Copyright 2004 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
by the NEW Helen of Toy
An Old Toy gets Better
When I first got wind of it, I thought it was a prank. Word was that a "new" Helen of Toy company was producing the "GI Footlocker" with 100 soldiers. This seemed preposterous, but I found the website and there it was. And by coincidence, James Elliot of the New Helen of Toy contacted me a few days later. The upshot was a complimentary Classic GI Footlocker set for me to review.
Let me back up a bit....before the NEW Helen of Toy emerged in 2004, there had been an original Helen of Toy that sold its goods some 30+ years ago. The original Helen of Toy placed exciting advertisements in comic books. They advertised complete toy soldier sets that included massive armies and accessories by mail order. Many a boy ordered, and the sets arrived. The massive armies were either small plastic "flat" figures or a handful of Giant brand HO soldiers. Most of the figures couldn't be used with your existing armies.
So for me, the idea of a NEW Helen of Toy seemed odd. James sent me a copy of the Classic Footlocker to review. The set arrived in a brown box. It was significantly larger than the originals from the 60s.
Inside the brown box were two other boxes, a toy wrapped in plastic and a packet of printed materials. The smaller box was white and was marked: "Classic GI Footlocker Dog Tag squad." The other was green, printed to look like a footlocker. On the top it proclaimed in bold letters: "100 Toy Soldiers Classic Footlocker". The toy was a small plastic friction-powered toy jet, added as a bonus item.
 |
Leif the cat inspects the box. On top was the paper work. |
 |
Two boxes, paperwork and a bonus jet plane.... |
Opening the white box, we found a simple metal dogtag and ten plastic soldiers. These are copies of the "Desert Storm" type, about 45 to 50 mm tall and molded in a stiff plastic. Figure quality is decent, and detail is crisp for clones. The dogtag reads: "Commander 100 Toy soldiers Classic Footlocker". Half the squad is green, half is tan.
The big box was the mystery. What kind of soldiers would we find? The OLD Helen of Toy packed in some tepid flats. How about the NEW Helen of Toy?
The big box contained a load of the same clones, with a few poses from the Airfix Paratroopers included. These are 3D full round figures,and for clones they have crisp detail and good molding. No "lumps" - just decent 45 to 50mm figures. With the Dogtag Squad, the entire set yielded 102 soldiers.
The "dogtag squad" in white box |
 |
 |
The rest of the troops on the footlocker |
There was paper as well. A classic contents and history card, a sheet with infantry squad tactics, a sheet with infantry hand signals, a basic game and a personalized command communique. The paperwork is intended to enthuse young folks by introducing them to real infantry tactics. (Future editions will be carrying a simple version of our own "Operation Sandpit" game).
A chef explained the importance of presentation. "It's not just how you prepare the food. It's how you put it on the plate," he said. Presentation can make all the difference.
Classic Footlocker is a masterpiece of presentation. The cool-looking footlocker box and accessories make a big difference here. Classic Footlocker is an ideal gift for kids. It presents the soldiers in a way that's much more exciting than the usual cellophane bag. The additional game rules, communique and infantry tactic papers add interest to the set. In a way, James Elliot has reinvented the wheel by coming up with a great new / old way to present army men. The packaging and additional items can go a long way to inspiring real interest among kids. It is the difference between a memorable gift and "just another bag of toys." You get the same awe and delight opening this package as you might would with a playset. And with the NEW Helen of Toy, you won't be disappointed by what's inside the box!
Classic Footlocker is definitely a winner. The price tag of $12.99 gets you 100 troops presented in a way that is fun and exciting. This is definitely a better way to present toy soldiers to kids.
Go to http://www.helenoftoy.com to order Classic Footlocker and to see forthcoming products, PLUS photo galleries of many of the original sets from the 60s.