1970-97 approximately
See also: Bluebird (Polly Pocket), Giant,
Mattel and World Toy House
Arco - an acronym for A Rosenberg Company was
bought by Mattel in 1986 (some
sources state '85, but Mattel say
'86). The company was the Hong Kong production firm set-up by the Rosenberg's (brothers;
Herbert, J and Harold) in 1970 after Giant
(one of their early clients) folded (1968/9'ish?) and they moved their families to the colony. Under the
Rosenberg's it almost immediately (1971) entered into a partnership with the Gardener's PMC, one of the early Hong Kong toy manufacturers, however this relationship didn't work out and by the end of the year the Rosenberg's had walked away, taking the FOB rack-toy business with them.
It shipped the same sort of rack-toys it had imported for Giant (rigid polyethylene/polypropylene
(?) or polystyrene figures/accessories, mostly carded or bagged), but once
under the wing of Mattel (especially after Steve Geller (ex-Cragstone) and his partner Jerry Leighton joined in 1980) it became a
major sub-brand, taking Bluebird's 'Polly
Pocket' toys, Barbie side-lines, Disney-licensed stuffed-toys, the 'Play Kid' Space War and Space Explorer range of Star Wars knock-offs and other popular
toys, probably best known now for their 'Other
World' line of bendy fantasy toys.
Arco
were involved in a voluntary safety recall with the US Consumer Product Safety
Commission (CPSC) in 1995 of 200,000 Disney
toys, when a problem occurred with the plastic head (shaped like Mickey Mouse) of a small Play 'N Pop purple key, the head
breaking to create a choking hazard, it's worth noting that Chinese produced
toys were included in the recall, but not the Mexican produced product.
This may
have had something to do with Mattel's
decision in winding-up of the brand, but I suspect it had more to do with changes in the
power-politics of Hong Kong as Britain handed the colony back to China two
years later? It would appear that Mattel
set the remaining New York office up as a (autonomous/semi-autonomous?)
toy-based market-research company, but that seems to have withered on the vine
and Arco are no more.
Product listing
Dragons n' Monsters (later reissued by Toys and
Things)
7033 - Dragons n' Monsters Skull Turret
(reissued as: 3100 - Dragons n' Monsters Skull Turret by Toys and Things)
7033 - Dragons n' Monsters Headsgone Tower
(reissued as: 3100 - Dragons n' Monsters Headsgone Tower by Toys and Things)
Spacewar Range (two lines, figures and ray-guns)
Play Kid Figures (like Playmobile with
snap-grip hands, each with 4/5 accessories, Woolworth's
versions exist)
No 811 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on Luke
Skywalker)
No 812 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on Darth
Vader)
No 813 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on C3PO)
No 814 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on R2-D2
unit)
No 815 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on Chewbacca)
No 816 - Spacewar Play Kid (based on Stormtrooper)
? - Play Kid Moon Walker ('Luke' with
flyer, detector and other accessories)
? - Space Explorer (twin-set with 'Luke'-like
and 'Vader'-like figures and space-buggy)
? - Galaxy Control (boxed set with 4 bagged
'Lukes' and lots of accessories, 2 vehicles)
- Space Set (unique to Woolworth's, 2 'Lukes', buggey, flag etc…)
Guns
? - Spacewar Target Games (conventional
design, sucker firer, red, three suckers)
? - Spacewar Target Games (conventional
design, sucker firer, blue, three suckers)
? - Spacewar Target Games (space-gun
design, sucker firer, blue, three suckers)
? - Sparkling Space Pistol
Earlier Rack Toys
Animals
(bagged in pairs with header card)
- Alligators
- Ant-Eaters
- Deer
- Elephants
- Giraffe
- Gorillas
- Hippopotamuses
- Lions
- Monkeys
- Rhinos
- Seals
- Skunks
- Tigers
- Turtles
- Zebras
Noah Sets
