These were sold in the 1960s and early 1970s to the best of my memory. They were available in the candy section of dime stores, drug stores, grocery stores, or really anywhere that sold candy and gum. I picked this one up on eBay the other day and luckily it included the original contents (at least I assume it's the original contents) including 2 flat Palmer (?) dinosaurs, a cheap toy truck, and antique candy called "Sourlets". I put the candy package in another little clear plastic bag to insure it doesn't leak through to the original envelope someday. I seem to remember buying some of these Grab Bags back in the day containing flat Palmer Monsters. I've been hunting one of these for awhile now. They seem to be a bit scarce these days. Anyone remember these?
(http://imageshack.us/a/img198/2024/sdw0.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img706/3456/c2nu.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img585/9384/st6b.jpg)
(http://imageshack.us/a/img707/5208/8e4z.jpg)
Scarier than any monster is that 40-50 year old candy! Who knows what you would mutate into if you were foolish enough to swallow that little slice of Hell?! >:D
That's a great find and a real blast from the past! :)
I remember those grab bags very well! A little grocery in our town (pop. 300) carried them. I got my Mom and Dad to fork over several nickels so I could buy them.
What a nice display piece, original contents too!!
The perfect Halloween time capsule you've got there! Just one more thing that made being a kid back then so much fun...thanks for sharing!
Glad you guys enjoy seeing it. I've been on the lookout for one of these for a few years now. I anticipated only being able to find one of the empty envelopes with the cool graphics so I was pretty surprised when one popped up with original contents, even that nasty piece of candy :laugh:.
I remembered Dennis Druktenis having some of these for sale several years ago either in one of his old catalogs or in an ad in Scary Monsters, so I sent him an email to see if by some quirk of fate he still had any. He replied that he sold those a long time ago and hadn't seen any in awhile, except for the one he kept for his collection. No telling how many thousands of those things sold for a nickel back in the day. But the kid would immediately trash the cool envelope, eat the candy, and play with the little dinos/monsters for awhile before they ended up lost or in the toy box. I must have had at least a dozen of these when I was a monsterbrat. Strange how the packaging was usually the coolest thing about most monster items, and we couldn't wait to rip through it and throw it away.
I seem to remember Palmer flat monsters coming in these Horror Monsters Grab Bags. Does anyone else remember that? How about those little 1 1/2" MPC knockoff figures? I think the MPC knockoffs were sold mostly in vending machines but my memory is in a monsterkid fog about that exactly.
That is really cool!! LOVE the graphics on the envelope!
I HAD 4 UNOPENED BOXES OF 60 PACKS EACH MANY YEARS BACK, MID 90'S FROM A SMALL FIND MADE OF THESE. DINOSAURS, GREEN DINOSAURS ARE THE ONLY MONSTERS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THESE PACKS. MANY PEOPLE ASSUME THEY CONTAINED OTHER ITEMS BUT EVEN WHEN YOU SEE THESE COME UP ON EBAY THEY HAVE 2 GREEN DINOSAURS IN THEM EASILY SEEN BY JUST HOLDING THE PACK UP TO THE LIGHT.
Quote from: monsterjoe on November 01, 2013, 07:37:40 PM
I HAD 4 UNOPENED BOXES OF 60 PACKS EACH MANY YEARS BACK, MID 90'S FROM A SMALL FIND MADE OF THESE. DINOSAURS, GREEN DINOSAURS ARE THE ONLY MONSTERS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN THESE PACKS. MANY PEOPLE ASSUME THEY CONTAINED OTHER ITEMS BUT EVEN WHEN YOU SEE THESE COME UP ON EBAY THEY HAVE 2 GREEN DINOSAURS IN THEM EASILY SEEN BY JUST HOLDING THE PACK UP TO THE LIGHT.
