my youth. They’re tangible objects that prove that it was not just a dream. They’re a physical link to my childhood and I love it! I primarily collect Transformers and G.I. Joe, but I also have an ever growing collection of Masters of the Universe, Blackstar, Battle Beasts, M.A.S.K., Bravestarr and loads of other stuff!
Some of my Transformers
I also absolutely love the amazing design of 1980’s toy packaging and that is why I primarily try collect toys inside their original packaging. Because I grew up in the Netherlands I try to collect the European (or Dutch) packaging variants of said toys and that’s not always easy, because those are usually a lot harder to find than toys in American packaging, even if you live in Europe!
“Europe: United in Diversity”
I also love taking apart as much information as I can find about how and when these toys were available in the Netherlands and the rest of Europe. Where were these toys manufactured, which companies were involved in the distribution process of the toys and how they were made available to retailers. Information on these subject matters online is pretty scare as it is and if there was anything to be found it was usually written from an American point of view. There was virtually no information online on these things from a European perspective and I hope that by writing about the things that I do, that in some small way I am contributing in preventing this information from getting lost forever.
“My Collection Room”
I keep my collection in a dedicated, fortified room somewhere deep, deep underground where it is safely stored and hidden from prying eyes. Well, no…. not really. But I do have a special room set up exclusively to house my ever growing collection of cool 20th century toys! It’s well shielded from those nasty and harmful sun rays (who needs ’em!) and acts as an escape time portal back to somewhere in the latter half of the 1980’s. Whenever modern 21st century life drains my batteries it’s nice to be able to jump back in time every once in a while, to a period when days were simpler!
My collection room
I hope you enjoy your stay here on my website and may it bring you loads of nostalgic entertainment! If you need to contact me you can do so by sending me an email at 20thtc@gmail.com or by dropping a line in the comment section below.
Hi, dropping by to say how much I appreciate your site – the in-depth research that goes into each article, the dedicated designed graphics and all that love. Keep up the good work! =)
Dude, thx for the kind comments! :-)))
Very well deserved. I have also linked your site from mine (I know your banner randomly changes, so I selected the Transformers one by refreshing your site until it turned up!).
Very cool! I am honored. :-) I’m planning on adding a blog roll soon (as soon as I get some time off from work dammit…) and will be sure to add your blog as well – and not just as a courtesy. It’s one of the few TF blogs I check regularly.
Hoi,
Ik kwam je website tegen en ik ben erg onder de indruk van je collectie. Ik organiseer op 9 juni a.s. BOTS, de Transformers Conventie in Nederland. Zou je mij een mailtje willen sturen?
Bedankt,
Godert
I wanted to let you know that we LOVE your site! You have a beautiful collection and well-written and photographed blog entries. Keep up the great work!
Man, I thought I had a big transformer collection! You should come join our community! Email me and we could talk about it. I would love to feature you.
se@box.es
wow! impressive. btw.. i have moc blackstarr toys if interested? have too much stuff in general, i need to downsize
thanks
Lieve hemel, wat een waanzinnige site en verzameling heb jij!!
Ik fantaseer er wel eens over om terug te gaan naar de jaren ’85 t/m ’90 om daar een willekeurige Intertoys, Bart Smit of Speelboom binnen te lopen en te kijken of mijn favoriete MOTU figuren aan de haakjes hangen. Daarna naar huis en voor de buis hangen. In het weekend Fun Factory kijken en doordeweeks Linda en DJ Cat. En dan ‘s avonds klinkt het in de woonkamer: “The WWF, what the world is watching”.
Lijkt me allemaal heel magisch om opnieuw mee te mogen maken!
Ben je van plan om ooit een soort van “groepsfoto” te maken met daarin zoveel mogelijk bekende en minder bekende speelgoedlijnen?
Ik droom er nog steeds van om zo’n panoramische lineup tjokvol speelgoed in originele verpakkingen aan mijn muur te mogen ophangen zodat ik in één oogopslag altijd even terug kan naar mijn helden van toen.
Mocht je nog goede tips hebben over waar ik oude speelgoedgidsen, catalogi en foto’s van winkelinterieurs kan vinden hoor ik het zeer graag van je.
