Top 10 Best Playsets for Vintage Action Figures!!!

[@ryanwiatrek7786]

I can still remember how those master of the universe figures smelled when I opened them on the the best Christmas of my life!! Ahhh great memories from the 80s. Sure miss the little things😢

[@mezmerizer0266]

Moss Man was so cool. He had felt all on his body.

[@haydengoodall6767]

I got skunkor. 😷

[@andrewpapienuk8586]

I loved Thundercats growing up

[@baphomet8013]

You made me smell that lol

[@chukysleez]

They kinda smelled like pachuley oil

[@creepingdeath9795]

My brother and i got the gi Joe aircraft carrier for Christmas one year. I was in the 6th grade and didn't care if I was supposed to be too old for playsets. My friends laughed when I told em I wanted it for Christmas, none of them were laughing when they finally seen it though.

[@christopherlastname7638]

I got the USA flag from my cousin it was massive wish I would have kept it !

[@O.G.Trashboat]

Yeah around 6th grade girls suddenly go from being gross to thinking about them all the time.

[@robv5834]

That thing was easily the most impressive toy I ever saw in person. We had one kid in the neighbor that had it. Took half the basement.

[@lelandgroutt8342]

Do you still have It?

[@creepingdeath9795]

@@lelandgroutt8342 I think one of my brothers has it now, it's missing a lot of the parts though.

[@numba2bvi]

MASK is still one of the most underrated toys ever. Attention to detail: tiny helmets and disguises that really worked and looked cool. Great video by the way. From here in the States my friend- great page and keep up the good work!!

[@bluestreakgunner57]

My childhood 80s playset were my bed, blanket and floor carpet 😂

[@googleownsyou8510]

Hehe. Yes it was a base, mountain and much more. Never had any consumer playsets.

[@bobastu]

I used to use my blanket like a volcano playset. I would lay the blanket out on my rec room floor, lie down on one end, and roll myself up. Then, I would carefully stand up, and, once standing, slowly lower the blanket to the floor, from the top down. If done right, a perfect volcano playset. Hindsight being 20/20, I should have made one out of wire mesh and plaster. The number of times I made a blanket volcano are uncountable. The cardboard Cobra missile base just didn't cut it on it's own. Blankets, dressers, and beds, with a little string (and my dad's staple gun - I got in so much trouble for that) and some imagination, make some awesome forts, playsets, and command centers! Good times!

[@RetroRobotRadio]

My mother, who was a master at sewing, made blankets with patterns of cities on them. Houses and garages had zippers and pockets for doors and windows. Roads were sewn between buildings. We had the best custom playsets.

[@fanvette]

We had floor vents at our house and if I didn’t make a bed fort I used the air from the vent to somewhat inflate my sheet to make a small fort.

[@velosiped135]

My favorite will always be the original TMNT Technodrome. I've got one sitting on my bookcase now, reminding me daily of simpler times and bringing me joy.

[@retroblasting]

Thanks so much for the shout out!

[@AnalogToys]

RetroBlasting you’re very welcome!

[@djlebeau76]

I thought the Ewok Village playset was pretty cool, as well.

[@gregcarter9680]

I was actually just coming here to say that....loved Ewok Villiage as a kid.

[@Moqqot]

Ewoks are now extinct since Jeff Besos devestated the rainforrest

[@ianedmonds9191]

I had the cardboard deathstar - that was amazing.

[@daymja]

One of my all time favourite Christmas was getting the Castle Greyskull.

[@c0rr0s10n]

greyskull was cool, but i loved snake mountain more, the broken bridge and the scary microphone were so awesome.

[@dylanfgarrison]

Feeling pretty lucking to have recently found buried deep in my moms storage locker my USS FLAG in its entirety... along with a ton of other GI Joe vehicles and figures I thought we lost years ago. Hoping my Castle GreySkull and HeMan fugues are in there too but won’t be back to it for a while . Can’t wait to share these toys with my four year old. :). Great video!

[@qwerty2020100]

Hey any updates on those MOTU figures?