I thought there must have been warehouse finds of these a few years ago, which explains where dealers like Dennis Druktenis got theirs, and the reason we see any of these things available currently. Of course there were so many thousands of them sold it doesn't mean flat Palmers were never sold in Grab Bags, it just means they weren't in the ones that popped up in the warehouse finds. Maybe someone with a good memory of buying these things new in the '60s or '70s will post about what theirs contained. I had several and I seem to remember Palmer flat monsters as well as dinos. I'm just not sure. :-\
If the Palmer flat monsters weren't sold in these Grab Bags then how were they sold?
I have opened these bags and I got flat Palmer monsters out of them as well as the dinos.
Quote from: poseablemonster on November 01, 2013, 10:51:44 PM
I have opened these bags and I got flat Palmer monsters out of them as well as the dinos.
Awesome! You confirmed one of my fuzzy monsterkid memories. Thanks, poseablemonster.
I got a few off ebay super cheap and they indeed did have flat Palmer monster
Best Plastics Corporation produced 14 different dinosaurs and 2 cavemen as well as the 5 monster figures most collectors call "Palmer flats". These were sold in 5 cent Horror Monsters Grab Bags in the 1960s (probably '64-'68) in various dime stores, food stores, and quick marts. Below is an old pic of some of my Best Plastics collection:
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/BestFigures_zpsxylia5ma.jpg)
The 2 green dinos, red truck, and "Sourlets" candy on the left came in the Horror Monsters Grab Bag in the center. To the right are 7 more Best dinos I've accumulated from eBay purchases. The bottom row contains the 5 "Palmer flats" monsters and both Best Cavemen. The pink Creature and Wolfman were purchased in a pink set of 7 from a Toy Shop ad in the '90s from M&J Variety as I recall. The 3 red monsters and 2 cavemen I have left from childhood.
According to Dinosauriana by Joe Demarco the Horror Monsters Grab Bags contained 2 Best dinos, an additional toy (sometimes a Best "Palmer flat" monster), and candy. Some collectors seem to remember the Grab Bags containing 2 monsters with a bonus toy and candy. Maybe the Grab Bags contained both combinations, I can't remember for sure. Also, the Grab Bags were sold open to allow the customer to inspect the contents. Trust ran much higher in those days.
Best monsters and cavemen turn up nowadays in blue and pink much more commonly than the other colors. I believe there was a warehouse find of these colors in the '90s which would explain the Toy Shop ads and cheap prices in the '90s. Best dinosaurs on the other hand are pretty scarce and are avidly sought after by certain collectors (like me). These were the cheapest of the cheap back in the day and kids mangled and tossed them while keeping the nicer looking Marx and MPC figures. The nostalgia factor is very high with these little figures which, coupled with the scarcity, drives demand (and price). I hope to someday complete the set of 14 Best Plastics dinos. Gonna be tough.. but fun.
UPDATE: I now have 2 Grab Bags and all of the Best dinos except for a Smilodon, plus dupes. When I finally find a Smilodon I'll make a pic of the whole caboodle and post it here. Anyone else have any Horror Monsters Grab Bag pieces they would like to share info/pics of?
Here's one that sold for $77.19 in an eBay auction recently:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IXMAAOSwAANY7JtN/s-l1600.jpg) (http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vBMAAOSwpkFY7JtS/s-l1600.jpg)
Interestingly, the seller describes it as "unopened", but to my understanding these were usually sold unsealed. Either he just didn't want to unbend the top, or someone actually sealed it at some point.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-1960s-Unopened-410TB-/122441130463?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=8uWcWgvJT7S5JYWXcbJKxuajGdw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-1960s-Unopened-410TB-/122441130463?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=8uWcWgvJT7S5JYWXcbJKxuajGdw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc)
Quote from: horrorhunter on April 19, 2017, 11:25:03 AM
Here's one that sold for $77.19 in an eBay auction recently:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IXMAAOSwAANY7JtN/s-l1600.jpg) (http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/vBMAAOSwpkFY7JtS/s-l1600.jpg)
Interestingly, the seller describes it as "unopened", but to my understanding these were usually sold unsealed. Either he just didn't want to unbend the top, or someone actually sealed it at some point.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-1960s-Unopened-410TB-/122441130463?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=8uWcWgvJT7S5JYWXcbJKxuajGdw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-1960s-Unopened-410TB-/122441130463?_trksid=p2047675.l2557&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&nma=true&si=8uWcWgvJT7S5JYWXcbJKxuajGdw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc)
Wow, pricey!
