On the road with a stuffed doll December 4, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Gas stations, Photographs, Road trips, Toys, Web sites.3 comments
Today, I received an email from a Spaniard taking in Route 66 with Stabri, a stuffed doll that travels “hand to hand” around the globe, documented by photos and video posted on the Internet.
As of Sunday, Stabri and his companions were in Joplin, Mo. Here’s another photo of Stabri at Ambler’s Texaco Station in Dwight, Ill. You can see a few more photos from Route 66 on Stabri’s Flickr account.
An explanation of Stabri from one of its creators, via email:
Two European computer specialists, Mariano Munuera and Angel Téllez, decided to try how far the Internet links could reach. Then, to manage this idea, they invented the global doll Stabri, who travels all around the world from hand to hand. On the web site www.stabri.com, they organize his trips. So, his present bearer receives the proposals so that Stabri continues travelling. Besides, Stabri is in the social network where he talks with friends and fans in Facebook, Twitter, Tuenti, etc…
Stabri is more than a travelling doll, because wherever he goes he has a great impact on the Internet. The bearer takes Stabri to the most famous places of the country where they are and Stabri participates in bearer’s hobbies. In this way, the doll has lived experiences like playing instruments, visiting museums, practising sports, singing at Karaokes…even going paragliding!
According to Stabri’s website, the doll has reached more than 20 countries and 100 cities. Stabri even boasts its own YouTube channel.
This isn’t a new thing. The traveling gnome, which started as a prank with lawn gnomes, has been going for more than 25 years, to the point where Travelocity created its own Roaming Gnome mascot to get travelers involved and publicize its website on Twitter and Facebook.
And tons of variations exist out there. The Ace Jackalope blog contains hundreds of photos of a jackalope mascot photographed with landmarks and celebrities. Flat Stanley is another variation of the traveling figure, with him even having his own app. Over the years, I’ve seen a few Route 66 travelers adopt a figurine — a plastic Jesus, a stuffed animal, etc. — to include with their photographs.
The traveling mascot serves as a more whimsical and memorable way for travelers to document their journeys. It’s fun, and another small way to publicize Route 66′s attractions. But Stabri isn’t a fad. It’s most like a new variation on an old trend.
(Photos courtesy of Angel Teilez)
Toy car maker introduces Route 66 series March 10, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Businesses, Toys.add a comment
GreenLight Collectibles, a toy maker based in Indianapolis, is creating a Route 66 series of tie-cast cars and trading cards featuring real-life Route 66 landmarks. Both will hit stores next month.
According to the news release:
Each car in the series will be packaged with a Route 66 trading card that highlights a stop along the highway. When deciding which tourist attractions would go best with their respective cars, GreenLight had to define what makes a great Route 66 business. The number one piece of criteria; you’ve got to have a gimmick. These stops all are an added reason that Route 66 gained its acclaim into motorist’s notoriety across the US.
The road side stops and attractions range from the modern and new, drawing on a modern wave of Route 66 enthusiasts to the aged and ancient, hardly recognizable points that have stood ground since inception. Route 66 holds a large bit of mystic, and tells a story of adventure, independence, long distance travel and our cultural revolution.
The cars chosen to represent alongside these destinations are reflecting of the personality and time period of which the location was established. Creating a great piece of collectible memorabilia for a route that paved the way into modern day automobile appreciation.
The first part of the Route 66 series includes:
- 1961 Chevrolet Corvette – Fawn Beige – The Blue Swallow Hotel
- 1965 Dodge D-100 Sweptline – Omaha Orange – Pops convenience store
- 1965 Ford Galaxie Convertible – Poppy Red – The Launching Pad
- 1965 Ford Mustang GT – Vintage Burgundy – Wigwam Motel
- 1967 Chevrolet Impala SS – Royal Plum – “Here It Is” billboard
- 1971 Plymouth ‘Cuda – Curious Yellow – Cadillac Ranch
The toy cars don’t always match the era in which the businesses were established. For instance, the Blue Swallow Motel in Tucumcari, N.M., opened in 1939, the surviving Wigwam Motels were built in the 1930s or ’40s, and Pops opened in 2007. Regardless, the cards of real-life attractions are a nice touch.