(for the above animals)
- Noah and Ark
- Noah and The Ark (with all the above
animals, boxed as petrol premium)
Other Items
No. 2324 - Military Mountain Pass (boxed,
45mm Airfix US Infantry copies, Jeep,
pick-up truck 'Technicals' and bridge)
No. 7018 - Rogun Robots (40 pieces, 5
poses, 3 colours - red, black, blue, generics issued by other rack-toy brands,
40mm)
No. 7069 - Muntants and Monsters (blister-card
figure assortment from Dragons n'
Monsters sets)
- Vietnam US Recon (40mm Rambo figure and US-SF)
- ? (120mm Rambo figure and US-SF without bases)
- Become a Vampire (1983)
- Go Bots Mighty Robot Binoculars (1985)
- Hand Painted Farm Animals - 23 pieces
(30mm scale, ex-Blue Box with
fencing)
The Other World (1982, 50-100mm+ bendy toys, glow-in-the-dark weapons &etc…)
Terrans
- Ronin, the Hero
- Ronin and Kreena, the Princess
- Raidy,
King of the Jipps
- General Ess Gee, the Comander
- Warrior Jurka, the Enforcer (Yule Brenner
lookalike)
- Komaro, Roaring Guardian of the Jipp
(three-headed dragon)
- Gaifand, Two-headed Dragon
- Jipps, the Protectors of the Pir'Ankus
(small, orange, red mouths)
Glowgons
- Zendo, Evil King of the Mogs
- Mogs, Zendo's Mindless Slaves (small,
purple, bucked-teeth)
- Hondu, the Hatchetman
- Skitzo, the Maniac
- Weapon Master, Zendo's Defender
- Lava-Man, the Cave Creature
- Froggacuda, Monster of Red Lake
- Yurus, the Terrible
- Antor, the Stinger
- Sir'Cobra, the Strangler
- Moc, the Rock-thrower
- Sharkoss - Daring Demon of the Deep
- Kontory - Flying Beast of Prey
Playsets
7043 - Castle Zendo (castle relief-frontage
and play mat)
- Battle for the Pir'Ankus
Other bits
- Weapon Rack
Other Mattel Year's Toy Lines
Centurions
(1980-2001, eraser/toys, 1 large figural, part painted, 1 small robotic,
unpainted)
- Hacker
- Power Extreme Hacker
- Centurions Turbo Thruster (1986, toy for bicycles)
Other Boys
- Mad Scientist Laboratory (bendy toy)
Barbie / Barbie Related
67791 - Baby Home Nursery
- Shelly My Very Own Nursery Playset (1998,
Barbie's little sister)
- Barbie Accessories
- Barbie Fashion Fever (doll with outfit)
- Barbie Fashion Fever Gift Set (5 mix and
match outfits with accessories)
- Miniature Barbie Collectibles [sic - US
spelling]
- Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus (Little Brietta toy, like My Little Pony)
Other Girls
- Color and Style Head Teresa (Arco Toys
Ltd.)
- Polly Pocket Cruisin' Closet (Arco Toys
Ltd.)
Links
The Other World
Barbie
What This Entry Needs
Better Product Listing
Man you just saved me a ton of time and work! I was hoping to relicense the other world and set up a kickstarter to make new versions of the toys but with the rights firmly held by mattel that dream is a no go
ReplyDeleteHi Hugh, you forgot the most famous set of all: Arco Submarine class 1 nr 2389. With 24 very nice 1:72 scale figures. Collectors item!
ReplyDeleteHas Mattel ever been contacted to see if they indeed have the original Space Knights molds (9 figs) and for me also the missile launchers and rocket. I would love a re-issue push as these sets I believe still have a market Thanks William Harris at sciboy3@juno.com or (605)341-0860
ReplyDeleteHi Hugh thanks for the info I was just wondering if a re-issue push has ever been attempted with Mattel for the Space Knights (9fig) and the three missile launchers and rocket. I would love to be a part of this as I believe these simple yet elegant space toy sets still have a market Thanks WLH at sciboy3@juno.com
ReplyDeleteHi William, if you mean the small scale silver ones sold by Giant; they would have been off-loaded before the conversion to Arco, and as the knights and Mongols have turned-up since, one has to assume the moulds are out there somewhere, but where is anyone's guess!
ReplyDeleteH
PS you'll get shed-loads of spam if you put you address in your comments - you know?
H