Quote from: marsattacks666 on April 19, 2017, 11:28:25 AM
Wow, pricey!
Yeah, from a nickel to over 80 bucks with shipping! ;D
Quote from: horrorhunter on April 19, 2017, 11:30:09 AM
Yeah, from a nickel to over 80 bucks with shipping! ;D
:D
Quote from: horrorhunter on April 19, 2017, 11:12:36 AMThe 2 green dinos, red truck, and "Sourlets" candy on the left came in the Horror Monsters Grab Bag in the center.
Wow! What a treasure trove!
Quote from: horrorhunter on April 19, 2017, 11:12:36 AMAlso, the Grab Bags were sold open to allow the customer to inspect the contents. Trust ran much higher in those days.
I'll say!
:o
Quote from: horrorhunter on October 30, 2013, 09:09:59 PMScarier than any monster is that 40-50 year old candy! Who knows what you would mutate into if you were foolish enough to swallow that little slice of Hell?! >:D
Back about twelve years ago I opened a pack of 1960 Topps
Funny Valentines A cards which I'd bought for the wrapper:
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g434/Balticprince/FunnyValentinesAwrappers.jpg)
I then ate the gum. It was crumbly and there was a bit of bitterness to it as well as the sweetness. Overall it wasn't very good.
cl:)
My current Best Plastics Corp. collection:
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1816/43955688541_556ffc414c_b.jpg)
Still missing the Smilodon, but since the Best dino figures are so hard to find I thought I would go ahead and post what I have.
What little kid wouldn't have been thrilled to have gotten one of those grab bags! :)
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 09, 2018, 09:21:52 PM
What little kid wouldn't have been thrilled to have gotten one of those grab bags! :)
They made a great impression on this Monster Kid! ;)
These are some custom Monster Boxes in the vein of the Horror Monsters Grab Bags.
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1772/44076209881_8c4df00610_b.jpg)
They were made last Halloween by another UMA member to give out to Trick 'R Treaters. I added the Best Plastics Monster Flats to add to the '60s Monster vibe, and display them in the spiderweb bowl purchased from Dollar Tree. Cheap Monster Goodness, just like in the old days (though the Best Flats aren't really that cheap anymore).
hmjfym
Quote from: horrorhunter on August 16, 2018, 02:22:47 PM
These are some custom Monster Boxes in the vein of the Horror Monsters Grab Bags.
Did you get all that stuff (the collection on the left, or on right of the pic) in one of those boxes?
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 16, 2018, 07:00:42 PM
Did you get all that stuff (the collection on the left, or on right of the pic) in one of those boxes?
Yeah. It's a snug fit but the Best Flats easily slip in one-to-a-box with the other stuff.
Quote from: horrorhunter on August 09, 2018, 08:25:12 PM
My current Best Plastics Corp. collection:
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1816/43955688541_556ffc414c_b.jpg)
Still missing the Smilodon, but since the Best dino figures are so hard to find I thought I would go ahead and post what I have.
Beautiful stuff! They remind me of
these guys....
(http://i66.tinypic.com/zk5nqr.jpg)
Speaking of, are the standard Palmers the same sculpts as the much larger Pop Tops?
Horrorhunter - I've got some of the flat dinos and maybe monsters, I'll check and get back with you. :)
Quote from: Ugly_Thing on August 17, 2018, 09:50:31 AM
Beautiful stuff! They remind me of these guys....
