Top 10 Vintage Action Figure Playsets of all Time Ranked!
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2022
- Top vintage toy playsets of all time list ranking! Join me as we count down in order.
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My favorite playsets from various toy lines such as GI Joe, Transformers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Real Ghostbusters, LJN WWF Superstars, M.A.S.K., and Masters of the Universe!
Many key years from 1982 to 1990, and so on!
Spoiler ALERT, you'll see: The USS Flagg, Terror Drome, Mobile Command Center from G.I. Joe A Real American Hero, G1 Fortress Maximus, Boulder Hill, TMNT Sewer Lair, Technodrome, Firehouse, LJN Sling 'em Fling 'em Ring and Steel Cage, Castle Grayskull, and others such as the Death Star!
Thanks to the Patreon Supporters:
- Troy D
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- GenXToysGeek[Jody]
- Peter Johnny
- Steve Plett
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- Sgt Slaughter's Slaughterhouse
Additional thanks for images to: Peter Horvath, Mark Sheridan, Brian Lauzon, and Carson from 3DJoes.com
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Artist: Audionautix
Website: audionautix.com/
Track: Rock Intro 3
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
2:00 correction - I state that Spawn is created in 1994 but really it's the figures that began in 1994 but the comic I show in the photo was from 1992, prior to the toys. McFarlane Toys was also created in 1994.
Ash Williams (Army of darkness) or Josh Mcgrath (Max Steel) or Action Man (1993) or Guts / Gatsu (berserk) be like He man, Ash and Cheryl 20 years old have more equivalents from others dimensions in TMNT cartoons series
"should I have kept it?", short answer = yes, longer answer = hells yes
Man, growing up in the 80’s and having the Sears Christmas catalogue was some of the best memories I have!
Some Mego playsets of the 1970s were very imaginative and highly sought after by collectors today.
I wamted all of these as an 80s baby. Grayskull is the only one I had as a kid, and immediately picked up the re-issue as an adult.
Wow. You’re lucky to have owned and own so many playsets. I didn’t own a single playset growing up. My younger brother had the gray skull but I was never into motu. Wonderful and informative episode. Congratulations ✨🌟👍🏼
This is a great list Ken 👍🏽 I love the wwf ring added - it’s the ultimate play set! My parents couldn’t afford any play sets so my dad built us a ring for our LJN figures and it just brought everything to life - we loved it and spent hours with it. I have a Hasbro wwf ring on the way and am sooo looking forward to getting it 💪🏽
Ah a custom ring even back then - good idea! Anyway yeah i figured the ring + cage was a good sleeper hit to include that most people wouldn't otherwise have thought of.
This is a great list! Here is my personal top 10 favorite vintage playsets!
1. GI JOE Mobile Command Center
2. Castle Greyskull (But I think the Origins version is slightly better)
3. Jurassic Park Command Compound
4. Sectaurs Hyve
5. USS Flagg
6. The Lost World Mobile Command Center
7. GI JOE Tactical Battle Platform
8. The POTF Millennium Falcon
9. The many variations of the 90s Kenner Batcave
10. The Technodrome
Excellent list! Yeah the jurassic park compound and sectaurs hyve are popular ones i ended up leaving off.
Excellent video on a great topic. Those playsets are awesome and a playset, big or small was always at the center of my toy adventures back in the 80's. Great list👍👍👍
Glad you enjoyed it! On that note - I'd love to see you, Pete and Jeff put together some form of 80s playset list, big or small 😎
@@ToyKennections we where talking about that a wile ago so that might Just happen some day😉👍
The mobile command center will always have a special place in my heart. Was fortunate enough to have one as a child.
Boulder Hill was the only playset I had growing up and remains one of my all-time top favorites. Cool list.
I almost nabbed one myself back in 2020, but to this day it still eludes me. Glad you enjoyed the list! I was concerned you (or any SW fan) might think I missed the Ewok Village in my honorable mentions 🙈
@Toy Kennections It's YOUR list. There is nothing to miss since it's whatever you choose. Don't let anyone tell you that "you missed" or "you forgot". Unless they can read your mind they can't tell you what was missing from your own personal list.
