6/10/2023 0 Comments Micro machine playsetsHe booked a major commercial for Federal Express in 1982. “Humor comes from a juxtaposition of the opposites.” “I look dead but I talk fast,” Moschitta told The Washington Post. (Guinness agreed: He was named the world’s fastest-talking person with intelligible speech in 1988.) After training himself to speak at a fast clip as a youth, Moschitta nabbed a spot on That’s Incredible that showcased his ability to rattle off 11 words a second, or roughly 500 words per minute. ![]() Moschitta’s rapid-fire delivery was all but impossible to ignore. The novelty of the cars notwithstanding, Galoob struck gold in their choice of spokesman. ![]() The appeal of their size was really in playsets-marinas, garages, parking lots, firehouses-which could then be connected to fabricate a “Micro Machine City.” A five-pack of Micro Machines retailed for roughly $4.50, while playsets averaged $5. Galoob introduced Micro Machines as “the smallest ever line of intricately detailed, stylized vehicles” that measured “about half of a man’s thumb,” and debuted them just in time for the 1987 holiday season. When he showed Galoob, they were immediately taken with the concept and agreed to manufacturer these Micro Machines and pay royalties to Hedeen. Hedeen worked up 24 prototypes with designer Ned Cain, each one 1.25 inches long, or barely larger than a half-dollar, along with packaging. According to his website, Hedeen was developing toy concepts in his Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, toy shop in the 1980s when he decided to act on a suggestion from toymaker Galoob for a new toy car line that had a lower entry price point than other toy vehicles of the era. Micro Machines were the invention of attorney Clemens V. ![]() While the cars were novel, the line’s secret weapon was in the marketing-specifically, the motormouthed delivery of their spokesman, John Moschitta Jr. But in the late 1980s, a four-wheeled upstart arrived: Micro Machines, a smaller-scale line of racers that briefly left Hot Wheels on the side of the road. When it comes to collectible toy cars, Hot Wheels are generally considered the gold standard.
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