| Tomland Famous Monsters Of Legends hit the shelves circa 1977 to 1978 and included characters such as The Abominable Snowman Yeti, Cyclops, The Fly and Morlock. These figures were sold on cards only which are extremely difficult to obtain let alone in high grade condition. Although the figures themselves defined the 70's era it is the packaging which is the big draw for many collectors as the art work is both vibrant and crisp. Each card features a brief description on the back which tells the story of the monsters legend. The front depicts art work in full color of the specific character for that individual card. Although these four figures were also packaged on cards dubbed (Star Raiders) it's the Famous Monsters of Legends packaging that is the most sought after by todays monster collector. Card variations include some that read "Kresge", "Tomland" and "Combex" on the lower right of the card with the Kresge card being the most common. Costume variations do exist for The Fly which has a white lab coat unlike the tan version in the group shot. Again, this variation is seldom seen as it commands a hefty price when it does surface. A Frankenstein and Mummy are also known to exist but to date no carded examples have been found. The Fly is a personal favorite as its facial sculpt is detailed yet spooky at the same time. His blue shirt, red tie and white pockets really complete the character. A few case fresh carded sets have recently surfaced in the Los Angeles area by a woman who claims to have worked for the S.S. Kresge Corporation at the time of their going out of business. Discoveries like this recent find do not happen very often but when they do you can be sure that they send shockwaves throughout the collector community |