I'm lucky enough to still have my Boulder Hill. Hope you find one someday.
@@MichaelJShaffer that's what I like about you, bud! You respect others lists wholeheartedly. I recall seeing your impressive MASK collection on live streams 😎
I miss the days of playsets 😔 I hope to pick up a Technodrome some day. Great list 🏆🙌
I myself may need a sewer lair again.
Great list Ken! Knowing IS half the battle. Well done!
This was fun to put together!
So many fantastic playsets! Thanks for the trip down memory lane!
This was the golden age of toys 😎
My all-time favorite playset is definitely the WWF ring. My best friends and I spent countless hours playing with that thing. Unfortunately, I never owned the steel cage accessory when I was a kid. However, I do own one now alongside three Sling ' em Fling 'em rings. Awww...the memories.
Had the Wayne mansion with bat cave and a chemical factory on the back. Can’t tell you how many adventures I had with it. Such a great play set.
Great video Ken! Terrordrome only got #4 but will always be #1 for me. Loved the punny ending :)
It may have been #5 or 6 but you and a few Patrons lobbied for it... that and I miss it after putting it away in storage!
I had the G.I Joe Terror Drome and Trypticon - The Transformers City-Bot which could be considered a playset.
But my favorite thing to do was make my own bases. I built them out of Construx and used Legos to make interior scenery like computer consuls. If it were a 'mountain base' I'd cover it with a blanket.
The best part was that I could inflict damage to the base by throwing something or simply hitting it with my fist.
Good choices!
I never had any of the big playsets as a kid but did have a few. I would often make a compound with the Gi Joe Watchtower, Checkpoint Alpha and Outpost Defender. My cousin had the GiJoe HQ and I remember playing with that a few times. I loved the elevating platform on that thing! My favorite though, was the microfigure Thundercats Cats Lair. I went the micro route for Thundercats because they were so much cheaper and at the time, much easier to find in stores. I got the Lair for Christmas in 87 along with a number of figures and played Thundercats alot that winter.
I have had half a thought to do a list for the small Joe playsets
I have to appreciate this well written narrative.
Thank you
I think the Flagg hits #1 on these lists because of its rarity leaning into a mythic status symbol for collectors.
Personally, I had the MCC, and still gave parts of it packed away, as well as the Avenger shuttle, but that was enough to make the full launch complex my own personal grail…someday….
Also, no love for the Playmates Trek line? The NG Bridge was THEIR Castle Grayskull or USS Flagg by comparison. I still have mine, the Transporter set, and a shuttle craft, as well as a Runabout, DS9, and Borg sphere packed up with the older stuff I just can’t find room for among my Legends and mix of TF/DC/Wrestling figures.
(And I’m sure that BvS Wayne Manor/Batcave will be a prime piece in years to come. I got several on clearance for DC, Avengers and X-Mansions, and a villain base.)
Coming from the UK, We never got the USS Flagg - Rarity or not... That had to be Number 1 because HOLY CRAP!!! THE SIZE, THE PLAY FEATURES, IT HAD IT ALL!
If I were to make a list on what I could get here in the UK, Wither I owned them or not - CASTLE GREYSKULL... Number 1... Beyond any doubt! I never had it... I had Snake Mountain and that was SO COOL too!
You can't tell me that He Man and Skeletor or any number of other action figures never met in the Sling Em Fling Em Wrestling ring! That thing had tons of play value! Ahhhh....the Flagg. The ultimate Toy Table. Can We get an honourable mention for the Kenner Millennium Falcon? And I would also add the Barbie dream house which has been around in one form or another since 1962. It's probably the longest running playset of all time
They sure had fun in the ring!
Haha, since i began my video with stating the action figure era began in 1964, it gave me the reason to omit a 1962 set, lol.
Great video, and It just gave me an idea for a video for my channel! We talked about my number one already the technodrome, but you can’t argue with that US Flag. Doubt it will ever be outdone.
Hey bud! Good to see you here and thx for helping encourage me to make this video when we last talked. Would be happy to see your idea.
