Check Out This Awesome Retro Batman Toy

I know MEGO, I know the SuperPowers collection, I know all about vintage superhero toys. I didn’t know about Ideal Captain Action until today.

"In 1966, Captain Action leapt into action as the original super hero action figure who had the ability to change into other superheroes, including Superman, Batman, Captain America, Spider-Man, the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, Steve Canyon, Sgt. Fury and the Green Hornet. The character was the latest concept from toy and idea man Stan Weston, who just two years before had helped Hasbro create the G.I. Joe line. Weston had been the first to propose the idea of an articulated figure in the form of a soldier. From there, Hasbro’s Don Levine and his team brought to market America’s movable fighting man and the first modern action figure for boys."

Marketing wise, it’s actually pretty brilliant. It’s a generic toy that can be modified to whatever property they make an agreement with or whatever is most popular. It’s like a modular action figure.

"The line saw a decline in sales in late 1968 as the superhero craze began to lose steam. With Batmania and the Saturday-morning cartoon shows fading away, Ideal discontinued the Captain Action line. The character disappeared only two and a half years after its initial release.Despite the product line’s relatively short lifespan, the Captain and his associates have since become among some of the most fondly remembered and expensive action figures on the collector’s market. Mint, still-in-the-box Spider-Man and Green Hornet sets are extraordinarily rare, with only a handful in existence today. Pieces from the original Captain Action line currently fetch thousands of dollars on eBay. Collectors also highly rate a number of rare items related to Ideal’s marketing drive, including a float-able swim ring, a set of playing cards, a Ben Cooper Halloween costume, five Captain Action comics released by DC, an Aurora model kit, and a special Dr. Evil’s Lab gift set."

Here’s what Toysyouhad has to say about the line:

"Captain Action was way ahead of his time. Ideal did a fantastic job and these figures are probably the best on display of any line ever made. Captain Action was a hit and wisely Ideal expanded the line in 1967 to include a young sidekick, Action Boy. They never specified where he came from or who the Mom might have been…she must have been French/Australian because he came equipped with a boomerang and a beret! To appeal to the animal lovers, Action Boy came with a black panther named Khem. Also in 1967, they issued six accessory packs, some of which were quite creative as well as a massive vehicle, Silver Streak, to cart your Action Boy and Captain Action figures around in. This thing was fantastic in that it actually floats, rolls and fires missles that can shoot your eye out!"

That having been said, there is currently a Captain Action Batman fig on sale RIGHT NOW on Ebay.

"1967 IDEAL CAPTAIN ACTION BATMAN OUTFIT SET N-MINTCONDITION NOTES: This outfit comes in at least near mint condition with no rips, tears or other excessive wear to the uniform and only a few minor marks on the accessories. The mask has no splits and has excellent color too."

If these toys are as are as CaptainAction.com claims, then these are actually a pretty cool deal. If you’re a collector of rare things or just REALLY love Batman, this would make an incredibly thoughtful gift. …Unless you couldn’t possibly part with it yourself. The bidding is currently $280, but the sale ends soon. If it gets snatched out from under you, the seller has a wide variety of Captain Action toys and accessories to peruse.