The Toy Army Men that Scammed America

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 พ.ย. 2024

ความคิดเห็น • 96

  • @edwardallen3579
    @edwardallen3579 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +23

    Living in England I was always pissed off that I couldn't order these fantastic looking sets! Now I'm glad I didn't! By the way Hong Kong wasn't part of China back then as it was a British territory.

    • @bobreaper2142
      @bobreaper2142 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      I always wanted them too never had the money

  • @iangabor6822
    @iangabor6822 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +13

    Women's auxiliary volunteer enlisted service (WAVES) and Women's auxiliary corps (WACs). I've seen a lot of people speaking fondly of this set on FB groups so I don't think the kids of yester year feel scammed out of their buck 75.

  • @BladeStar-uq6xe
    @BladeStar-uq6xe 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +19

    I think I wanted the Revolutionary War Army Men, but I never had the money. I've since learned that all of these were ripoffs. Either flats or miniatures.

    • @scockery
      @scockery 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      Ones I've encountered, the minis were the better. I'm biased because I like old 1/72 scale toy soldiers. Yes, these were undetailed minis, but the flats are just weird.

    • @robertramesy2759
      @robertramesy2759 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Was and waves are women soldiers

    • @BladeStar-uq6xe
      @BladeStar-uq6xe วันที่ผ่านมา

      @robertramesy2759 They were in the military, but they were nurses, not soldiers.

  • @toejam503
    @toejam503 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    4 - 6 weeks delivery was common before 1995. No computers, no delivery hubs, packages would wait in a truck until the truck was full when headed to a certain state. Then packages got transferred to trucks going to certain large cities, then transferred to trucks bound for smaller towns or certain counties.

  • @PaperThinArmor
    @PaperThinArmor 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +9

    To think these went up in price by 50 cents.
    These would at least make good range or shooting gallery targets for the 3d dimensional army men or be cardboard cutout decorations for them.

  • @billystreetman1469
    @billystreetman1469 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    I got the Revolutionary Soldier set. They were much better. More realistic and not flat like the one you showed in this video. Blue for the American side. Red for the British. I was happy for my purchase.Only thing was they were smaller. But more detailed

  • @thetowerkeeper
    @thetowerkeeper 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    Russ Heath was THE military comics artist with many attempting to copy his style. I sent my money from the UK to Helen of Toy and...nothing turned up. Apparently a lot of "international orders" were never fulfilled.

  • @jimidunlap8919
    @jimidunlap8919 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +6

    4 to 6 weeks even in the 90s.. kids these days have no idea.

    • @jaycee_baron
      @jaycee_baron 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      In the early '90s when I'd special order a paperback book at a bookstore it would show up six months later.

  • @MrTwippy
    @MrTwippy 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    That was actually quick shipping for the time. 6-8 weeks was the normal shipping span. I ordered the Revolutionary war soldiers in the early 70’s. They weren’t flat. They were actually 1/72 scale. I liked them but remembered I was initially disappointed. I was expecting 1/32 Marx sized soldiers, but they grew on me. I kept them in a brown lunch bag....and my mom ended up throwing them away.😢 on a side note, I find it funny that he had to “ask his mom for money” most of us 70’s kids had our own money because we cut lawns or delivered papers. My parents biggest objection to those adds was sending cash through the mail and potential for hoax. However to the credit of these comic book vendors, you always got something in the mail.

  • @lukebarber9511
    @lukebarber9511 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +7

    In Jon Scieszcka's autobiography "knuckleheads", there's a hilarious passage about how he bought this set, was supremeley disappointed by its contents, and then proceeded to scam his younger brother into buying the set off him for twice what he paid for it.

  • @kellysnipe9586
    @kellysnipe9586 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    My favorites were the KNIGHTS. The ad illustrations fooled me into thinking I was getting BEEEEAUTIFUL armies of yellow, gold, and green knights----what a dream come true! But not really! And to this day I STILL can't find any GOOD knight armies in various bright colors (although CTS has some Marx reissues in limited colors).

