A few years ago, @justabaldguy sent me a box of vintage delights. This summer, I went through it with an eye for restoring some of them. I decided to start with He-Man (or Masters of the Universe if you prefer) as this was one toyline I remember but had no surviving childhood toys from. Also, the new MotU toys on store shelves and the excellent Netflix series renewed my interest in this classic collection of toys.

Restoring these toys was not easy. Many were broken at the leg connector, and it is much more difficult to fix these than say, the broken o-ring of a G.I. Joe figure. Many of the figures were missing armor and other accessories. I tried to get “costume” pieces on Ebay if I found the right price, but didn’t go down the weapons rabbit hole.

I chronicled the toys on Twitter, but wanted a more lasting version here on the blog!

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I love Stinkor, as he was one I had as a kid. He still smells a bit funky, not nearly as much as I remember! One thing I learned recently was that Stinkor shares Mer-Man’s face. A fish to a skunk! Whodathunkit?

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Next up is Tri-Klops! I like this guy’s action feature, with the spinning visor that gives him different expressions. He was missing his chest armor, but some patience on Ebay filled that need.

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This is Tung Lashor! He, like several of these toys, needed the leg connector replaced. That’s no easy task! I dig his stripes, the neat extendable tongue (tung?), and his cool gecko hands.

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Here’s Mekaneck. Poor dude needed leg repairs and was missing his chest armor, which I learned is a redeco of Stinkor’s! He’s like a mechanical giraffe guy with cool glasses. I dig him.

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This is Roboto. Really dig him! Awesome molded tech detail in his arms, working gears in his chest. The purple boots were originally silver… might paint them in the future. He looks surprised, doesn’t he?

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This one is Moss Man! I remember my brother had this one when we were kids. The texture on him kinda creeped me out back then. After a nice soak in warm soapy water and a scrub with an old toothbrush, he looks great! (Still feels weird, tho.)

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It’s… Tung Lashor! Wait, Marc, didn’t you already show off Tung Lashor? Yes… but there were two of them! Are the Snake Men unique, or can I use him as a troop builder? Need more bad guys.

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The last “complete” vintage MotU figure is Thunder Punch He-Man! He uses blast caps to punch really hard, I guess. It’s a fun gimmick, but you can see the stains on his upper legs. Also due to the twist mechanism he can’t hold his arms straight. Still, a neat toy.

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I rewarded myself for repairing the broken toys by getting some new Origins figures: Battle Armor He-Man and Skeletor, plus Teela! They look great with the vintage toys. Seems like they need something to pose on and fight over. Like, a home base of some sort. Hmm.

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To no one’s surprise, I picked up the new Castle Grayskull set! It’s great. Quite a lot of stuff in there for the price. All the Masters of the Universe toys look great on display in it. I’ve really enjoyed restoring these wonderful toys and getting them on display.