Succes met je site, hij ziet er weergaloos uit en ademt de 80s!
Thieu.
Dank je wel! :-) Speelgoedgidsen/folders uit de jaren 80 zijn echt heel moeilijk aan te komen. Ik ben ze wel eens heel sporadisch op Marktplaats tegengekomen, maar de meeste mensen gooiden die dingen destijds natuurlijk weg. Wat betreft foto’s van interieur van speelgoedwinkels. Er is een vakblad genaamd Speelgoed+Hobby dat al sinds de jaren 70 uitgegeven wordt voor de speelgoedhandel. De edities van de tweede helft van de jaren 80 hadden wel eens foto’s van interieur, maar die publicaties zijn heel moeilijk te vinden. De uitgever heeft ze niet meer denk ik, maar ik heb wel gebonden runs van die uitgaven tussen 1984 en 1989. Ik hoop ooit wat van die artikelen te bundelen en in te scannen voor een artikel op de site, maar dat zal wel even duren vrees ik. :-)
Beste 20th Century Toy Collector,
Wat een indrukwekkende collectie en diepgaande site. Heb net je Jetfire/Optimus mix up artikel gelezen. Geweldig! Ik was wat jonger toen en dus neem je dat soort dingen voor lief. Denk ook aan de Jetfire/Skyfire tegenstelling en de overgang van de cartoon van seizoen 2 naar 3…. zonder bewust te zijn van de film :-S. Ik begreep er niets meer van (Rodimus? Optimus als zombie?), maar ben mijn passie voor Transformers nooit kwijt geraakt. Dus bedankt voor deze site!
Doe je ook videoreviews op Youtube?
Mvg,
Bruticus
Hello sir I am a student at NUST Islamabad, Pakistan. I have been looking for this kind of thing for many weeks. I want to use these jets in a project of mine. Can you help me with that?
Eén woord (twee dan). Magnifieke website.
You have a neat site. It’s a shame it hasn’t been updated in so long. What’s up with that dude?
As for 80’s toys….man, it’s so great to walk away from the 21st century and go back to the 80’s to take a break from it all. I just started mine with MOTU and hot wheels. I even found a 1985 Imperial Godzilla as well. Man, this takes me back!
My big dream would be to open up a shop that specializes or caters to us 80’s folks. Man,how much would that rock?
Keep this site going man!
Hello, my name is Steve Mosco, managing editor at Anton Media Group in Long Island, NY. We are putting together an issue on toy collections and I’m looking for high-resolution photos for the cover of the issue. Would you be able to share any photos of 1980s toy collections for publication? please email me at smosco@antonmediagroup.com
Hi!
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Love what you’re doing at your blog, I can write a fully customized, well-researched post for your website.
Please do let me know if you’re accepting guest posts at the moment, and if there are any preferred themes/topics you’d like me to write about.
I’m really excited about the opportunity and I hope to hear from you soon.
Best regards,
Gerald Marshall
gerald08.10marshall@outlook.com
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Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me via email.
Thank you so much for your time and I am looking forward to hear from you.
Best regards,
Ben Jefferson
Digital marketing Manager
E-mail: kylibinan1234567@gmail.com
Hello,
My name is Ben Jefferson and I am a digital marketing manager. I have been favorably impressed with the superb range of articles at your website. Naturally, I would be delighted if you’d consider posting my article with a link to my website and I would like to know conditions of posting, if possible.
Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to contact me via email.
Thank you so much for your time and I am looking forward to hear from you.
Best regards,
Ben Jefferson
Digital marketing Manager
E-mail: kylibinan1234567@gmail.com
Hey I’m happy to see you’ve collected the MB toy run, very very awesome. Just wanted to stop by and show my appreciation!!!
Hi , i have just discovered your website and i have a question , i live in France and i also have some MB vintage Transformers, do you know if Galvatron city commander from 1986 was released in France ? Thanks
I’ve seen your pictures for years, and only just took the time tonight to truly read through your site. Amazing, amazing stuff man. Really love that things like this exist in our wonderful hobby