Marx Fred w/Dino Crane

Wow, it's been quite a while since we posted any Flintstones toys here. I've been wanting to photograph this thing for years and I finally got around to it. This is a classic toy from Marx, one of the many Flintstones toys in their line-up and now one of the most desirable. Being a collector on the cheap though I had to settle for one that had some condition issues but hey, it displays well. My sample doesn't work, it has s few holes in the fabric covering and the bright purple'skin' has faded but even with those flaws it's an impressive piece close up. It measures 22" (55.88cm) L x x 7" (17.78cm) W x 9 3/4" (24.76cm) H and for those toys that do work, the head swivels back and forth, the tail wags, and it rolls forward. In one respect this is rather odd. You'll notice that on one side of the 'cab' it says 'Fred Flintstone' while the other side says 'Dino the Dinosaur'. Well, we all know that Dino was Fred's pet and he definitely was not the crane Fred rode while at work! Enjoy! Opa Fritz and Oma Bettina

McDonald's UK 1994 Fred on Dino Crane

****Update (sort of) Sep 18, 2012: Heck if I know what happened but somewhere between my brain and my fingers a whole bunch of neurons mis-fired. This post was SUPPOSED to be for Friday the 21st. Oh well, for today it's double your pleasure double your fun :-) I will have a Flintstones post for this coming Friday okay? okay!****

Well, I got off my backside this past weekend and managed to take some Flintstones photos! Now we can go back to Flintstones Friday for awhile. Back in May, June, and July we did a series about McDonald's U.S. tie-ins to "The Flintsones" movie. The series we're starting today will cover the McDonald's U.K. tie-ins to that movie and they are made to look like the live action actors in the movie. There weren't as many pieces in the U.K. series - only four - but they still add an interesting group of toys to populate your version of Bedrock! Let's start by featuring Fred on his iconic Dino Crane. When you press down on Fred's head both the head and tail raise. The figure is rather small measuring 4 1/2" (11.4cm) head-to-tail (in the down position). It's certainly a much cheaper version than the large Fred on Dino Crane offered by Marx in the early 1960's. Those suckers will set a person back hundreds of dollars for a working version in good condition. This small plastic version may only cost a buck or two. Suits my budget well :-)  Enjoy!