The cars and trading cards will be in stores in April. Only 4,000 of each of the cars will be produced. Information on where to buy GreenLight toys online and in retail stores can be found here.
(Hat tip: Action Figure Insider)
New wooden toys created of “Cars” characters February 10, 2011
Posted by Ron Warnick in Movies, Toys.add a comment
Those who love to collect the massive amount of memorabilia from the 2006 Disney/Pixar animated movie “Cars” will have a new bunch of toys to acquire.
Toys “R” Us and Disney announced today it is launching its first series of wooden vehicles from the film, much of which uses the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs as its setting.
According to the news release:
[...] The current collection of 15 items consists of a variety of collectible Cars vehicle 2-packs, destination playsets and a track set giving kids a unique way to recreate the storyline from the 2006 blockbuster movie. The wood line will soon be expanded with vehicles and playsets based on the highly anticipated release of Cars 2, in theaters June 24, 2011.
The Disney-Pixar Cars Wood Collection is one of this year’s first Toys”R”Us global exclusives with the full product line available in the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, U.K., Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Cars enthusiasts, both young and old, can collect all of their favorite, four-wheeled characters like Lightning McQueen, Mater, Doc Hudson and Sally, and race through an adventure-filled wood world of ramps and tracks down the iconic Route 66 to end up at original Cars destinations, such as Tow Mater’s Yard or Luigi’s Casa Della Tires. Customers can find the distinctive wood vehicles, playsets and track set in the Imaginarium® department of Toys”R”Us stores.
The toys are available at Toys”R”Us stores and here at ToysRUs.com.
The series includes:
Disney-Pixar Cars wood collection vehicle 2-Packs (with photos below): “Radiator Springs Lightning McQueen and Sally; Doc Hudson and Dusty Lightning McQueen; Fillmore and Sarge; Flo and Ramone; Mater and Hudson Hornet Doc; The King and Chick Hicks; Dinoco McQueen and Tex; and Wingo and Boost.
“Additionally, the following Disney-Pixar Cars Wood Collection Vehicle 2-Packs will be available exclusively at Toys”R”Us this spring: DJ and Snot Rod; Cruisin’ Lightning McQueen and Ramone; Tractor and Young Tow Mater; Red and Guido.”
Luigi’s Casa Della Tires Playset (photo below): “While visiting Luigi’s, kids can spin his tower of tires, stop by the air pump for a “fill up,” or crank-up the vehicles onto the mechanic’s ramp for a quick tune-up before launching them onto the track. This playset includes a Luigi vehicle.”
Tow Mater’s Yard Playset: “Kids can use the working crane to grab, lift, swing and drop the vehicles into the fenced-in tow yard or head out into Radiator Springs through the quick-escape ramp that exits through the garage. This playset includes a Mater vehicle.”
Sheriff’s Race ‘n Chase Track Set: “Cars fans will be delighted to relive one of the film’s classic scenes – when Lightning McQueen first raced through Radiator Springs frantically searching for Mack with Sheriff hot on his bumper! Kids can race through the set, knock down a row of cones and topple a tower of Luigi’s tires. This set includes a special edition metallic Lightning McQueen vehicle, a Sheriff vehicle, a Radiator Springs billboard sign for Sheriff to hide behind, a race ‘n chase ramp, interchangeable track pieces and four tires.”
All told, the entire set likely will cost about $200.
Although “Cars” was a modest hit by Pixar’s lofty standards, the film has proven to be a bonanza for memorabilia sales. In just the first year the film was released, it was estimated that “Cars” memorabilia generated about $200 million in sales.
