Fast Food Toys Books

This was my first book that got me started with fast food toy collecting. Its got hundreds of full-color pictures of many of the entire series of fast food collectibles from all the major restaurants, as well as plush toys, a foreign toy section, and index. It comes complete with price ranges, manufacturer markings, restaurant, name, and year (from the late 70s to some of 1996) as well as a spot to annotate the toys you own. This book is a must for any collector! John Gaska, Prattville AL.

This is a great reference for collectors of toys from restaurants other than McDonald's. All the "biggies" (BK, Wendy's, Arby's, etc.) are included along with more regional establishments such as White Castle and Sonic. It covers promotions through early 1994. Black & white photos are included for each promo with special pages of color photos displaying a huge variety of toys.

Mind you while I'm not a huge fan of fast food toys, I do find them interesting. So saying, I've certainly acquired my share of these items over the years, and yes, I like so many other folks at my office, have some of them on display at my desk.

Needless to say, Mr. Sodaro is very knowledgeable on the subject. (I remember seeing a segment about him on The Food Network, and heard him talk about fast food toys on my local radio station. Plus I know that he has written about fast food toys for Barbie Bazaar Magazine, and American Antiquities, as well as other publications, I understand that he's even been quoted in no less than The Wall Street Journal on the subject.)

He provides readers with an impressive array of facts and info on not only the toys themselves, but on the various food franchises that dispense them. Plus there are chapters on specific genres (comicbook superheroes, Beanie Babies, Star Wars).

So if you have these toys, want to know more about these toys, or simply want to know how much the ones you have are worth, I highly recommend this book.

Now all he needs to do is to come out with a volume 2 to bring the list up to date (it was originally published in 2001, and certainly could stand to use updating.)

Admit it or not nearly everyone has been to a fast food place. These toys are fun and exist in everyone's home. Now we have a guide to find out how much they are worth.

I saw this book on Top 5 on the Food Channel. That show (originally broadcast Nov. 10) listed the top five give-away premimums as 5) Crackerjacks; 4) S&H Green Stamps; 3) Bazooka Bubblegum comics; 2) Breakfast Cereal toys; and the #1 giveaway as Kiddie Meal Toys! Top 5 interviewed Mr. Sodaro, and he spoke rather elequently about Fast food toys, their history, and why we all love them so much. Needless to say, he goes into greater detail into all of this in his book. Great stuff I highly recommend it!

SpyderB0y

I first read about Mr. Sodaro's book in my local newspaper (The Hour, Norwalk, CT), and found his concept for a book to be facinating. I later heard him speak on the topic of fast food toys and (of course), his book, at a couple of events in the area, and determined to seek out the book and purchase a copy for myself. Sure enough, it proved to be every bit as interesting as Mr. Sodaro was in person. While I am a collector of toys and such, I really had never given much thought to fast food giveaways as legitimate toy items until I heard Mr. Sodaro speak, and then read his book. Very informative. I recommend it to anyone who collects toys, or has eaten at a fast food location.

I'm a collector of stuff, and most of the price guides I see are simply lists and prices, or slight variations on that theme. Here, finally, is a price guide that not only gives you lists of things with prices, but also offers you some insights into the background of the material priced. Misters Sodaro & Malloy have delivered an extended, clever, insightful look into the world of fast food toys and collectibles. most of the 40 or so resturants that are listed have company profiles, plus there are articles about the backgrounds of the various types of toys available at the various franchises. There could be more color photos, but they do have plenty of them in black and white. Hopefully they will issue an updated version of this very fine book soon.

Keep an eye out next time you're rooting around in your attic.

If you come across one of those old toys you'd get with a Happy Meal, it could be a collector's item.

So says "Fast Food Toys," by Gail Pope and Keith Hammond.

This is an interesting and unique book that is sure to send college students across the nation into fits of nostalgia.

Remember the McDonald's mainstay food offerings that would transform into robots? Or, better yet, the ones that would turn into dinosaurs?

I haven't thought of Quarter Pounder Cheese O-Saur or Mac-O-Saurus Rex in years. And now collectors are offering three to five dollars for them.

My younger brother, Steven, obtained these six toy aliens from Wendy's years ago, in 1990, that he carried around with him forever. We never knew one of the characters' names, but finally, after a decade of wondering, we know the answer:

Crimson-oid. Yello-boid. Spotta-zoid. Lime-oid. Blu-zoid. Purpa-poid.

They're all in the book. Just not where we put them. But if they ever turn up, and Steven's willing to part with them, he can get three to five dollars for each one.

But even if you're not interested in selling, the book is worth it just to see some old friends again.

"Fast Food Toys" is like a trip back into time, as movie and television promotions abound. Shows like "Chip N' Dale Rescue Rangers," "Kisseyfur,""Dinosaurs" ("Not the momma!"), "Tiny Toons" and so much more will suddenly re-enter your consciousness like a bolt of lightning.

These are the toys that were worth hassling your parents into going and getting a Happy Meal for, not the unsophisticated items being offered today.

Best of all, they have pictures of the plush Noid I got from Domino's.

Remember the Noid? Aside from a brief cameo appearance on an episode of "The Simpsons" last season, he doesn't seem to be doing too much. Here's hoping the Noid turns up next to ALF and Terry Bradshaw on the next 10-10-220 phone commercial.

Ah, ALF. It really is a good time to be a child of the '80s.

This probably sounds really nerdy, but it's exciting to see color photos of each and everything you ever got by going through the drive-thru window.

Turns out only the food was fast.

Looks like the toys are forever.

Nearly every toy listed in "Fast Food Toys" has a photo with it! I find this to be a necessity that other toy collecting books lack. There is a great selection of modern McDonald's toys as well as toys from other fast food franchises. My only wish is that Pope and Keith would have included pre-1980s toys.

This new 288 page book is packed with over 500 black and white photos (16 page color section). It provides over 2,200 realistic prices for the items. Major topics range from Arby's, Burger Chef, Hardees to McDonald's, Wendy's, White Castle and many more. Interesting and useful text is included with each major topic. You'll want to add this book to your collectibles library if fast food collectibles are in your collection.