Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

"HASBRO AMAZE-A-MATICS"

Date

1969

Materials

PLASTIC, CARDBOARD, PAPER

No. Pieces

27

Height

8.4

Length

28.2

Width

25.8

Description

HASBRO BRAND TOY CAR. BOX LID (COMPONENT Z) READS “AMAZE-A-MATICS” IN WHITE BLOCK LETTERS WITH SUBTITLE “THE FANTASTIC CAR WITH A BRAIN”. IMAGE ON BOX IS SET ON A BLUE BACKGROUND WITH A YOUNG BOY PLAYING WITH THE CAR WITH HIS FATHER WATCHING HIM TO HIS RIGHT. LARGE IMAGE OF THE YELLOW CAR WITH RED AND BLUE RACING STRIPES IN CENTER OF BOX WITH CARDBOARD INSERT IN THE BACK OF CAR. CAR IS LABELLED “CHRYSLER CHARGER III”. SIDES OF THE BOX LID ARE ORANGE WITH IMAGE OF THE TOY CAR ON ALL FOUR SIDES AND WHITE TEXT ADVERTISING THE TOY. THE LEFT SIDE INCLUDES THE MODEL NUMBER “5860” AND “CONTENTS MADE IN JAPAN AND HONG KONG.” GOOD CONDITION (COMPONENT Z): CREASES AT CORNERS AND BOTTOM EDGE OF TOP. OVERALL SURFACE SCRATCHED. SLIGHT FADING OF THE BLUE BACKGROUND. RIP ON IMAGE OF CAR ON THE FRONT SIDE. MODERATE WEAR TO ALL FOUR SIDES OF LID. UNDERSIDE OF LID HAS SCUFF MARKS. A: YELLOW TOY CAR WITH RED AND BLUE RACING STRIPES DOWN THE HOOD, ALONG THE BOTTOM OF THE SIDES AND ACROSS THE BACK. THE STRIPES ARE STICKERS APPLIED TO CAR’S SURFACE. CAR MADE OF PLASTIC, INCLUDING 4 TIRES. CLEAR PLASTIC WINDSHIELD AND CHROME-COLOURED PLASTIC DETAIL AT THE FRONT AND BACK OF CAR. UNDERSIDE IS BLACK PLASTIC WITH COMPONENTS FOR THE CAR’S MOVEMENT. THE BOTTOM READS “AMAZE-A-MATICS TM BY HASBRO MADE IN JAPAN PATS PEND”. DIMENSIONS: 20 X 8.4 X 4.5 CM VERY GOOD CONDITION: SURFACE SLIGHTLY SCUFFED. STICKER OF RACING STRIPE ALONG THE BACK OF CAR IS COMING UP ON ONE END. SCRATCHES ON WINDSHIELD. B-E: 4 IDENTICAL ORANGE AND WHITE PLASTIC PYLONS. ORANGE CIRCULAR BASE WITH CONE EXTENDING UP ALTERNATING IN ORANGE AND WHITE BANDS. 6.5 CM IN HEIGHT AND BASE DIAMETER IS 3.5. “HONG KONG” EMBOSSED ON THE UNDERSIDE OF BASE. EXCELLENT CONDITION: COMPONENT C HAS BLACK SPECKLING ON TOP WHITE BAND. F: BATTERY WITH GOLD, WHITE, AND RED LABEL. TEXT READS, “HITACHI DRY BATTERY FOR TRANSITION” “UM-3 (A)/1.5V” AND HITACHI LOGO AT BASE. TEXT ON LABEL REPEATS TWICE IN VERTICAL ORIENTATION. BLACK STAMP IN ONE PLACE HORIZONTALLY ON RED SECTION OF LABEL READS, “… APR NO. 7987 … MADE IN JAPAN” BATTERY COVERED IN CLEAR CELLOPHANE. RED COATING AROUND THE POSITIVE END OF LABEL. LENGTH 5 CM; DIAMETRE 1.1 CM. GOOD CONDITION: MODERATE TO SEVERE SIGNS OF WEAR OVERALL. DISCOLORATION NEAR “MADE IN JAPAN” STAMP. G: BLACK AND WHITE PAPER ADVERTISEMENT. 