#1052 MINILAND – ACTION´S MEN (Around 1990)

This is another summary of an article that appeared first on the magazine Figuras en Acción, around 3 years ago. Miniland is a Spanish brand famous for their plastic figures, but which was also involved in other types of toys, such as action figures. Today they are still active and focusing on very high quality pre-school toys and dolls. Some of them very interesting and unique.

What I´d like to present today is their toyline Action´s Men, a rare knock-off of G.I.Joe: A Real American Hero using a cast which is reminiscent the Star Wars figures by Kenner in the 70s and the 80s. I bought this panel several years ago and I like the figures very much. I had some loose ones before buying this, so I didn´t miss the opportunity when I saw this exclusive article in auction.

The collection made by Miniland is actually a bootleg of another toyline from Hong-Kong called Military One by a company called Porto Play, rather unknown even to the specialists in the field of military action figures. From the big asssortment of figures made by Porto Play, only five were made by Miniland: the pilot, the soldier with a Beret, the parachutist, the soldier with sailor bonnet and the infantry soldier (with helmet). The plastic is a bit too soft, and the figures are not great to play with. The movement of arms and legs is difficult to place in the position you want. After some time without use, they stuck and it takes some minutes to make them articulated again.

Still, they are very rare and are slowly becoming better known worldwide. There are rarely available for sale and they reach high prices. I guess some foreign collectors of G.I. Joe and similar toylines have discovered Action´s Men and grabbed everything left on the Spanish auction sites. They were also available in single packs and gift packs with 4 figures plus some accessory. If you like G.I.Joe and the bootlegs made of them, take a look at the original article on the magazine. Search for the download link here: https://figurasenaccion.blogspot.com/2022/05/revista-numero-26-mayo-2022.html

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: Five different casts with different colours (all unnamed)
• Toy Line: Action´s Men
• Year: Around 1990
• Company: Miniland (Spain)
• Size of the figures: Approx. 9 cm tall

#1051 YONEZAWA / DIAPET - HATO BUS (NO.D-159) (1967)

Sometimes you find something exceptional in a flea market. Here is a Japanese made die-cast Hato Bus from 1967. I'd like to know  what is the story behind this bus and how did it arrive in Austria. It probably belonged to somebody born in the late 50s or early 60s until it ended in a box full of die-cast cars and vehicles. It has been already several years in my collection.

I have tried to find some information about it on the Internet, but it is difficult. There are a few for sale, but the text does not reflect any importantt facts or data. It was also available in white and blue. Due to the red logo shown on each side, I thought, this might be a JAL Japan Airlines Bus, but it is not. The text on the sides says HATO BUSU. I don't know what does this mean or which company or city represents.

My bus toy is slightly damaged on the rear part, as if someone had stepped on it and sank its roof. As a result, the windows do not fit very well anymore. I could easily repair it, but I am afraid I could do more harm than good. So I didn´t try yet.  The body of the bus is attached to the base by means of a screw, so it would also be easy to open it, and mount it again. I guess it is not very valuable in this condition, but it is something rare, exotic and curious to have.

Yonezawa STS was one of the most important toy manufacturers of the tin era, and produced many robots and space-themed toys. Their offer also included vehicles in larger scales  (1:18 to 1:24) and die-cast miniatures, although these were mostly marketed under the Diapet brand. The die-cast models represented often the same models, only in a smaller scale, 1:40 or similar). 

The company was founded in the 50s and was involved since its early days in the production of mechanical and battery operated tin toys. During the late 60s or early 70s, they also produced vynil toys (a kaiju helmet) and, in the 80s, they also were involved in radio-controlled toys. In 1991, the company was absorved by Sega to become Sega-Yonezawa, although this brand was dropped in April 1998. 

The logo of the company is a letter “Y” inside a cherry blossom (five-petal flower, known as sakura), which is a motif used by many comtemporary toy manufacturers. 

FACTS AND FIGURES: 

• Name: HATO BUS (D-159)
• Alternate Names: はとバス ヨネザワ ダイヤペット
• Scale: 1:90
• Year: 1967
• Company: Yonezawa / Diapet (Japan)
• Size: approx. 15 cm