Author Topic: Mattel Squishies  (Read 11603 times)

raycastile

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Mattel Squishies
« on: January 29, 2009, 03:01:36 AM »
Has anyone been watching Mattel Squishies on ebay lately?  No?  Ok, I'll shut up then.

On second thought, I'll continue with my post.

They are a pair of weird little rubber toys produced in 1971.  There is a green Witch and a flesh-colored "Oddbod."  He is usually referred to as a clown or a troll.  They have a rubber skin filled with wax to make them "squishy."  When you squash them, they are supposed to return to their normal shape.  At least they did in 1971.  Now they are hard as rocks.  Throw them at someone's head and you will go to jail.

Here are photos from Gregg Koenig's Flickr gallery.  I don't know if he is a member here, but he should be.  He has a neat collection.



Witch



Oddbod


A few weeks ago, an Oddbod appeared on ebay and sold for $103!  I thought that was an impressive price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=270327499082

Within days another Oddbod popped up.  This one had its original tag.  It sold for $129!  Wow.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=110337380720

A few days later, ANOTHER Oddbod shows up, this one without a tag.  It only sold for $21.59.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=390025617379

Then another seller (I think this might be Gregg) lists two Oddbods with tags, BIN $125 each.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=250362328855

He also has four witches with tags, same price.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=250362328869

And yes, some individual witches have started popping up.  I saw two listed, both without tags.  First this one, selling for $54.33.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=390024711424

Then this one, $32.99.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=260350179757

There is a pair listed now, BIN for $32.50.  No tags, some paint wear.
http://cgi.ebay.com/2-Mattel-1971-Doll-Witch-Trolls-Monster-Squishies-Toys_W0QQitemZ260353993425QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDolls?hash=item260353993425&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

The same seller has a scrunched Oddbod with no tag, BIN $11.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Mattel-1971-Doll-Squishies-Rubber-Monster-Toy_W0QQitemZ260353983088QQcmdZViewItemQQptZDolls?hash=item260353983088&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50


I've got a Witch and Oddbod in my collection, both with no tags.  I think I paid $10-$15 each, thereabouts. 

I seem to remember these being sold in plastic mesh bags, like some of the squishy balls you see today.  I thought the tag was attached to this bag.  Am I imagining that?  The tagged ones in these recent auctions have the tag attached by a piece of string tied around their legs.

There was an ebay dealer years ago that had a factory case of them with the counter display box.  I could swear they were in individual bags.  But maybe not.  Or maybe they were sold different ways.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting that these toys popped up one after the other and achieved these prices.  I haven't seen many on ebay before now, but then I haven't been actively searching.  They are weird, cool toys.




Raymond Castile

raycastile

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #1 on: January 29, 2009, 03:27:10 AM »
P.S.:  The thread on the Soaky tags kind of got me thinking about these auctions.  After the initial spike when the first Oddbod surfaced, the Squishies without tags settled into a $30-ish price range.  But the tagged ones are priced $100 more, and I have a feeling they will sell eventually.  So the tag is the difference between a $30 toy and a $130 toy.
Raymond Castile

Monster Bob

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #2 on: January 29, 2009, 09:46:58 AM »

Raymond

The tagged ones belong to David "Pez" Welch...

Jscareshock

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #3 on: January 29, 2009, 10:35:39 AM »
Those squishies were just so wrong.  They felt so yucky!!!

Devlin

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #4 on: January 30, 2009, 03:18:30 AM »
My witch with tag came from eBay 7 or 8 years ago, but I'm pretty sure it was $10 or less. I didn't realize that I had a complete set...I assumed there would be at least 3 or 4 of them, but I never really investigated.

Cryptkeeper1965

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #5 on: January 30, 2009, 10:32:31 AM »
Long time lurker here but I had to chime in.  Time must be really passing quickly because I remember getting my Squishies around 9 to10 years ago when I first discovered eBay.  I was searching for toys/collectables that I had as a kid and remembered the Squishies.  I had the Oddbod when I was in first grade.  I ended up finding a Witch for…get this… $1.00!  Then a few weeks later I got the Witch and Oddbod in a set for a whopping $7.99.  Of course they didn’t have tags but that was never a factor in my collecting anyway but they were in great condition.

