Toy OTD: R&L Co. Tooly Bird Figurines: Turkey Tongs, Double-Headed Rook Wrench (1971)

Here's a couple of toys that I've have since I was a kid! These were packed in Kellogg's cereals in the early seventies, and were molded in a variety of colors. Their names varied depending on the distribution area (these were also called Percy Pincer and Slugsy Spanner in Australia - much better than the long-winded domestic monikers).

It's always cool to see cereal premiums made in the days before everything was a tie-in to a television show or movie. These little guys tried to appeal to kids on their own merits! I like the surreal quality of the designs - maybe they were inspired by Alice in Wonderland, or Dr. Seuss' drawings.

There were twelve Tooly Birds in one line, but there may have been more than one series, as this checklist doesn't include either of the characters that I have. This could be a nightmare for a completist, if you were compelled to figure out all the plastic colors and try to get one of each character in all of them. Fortunately for me, I don't go in for that anymore!

It looks like it'd be difficult to get individual Tooly Birds - the eBay auctions that I've found are usually lots of six or more. The going bids seem to range between ten and sixty dollars, so I'd say the figures can cost you at least five or six dollars each. Good luck!