22.6 X 25.5 CM. ILLUSTRATION OF BOY PLAYING WITH TOY CAR IN UPPER LEFT CORNER. “HERE’S A GREAT AMAZE-A-MATICS OFFER…” IN BLACK TEXT AT TOP OF PAGE WITH DESCRIPTION OF PROMOTIONS IN TWO TEXT BOXES BELOW. BACK SIDE OF PAGE IS BLANK. FOLDED INTO QUARTERS. GOOD CONDITION: PAPER IS YELLOWING. H: “INSTRUCTION BOOKLET” IN YELLOW TEXT AT BASE OF A BOOKLET COVER PRINTED IN COLOUR. SAME IMAGE OF BOY WITH FATHER AS BOX FRONT ON THE COVER WITH THREE ADDITIONAL CAR IMAGES IN FRONT OF THE IMAGE. BACKGROUND COLOUR OF THE COVER IS GREEN AND BLACK. INSIDE THE BOOKLET CONTAINS 16 PAGES OF INSTRUCTIONS. DIMENSIONS: 17.9 X 11.7 CM. VERY GOOD CONDITION: SLIGHT FADING OF COLOURING AND STAIN AT CENTER. I-N: BLACK CARDBOARD INSERTS WITH WHITE TEXT. THE FRONT OF ALL INSERTS CONSIST OF A TRAPEZOID FRONT END WITH A WHITE ARROW POINTING TO THE FRONT EDGE. ALL THE BACKS OF THE INSERTS ARE RECTANGULAR WITH “JAPAN” TYPED IN WHITE. WHITE LINE VERTICALLY THROUGH THE CENTER WITH “INSERT TO THIS LINE” WITH ARROW POINT TO LINE IN WHITE TO THE RIGHT OF LINE. ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE INSERTS IS A NAME OF A TRACK THAT THE INSERT WOULD DIRECT THE CAR. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF THE TRACK NAMES WITH THE CORRESPONDING COMPONENT NUMBER: “DAYTONA” (I), “RIVERSIDE” (J), “HASBRO LOOP” (K), “RUNNING FLAIR OUT” (L), “GRAND PRIX” (M), “LE MANS” (N). LENGTH SIDES OF THE INSERTS VARY IN IRREGULAR SHAPES. 13.9 X 3.7 VERY GOOD CONDITION: GENERAL SIGNS OF WEAR. K-N WHITE FONT FADED. O-X: WHITE CARDBOARD INSERTS WITH BLACK FONT AND MARKINGS. ALL FRONT ENDS ARE CONSISTENT WITH A TRAPEZOID SHAPE AND ALL BACK ENDS CONSISTENT WITH A RECTANGULAR SHAPE. BLACK GRID PATTERN WITHIN ALL OF THE INSERTS WITH A BLACK ARROW POINTING TO THE FRONT OF THE INSERT IN LEFT SECTION. VERTICAL BLACK LINE IN CENTER WITH “INSERT TO THIS LINE” IN BLACK TEXT TO ITS LEFT AND “JAPAN” AT ALL THE BACK ENDS OF INSERT. LENGTH SIDES OF THE INSERTS VARY IN IRREGULAR SHAPES. 13.9 X 3.7 CM. VERY GOOD CONDITION: WHITE OF CARDBOARD HAS SLIGHTLY YELLOWED. Y: WHITE CARDBOARD BOTTOM OF BOX. WHITE ON OUTSIDE SURFACE AND UN-COLOURED, BROWN CARDBOARD ON OPPOSING SIDE. 25.8 X 8.4 X 28.2 CM. GOOD TO VERY GOOD CONDITION: MINOR STAINING TO OVERALL BOTTOM SURFACE. AA: ORANGE CARDBOARD DIVIDER FOR THE BOX WITH PLACE FOR CAR, TWO PLACES FOR THE CARDBOARD TRACK INSERTS AND SLOTS FOR PYLONS (TWO ON EITHER ENDS). 26.8 X 24 X 5.2 CM GOOD CONDITION: WEAR TO OVERALL SURFACE AND BENDS AT CAR SUPPORT.

