Sky King

024

Nabisco offered four different figures  Sky King’s horse and Sky King’s Plane Songbird. I got three of the six pieces as a child, but one I did not get was Sky King. If I had I would have made him an important figure in my stories I did as a child.

Kirby Grant who played Sky King on television was considered by many pilots and astronauts as an  influence in them becoming a pilot. Back before the cockpit got restricted on commercial flights, if pilots would know Kirby was on the flight he was invited to come into the cockpit.  Sadly Kirby was killed in a traffic accident in 1985 going to a Space Shuttle launch.

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

19 Responses to Sky King

  1. George Albany says:

    Love it! I had Sky King and the Songbird as a kid. I think I had a third figure, his niece Penny, maybe. I remember the horse, but can’t recall if I had it. Was a rearing pose, no?

    God, I loved cereal box premiums. My mother would buy cereal based on the premiums I wanted (my poor sisters rarely got to choose), but she would not let me dig through the box to find the premium, I had to eat my way down to wherever the premium might have settled.

    Remember all the great :cut-outs” on the backs of the boxes and the puzzles and games? I even recall one (forget the brand) where there was an extra “page” that opened off the back with additional stories and games, etc.

    I love the old memories that come back when I visit your page.

  2. Brian Johnson says:

    Yeah what is it with Moms,I was never allowed to open the bottom of the cereal box to get the GI out once I figured out they were always near the bottom,Then they waited till you got older to throw out all your comics and trading cards!!

  3. Bill Nevins says:

    I picked up a yellowish Clipper this year at a local flea market. In all the years of looking through boxes and boxes of figures, this was the only Sky King premium that I have ever come across.

  4. lynn graves says:

    I found a Sky King pose once at a flea market in Booneville, Missouri probably 20 years ago.

  5. Don Perkins says:

    At the last OTSN Marxman John Stengle Sr. had the translucent red Sky King Horse. I don’t know how much he was asking for it, since John doesn’t usually mark his vintage plastic character-type figures with prices —- you have to inquire as to the price on each figure. I had my eye on other things at the time, so I didn’t ask. But it seemed like a nice horse pose, rearing back on his hind legs if I remember correctly — I may not be remembering it exactly right. But the translucent plastic that all the Sky King figures came in isn’t my favorite

  6. ed borris says:

    Don, Mike Kutnick usually has some Sky KIng figures, check our room at Indy.

    • Don Perkins says:

      Ed, so you and Mike Kutnick ARE going to be at Indiana this year. So God is in his Heaven and all is right in the world! I’ll see you both there. Now if all the usual cast of characters also come, I’ll be completely happy.

  7. Andy Keliar says:

    I bought all 4 figures & the horse from Kent Sprecker at one time. It pays to check his site regularly. Good prices, variety & prices.
    http://toysoldierhq.com/

  8. ed borris says:

    Oh yeah, we’ll be at Indy, we’re already booked. I got over 70 conversions to sell, plus assorted goodies, such as 60mm Marx Indians, about 125 to choose from, plus a few playsets.

  9. Don Perkins says:

    Ed, it looks like Barry Carter just today posted the list of currently confirmed dealers at the show on the Indy Show 2015 website. I noticed your name and Mike Kutnick, and also noticed that Francis Turner has confirmed for this year as well, plus Allan Ford and Joseph Saine.

  10. ed borris says:

    No Rick Keller , Rick Eber or John Stengel?

    • Don Perkins says:

      Not yet. I suspect they just haven’t yet sent in their table reservations. I’m sure all three of them will be there. They always are. As Barry Carter said, the list is just the initial posting as of today. I’m hoping Eric Koopmeiner (I think from Wisconsin) comes too. He’s been there for the past 2 years.

  11. Don Perkins says:

    As a matter of fact, I just checked Rick Eber’s website, and he announces the April 12, 2015 Indy Show as one he will be attending. The good news is that Francis Turner, who only attends Indy occasionally, will be coming this year.

  12. ed borris says:

    Yes, Eric is from Wisconsin, Union Grove, been to his house a couple of times. He has quite a collection. I hear this year we will be sharing the hotel with a convention of sorts, I thought I heard Shriners, but I’m not sure. Maybe it was the Victoria’s Secret girls, I forget.

    • Don Perkins says:

      Ed, Ed, Ed, I know you’d enjoy the Victoria Secret option, but I have it on good authority it will be an American Legion group that weekend —- a bunch of retired old men about my age. They should fit in well with the toy soldier collectors.

      I really hope Eric makes it. He’s fun to talk to and always has a good selection of vintage Marx. I always have to laugh when I think about the first time I met Eric in Indiana. His room was right across the hall from Rick Ebers, and there were several collectors in Eric’s room, as well as Rick’s room. One of the collectors in Eric’s room started pontificating on what he viewed as Rick’s somewhat high prices. Another collector chimed in with, “Yea, Rick’s new marketing strategy is to get a group of Marx figures all in the same color, than announce they’re a matched set, and then double the price on them from what everybody else is asking.” Everybody laughed, because, fair or not, there seemed to be at least a kernal of truth to it.

      Anyway, it wasn’t meant to be mean-spirited —- just a facetious comment we all laughed at. I’m sure Rick Eber is knowledgeable enough that he’s perfectly capable of justifying his prices.

      Eric Koopmeiner must live just across the Illinois/Wisconsin border, so he’s got a little further than you and Mr. Knutnick to get to Indiana, but I hope he makes it this year.

  13. ed borris says:

    Darn, I was hoping I was mistaken about the old men and was hoping for the models, although I don’t think they’d buy as many toy soldiers, maybe the American Legion will stop and shop

    Well, there was probably more the kernel of truth to the statement and probably a lot less tongue in cheek that you may imagine. Between Francis Turner and Rick Eber maybe they’ll have a big sale in their efforts to try and out do each other.

    Anyway, yes Eric is just across the border, it used to be the home of the drag strip I raced my car at in my youth. I think Eric will be there, he has become a regular. He’s some of that young blood we need in our hobby. Not sure how long he’ll stay but he usually pops in for a bit.

    • Don Perkins says:

      The last time I was in attendance at Indy (2013, since I missed last year) I arrived at 10:00 AM, and the two dealers who were already checked in with their rooms set up were Rick Eber and Eric Koopmeiner. It was the first time I met Eric — he had a roomful of pretty neat vintage plastic. Within a couple of hours, the Stengels, Joe Saine, Rick Keller, Toymeister, Allan Ford, and a host of others were checking in and quickly getting open for room business. I’m hoping Koopmeiner is there all weekend this year too.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.