(http://i66.tinypic.com/zk5nqr.jpg)
Speaking of, are the standard Palmers the same sculpts as the much larger Pop Tops?
Those are MPC Weird Monsters in the pic you posted, and yeah the sculpts are almost identical to the Pop-Top Horrors but slightly different. The Weirds are 2 1/2" tall and the Pop-Tops are 5" tall. Here's a link to the MPC thread which has a lot of stuff that should be right up your alley: http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=23458.0 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=23458.0)
Here's an older pic of my MPC Monsters shelf showing the Weirds, Pop-Tops, and others:
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/MPCMonsters_1_zpsuhipwvcp.jpg)
Quote from: Ugly_Thing on August 17, 2018, 09:50:31 AM
Horrorhunter - I've got some of the flat dinos and maybe monsters, I'll check and get back with you. :)
Sounds great UT. Love the Best Flats, especially the prehistoric animals.
This Horror Monsters Grab Bag sold for over $100 on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-Early-1960s-NM-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-Unopened-Halloween-/202431178697?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l44720 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Vintage-Early-1960s-NM-Horror-Monsters-Grab-Bag-Unopened-Halloween-/202431178697?nordt=true&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.m43663.l44720)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/6pgAAOSwHShblGYR/s-l1600.jpg)
Quote from: horrorhunter on August 17, 2018, 12:32:58 PMQuote from: Ugly_Thing on August 17, 2018, 09:50:31 AMSpeaking of, are the standard Palmers the same sculpts as the much larger Pop Tops?
Those are MPC Weird Monsters in the pic you posted, and yeah the sculpts are almost identical to the Pop-Top Horrors but slightly different. The Weirds are 2 1/2" tall and the Pop-Tops are 5" tall.
My understanding is that the MPC Pop-Top Horrors were issued first and MPC then shrunk down the sculpts with very slight modifications and released the Weird Monsters to exploit other market niches.
The Palmer monsters were unrelated to the MPC issues and are completely different. Here are a few threads where the Palmer monsters are discussed:
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=563.msg7895#msg7895 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=563.msg7895#msg7895)
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=2135.msg33554#msg33554 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=2135.msg33554#msg33554)
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=3754.msg58125#msg58125 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=3754.msg58125#msg58125)
http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=17080.msg271403#msg271403 (http://www.universalmonsterarmy.com/forum/index.php?topic=17080.msg271403#msg271403)
cl:)
Quote from: Hepcat on September 19, 2018, 12:04:40 PM
My understanding is that the MPC Pop-Top Horrors were issued first and MPC then shrunk down the sculpts with very slight modifications and released the Weird Monsters to exploit other market niches.
I'm not really sure which came first. My Pop-Top 2-packs are marked 1964, and the Haunted Hulk sail is marked 1963 (new Haunted Hulks included 2 Weird Monsters). But those dates may be misleading since these items came out so close to the same time. It's possible Haunted Hulks were initially released without any Weirds, or maybe the HHs weren't actually distributed to stores until 1964. I'm pretty sure mine was bought in '64, at least wielding my
kid-memory (which we know can play tricks).
It's been so long we may never find out the detailed facts regarding this monster minutia.
:-\ :-\ :-\
Quote from: horrorhunter on April 19, 2017, 11:12:36 AM
Best Plastics Corporation produced 14 different dinosaurs and 2 cavemen as well as the 5 monster figures most collectors call "Palmer flats". These were sold in 5 cent Horror Monsters Grab Bags in the 1960s (probably '64-'68) in various dime stores, food stores, and quick marts. Below is an old pic of some of my Best Plastics collection:
(http://i1291.photobucket.com/albums/b552/horrorhunter/BestFigures_zpsxylia5ma.jpg)
The 2 green dinos, red truck, and "Sourlets" candy on the left came in the Horror Monsters Grab Bag in the center. To the right are 7 more Best dinos I've accumulated from eBay purchases. The bottom row contains the 5 "Palmer flats" monsters and both Best Cavemen. The pink Creature and Wolfman were purchased in a pink set of 7 from a Toy Shop ad in the '90s from M&J Variety as I recall. The 3 red monsters and 2 cavemen I have left from childhood.