[@aaronwood8012]

Cool video - fun channel! Ok- I CANNOT BELIIIEEEEVVVE you left out the Kenner super powers hall of justice !! WTF??? The hall of justice trounces other playsets! It was billed as “3 playsets in 1!” You had Batman and green lantern chilling out in the computer room, you could have robin take the elevator up to the landing pad (where the batcopter or super mobile could park) and the pad had a ramp to a..... TRAP DOOR!! That’s right friend - a trap door into a Large jail cell. It was cool and to top it off- It was also a collectors case!!! It had slots to store your loose figures and it folded up like a tri-fold briefcase and could be totes around. Man. It was awesome. I would say the most conspicuous absence from your list here

[@Seanrt72]

Aaron Wood I came here to say the exact same thing. No hall of Justice?

[@wiseguy3675]

I'll never forget the thrill of seeing my mom walking up the driveway with the box containing Castle Grayskull under her arm. My eyes must have been like saucers. Beside that, my favorites were the G.I. Joe Headquarters, and the Go-Bot Base.

[@skyden24195]

Had Castle Grayskull and G.I. Joe Headquarters as well.

[@cwell510]

I had you're Top 3 in a different order: 1.USS Flagg 2.Castle Grayskull 3.Death Star Space Station. I remember getting the Death Star Space Station for Christmas '79 and my father helping me put the stickers on it. My favorite and most cherished memory was from Christmas 1982 and being absolutely elated when I unwrapped the Castle Grayskull playset. I don't think I played with another toy more frequently than that one. I always wanted the USS Flagg, but it was very expensive and my parents couldn't afford it...kind of bummed me out at the time. Btw, another honorable mention that I enjoyed quite a bit was the WWF Sling 'em, Fling 'em Wrestling Ring from LJN...I had several of the WWF Superstars to go with them back in 1985.

[@Black_Adam911]

Masters of the Universe's Snake Mountain. It had a working microphone that altered your voice.

[@dkres82]

Both were great really.

[@SeabreezeRJ]

clicked on the thumbnail because of the tiny snake playset from D&D which easily was one of my favorites as a kid. It was durable and the single-mold body made it portable and playing with it would empower hours and hours of replay value! Thank you for bringing this nostalgia back - two thumbs up!

[@JerryLopezArtist]

All your videos are pure nostalgic bliss for me. Cheers from a fellow 80s UK kid!

[@bioniccop40]

What about The Six Million Dollar Man- Bionic Transport And Repair Station???. It's in my top 5 most definitely.

[@vinylecapejawa]

I agree with all of these but and honorable mention for me would be the Police Academy Police Precent. It came with a lot of cool play features including trap doors, a spring loaded jail cell door and a number of other action features.

[@alwillk]

That play set reminded me of the ghostbusters station.

[@Romin.777]

He-Man One of my favorite tv series. Loved the eighties, the A Team, Knight Rider, Air Wolf, Blue Thunder, Inspector Gadget. Not the mention the movies back then. Hellraiser, Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street. *Sigh* Those were the days. Playing with my Action Man and my Märklin model railway layout. But you're never too old the play. ;) Today i bought a 70s wooden Wild West Town from East Germany, It's Awesome. :))

[@SirGnomes]

I just remembered a giant castle I had as a kid, it was massive! I also remember asking my parents if they kept it only to find out it had been binned.

[@huntingwolf20]

Castle Grayskull's look was just so iconic it's almost impossible to beat. When you think about it, however, it is not up there with several others in terms of play features. But it's the sculpt of the thing, plus the mystery from the cartoon of what all was inside. In my opinion when they redid the Castle from Matty Collector awhile back they missed an opportunity. There should have been fold out walls, hidden interior walls, some type of light up holographic ghostly feature. All of this could have been done for under $300 and I think MANY more would have sold and Mattel would have made even more money. As is, the old one still beats the 2000X in terms of look on the outside. The 2000X one has some cool features inside. The Matty one is the top dog these days, but it's really not what it should have been, and it should have been a toy, a play toy, not just a collector piece but a collector's piece to get in the floor and play with your grandkids (cause let's face it, most of our kids are already out of the "toy phase").

[@justafanofnerdculture7602]

My favorite playset was definitely the LJN WWF wrestling ring.

[@medes5597]

You listening to the major wrestling figure podcast?