My favorite playset is the vintage Star Wars Dagobah playset because it condensed an entire planet into a little plastic island and because of the play features which were like clever little magic tricks to help Luke learn to use the force.
I got that one about a year ago! It's cool!
I had the Technodrome AND Sewer playsets. Getting them one X-mas is one of my oldest memories.
Sounds like an amazing Christmas.
Awesome video Ken, I don't think I had any play sets when I was a kid. I don't remember if I ever asked for or or my parents just decided not to buy any.
Well, I know you got a Roboskull coming. More of a vehicle but still has that big stature!
@@ToyKennections 2023 lol!!!!
I've been looking forward to this!
Your name is mentioned in it too :)
And you were one of the folks I did this video for!
Epic video !
Awesome video!
Thx Todd!
Really well done!!
Thx Steve
I lucked out a couple of years ago at Zolocon here in Pennsylvania and found one of my toy Holy Grails, the Cobra Terror Drome! It was 100 percent complete with the Firebat & A.V.A.C.S pilot. He even threw in an extra Firebat & Pilot. I managed to talked him down to $500, due to the fact that his wife said that he better not bring it home!😂 I also have the Original GI Joe Headquarters and the Mobile Headquarters as well.
My Death Star playset is my all time favorite!
If i were to go back in time, i would get 10 vintage playsets:
(1)Gijoe USS Flag (2)Thundercats Lair (3) Real Ghostbusters Fireouse (4) Motu Castle Grayskull (5)Star Wars Death Star Space Station (6)Mask Boulderhill (7)TMNT Technodrome (8)Coleco Rambo FOF Savage Strike HQ (9)Super Powers Collection Hall of Justice (10)Gobots Command Center.
All good choices!
Playsets where the most exciting thing to play with. I miss those days.
Me too! Maybe you can send me some, Shane 😆😆
Cool list of playsets As a collector I have a fiew playsets as a kid I made my playsets with shoe boxes.
That's a good way to get creative!
Yeah my parents weren’t rich so I made playsets with shoes boxes I remember my deathstar I had like 5 boxes taped in a way to make corridors, rooms prison cell I used it for my gi joe after my star wars phase 😃
Some interesting playsets that are shown. Can understand your choices, though objectively maybe because GI Joe was not popular among my friends that time, I think that the Death Star, castle grey skull and the ghostbusters firehouse are best of all playsets ever created. They are iconic and represent the era like no others and many kids that time owned them...yes I think that rarerity should not be a criteria, but many kids could afford the Death Star for example and still until today you can find a lot of these in complete and good condition...isn’t that a sign that these toys hit the interest of the kids at those time and that it was produced in good quality to survive 35 years...
Nice Joe Collection, I spy a Bombardier!
Good eye! Yes, it's a RedLasers unofficial limited run from a few years back.
A bit surprised the Starrior's Cobra Playset from Tomy didn't make it to this list.
Great video! A WWE ring would be a playset, didn't think of that before as a playset. Great format, I might do a video of my favorite playsets, with transformer arc ship and wwe rings, I could get up to ten. And a different video for mega Construx. Great collection! O well, with the turtles stuff sold, you got all the pictures you could ever need with that set.
Yup I figured the WWF ring and cage would be a surprise. I miss my turtles playsets, lol.
Glad you enjoyed the video.
I remember buying the technodrone from a carboot for 3 pounds in 98 I was very young and didn't know what it was but I used it as the death star. Worst part is my big sister jumped on it when she was feeling particularly nasty... I remember just being sat there with the remains just balling my eyes out. I tried to keep it and salvage parts from it but my dad just saw it as broken junk and threw it in the bin.. One Day, I told myself I get it again but never did.
Jurassic Park compound. That was a great Christmas
Reminder set, so many iconic playsets tonight!
Let's count this bad boy down!
I had the terror dome, and the joe headquarters command center, and I use to have some all out wars across my living room between them lol, unfortunately SS flag was too much for my dad lol, I think besides that the play set I played with most was the panosh place voltron castle, I had the whole panosh place voltron line, and that castle was perfect👌🏼 as far as including the necessary Easter eggs to show, to where if you had all the lions and paladin figures, you could REALLY accurately re create the show, I even made cardboard tunnels from castle to lions to shoot them thru 🤣
Love the gi joe sets
Same
@ToyKennections Great List... I was never a fan of GI Joe as a kid... Well, Here in the UK, We didn't get GI Joe... We had ACTION FORCE... LOL! We did have teh OG 12 Doll Size GI Joe (Action Man) which was AWESOME... But GI Joe didn't make it over here for quite a while...
