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Sears Road Mates Parking Garage

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  • #1

    Sears Road Mates Parking Garage

    since y'all liked the Matchbox playcase
    Here is a hard plastic playset
    Click image for larger version Name: DSCN3365.JPG Views: 744 Size: 457.5 KB ID: 28907

    set up
    Click image for larger version Name: DSCN3366.JPG Views: 307 Size: 417.7 KB ID: 28908

    out of all the cars on this
    I don't need the Matchbox Shell racer
    the rest are Tomica hehe

    I used to have this one as a kid in the late 70s to early 80s
    this has been made in several versions

    Road Mates is what Sears called Playarts
    Same cars but different packaging

    Do we likes this?
    Tags: None
    • Likes 6
  • #2
    I like !
    Is this a battery operated one, or with a hand crank? I remember having one with a hand crank as a kid. I have a couple battery operated ones now, one older, and one newer, but never seen the hand crank one from childhood memory.

    Oh I just seen the box said Manually Operated, wonder if it might be the kind I had way back when, my parents were big Sears shoppers.
    Doug

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    • #3
      That is way cool!

      Road Mates was the Sears in-house brand, and they used a lot of Playarts, but when Playart shut down they started putting models from another maker...I want to say Kidco, but I haven't committed it to memory, so that might stand correction, but I do know other maker's models can be found in Road Mates packaging.
      The image file limits have been reset. Upper limits now are 100,000 when we have some images that exceed 5,000,000. I've set the pixels for no more than 1000 across the longest side, so if you resize to that all should be well. (The limits are larger than what I typically use, and my images turn out just fine, so I know it shouldn't be a problem)

      Thank you for your understanding.

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      • #4
        Originally posted by jt3 View Post
        That is way cool!

        Road Mates was the Sears in-house brand, and they used a lot of Playarts, but when Playart shut down they started putting models from another maker...I want to say Kidco, but I haven't committed it to memory, so that might stand correction, but I do know other maker's models can be found in Road Mates packaging.
        The Garage is fantastic, Microbuss! I remember these somewhat. Honestly, I like the design better than some of the Matchbox and certainly Hot Wheels garages. Playart generally endeavored towards realism.

        I can't recall for sure JT3, but Kidco certainly sounds right as a Roadmates-branded product at Sears. It seems a lot of diecast makers went bust around 1982. My guess is the impact of computer games. Playarts were always a solid product, and just glad they survive in the collector market and the memories of the collectors here.

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        • #5
          I still have one I had as a child. Mine is a PMC brand:






          I even have the owner's manual:



          • Likes 6

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          • #6
            There was very, very similar variant of Blue Box, Hong Kong.






            Jörg
            • Likes 4

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            • #7
              Originally posted by joerx View Post
              There was very, very similar variant of Blue Box, Hong Kong.






              Jörg
              would you believe it SAYS Blue-Box on mine?
              Click image for larger version Name: DSCN3377.JPG Views: 0 Size: 433.0 KB ID: 29094
              my guess is the garage made by Blue-Box FOR Sears & both sets may have been sold at the same time in different toy stores

              I got this sign from a garage sale but I keep it in the box
              Dunno what it goes to exactly
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              Looking at your box pic those ARE Playarts!
              I wonder if the printer got the pix mixed up
              • Likes 1

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              • #8
                Despite all these being the same, I am liking Mark F's the best only because of the slightly more retro look and the CARS ON THE BOX!!!! Look at that Lone Star Mercedes-Benz in PURPLE!

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                • #9
                  Great, now we know the history of the "Parking Garage"

                  Unfortunately, I do not know your sign "Garage".

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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by joerx View Post
                    Great, now we know the history of the "Parking Garage"

                    Unfortunately, I do not know your sign "Garage".
                    least it can go with mine cause its a Shell station & a garage

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                    • #11
                      Ah yes, the good old days when they made neat toys like this. Sears over the years offered a number of service stations and parking garages - some with the Allstate name on the various accessories.

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                      • #12
                        Just checked mine, and the earlier one I have is the exact same as Mark's, only mine has a Sears logo in the bottom left corner of the image on front, but I discovered my newer one was indeed a hand crank version, although I know not the one I had many years ago as I just bought this one new about 15 years ago or so.

                        If I'm remembering right it was part of a big Easter basket gift at WMs, kind of taped to the handle, anyways sometime after holiday I found the leftover Easter baskets on the clearance aisle, and this basket was like a whole $5. It's made in China

                        Click image for larger version Name: DSCN9997.JPG Views: 0 Size: 568.4 KB ID: 29498
                        Doug
                        • Likes 3

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by FourDoorFord View Post
                          Despite all these being the same, I am liking Mark F's the best only because of the slightly more retro look and the CARS ON THE BOX!!!! Look at that Lone Star Mercedes-Benz in PURPLE!
                          Here's a close-up:

                          • Likes 1

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                          • #14
                            It's pretty amazing for a toy design to have had such a long span of life in the marketplace. Late 1960s/early 70s for Mark's, and approximately 2005 for Doug's. It just goes to show you how quality toy engineering can yield results / demand. Cool stuff! I wish many diecast castings would reappear periodically like this! I'd like to stumble on to a 2019 reissue of a Playart or Zylmex!!!! Too bad none exist.

                            Comment

                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Douglas View Post
                              Just checked mine, and the earlier one I have is the exact same as Mark's, only mine has a Sears logo in the bottom left corner of the image on front, but I discovered my newer one was indeed a hand crank version, although I know not the one I had many years ago as I just bought this one new about 15 years ago or so.

                              If I'm remembering right it was part of a big Easter basket gift at WMs, kind of taped to the handle, anyways sometime after holiday I found the leftover Easter baskets on the clearance aisle, and this basket was like a whole $5. It's made in China

                              Click image for larger version Name: DSCN9997.JPG Views: 0 Size: 568.4 KB ID: 29498
                              if you ever ever sees this again
                              get me one please!

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