[@justafanofnerdculture7602]

Terry Beardmore You know it!

[@injan4468]

Guns of Navarone playset, and Prehistoric Playset Marx were some of my favs!

[@rodolfomartinez1763]

I totally agree, Greyskull was and is an impresive 80s toy, and a magical playset.

[@sciwolf359]

I got the Death Star for Christmas. My dad built a wood box to sit it on. The box was panted by my mum to look like the hanger bay and was big enough to hold the millennium falcon and a tie fighter. I thought it was so cool.

[@sherlock5720]

I loved my action man as a kid. I grew up in the 90s. I had vehicles and so many clothes for him. I used to build my own furniture for him out of sticks lol. And yes the garden was the perfect environment for him. Memories

[@brianoneal7504]

Hey Tony. The Mego Batman’s Wayne Foundation was a wonderful playset that I had as a child. It was huge too! Great video!

[@matthewpayne6122]

Brian O'Neal I had that playset . The accessories were great.

[@TheRowlandstone73]

The only 'playset' I had was when we had a new hi-fi system, (one of those huge bulky things with the record player on the top and the big knobs all along the front), I used the bottom piece of the very firm polystyrene packaging that sandwiched the system as a Hoth-type environment for my Star Wars figures! It basically came with ready-formed compartments and crevices that just needed adorning with buttons and lights, care of my felt tips and some odds n' ends! And when the top piece was put in place, it had these long rectangular 'windows' at each side which allowed me to look inside with glee at my positioned figures!

[@magaz]

I had the fire house, castle grayskull and the thundercats lair... all became GiJoe and Cobra headquarters and outposts far more often than the original “owners” got to use them! I’d have added Manta Force headquarters to the list. That was one of my all time favourites. The Bb firing zip gun, the canon that fired big balls and the mine layers... brilliant designed little playset!

[@martinakrigg3746]

Nice video Tony, I personally prefer the UK version of the Deathstar playset. The Mego Star Trek transporter also blew my mind as a child.

[@bobastu]

Is not the UK version made of cardboard? The Women's Day SW playsets were the best!

[@martin2419]

honourable mention to the action man command centre/bunker? the training tower was fun but spent a lot of the time falling over, especially when perched at the top of the stairs (for that extra long death slide)..

[@barbedwings]

The GI Joe Mobile Command Center was my favorite (and largest) playset as a kid, and hundreds of hours were spent playing with it.

[@TheRealColBosch]

The really clever thing about Castle Grayskull was that it was priced somewhat lower than other playsets of its time, at just $30 (about $60 today). This had to have been a loss leader, but it means that thousands have survived to this day. While MiSB examples go for the astronomical prices you might expect, there are plenty of used examples going for very reasonable prices. Most have lost their cardstock accessories, but Toy Polloi has replacements for those and the stickers on his website for free. So, for not much money at all and a little elbow grease, Castle Grayskull is well within reach of even collectors on a budget today. Amusingly, the 2000s re-issue seems to be far pricier on the secondary market, probably because it was overly expensive and hard to find when it came out.

[@rochedl]

My personal playset was the Navarone Mountain playset. I had years of fun with my green plastic army men lol.

[@informer]

Hmm, Grayskull over The Flagg? I might have. Switched places with those two. I’m not sure I agree with your video, but it was very interesting. Glad to see Boulder Hill get some love. And the Bridge of the enterprise Mego play set, was one of my faves personally :)

[@citadelli]

Even back then the Flagg was almost unattainable to most kids. Not just for the size. Our neighbor had it but his dad was a PAC 10 coach at the time. Castle Grayskull was affordable and portable. This gave playability, portable and just bad ars over all.

[@thanto575]

Star Trek bridge from Mego was awesome because it was scaled for all their other figure lines like Planet of the Apes, Marvel and DC.

[@ericrook78]

I finally got time to watch this video and I wasn't disappointed.

[@jublywubly]

That was a brilliant look at action figures and play-sets. I missed out on most of them. I grew up owning a Doctor Who, Six Million Dollar Man and several Marvel action figures. All of them were the larger scale that came with real fabric clothing. I wish I had kept them all.