  • @HO-bndk
    @HO-bndk วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    9:50 Hence the line in "Top Gun" when the commander threatens Maverick with reducing him to flying "...planeloads of rubber dog**it out of Hong Kong!" 😂

  • @paulbarbacano1109
    @paulbarbacano1109 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +8

    It always took 4 to 6 and 4 to 8 weeks... It was horrible 😡

    • @doubleedgedfist1535
      @doubleedgedfist1535 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      Yes, I concur. It did take that long.

    • @HO-bndk
      @HO-bndk วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@doubleedgedfist1535 "Allow 28 days for delivery" 😊

  • @TostitoMan
    @TostitoMan 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    God damn man, i was looking through my subcriptions and i remember you from reddit XD Its nice to see your still posting!
    If youre interested, id love to see a toy soldier iceberg explained. I actually think that might go viral in some sense :p

    • @theplasticcommander
      @theplasticcommander  2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      That’s not a half bad idea! I do wanna do a tier list for sure in the future, though. I’m glad you’ve stuck around this long and thanks for helping my channel get its footing back in the day!

  • @johnclarke25
    @johnclarke25 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    Would have loved to have these back in the late 60s,wanted the awi set but couldn't get them in the UK,only found out a few years ago they were disappointing.

    • @edwardallen3579
      @edwardallen3579 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Me too, so glad now that they wouldn't post overseas!

  • @nicktalbot3310
    @nicktalbot3310 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Outstanding video. I was ripped off by that set when I was a kid. Your video Is great

  • @CreativeCeranicPictures
    @CreativeCeranicPictures วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Lol this reminds of the boot camp in the video game on the PC in the late nineties.

  • @jamesorth6460
    @jamesorth6460 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Back in the 1970s never had the flat ones, however my folks got me the better ones, a bag of plastic army men you would find in the the stores

  • @gonzgrim4054
    @gonzgrim4054 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Looking it up, the WACs refer to the Women's Army Corps, which explains the female army men in the kit. Pretty unique for a set back then!

  • @kevinfinn6853
    @kevinfinn6853 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Sad but true I begged my mom to get this set and she did and that's exactly what I saw when I opened the box I was so heartbroken

  • @BunnyBun11
    @BunnyBun11 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Wow those are just awful! The poor kids back then

  • @jamesorth6460
    @jamesorth6460 วันที่ผ่านมา

    the Women's Auxillary Army Corps (WAAC) and its naval analog, the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES) and airborn division, the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS).

  • @KORIGAN1
    @KORIGAN1 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    It's so crazy that cleaned out my closet and I found all my old Louis marx plastic army men from 1963 the gray German ones made in the United States i 🤔 think , and I found this video on TH-cam 2 Days later funny😂😂 I didn't realize how much those Louis marx figures were worth , 30 figures $45 on ebay sold I found them in a goodwill digging room . I bought pennies on dollar 7,. years ago I thought I threw them away

  • @scockery
    @scockery 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    4- 6 weeks was nothing. I ordered stuff from Habro in the 1980's and it was even longer.
    Or just pre-order something from Walmart now and you might get it or refund within 7 months.

  • @kilroy7888
    @kilroy7888 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Kilroy was here (fun fact, WAC stands for women's army corps)

  • @williamkinkopf7125
    @williamkinkopf7125 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Got the "Task force " set when i was 9 it was more of a variation of chess where you put your pieces on a vinyl gameboard

    • @JackDrinkn2DollarJim
      @JackDrinkn2DollarJim 41 นาทีที่ผ่านมา

      I still have all those games. Not easy cuz my brother would toss stuff when He lost.

  • @masudashizue777
    @masudashizue777 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    We were living in Japan and didn't have PX privileges so my friend sent away for one of these. I was how small and flat everything was when he showed me the set. It wasn't what either of us imagined.

  • @jamesorth6460
    @jamesorth6460 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    back in the '70s a lot stuff was made in Taiwan as well

  • @jamesmurray8558
    @jamesmurray8558 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I saved my lawn mower money for the army men in 1970. Still waiting for them.😂

  • @bedixon1
    @bedixon1 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    allowing for inflation $1.75 in 1977 is $9.00 today

  • @commodorerook3797
    @commodorerook3797 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Yep, 4 to 6 weeks was the norm. Closer to the six weeks....

