Toy OTD: Japanese Muttley Bank

I imagine I've mentioned before that Wacky Races merchandise is still fairly common in Japan. Aside from the cars themselves, Muttley is a very popular character in any WR toy line, maybe because he was a cartoon survivor, going from Wacky Races to Dastardly and Muttley In Their Flying Machines and other Hanna-Barbera shows later on. Plus, he's a cute cuddly dog - it's not super-tough marketing math!

I picked up this vinyl bank about eight or nine years ago from eBay, when that was the easiest way to get Japanese toys. It's still one of my favorite H-B/WR pieces. It's a great sculpt, capturing the iconic pose really well. It's not marked up with any unnecessary branding or logos, and the coin slot is handily out of sight when viewed from the front. The paint work is limited and simple, but well-executed. The colors may not be perfectly on-model, but they're bright and appealing. I'm not sure who the manufacturer is - there doesn't seem to be any markings on it anywhere.

Even though I bought this quite a while ago, two eBay auctions popped right up on the first try. You can buy one for $22.00 + $7.61 shipping (or best offer) right now from SHE_WOLF DOG TOYS - enjoy!