... Despite that, If you had NOT put the USS FLAGG as Number 1, I would have thought you had lost your mind!!! Even though we NEVER GOT IT here in the UK... We know the Legends... And that thing is LEGENDARY!!!
The Flagg is indeed legendary. For Action Force, the Z Force Headquarters is gorgeous. Thank you for watching.
@@ToyKennections I will be checking out more of your videos... Anything Retro or Vintage Toys - I am there! :)
@@Phoenix2312 welcome and glad to have you here.
I picked up the Ghostbusters Firehouse in 1993 from a yardsale and made it into Xaviers School for the Gifted.
That's a great idea!
My all time favorite playset fo all time has to be the Batman Forever Batcave, this thing was huge, has a cool design and has plenty of features!
It's a pretty cool set!
Masters of the Universe forever! !!
I really loved my Ewok village and it’s the only one still floating around in my basement.
i know it wasnt mentioned. but the Gijoe Transportable Tactical Battle PLatform was a really cool playset!!
Yes great choice!
We are lucky enough to have most of these playset, including most of the Honorable mentions. We don't have the Flagg though and to be honest, I wouldn't want it anyway, Terrordrome and Defiant ar much better playsets
My Top 10
1. GI JOE Mobile Command Center
2. Castle Greyskull
3. Fortress Of Fangs
4. Transportable Tactical Battle Platform
5. Cobra Terror Drome
6. Technodrome
7. Boulder Hill
8. Wayne Manor
9. The Lost World Mobile Command Center
10. Ewok Village
Honorable Mentions:
POTF Millennium Falcon
Alien Queen Hive
G1 Metroplex
Gargoyles Castle
Great list
Was the Terror dome better than the gi joe headquarters? cause that thing rocked
Ash Williams (Army of darkness) or Josh Mcgrath (Max Steel) or Action Man (1993) or Guts / Gatsu (berserk) be like He man, Ash and Cheryl 20 years old have more equivalents from others dimensions in TMNT cartoons series
I have the Jurassic Park play set new and in the box ❤
I agree with most of the list but my favorite playset didn't get on the list or honorable mention, and that would be the 1990 G.I.Joe General. Also if I was going to give an honorable mention for myself i would have to go with the Gobot Command Center. It got a ton of play time in my house as a kid, of course we were a Gobot house instead of Transformers, which as an adult i find disappointing...lol.
Lol. Yes, I've heard the Gobot Command Center is a real joy!
Interestingly I did play with the General in the early 90s. Too many good playsets to list.
I will own a flagg one day..
Does anyone remember a very large X-Mansion? I could just be misremembering but I thought KB Toys sold one when I was a kid but my parents weren’t letting me get it because it took up so much space
The bad guys always get the best playsets I think.
Death Star.. Terror Drome... Technodrome... yup I could see the argument easily.
What about the millennium falcon
How did u Not mention Fort Karrium.
10. MOTU Eternia
9. Star Wars Death Star
8. Star Wars Ewok Village
7. Star Wars Millennium Falcon
6. GI Joe Headquarters
5. Castle Grey Skull
4. GI Joe Defiant Space Shuttle
3. Cobra Terror Drone
2. D&D Fang fortress
1. GI Joe USS Flagg
Boulder Hill super sucked, I had it as a kid, it was super lame.
anybody else annoyed how mattel sloppily painted greyskulll?
Not even close to accurate.... the suitcase nasa, army and FT apache.... BATTLE ACTION, 1965.... and so many more. the ones shown here are OK but uncompetitive with the 60s items. The firues are crummy for most here...
Great list, Ken. Only set I would find a place in the top 10 would be Eternia. But great list none the less.
Oh man. If it came down to modern playsets I would think the new Origins one would be on the list 😎