Subjects

TOY

Historical Association

LEISURE

DOMESTIC

History

ON 16 FEBRUARY 2017, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN KEVIN MACLEAN CONDUCTED AN INTERVIEW WITH THE DONOR, CALVIN LOGAN. DURING THAT INTERVIEW, LOGAN SHARED HIS MEMORIES OF THE TOY CAR HE RECEIVED FOR A BIRTHDAY PRESENT AS A CHILD. THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION COMES FROM THAT INTERVIEW: “[THE AMAZE-A-MATIC CAR] WAS SOMETHING THAT I HAD GOTTEN AS A GIFT FOR MY TENTH BIRTHDAY ON MARCH 27TH, 1969. I WAS LIVING AT 1825 – 12TH AVENUE NORTH AT THAT TIME. GALBRAITH SCHOOL WAS MY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.” "I WAS SO EXCITED THE MORNING OF MY BIRTHDAY WHEN I RECEIVED [MY PRESENTS] BECAUSE [IT WAS] DEFINITELY [SOMETHING I WANTED]. IT WAS ADVERTISED AS ‘A CAR WITH A BRAIN.’ THIS WAS WHEN THEY WERE STARTING TO TALK ABOUT COMPUTERS AND SO ON, AND I WAS JUST AMAZED WITH THIS CAR. LOGAN SPECULATES HE FIRST SAW THE TOY IN A TV ADVERTISEMENT. “HASBRO WAS AN INCREDIBLE COMPANY FOR TV ADVERTISING,” LOGAN SAID, “AND BACK THEN WE HAD JUST RECEIVED TWO CHANNELS. SO INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING CHANNEL 7, WE HAD CHANNELS 7 AND 13. SO THOSE WERE PRETTY INCREDIBLE TIMES, BUT I MUST ADMIT I SPENT MOST OF MY EVENINGS OUTSIDE… BUT [SATURDAY MORNING CARTOONS] WAS WHEN I WOULD SEE THE TOY COMMERCIALS.” “THERE WAS QUITE A FEW DIFFERENT MODELS OF [THE TOY CAR, BUT] THIS WAS THE ONE THAT I THOUGHT WAS THE COOLEST. IT WAS ONE OF THE CARS WHERE YOU COULD DESIGN YOUR OWN TRACK." "BASICALLY IT CAME WITH SOME DIFFERENT SET PROGRAMS THROUGH THESE PLASTIC STRIPS THAT YOU WOULD PUT IN THEM. BUT THE REALLY UNIQUE THING ABOUT IT WAS NOT ONLY WAS IT PRE-PROGRAMMED [WITH TRACKS THAT EXIST THROUGHOUT THE WORLD], LIKE LEMANS (A RACETRACK IN FRANCE), BUT YOU COULD ALSO MAKE YOUR OWN STRIPS. AND THEN AS THE STRIPS WENT THROUGH THE VEHICLE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS EVERY TIME A BUMP WOULD BE ON THE STRIP, THE CAR WHEELS WOULD TURN. YOU WOULD SET UP THE PYLONS TO HAVE THE CAR BASICALLY DRIVE AROUND ALL THE PYLONS ACCORDING TO HOW YOU PROGRAMMED YOUR STRIP THAT YOU MADE. IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE PRIOR TO THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS ACTUALLY PROGRAMMABLE. AND THAT WAS IN THAT AGE WHERE WE WERE HEADING INTO THE ELECTRONICS STAGE..." "SUNDAYS WERE KIND OF DAY WHEN MANY FAMILIES WENT TO CHURCH AND WHATNOT. OUR FAMILY WENT AS WELL, BUT SUNDAY WAS A DAY WHERE WE KINDA SPENT IT WITH THE FAMILY. SO THAT WAS THE TIME WHEN I COULD CURL UP WITH A GOOD HARDY BOYS