According to Dinosauriana by Joe Demarco the Horror Monsters Grab Bags contained 2 Best dinos, an additional toy (sometimes a Best "Palmer flat" monster), and candy. Some collectors seem to remember the Grab Bags containing 2 monsters with a bonus toy and candy. Maybe the Grab Bags contained both combinations, I can't remember for sure. Also, the Grab Bags were sold open to allow the customer to inspect the contents. Trust ran much higher in those days.
Best monsters and cavemen turn up nowadays in blue and pink much more commonly than the other colors. I believe there was a warehouse find of these colors in the '90s which would explain the Toy Shop ads and cheap prices in the '90s. Best dinosaurs on the other hand are pretty scarce and are avidly sought after by certain collectors (like me). These were the cheapest of the cheap back in the day and kids mangled and tossed them while keeping the nicer looking Marx and MPC figures. The nostalgia factor is very high with these little figures which, coupled with the scarcity, drives demand (and price). I hope to someday complete the set of 14 Best Plastics dinos. Gonna be tough.. but fun.
Quote from: horrorhunter on August 09, 2018, 08:25:12 PM
My current Best Plastics Corp. collection:
(https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1816/43955688541_556ffc414c_b.jpg)
Still missing the Smilodon, but since the Best dino figures are so hard to find I thought I would go ahead and post what I have.
Here's a good shot of one of the Horror Monsters Grab Bags lacking the colour yellow!
(https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/g434/Balticprince/16/Monsters%20Grab%20Bag(1).jpg?width=1920&height=1080&fit=bounds)
Whether the above bag constitutes a factory defect or Best Plastics just got cheap later in the production run I can't say.
8)
I got a bag ages ago that contained the 2 green and the small fangs. Same candy..
(https://i.postimg.cc/FHJhfpyC/20220610-114234.jpg)
Btw, I finally picked up a Best Plastics Smilodon Flat so that completes my collection (5 monsters, 2 cavemen, 14 prehistoric animals).
Quote from: horrorhunter on January 12, 2025, 05:16:57 PMI finally picked up a Best Plastics Smilodon Flat so that completes my collection
Oh no ya don't! You gotta get 'em in every color they were made in! ;D
Quote from: Mike Scott on January 12, 2025, 08:45:31 PMOh no ya don't! You gotta get 'em in every color they were made in! ;D
I doubt if I live that long unless I get some
supernatural help. thrhrt
(https://th.bing.com/th/id/OIP.pdFmKbQ_NgK91jRdRsCRtAAAAA?rs=1&pid=ImgDetMain)
Quote from: horrorhunter on January 12, 2025, 10:28:47 PMI doubt if I live that long unless I get some supernatural help. thrhrt
After that you won't be much interested in anything but blood.
Quote from: Mike Scott on January 12, 2025, 11:50:11 PMAfter that you won't be much interested in anything but blood.
Blood and Yutte! >:D
Found something on eBay that has a bit to do with Horror Monsters Grab Bags. This listing for a lot of candy containers has a pic of what's left of a label reading "Best Plastics" who made the grab bags.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/297689144166
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/V~AAAeSwBZFo8SRd/s-l1600.webp)
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/LoUAAeSwh7do8SWu/s-l1600.webp)
I'm kicking myself for not bidding on this lot. It sold for just $30 + $9.95 + tax. Just one of the pitchforks with the original candy should sell for more than that. Just another example of how cheap eBay auctions with low minimum bids are selling for. I've spent too much this Halloween Season, but I would have paid more than that for it anyway.
Quote from: Mike Scott on August 09, 2018, 09:21:52 PMWhat little kid wouldn't have been thrilled to have gotten one of those grab bags! :)
Big kid too.