[@rev8427]

Look forward to welcoming you into ‘The Admiral’s Club’ Tony, when you finally get that holy grail 🤞🏻

[@RobbNekosCorner]

Omg! Thank you for revisiting all my child hood toys and wants.

[@paulshanahan1551]

Hi Tony, awesome video mate and totally spot on choices..👍 Another favourite of mine was the Action Force Headquarters. Spent many hours as a kid pitching the mighty Z Force against the Baron....

[@odinson99m]

Fantastic list! I had 9, 6, 5, 2, and #1 (Grayskull is #1 in my heart, too). I do wish The Guns of Navarone playset would have at least gotten an honorable mention, though. A++ list.

[@volatilesky]

Even when i was a kid at 8 of 9, i saw the Flagg in the catalogue and after working out the rough size, didn't even want it done it was so nice out would cover half my room.

[@greenlanternhg5141]

I’m hoping to get my hands on the number one spot, I’m not gonna spoiled for anyone but it’s something I’ve been hunting for a while 🤔

[@JimMeyerExperience]

Great list! My all-time favorite was a little obscure, though. The "Undersea Adventure Playset" from Marx. It was a research diving boat that sat atop a structure that simulated a stretch of ocean and reef. The toy came with divers, a winch that lowered a shark cage and a tracked, ocean-floor vehicle, treasure chest (of course!) and lots of terrifying sea creatures. We played with that thing for years!!!

[@dean4125]

all my favorites are GIJOE. the flagg. gijoe headquarters, the defiant, and the Terrordrome... nothing beats GIJOE A REAL AMERICAN HERO.... And knowing is half the battle!!!!!

[@jamesstaggs4160]

Ah the Terror Dome....I loved that thing as a kid. Also I can remember getting Eternia for Christmas one year and literally freaking out. The thing was so huge I couldn't believe they got it for me.

[@SecretOfMonkeyIsland784]

I had the fortress of fangs playset as a kid, it was just as fun to play with as it looks. I remember having hours of fun just playing with the big purple gargoyle monster on its own.

[@anthonyellis987]

I have the Doctor Who TARDIS set from 1988, complete with several figures from the series. You can either have it as the police box or set it up as the interior with working console. My friend had the Action Man tower.

[@imj3688]

I think I still have my vintage Snake Mountain chillin' around here somewhere..... great list and great video!

[@ultrajazz5335]

I just wish I had somewhere to the display Castle Grey Skull. Mom saved all my childhood toys. Gray Skull and the Terror Drome are my biggest play sets.

[@NoahR_]

Being a kid of the early 2000s, all of this stuff is well before my time and not really a part of my collection focus, but I have vague memories of playing with the Flagg in daycare. It was absolutely awesome to 4-5 year old me. My large Clone Wars vehicles pale in comparison to the sheer size of that thing.

[@skyden24195]

That would have been awesome to be able to play with the Flagg in daycare. A friend of mine had the Flagg when I was around 14yrs old, but I only ever saw it once and didn't get to play with it as it was set-up on his family's dining room table.

[@nickbonte6519]

I really looked forward to this list many days and after all worth the waiting. Awesome list and thank you for mentioning the Turtles Technodrome. Together with the Turtles Sewer Lair by far my chilhood favorites. Keep up the good work and cheers from Holland.

[@RageONTv]

The firehouse from ghostbusters is my favorite. I still have it.

[@tommatteson4590]

Loved the video! The Fortress of Fangs was a great playset. I had totally forgotten it before seeing the RetroBlasting video a few months ago. Everything came rushing back then. The look, the feel of the various textures of the plastic, even the ladder catching when moving it in or out. I didn't have any other D&D toys, but this playset was a favorite. I think I would have put Snake Mountain over Greyskull because of the play features - the mic, the moving snake head, and the steps and standing locations on the exterior. The playset that really should have been on the list - the Ewok Village (or Sherwood Forest repaint). The spit to roast Han Solo, C3-P0's sedan, and the net trap underneath made this an outstanding playset.

[@matthewhobbs81]

Great video! Another great one was the Voltron castle of lions.

[@bigdoublej74]

I had the Castle of Lions. Loved that playset

[@stewartmerrell8321]

I had the Death Star as a kid and loved it !! It should had been #1 on your list !!

