1969.09.09 Lockport NY Union-Sun Page 39 "Moon Trip Sparked Space Toy Interest" by Frederick M. Winship (UPI)

1969.09.09 Lockport NY Union-Sun Page 39

Same article only shorted to show just the first few paragraphs. Published in the Lockport NY Union-Sun on September 9, 1969.

1969.09.09 Lockport NY Union-Sun Page 39 "Moon Trip Sparked Space Toy Interest" by Frederick M. Winship (UPI)

Moon Trip Sparked Space Toy Interest

By Frederick M. Winship

NEW YORK (UPI)-Moon merchandise, inspired by America's space program and the recent Apollo 11 moonshot, is beginning to appear in toy, book, game, record, and coin stores across the nation.

Space novelties have been on the market for some 10 years but sales never really got off the ground. Manufacturers, especially toymakers, were baffled by the public's resistance to space items. It took the massive television coverage of man's first landing on the moon in July to reverse the market trend.

"It's all systems go now," said Lionel Weintruab, president of Toy Manufacturers of America, Inc. "The moon trip of Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins has practically turned the toy industry into a branch of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. There'll be plenty of rocketry under the Christmas tree this year."

Toy industry theorists believe that youngsters found space items too impersonal before television involved them. emotionally with the Apollo 11 astronauts. New toys place heavy emphasis on the human aspect of the space age. Plastic astronauts togged out in space suits bear the names of Billy Blastoff, Johnny and Jane Apollo, and Major Matt Mason.

John's Notes:

This same article with a different title appears across multiple newspapers with the basic content from UPI duplicated. For some reason this version was published shortened to just a few paragraphs.

All Mattel images and captions are copyright Mattel and used without permission. All other content, including images and editorial, is Copyright © 1997-2024 John Eaton and/or contributors unless otherwise stated. If there are any comments or objections, please contact John Eaton.