First of all I just want to apologize for this post being a little on the tardy side. I was going to post it last night but my ten hour journey that afternoon finally caught up with me and I needed some sleepy-bye-byes. Anyway now I’m back, refuelled and a rarin’ to go.
Today is a post about a couple of items I have wanted to write about for ages. However it was not until yesterday that I was able to get my hands on to one of said pieces. Fortunately when I got home from my travels I found that my wonderful mail man had left some offerings scattered about my porch ready to greet my triumphant return. One of the packages contained the illusive second half to my story.
If you have been reading these virtual pages for a while you will already know that there are certain TV shows/movies/characters for whom I have quite the fond spot… today’s post covers one such show. Indeed today will be devoted to the Six Million Dollar Man as well as his sister in crime fighting, the Bionic Woman. Wow, what a pairing. Super strength, super speed, extra smart and all wrapped up in the hunkiest and most beautiful packages that money could buy back in the mid seventies. A recipe for awesomeness that’s for sure and both shows were quite the hit back in the day. Of course where success was found merchandise was sure to follow and I can tell you that these two toy lines are some of my favorites.
Up for consideration here today are a pair of coin banks. I mean what better way to get kids to save than have their banks look like their heroes who cost $6,000,000 a piece. I suppose the downside is that if they were really to emulate their heroes they would then need to be either in a terrible plane crash or a parachuting accident. Not such a good thing. Fortunately the change required to cover these medical procedures would not fit in the banks so I guess you parents out there can all have a big sigh of relief. Phew.
The first of the banks I got is this one of the ever beautiful Linsay Wagner.
How great is that? Ok not so great but I love it. Made by Animals Plus this bank is made of a soft vinyl material and stands 10″ tall.
The copy on the label cracks me up, “life-like non breakable vinyl”, makes me think they needed some additional punctuation in there… unless this is fake vinyl that they have worked hard on to make it look like real non breakable vinyl. Now I come to think of it I realise they couldn’t mean that it looked like her bionicness because she looked nothing like this… except for that time she went to that halloween party in her running suit and that trampy peroxide blonde wig, r-i-g-h-t.
Even the shape is terrible. Look how the pile of rocks are just stacked all the way up to her butt. How would she ever be able to run like that?
The Steve Austin version is in many ways no better and in fact probably a lot worse.
Just look at his pose!
His left hand is strangely placed in a waving position right up on his shoulder. Try doing that yourself… now you see how weird and unnatural that feels. Now repeat it while looking in the mirror… I think we can safely say I proved my point and move on.
The placement of the bricks in the back of his knees seems strange too. If he were crashing through the wall while running forward then the debris would be in front of him. Perhaps he was thrown backwards, but that doesn’t seem so heroic now does it? My best guess is that Steve was just showing off to the ladies.
“Check me out I can run through brick walls backwards. Wooo Hooo!”
To which Oscar would then yell, “Austin, if you’ve deliberatly broken anything again I am going to have the scientists remove that ulta expensive arm of yours and replace it with a can opener!”
All kidding aside, unless he was involved in some kind of sophmoric prank why would he even run through the wall in the first place? The guy has bionic legs which he used numerous times on the show to jump really high over things. I am guessing that the four and a half foot wall represented here shouldn’t have proven too big of a challenge. OK, we can only conclude that he is a big annoying show off. Thanks Steve.
These banks in nice shape will run you about $30 a piece. You can find bargains if you are willing to be patient though. Be sure to make certain that the sicker on the front is still there as it is frequently torn off, also check to see that it is not stained. In many cases the glue that holds the sticker in place bleeds through and it looks like a piece of paper once it gets grease on it. Then flip the banks over to see whether the all important stopper is there (if you care of course). They are simple colorless, translucent plastic plugs, nothing more fancy than that.
In summary I have to say that these pieces are just terrible, but it is for exactly that reason that I like them so much. Conversation starters for sure. If any of you get one be sure to let me know how much change you can fit in there.
Make sure you look at some of the other items I have posted from the Bionic Woman and the Six Million Dollar Man, there are some gems for sure.
See you tomorrow for an on time ending to the week.
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These are two great collectibles and look to be in amazing shape. Col. Steve Austin looks like he’s phasing through the brick wall. Same with Jaime Sommers and the rock. The both kind of look bored to me. Still very sweet.
I’m guessing the rocks are actually smoke, or maybe dust kicked up from bionic running? Perhaps it’s exhaust?
Steve looks more like himself than Jaime, but he looks like he is busting out of prison!
I like the idea of it being smoke, and in many ways it would make sense. Unforyunately she is standing on it. Hmmmm
Steve looks like he has a touch of the stroke-eye, there.
Ummm, looks to me like the bionic man is making a dookie in a brick wall…