One of the greatest things about toy collecting is the thrill of the hunt. Part of what I enjoy about collecting vintage toys is searching for those items that I have always wanted to own, but never originally had the chance. Of course, finding that one vintage toy at a price that is too good to be true is always a great feeling. I recently purchased a batch of loose figures from the line Cadillacs and Dinosaurs. And get this; it was all for .99 cents and 4.50 for shipping. How could anyone pass a deal like that up?

So let’s talk Cadillacs and Dinosaurs real quick. It was a show based off a comic in 1993 about a group of people trying to preserve the world and understand the re-emergence of the dinosaurs. It was slightly ahead of its time (literally, the show took place in the future) what with all the political undertones and the good guys going up against poachers and a shady government. The show lasted for a handful of episodes. According to the DVD release of the series, there were only 13 episodes. It was very short lived as was the toy line by Tyco that came out to accompany the show’s release.

I remember the toy line vividly; however I never collected it because I had a vendetta that Tyco didn’t release a Hannah Dundee figure. Well apparently I was far off because they did make a Hanna Dundee figure. Luckily after twenty years, I was able to finally see what the big deal was regarding this toy line. So let’s look at the items! (Plus a real special one at the end.)

This is everything that came with the lot I paid .99 cents for. We’ve got from left to right- Jack “Cadillac” Tenrec, Hannah Dundee, Mustapha Cairo, Hammer Terhune, and Vice Terhune. The figures have a Kenner feel to them and the articulation is very simple. (At the shoulders, hips, and neck only.)

First we have Jack “Cadillac” Tenrec. He is the leader of the Mechanics and he drives a mean Cadillac. I do like the detail used on these figures. Each figure has a unique sculpt and plenty of paint details!

Jack also came with a missile launcher that fired off a missile. Do you remember the first time you ever played with a toy weapon that fired off a missile or whatever? I can’t recall the actual figure, but I do remember thinking it was so cool to have a spring loaded feature with a toy.

Next we have Hannah Dundee. I really like the look of this figure as it reminds me of other great ballsy female figures, like Ellie from Jurassic Park, Ripley from the Aliens toy line, or even Karen from Congo. This is what I enjoy about figures from that time frame.

She was joined with a double shot cross bow that looks pretty impressive. There is something to note though, these figures do not stand very well with their weapons in their grasp. With just the right posing though they can stand. Sort of.

The final good guy in the group is Mustapha Cairo. I like the color scheme for his outfit and he is giving us some 90’s Forge with the leg. I also like the Mechanic logo on his chest. He is Jack’s best friend and he lost his leg to one of the evil poachers.

His weapon of choice is the Mustapha Blaster which snaps around his neck. I really like the look of this weapon. He also came with a wrench which was not included with the lot.

Hammer Terhune is the leader of the evil poachers and has a Sabertooth look to him. I like his pants and compared to the other figures he has a slightly larger sculpt.

I do apologize for this picture, the way in which he holds his Hammer Slammer is a bit… vulgar. I often wonder the process that toy companies use in creating toy lines. Trust me, I cannot find a way to make him hold this item in any other way.

The other item he comes with though is a very cool dino trap. I love how it slings over his shoulder.

The dino trap even opens! It is fitting for this character because the poachers were all about killing the innocent dinosaurs for a profit. This was the political piece. The series touched upon the fragility of nature and how it was important to fight the forces trying to harm nature. This show blended well with Captain Planet.

Finally we have the vile Vice Terhune. Poaching was a family affair for these villains as Vice was Hammer’s brother. He was also like Starscream, in the sense that he was secretly plotting to find ways to overthrow his brother Hammer from being leader of the poachers. There is also a lot of nice detail to his sculpting. I like the bones on his shirt and the detail on his boots. I do not have any of his items like the harpoon launcher or the dino buzz saw, but that is ok. That comes with the territory of collecting loose items.

So while it would seem like this Vintage Toy of the Month is over, I do have one extra item to share!

I was also fortunate enough to come across a mint Hannah! I like the drawing on the card and how open the bubble view is. It is a really nice display for a figure.

Turned around, we can see a standard backing for a figure. There is the bio and a rundown of the items that were available. The Cadillac and Jack’s Garage are two items that look so cool. I love play sets. It just feels like there are so many fun possibilities when there is a play set.

A bio card is also on the back of the card. The bios give off a brief character description. They are simple, but this was of course a very simple line. The cartoon did not last very long and though there were a lot of items, the line was there and gone in just the same time. It does remind me though of the excitement the early 90’s had with toy lines. Though they weren’t as outrageous as the toy lines from the 80’s, there was a certain kind of mash up that the 90’s brought to us that is fun to look back on. I don’t know that I would have normally picked these up, but for the right price and a chance to own something I never had back then, it was a great choice!

Do you recall Cadillacs and Dinosaurs? Share with me! And remember, around the 15th of every month, an all new Vintage Toy of the Month comes out. Enjoy and take care everyone.

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