The 80's Toy Ark: 2011

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Care Bears Care-A-Lot Playset Information & First-Shot Prototype

I found the above image online years ago. Check out the differences between the catalog first shot (above) and the finished product (below). I especially love that gooey cake Birthday Bear and Tender Heart are about to devour. If you look closely you can see that the shapes are very similar but subtly different.

OTHER INFO ON THE CARE-A-LOT PLAYSET:

Rarity: Semi Hard to Find

MIB VALUE: Around $80 Complete, $100 with box

MIP Pictures

On the sides of the box it says: "Use the Look About Loft to help the CARE BEARS see if anyone needs some special "CARE BEARS" help! You can help the CARE BEARS have fun sliding in their cloud chairs. And how about a ride on the swinging star? Oops, looks like Bedtime Bear has found another place to sleep."

Additional Info

The designer of the remarkable playset was a Kenner Employee by the name of David Winslow.

This playset was sold worldwide. It appeared on the market with the 1st-issue poseable line in 1983 and the package remained the same throughout 1987. The European box is slightly different as you can see in the above photos.

It came with the following loose and removable accessories: Blue Slide, Attachable Telescope, Attatchable Sun (Top of Playset), Blue Cloud Table, 3 Cloud Chairs, Yellow Swing, Yellow Spinner (Poseables sit on it and it spins in the center of the playset), Heart Tabletop Piece, Star Tabletop Piece, Cupcake Tabletop Piece. No poseables were included with the set.

David Winslow's Origional Care-A-Lot artwork:

Helpful information from David Winslow: "I was a designer for Kenner in the early 1980's and developed product for Care Bears along with Strawberry Shortcake. Up for auction from my personal files is the the original rendering (25 X 19 INCHES) presented to Kenner management to get the go ahead on the Care a Lot playset. Also included is an early production sample boxed for the playset, an original Kenner inter office write up for the Care Bear line that was passed out at the meeting. Original drawings inclued for the elevations of the playset that were used by the model maker to start creating this toy."

This art set was auctioned off on ebay in July of 2007. Notice the variations from the produced version, a heart window, an entrance from the back, a middle pole, sun and moon retraction, etc.

OTHER HELPFUL SCANS
Click on the Picture to see it full sized

STICKER SHEET SCANS

DIRECTIONS PAMPHLET SCANS

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

My Child Doll Restoration

A very nice girl in Canada sent me these rather tragic My Child dolls.

Both were very stained, with gerying faces and hands. The dark-haird one even had some food substance all over her face, neck and chest. I decided I needed to save these poor gals, post haste!

I stripped them down and prepped a cocktail of detergent and fels naptha paste, which I applied with a toothbrush to all the messy spots.

You might recall this post where I show my new method of spot-cleaning my stuffed animals using a Waterpik flossing system. I wish I got a video of how easily all the gunk came off with the water pressure. It was amazing! Dirt just vanished away, like counter crud in some sort of infomercial. If I find another dingy doll I promise to make a video, it was fun and cool and not hard on the dollies at all!

Here they are, wet but clean!

After they dried ⁮I applied new makeup using watercolor pencils. Don't they look pretty!

Click on the image to see!

Time to do their hair!

I scrounged up an outfit for the knot-top and washed the original jammies blondie came in.

And voila! New dolls!

I put them up on my little white shelf along with my other two My Child Dolls. I have given them names too!

Here we have: Ebony, Robbie, Allie and Erica.

I must say as a side note, I have had the most horrible couple of weeks at work and just in general. I am so grateful I have toys to help get me through. They are faithful friends who always help get my mind off things.