BOOK, OR GO IN MY ROOM AND PLAY WITH THE DIFFERENT TOYS THAT I HAD.” "I PLAYED WITH [THIS TOY CAR] A LOT, MORE THAN IT PROBABLY LOOKS. AND WHEN I PLAY WITH MY CARS I ALWAYS PUT THEM IN THE BOXES AFTERWARDS AND I WAS JUST VERY CAREFUL WITH MY TOYS. OF COURSE, MY SISTER THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY WEIRD AND QUIRKY, BUT THAT WAS JUST THE WAY I WAS… SOME OF MY TOYS STILL KIND OF HAD SOME OF THE CELLOPHANE ON THEM. I WAS REALLY VERY, VERY CAREFUL L WITH MY TOYS – AS YOU CAN PROBABLY SEE WITH THE AMAZE-A-MATIC – WHICH WAS KIND OF UNUSUAL FOR A TEN YEAR OLD… I KNEW MY PARENTS AND MOST FAMILIES HAD TO BE VERY FRUGAL BECAUSE THERE WASN’T A LOT OF MONEY. AND IF I WANTED SOMETHING, I CERTAINLY HAD TO DO WHAT I COULD TO TRY AND HELP WITH THAT.” CONTINUING WITH HOW HE CARED WITH HIS BELONGINGS, LOGAN EXPLAINED, “I NEVER REALLY FELT LIKE I EVER WENT WITHOUT, BUT [FOR EXAMPLE] I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT I REALLY TOOK CARE OF [THE BIKE I HAD BECAUSE] I KNEW THAT IF I OUTGREW IT, MY DAD WOULD TAKE IT IN TO BERT AND MACS, WHERE THEY TOOK TRADE INS. I KNEW IF I WANTED A NEW BIKE I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF THE BIKE THAT I HAD, BECAUSE IT WAS GOING TO BE TRADED IN… BARRY MCFADDEN – THE MCFADDEN FROM BERT AND MACS – TEASED MY FATHER (DENZEL LOGAN) EVERY TIME I BROUGHT A USED BIKE IN, BECAUSE BACK IN THAT AGE, BIKES WERE GOING UP IN PRICE QUITE QUICKLY. MCFADDEN SAID TO MY FATHER, ‘YOU’RE THE ONLY ONE THAT I KNOW OF, DENZEL, WHO I HAVE TO GIVE AS MUCH MONEY ON A TRADE IN AS YOU PAID FOR YOUR SON’S BIKE NEW.’ I WAS PROBABLY THE ONLY KID IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WAXED HIS BICYCLE. SO EVEN WITH TOYS, THE ONES I HAD I CERTAINLY CHERISHED. I THINK THAT IS ANOTHER THING THAT I STILL HOLD TODAY. I TEND TO KEEP MY CARS FOR A VERY LONG TIME AND I TRY TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO TAKE CARE OF THEM, BECAUSE THAT’S JUST WHO I AM.” “AND WHEN I WAS A LITTLE OLDER, MY FIRST CAR WAS A COMET GT - THE SAME COLOR AS THIS [TOY] CAR IS AND CRUISING [IN OUR CARS] WAS A BIG THING [TO DO]. THERE WERE A LOT OF MUSCLE CARS BACK THEN. THERE WERE TWO A&WS IN LETHBRIDGE [THEN] AND THE THING TO DO ON A FRIDAY OR SATURDAY NIGHT [WAS] TO GO FROM A&W TO A&W. INTERESTINGLY, [THEY] HAD TURNAROUNDS IN THEM, SO YOU COULD GO FROM ONE END WHICH WAS LOCATED ON MAYOR MAGRATH DRIVE AND THEN THE OTHER A&W, WHICH WAS RIGHT AT THE VERY END OF SCENIC DRIVE. AND I TOOK GREAT PLEASURE IN MY COMET GT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER. I THINK I WAXED IT EVERY MONTH DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR. I TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN THE VEHICLES THAT I HAVE ALWAYS DRIVEN.” CONNECTING THE ROOTS OF HIS INTEREST IN VEHICLES, LOGAN RECALLED, “WELL I THINK IN THE BABY BOOMER STAGE OF GROWING UP IN THE LATE SIXTIES, EARLY SEVENTIES, WHEN YOU ARE SO IMPRESSIONABLE AS A TEENAGER, THE SOUNDS AND THE MOTORS AND DEEP THRUM OF A MUSCLE CAR [IS EXCITING]. EVEN TODAY I FIND THAT IF ONE COMES UP ON MAYOR MAGRATH DRIVE OR WHEN IT’S STREET WHEELERS, SOMETIMES I DON’T EVEN LOOK AT THE CARS, I JUST CLOSE MY EYES AND JUST LISTENING TO THAT SOUND BRINGS BACK MEMORIES. I WOULD DESCRIBE IT AS LISTENING TO A BEATLES SONG, OR LISTENING TO SOME OF THE OLD SONGS OF APRIL WINE AND STUFF. THE SOUNDS OF THOSE CARS JUST CONJURE UP SO MANY WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF GROWING UP IN THAT ERA.” “[I DIDN’T KEEP VERY MANY TOYS FROM MY CHILDHOOD, BUT THIS CAR] COULD BE SOMETHING TO BE LOOKED AT MAYBE FIFTY OR A HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW AND COULD GIVE SOME INSIGHTS INTO WHAT IT WAS LIKE TO GROW UP IN LETHBRIDGE DURING THE YEAR 1969. AROUND THAT AGE, EVERYTHING KIND OF REVOLVED AROUND CARS. I REMEMBER BUILDING MODELS AT THAT POINT. THE WESTMINSTER DRUGSTORE HAD A MODELLING CONTEST, AND I BUILT A TIJUANA TAXI. I ENTERED THAT ONE AND WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO WIN. IT WAS VERY POPULAR TO BUILD CAR KITS AT THAT TIME." UNTIL THE DONATION, CALVIN SAID “[THE CAR] WAS SECURED AWAY ON THE UPPER SHELF OF THE CLOSET. [WHEN I SEE IT NOW] IT HELPS ME REMEMBER ALL OF THE WONDERFUL MEMORIES OF THAT TIME.” WHEN LOGAN WAS ASKED ABOUT THE MOTIVATION TO BRING THIS TOY TO THE MUSEUM FOR DONATION, HE EXPLAINED, “I’VE REALIZED THAT ONCE PEOPLE PASS AWAY A LOT OF THE HISTORIES OF NOT ONLY THE BUILDINGS AND THE STRUCTURES, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE AND THE HISTORY OF THEIR HOBBIES AND INTERESTS ARE LOST AS WELL. [I] SPENT SOME TIME WITH MY FATHER BEFORE HE PASSED AWAY, AND TRIED TO GAIN SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF OUR PICTURES, BUT I REALIZED THAT IF THESE ITEMS AND THOSE HOBBIES AND INTERESTS ARE NOT RECORDED SOMEWHERE, A LOT OF THAT HISTORY IS LOST. AND SO WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THIS, AMAZE-A-MATIC, [IT IS A MEMORY I WANT TO PRESERVE].” PLEASE SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR MORE INFORMATION, INCLUDING FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION.

Catalogue Number

P20170005001

Acquisition Date

2017-02

Collection

Museum

Less detail