Back when Ponch and Jon ruled the airwaves, the powers that be tossed out many products so us little kids could play-act out their adventures.
I already covered the Mego Ponch Figure here: (that toy is AWESOME)
Here we have a treat I received on some Christmas morning during those years; The CHiPs Motorcycle Helmet Set.
Look at all the goodies that came in that magic box ! Handcuffs, a Helmet with Flip Up Visor, Walkie Talkies, a Badge, Sunglasses, Paper Tickets and a GUN !!! A realistic looking gun at that !! Now, this was a different time when toy guns looked like real guns and honestly, I played with it a lot and never had the urge to rob 7-11 or point it a a real Police Officer; making him decide whether or not to shoot me but ........ times were a lot simpler then.
I loved this set. I loved playing cops and robbers and this set really gave me the means to act it out. Once, I actually used the helmet to ride on a Motor Scooter cause I needed a helmet to ride and it was deemed "Safe Enough". Like I wrote before, these were different times ......
As for CHiPs, I loved the show, but the lack of violence was something that, even as a little kid, I thought was missing. I get that it was a soft drama that featured car chases and some mild fisticuffs, but I, like many kids at the time, was playing with 12" GI Joe and little green army men where people got shot. That was combat. The fact that the Mego Figure came with a removable Pistol and Billy Club, as well as this set having a realistic pistol don't seem to fit in with the shows premise. But it was great to see some cool Cops chase chicks and get in to hi-jinks :)
As for this set, the gun was the best. I was a total gun nut as a kid (who wasn't) and wanted realistic looking guns in the worst way. Before they made those real looking cap guns (please, if anyone remembers those - I remember a silenced revolver and an auto with a clip - and can offer some clues LMK cause they have escaped me thus far) this one fit the bill. After all the little kid cop play was done, I had that gun around for more serious play (pre-teenage). The helmet didn't offer much protection (not that it was meant for it). I remember falling off my bike with it on and it might have been softer to hit the ground but it was a cool toy :)
Either way this set gave me a lot of joy and fun memories as a kid. One of the few good dress up play sets from that era, there was a lot of fun packed into that magic box !
A Side Note:
As some of you may have noticed, I have been absent from writing here for quite some time. My work schedule and finishing the last classes of college are taking quite a bit of time from me. Moving last year has put a damper on writing because most of my collection is still boxed up (proven by the fact that this and the last few of my posts have had pictures taken from the web instead of my own collection). Although, I have found that my interest in this hobby waning. All the new products just don't interest me and, while the vintage toys still do, its just getting pushed to the periphery. I'm gonna try posting some non-toy related interests and see if that inspires me, as my increasingly limited time permits. I do like writing this and will keep it up, but the posts may not be as frequent as they once were.
Mike
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This item is not in my personal collection.
Photos taken from eBay @:
.JPG "Mego Ponch Chips")