  • @antonmassopust568
    @antonmassopust568 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    They are called flats among the salt toy soldier collectors

  • @ronaldmcdonald8303
    @ronaldmcdonald8303 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Your right about those shadows btw, people have seen them for many years all across the world. I've seen similar things, but not Mr shadow, fortunately. No-one wants to believe me, but I've seen lots of strange stuff.

    • @Hatzegopterixguy5224
      @Hatzegopterixguy5224 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

      Ronald McDonald did you forget to take your meds again?

    • @ronaldmcdonald8303
      @ronaldmcdonald8303 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      ​@Hatzegopterixguy5224 It's not my meds, I know you don't believe me, no-one does, it's only fake when you don't experience it yourself. I know exactly what I saw, I used to be a skeptic, until it happened to me. If I were you I wouldn't go looking for them, you will get a horrible shock, just like others did who tried to prove me wrong and found out the hard way. Stay away from Ouija boards.

    • @ronaldmcdonald8303
      @ronaldmcdonald8303 วันที่ผ่านมา

      ​@@Hatzegopterixguy5224you would be surprised 😮

  • @robertthurman9866
    @robertthurman9866 วันที่ผ่านมา

    WACS (Women's Army Corp.) Waves were the Navy Branch.

  • @gregf9360
    @gregf9360 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    i had that set as well as the revolutionary war set even as a kid i knew they were junk as soon as i got em. instant junk pile material lol.4-6 weeks was common back then sometimes 6-8 weeks for shipping

  • @Aprilseahorse
    @Aprilseahorse วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    I was one of those weird kids. I took care of my toys. I still have most of my childhood toys. I still have my revolutionary war soldiers. The plus side was that I couldn't carry many Marx soldiers in my pocket, but I could carry most of my revolutionary soldiers. They came in just a white mailing box.
    Not a cool foot locker.

  • @Plasticimperialstudios
    @Plasticimperialstudios 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    Just call them flat Stanleys

  • @MarlinWilliams-ts5ul
    @MarlinWilliams-ts5ul วันที่ผ่านมา

    I bought the X Ray glasses lol. Boy was I disappointed.

  • @angelohernandez6060
    @angelohernandez6060 19 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Nope, that shipping time was pretty much normal but mostly it usually took longer in reality.

  • @premkenneth8939
    @premkenneth8939 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +2

    They look similar like Russian toy soldier

  • @JohnPatterson-kz8jr
    @JohnPatterson-kz8jr 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I always wanted to buy them but I never did.
    Turned out I got a better deal buying the plastic toy soldiers at either the dime store or supermarket for the same price.😮😅😊😢

  • @JohnPatterson-kz8jr
    @JohnPatterson-kz8jr 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    WACS stood for Women's Army Corps while WAVES stood for Women Accepted For Volunteer Emergency Services.😮😅😊😢

  • @KlausCarnerStudios
    @KlausCarnerStudios 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +5

    These were definitely scam army men

  • @inspector2363
    @inspector2363 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    Its the toy equivalent of real fake decoy tanks & dummy troops used to fool enemy scouts.

  • @ivane5110
    @ivane5110 22 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    4-6 weeks was definitely not unusual, and if you got it in just the 4 you were stoked. I clearly remember all of these ads when they came out (even had that Woody Woodpecker). The WW2 and Roman Empire ads particularly looked cool to most of us.For whatever reason none of us (in my area) sent for them ; the seeds and issues ofGrit to sell, definitely. And we were all across the board on what the vehicles looked like for real and even the size (height) of the Army menbut I dont recall anyone even suspecting that they might those near 2D oddballs. Agreed, less at a normal size woukdve been far better.

  • @bobreaper2142
    @bobreaper2142 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    There was a Roman Civil war set you could buy too.

  • @PS-hv7on
    @PS-hv7on วันที่ผ่านมา

    My brother got taken in by that soldier scam. They trule were pathetic.

  • @sandovalperry2895
    @sandovalperry2895 วันที่ผ่านมา

    At least most of your men could stand up on their base. I bought the Revolutionary War set in 1964 and the bases were warped so most of them didn’t stand up. I went to Hong Kong 20 years later and found out that a lot of these things were made by kids. I bet they thought American kids were stupid to buy this junk.