[@jasonw3414]

i had a LOT of mask toys, including boulder hill. they mysteriously "disappeared" when we moved into a new house though :(

[@johnredmond8173]

I was unlucky enough not to own any of those playsets as a kid😂 Great video.

[@stuartarmstrong1830]

Great video sir! Really enjoyed it and I learned some new stuff! For me the USS Flagg would be No.1 and I would include Thinder Mountian and the techno drone (but this is just my personal taste). Please do a top ten GI Joe playsets!!

[@bobastu]

He stated in the beginning there would only be one entry per toy line. Otherwise, a MOTU fan could have included two playsets, Star Wars, two or three, GI Joe, over a dozen. Fair is Fair

[@growingupmovies]

This is an amazing breakdown of these sets. Thank you for the trip down memory lane!

[@Lans32485]

The technodrome would have been high on my list, especially since it was one I actually had as a kid. Plus, not only is it a really fun villain lair playset, but it pulls double duty as a vehicle.

[@billpagan3070]

Oh Tony, awesome review Brother!!! You picked some cool sets for the top ten. You know I do not remember ever owning many or any play-sets growing up. I guess the overall price of them at once discouraged some parents to buy them.😥

[@baltimorebigman5999]

Great video I remember all of them and love them very well especially Castle Grey skull me and my friends had tons of fun with that one

[@philmontgomery95]

Im glad you included the bat cave. I played with that set for hundreds of hours when I was a kid. It was awesome.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Yeah, kids these days doesn't even know how to appreciate toys, some of them doesn't even play with these unlike in our old days that we even take good care of these not to be damaged when playing...all the kids usually do now is playing from their tablets or smartphones, thus, losing the process of personal interaction and make their imagination more active.

[@TheCmducks]

I remember getting Grayskull for Christmas one year , yeah it was awesome

[@KMoneyisGV08]

(Sees the "USS Flagg" at #3): Whoa; what could POSSIBLY be... (Sees #1) Oh, yeah. (Nods in absolute agreement).

[@tenbre5748]

Absolutely your best video yet! So many amazing sets. It's such a shame they stopped making these, they really were feats of engineering.

[@danielling6068]

you know its vintage when you feel the excitement nearing Christmas, even have that gut feeling till today

[@georgesulea]

Awesome List! Takes me back:)

[@abomb6046]

I had 8 and 10 when I was a kid. The fire hall turned into a gi Joe command center for me. I had the technodrome and the turtles sewer play set too. Very cool

[@metroplexgrimlock7089]

Skeletor is based on the real skeleton that scared the designer for The Masters of the Universe

[@karafankunte]

Mega city of Micronauts was the greatest of all playsets ever made from my point of view

[@lothar71]

I had never seen it before but it's a nice playset

[@DavidDrakeDiaz]

this is the best video of the year for me, amazing!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏 thank you!!! David from Argentina

[@markotey2896]

Great choices. You are hands down my favorite you tube channel. Look forward to your next quality vid. Thank you!

[@MrTrenttness]

I remember going over to another kids house who had the Castle Grey Skull set sitting high on a shelf above his bed. When he pull it down for us to look at, the set fell directly on top of his head. Luckily he wasn't hurt too bad.

[@travismiller4320]

Thank goodness for that, but was the other kid okay?

[@seanbrown453]

Thanks for the video as this takes me back as I remember these toy and players in the old toy and hobby shops in the UK

[@gregkatz5411]

Great video, Tony!

[@GhostRider-on6bz]

Being just a little younger than gen-X but too old to really feel like a millennial, the Jurassic Park compound was the playset I got the most mileage out of. Set that thing up in the garden and hours of fun were had. Although, sadly, the lawn mower mutilated more figures than the T-rex ever did. The millennium falcon and the 1992 Tracy Island were also staples of my childhood.

[@vartanpapazian8342]

JP compound was no joke loved that thing, good call.

[@geemac7267]

Great list Tony!

[@rayslavetochrist7311]

I really enjoyed your video,still collect Toys,myself I quit playing with them in the 80s but agree some cool toys in the 80s

[@backinthedaygamer]

Castle Greyskull is to this day one of the best Christmas presents I’ve ever received!

