For today's Avent, we're heading to 1993. But the toy in question wasn't one that I owned. But I
did play with them. Ultimately, the main reason I am writing about today's featured item is
because as a competitive shopper it ranks up there as one of my personal best finds! Today's
toy is a set of 6 action figures! So Zord up everyone! It's Morphin' Time!
Today's toys in question are Jason, Trini, Billy, Zach and Kimberly! The original line-up of
the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. Did I say 6 action figures? More on this later!
My story occurs sometime during the 1993 holiday shopping season. I was with my mom at
the Toys R Us in Raleigh NC at Crabtree Valley mall. I was on hand with her to help buy
presents for my kid sister who was probably at the babysitters or my grandparents.
The big thing my sister and just about every kid in the world wanted that year was the Mighty
Morphin'Power Rangers. The original line of figures were sadly sold out as the manufacturer
Bandai grossly underestimated the popularity of the action figures. Not only did the news lament
the shortage, there were signs on the front of toy store too, warning parents that there were no
Power Rangers for sale.
At some point, I had to disengage from my mom. Probably because she was now shopping for
me. So, after a while of exhaustingly limited to baby kids and the Barbie doll section, I went to
the front of the store and settled down in front of an empty bin. It was then that the magic
happened!
A Toys R Us worker came over with a couple of large blank cardboard boxes. He took out a
box cutter, deftly slit the tape right down the middle and dumped treasure literally right in my
lap! It was Power Ranger action figures! Complete with flip head action! That meant if you
pressed a button, the figures head would change from their Power Ranger persona to their
secret identity.
I was now the front runner for brother of the year! I quickly scooped up all of the figures.
There was Billy. Got Zach. Here's Trini. Found Jason. Kimberly was the hardest. But I got
her too! And then I found it! TOMMY!
Just a month or so prior, Saban introduced a new member to the Power Rangers- the
formerly evil Tommy Oliver: The Green Ranger. He wasn't even one of the original Rangers!
Everybody wanted one of these figures! But he wasn’t supposed to debut in stores until next
year! Yet here I was in possession of the most coveted Power Ranger figure of the holiday
season!
At this point, I felt like Charlie Bucket in that scene in Willy Wonka when he finds the Golden
Ticket. Parents started to notice that some teenager (I was 15 or 16 at the time) had just
discovered the toy score of the year. Adults started trying to take the figures from my arms.
But I’m quite feisty when it comes to shopping and I slapped several hands away.
People actually tried to follow me. So my mom was just going to have to deal with me
intruding on whatever shopping she was doing to for me. When I finally found my mom, I
threw the figures in the cart and told her to run to the checkout! I’m not kidding. Crazed
parents were literally trying to steal these toys that I found from our cart!
I have no idea what my mom originally was planning to buy for me that year. But that’s okay.
After we survived the checkout process and had the Power Rangers safely locked in the trunk,
we went over to the Barnes and Noble next door for my mom to gift shop for her son. That was
completely fine with me. I love books!
Well, that’s my account for today’s Advent. For my present for you today, here’s a commercial
highlighting the flip head Power Rangers. Sorry about the quality.
Enjoy!
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