  • @LordZontar
    @LordZontar 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Flat and semi-flat toy soldiers have a long tradition in wargaming, but these figures are poorly designed and very cheap mouldings. Glad I never sent away for these. Didn't need to since I already had fully round plastic Army Men, which me and my friends would fight in the backyard with the troops positioned in forts built from stacked bricks and shooting them with rubber-band guns.

  • @dennisearhart5453
    @dennisearhart5453 วันที่ผ่านมา

    At the 16.13 mark in your video your finger was on the bazooka guy.

  • @Davidgoldenswan
    @Davidgoldenswan 6 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    I bet people collect those now😅 for the price 😅 I've seen worse 😅as a kid I would have played with those 😂 and in England some companies still say allow 28 days for delivery 😂😂😂 remember kids had far less to play with years ago😂

  • @Madness-r4x
    @Madness-r4x 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    Sup bro

  • @jodispencercounseling
    @jodispencercounseling 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

    💚💚💚💚💚💚

  • @QuizmasterLaw
    @QuizmasterLaw 14 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    When Flatland declared war on 3Dimensia they sent their very best: they knew they were disposable, but they also knew they would be very hard targets with a remarkably small profile. And before you think it's over, before you dare think they won, let me remind you of their second wave. The die cut cardboard counters, with NATO symbols.
    And before you dare get cocky let me remind you: this is a game where you roll a Die to see who loses.
    Rumors persist that sleeper cells from Flatlandia's invasion still lurk in huddled hobo camps reminding us all of the time they took a PRESIDENT and laid him out on a track "flat as a pancake".

  • @ronaldmcdonald8303
    @ronaldmcdonald8303 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    He he, even Iggi made a video that mentioned these.

  • @Burninhellscrootoob
    @Burninhellscrootoob 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I never even got the ripoff flat ones, they just took my money and it took us like a year to get a refund

  • @jebbthetrainkid1281
    @jebbthetrainkid1281 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Yeah I bought them. The Art Work was a 100 times better than what you got.

  • @mudvalve
    @mudvalve 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Whoa! Those strobe light scenes should not have been edited in, bro. You may have some issues with people with epilepsy.

    • @theplasticcommander
      @theplasticcommander  3 วันที่ผ่านมา +4

      I went ahead and put a warning on the thumbnail. Thank you for letting me know.

    • @mudvalve
      @mudvalve 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

      @ that’s awesome! 🤩

  • @far-out_man
    @far-out_man วันที่ผ่านมา

    They would have to be making a profit somehow but how?

  • @paulbarbacano1109
    @paulbarbacano1109 3 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    👍🤳🍻

  • @kevinfinn6853
    @kevinfinn6853 2 วันที่ผ่านมา

    The women wear the wacks

  • @RR-mg7zx
    @RR-mg7zx 3 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    waves navy women and wac airforce women

  • @wayloncooper3251
    @wayloncooper3251 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    When next stream????

    • @theplasticcommander
      @theplasticcommander  วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@wayloncooper3251 sometime tonight most likely seven central!

  • @bedixon1
    @bedixon1 2 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    wacs and waves are female .

    • @HO-bndk
      @HO-bndk วันที่ผ่านมา

      When I saw the ad in my innocent/ignorant youth, I thought "WAVES" meant you got moulded water waves. 😂

  • @sonnyajero
    @sonnyajero วันที่ผ่านมา

    I ask that from my mom to tell Dad to buy me a set of those when he travels to U.S.A. because he was a ship's deck officer route in Asia, Pacific, and Atlantic

  • @DavidNeal-mf9ky
    @DavidNeal-mf9ky 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา +1

    What a rip off. Only thing you could do is turn them into badges or fridge magnets 🧲

  • @Kanezilla66
    @Kanezilla66 วันที่ผ่านมา

    I did send for that when I was a kid did not like it .

  • @DavidNeal-mf9ky
    @DavidNeal-mf9ky 7 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

    What a complete rip off. Wonder how many complaints they had from angry parents demanding their money 🤑 back. Only thing you could use these flat figures and vehicles is to stick them in the background of your model army 🪖 collection on display

  • @itsyaboidj2297
    @itsyaboidj2297 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Dude i bought one of these off ebay and i got scammed by the paper 🥲

    • @itsyaboidj2297
      @itsyaboidj2297 วันที่ผ่านมา

      litterally the paper was all i got