(Photos courtesy of Disney, Toys”R”Us)
The cutest little town in Carburetor County September 9, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Businesses, Movies, Railroad, Toys.2 comments
Roy Martinez Jr. began in January 2009 to build a miniature version of the fictional Route 66 town of Radiator Springs, as depicted from the hit 2006 animated film “Cars,” as part of a model train set.
Except for some shrubbery and foliage he’ll add later, Martinez reports that his own version Radiator Springs is finished. He also painted some “Cars”-related murals in the room. Here are photos that he provided:
The 4-by-10-foot miniature set can be found at his business, Rapid Force Exhaust Technology LLC, in La Habra, Calif.
(Photos courtesy of Roy Martinez Jr.)
The Mother Road yo-yo April 12, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Toys.add a comment
The Chico Yo-Yo Company, a firm dedicated to “precision-machined yo-yos,” has just introduced its latest model, called the Route 66.
This is the feel of the classic American car – a car with power, weight, and style.
The Route 66 is our testament to this feel. A yo-yo that you will enjoy for hours on end, pushing through the strings, stable, powerful, imminently familiar, and smooth.
And the specs of the yo-yo look as complex as any car, too.
According to the company, the first run of these Route 66 yo-yos will come in red and gold, and just 45 pieces will be produced. According to a company spokesman, each yo-yo will run at $100, and will be in shops in a matter of days (a list of sellers is on the home page).
“Cars” meets Cadillac Ranch March 7, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Art, Attractions, Movies, Toys, Vehicles.add a comment
Be a little patient when you view this Lego stop-motion animation video. You will eventually see toys from the movie “Cars” being used in a re-creation of Cadillac Ranch near Amarillo, Texas.
So is this were Lightning McQueen, Tow Mater and the rest of the Radiator Springs gang go after they die?
A new old view January 20, 2010
Posted by Ron Warnick in Attractions, Books, Photographs, Toys.3 comments
The cover of the "Route 66 in Chicago" View-Master reel. This image is of the Castle Car Wash building. (Courtesy of Wurlington Pros. Press)
Here’s a new twist on an old toy — Wurlington Bros. Press has created three new reels for the old View-Master devices, including one for Route 66 in Chicago.
The View-Master device, which looked like some sort of portable gizmo an eye doctor would use, created a three-dimensional effect on photographs, and were popular children’s toys during the 1960s and ’70s.
Van Beydler, creator of the Route 66 reel who hatched the idea of a Route 66 reel years ago, tells more about the Route 66 View-Master reel in a news release:
“Many years ago, I worked with the late Skip Curtis, author of The Missouri U.S. 66 Tour Book, giving him several rare photos of Route 66 to use in a special edition of Show Me Route 66 Magazine,” said Beydler. “At the time, I suggested the Route 66 Association should do a series of Route 66 View-Master® reels to document the classic structures still existing on the road.”
That project never materialized, but Wurlington Bros. Press has taken the first step in the long journey down “America’s Highway” by producing a reel titled “Route 66 in Chicago.”
The most famous highway in America starts in the center of Chicago. For over 2,400 miles it winds west through little towns, plains, mountains and deserts, all the way to Los Angeles, California.
The first few miles of the journey zigzag down busy streets of Chicago. Here and there are old roadside businesses dating from the picturesque days of auto tourism along the Mother Road.
The other two View-Master reels are Motels of Wurlington Avenue” and “Chicago Hot Dog Stands.”
Each reel costs $10, plus $1.75 for shipping and handling if you order direct from the manufacturer. Details to order the reels are here at the Wurlington Bros. site.
One of the "Route 66 in Chicago" View-Master images. (Courtesy of Wurlington Bros. Press)
Matt Bergstrom of Wurlington Bros. Press said in an e-mail that the reel also is available at Amazon.com here. He said Amazon has it erroneously listed as out of stock. He hopes that problem will be rectified shortly.
If you don’t have your own View-Master, you can buy one here, at eBay or plenty of other online retailers.