As far as the wax is concerned, here’s a suggestion on how to transform them from a rock solid, weapon of mass concussion to their original form.  A few years ago my wife and I lived in a townhouse with a partially finished attic.  Even though the finished part was insulated, it got hotter than Hades in the summer…even with a window air conditioner.  Well the attic was where I was displaying my growing collection and the Squishies were up there as well.  One day I picked up one of them and let me tell you, the wax inside was as good as the day they were made in 1971!  The Squishies actually squished!  I would say that if they are in good shape with no leaks or pin holes that if you placed them in a box in the garage on a July afternoon that after a few hours they would be good as new. 

Therin of Andor

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #6 on: January 31, 2009, 03:08:04 AM »
These particular toys are only vaguely familiar to me, but I do know my family and I used the term "squishy" as a generic term to describe any of those rubbery, Jello-like monster toys of the late 60s/early 70s. The fact that we began calling them squishies probably infers that the brandname "Squishy" was around in 1970, which is definitely the year I know I used the term. (I'm in Sydney, Australia, born in 1958.)

I actually recall a popular precursor to that witch and troll. They were quite large, would fill the palm of one's hand, and were known as "Kreepy Kwivers". They were quite expensive, and I seem to remember them being spooky, long-limbed, translucent dragons, trolls, witches and dinosaur creatures that jiggled around very easily. The next Christmas, my brother and I received a pair of small pencil-toppers each (I received a metallic gold devil and a red dragon; I think my brother had a green devil and a yellow dragon) made of similar stuff, but not quite as wobbly - and then it seemed like the floodgates opened and generic monster "squishies" were everywhere! But none as Jello-wobbly as "Kreepy Kwivers". I also had a hand-sized, long-limbed, firmer, bright yellow devil, with a suction cap, on the back of his head from the same era.

About eight years later, my brother and I were excited to see the old pencil-topper molds re-used, and bought my youngest brother a firmer powder-blue devil from a nearby corner grocery store.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2020, 09:01:49 PM by Therin of Andor »
Thiptho lapth,

Regards, Ian.

raycastile

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2009, 04:31:38 AM »
I'd like to see some Kweepy Kwivers.

As long as we're talking about them, I figured I'd photograph my Mattel Squishies:





Under the hot lights, they did soften up.  I was able to smoosh them a little.
Raymond Castile

Therin of Andor

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2016, 09:50:26 AM »
Wow! From 1966! Accompanying the British horror comedy movie, "Carry on Screaming".


Kreepy Kwiver ad by Ian McLean, on Flickr

And there was even a character in the film called Oddbod!

(URL is now a dead link.)
« Last Edit: June 24, 2022, 03:43:18 AM by Therin of Andor »
Thiptho lapth,

Regards, Ian.

darkmonkeygod

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #9 on: January 14, 2016, 01:26:35 AM »
Wow! From 1966! http://www.thewhippitinn.com/carry_on.../carry_on_screaming/ (Scroll down for the "Kreepy Kwiver" toy poster!) And there was even a character in the film was Oddbod!


That link isn't going to anything for me. Post it again?
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Therin of Andor

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #10 on: January 14, 2016, 04:52:45 AM »
That link isn't going to anything for me. Post it again?

Fixed! (Sorry about that.)

EDIT: Original site now gone but a copy of the poster is now in my earlier post.
« Last Edit: June 24, 2022, 03:41:56 AM by Therin of Andor »
Thiptho lapth,

Regards, Ian.

darkmonkeygod

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #11 on: January 14, 2016, 04:22:16 PM »
Really interesting, thanks!
Shannon aka monsieurmonkey on UMA Y!

Therin of Andor

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #12 on: June 24, 2022, 04:49:05 AM »
Found more info on the "Kreepy Kwivers" tie-in campaign with the August 1966 (in UK) premiere of "Carry On Screaming". They were manufactured by Plastech Limited.


Kreepy Kwivers theatre ads by Ian McLean, on Flickr
Thiptho lapth,

Regards, Ian.

Hepcat

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #13 on: June 25, 2022, 11:17:54 AM »
Great info!

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Barlow

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Re: Mattel Squishies
« Reply #14 on: June 27, 2022, 12:29:55 AM »
I got the witch (the one I had as a kid) on ebay a few years back. Yep, pretty hard now. I wonder if it would be possible to replace the wax and make it squishy again? Then again, I'd hate to tamper with a collectible.

 

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