[@nickytalone]

Another great video Tony! Your channel is truly a cut above the rest when it comes to vintage toys. Keep up the great work. I always look forward to your videos being a vintage toy enthusiast myself

[@AnalogToys]

Nicholas Talone thank you!

[@Jch79]

I've always wanted the USS Flagg and Snake Mountain. But now I really want The Well of the Souls. Wow

[@Ansonius77]

I had both Flagg and Snake Mountain

[@sonicmario64]

The Technodrome playset will always be my personal favorite, considering the fact that I grew up with TMNT ever since I was a kid. :)

[@roosarobin3383]

Casey Decker The Technodrome is a vehicle playset. The mobility of it alone and the detail should have made it on this video's list. I bought one as an adult collector and played with it with my child who also loved it. It is a cool playset but mine keeps breaking apart

[@hankw69]

What? No POCKET HEROES FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE!!!? Ha! It was the only play-set that I had as a boy but I loved it. When we moved to Minnesota I met a fellow action figure nut who owned the Star Trek Enterprise Bridge and a VERY early cardboard Star Wars Cantina(just a floor covered with stand pegs and a wall with a picture of the band and the bar), but hours of fun for two boys in the late 70's Love your show, Jim

[@brandonyouth5241]

Rad list my guy. I always love myself a good playsets 😍😍😍

[@Longi1974]

Great video. I had the Action Man Training Tower, the Fortress of Fangs and Castle Grayskull. My cousin had the USS FLAGG, it was a competition win at a local toy shop and was given the accolade of "The ONLY one in the UK" at the time. It had been displayed in the window for months and we gazed at it so enviously. We couldn't believe he won it.

[@Baron3917]

I had a few playsets, but I found using my sisters Cindy and Barbie dolls houses just as good. My younger sister had the Big Red Fun Bus and other similar playsets... I used those too.

[@matthewdrummond1340]

This is the second video I've watched on your channel. I'm loving it 😀

[@andslivinginthelight7356]

Thank you for taking me back , I had both of Your top 2 Way back When ...

[@adamfox1669]

Thank you for sharing. And thank you fir the trip to my childhood. Great stuff

[@TheNightBadger]

Waitaminnit... I detect a joker in the pack! The Batman animated series playset was 90's! Masters of the Universe Classics re-do of the Castle was also amazing, and the fact Scareglow came with a mace thing with a mini castle on the end which you could open and take a key out of, which can then be used on a secret door on the actual Castle is just amazing. Playsets worth mentioning not on this list... Terrordrome, PITT, Palitoy Death Star / Action Force HQ playsets. After the 80's I would throw down Playmates Sewer Lair (modern) playsets, The Narnia Castle from Prince Caspian, both the ships from Pirates of the Caribbean (3 3/4 Pirate ships! How can you lose?!) and the McFarlane Spawn alley. However, my dream playset... is the nothing-more-than-card Amsco Marvel Super Hero World. But alas... I'll never own one...

[@charliebrownie4158]

I really love your videos I hope your success grows in jumps and continues growing in the future.

[@bingbongtoysKY]

PLAYSETS!!!!🎉I love playsets, happy new year!🎉

[@johanndarkblade2706]

Excellent video!

[@NostalgiaFix81]

My friend down the street had the aircraft carrier. It was an afternoon of playtime I will never forget 😄

[@jimmyfafard2709]

awesome list, I have the BoulderHill, Ghostbusters fire house, and the Savage Strikes tower. Plus I have the Cobra Terror Drome and a few others not mentioned.

[@jeremyallennossette6426]

Man, I remember I got Castle Greyskull and Snake Mountain and loved them but I do think I liked Snake Mountain more. I got the black Stealth Fighter with the night wing mini flyer for Christmas from G.I.Joe and finally got the Aircraft Carrier for my birthday and we had to set it up in the garage which made it difficult for my parents to handle all of us neighborhood kids playing in our garage and front lawn. My parents regretted the Aircraft Carrier the moment we put it together and it still kept growing!! Lol. Great times.

[@rubytheater6330]

Beautiful art Love it