Ray Guns and Stores?

[dratomic]

For those of you who paid attention to such things back in the Fifties and Sixties...

Do you remember seeing ray guns (either American plastic or Japanese tin) in stores? Were they prominently displayed? Did they always come in their boxes, or were they sold out of bins, etc?

Also, regarding "display" boxes... How were these generally employed? For instance, was one box open, in it's "display" configuration, while there rest remained closed, stacked underneath? Or were they all open? All closed?

How many kids, do you think, kept the toy at home, displayed in the "display" box? As opposed to just put in the box, closed up, and shoved into a closet...

Thanks.

(I dedicate this, my 2001st post, to Arthur C. Clarke. I'm sure he doesn't care, but what the heck -- I'll only get to do it once...)

[Morbius]

Dr., I recall the smaller ones were usually loose in central boxes by the cash register sometimes plastic wrapped with cello with a header card, and the larger rifles were usually boxed. I recall one rifle I saw in a corner store during the early '70's for $7.95 sat there for years. I remember it had the glass-helmeted armed space-boys depicted on the front. Very colourful and looked at it for years. But, as a kid, there was rarely that much $ in my pocket and if there was, I was spending it on collecting coins or model kits. I figure for every dollar I spent on coins, I'd probably get 10c back now!

What a moroon! Should have bought the $2.99 'bots.

[larry seven]

:) Dratomic, from as little as I can remember, ray guns were usually in their boxes, stacked, and if one was in display box configuration, it was way up high on the upper shelf, maybe to keep it from getting ripped out and pocketed by us! -L7

[H.I. Gosses]

Doc, as far as I can remember

rayguns were nearly always in the hands of aliens.

They either worked lousily, only worked on other aliens,

or extra-terrestrials like me, as I am still here.

[robothunter]

Brian - By the time I was into toy ray guns, I was around 10 years old (1966) and I can only remember a few battery-operated Japanese tin ones stacked in their closed boxes.

What I have really vivid memories of are the big plastic guns that were in open display boxes for show in the toy-store window but sold with the box die-cut display flaps still in place. Some of the greats that come to mind are the Remco Lost In Space Roto-Jet Gun, the Johnny-7 Commando rifle, both Monkey Patrol rifle and pistol, Hamilton's Invaders's Pistol, and many flashlight type ray guns with huge finned heads that rotated to change the 3-color wheel in the barrel.

Oh, boy those toys made me crazy with desire! I lusted after single weaon of destruction firm in the knowledge that with it at my side I could protect the Earth from certain destruction at the hands of evil alien invaders like those pictured in the Mars Attacks trading cards I carried with me everywhere I went stuffed into my jacket pocket.

I also used to see a lot of James Bond and Man From Uncle guns. But these were for mere human foes and held no interest for me. I was charged with a greater intergalatic responsibility. The protection of Earth against monsters from space.

It's early Sunday morning and I need more coffee now. I'm feeling really worked up here.....

[Grandpa]

dratomic,

Most of the tin ones were displayed in bins or boxes, most didn't even have box dividers, just tossed in together. Most of the plastic ones were in plastic bags with header cards and in bins. The more expensive metal cast and rifles were in individule boxes. Packaging was not a big thing in the 50's and 60's like it is today. Back then 50 cents was alot of money, most of them were in the 10-25 cent range, a 1-5 dollar toy was for the rich kids. Today some of the packaging costs more to manufacture than the item in them.

[bartzenegger]

doc , interesting question. in the early 70s i remember the star trek guns being displayed stacked on the ends

of ilses . hummmmm now in wondering if it was the lis rifle.. anyway....