Sometimes, you find little bits of blaster history on the internet. Or, you are directed to them by someone. These were found on Ebayin Greece by Nerfmafia (one of the administrators at Cincinnati Area Nerf Enthusiasts, and a member of The History of Nerf Modding Conflict). They were too expensive for me, but I was patient and bought them anyway. Shipping would be delayed due to current world conditions. Let’s take a look at them now!
Two Scores And One Year Ago
Nerf, which was the first blaster company to make it, was created by Parker Brothers. It consisted of safe foam products that could be used for sports, such as the original ball, vehicles, and fun foam figurines. Parker Brothers was a subsidiary of General Mills the cereal guys). General Mills also owned Kenner Products, another toy company, which made everything from Ghostbusters Toys to the original Star Wars action figures. While the subsidiaries would merge in 1985 and be bought by Tonka, Nerf would continue to be made under the Parker Brothers name until 1991, when Hasbro bought Tonka and moved the Nerf division to Kennar.
Kenner, it turns out, made some popper toys well before taking over Nerf. In 1979, we had the Finger Pops; in reality, they were just cut sections of foam you squeezed and popped up to ten feet away. In the same year, the Finger Pop Poppers were also released. As you may have guessed, these fired the Finger Pops, but from a toy squeeze blaster. Heres the commercial from a 1981 ad campaign!
The Actual Product
One the one hand, it all looks Greek to me! These packages were specifically made for overseas markets, so only the logos are available in English. Even so, you dont have to know Greek to figure out the packaging. They are both in much better shape than I expected given their age.
The toys come with a plastic belt/holster, a squeeze blaster, and six rounds of ammo. The belt is actually made to slide over a real belt, and to be worn around the waist.
Meanwhile, the ammo is just cut blanks of foam, 3 cm in diameter. It may look familiar to you because it is just foam backing rod.
Its funny how ideas can appear, disappear, then reappear years later in a different context. I refer, of course, to the way we all used to make homemade Nerf darts, using foam backer rod for the body and various materials for the heads.
On the back of the package is a cutout target made from paper. There are also instructions on how to use the toy, as well as different game ideas, such as knocking over plastic cups. The display package also features refill packs of Finger Pops, which can be used as ammo. Finally, we see both the Kenner logo and a General Mills proof of purchase seal.
I wont be keeping both packages, as one has already been claimed and paid for by a fellow Nerfer. This is the only thing I will keep in my package. It is hard for me to not use toys for their intended purposes (as toys), but considering how old this is, it’s probably the best thing to do.
