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Fri May 21, 2010 8:17 pm

Hi all,

I made a few search about the tonka bug and here's what I fund. Don't hesitate to correct me and if you have some other example, add some reply.

So, Tonka use to put some small book in there toys to show the complet line up that they call the ''look book''. I fund a web site (neatoldtoys.com) who have some scan of those look book.
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The first Tonka Bug was release in 1965.

They use to sell the same bug for 1966.

Those are the four color that they use to sell (red, blue, green and yellow).

I found that the particular thing about those one have thin VW wheel, clear headlight, no trailer coupling and license plate light on the decklid.

I don't know exactly where they where manufactured but I think I already saw one with the Tonka USA license plate.
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In 1967 they release those color (black, blue, green and maroon). I don't know if the blue and the maroon was the same color then the 1965 blue and red one but I know that the green one was more like tale for 1965-66 and a metalic green in 1967-68-69.

I don't have any of those one but I think that they have the same particularity (thin VW wheel, clear headlight, no trailer coupling and license plate light on the decklid).

Made in USA too.
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In 1970, they release the one with big, 6 spoke wheel. One orange (Twingle toes) and one green (Side Winder).

Same particularity but with thick 6 spoke wheel (clear headlight, no trailer coupling and license plate light on the decklid).

You can see also in the look book picture that they where still selling the red and blue one with thin wheel. I saw few one on ebay with thin 6 spoke wheel, I think those was from 1970.

Also, in 1970, they put vw bug on there Mighty car carrier.

They where using a green and blue one in 1970 and a red and blue on in 1971-72-73. So, it should have a green, red and blue one with clear headlight, no trailer coupling and license plate light on the decklid and 6 spoke wheel from 1970-71.
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In 1972, They release the Mini Lightning bug. Those was the one with jack up rear with a big engine in the back. Those was made in Canada (I saw one with the original box on ebay where there was a big Tonka Canada sign). One special change that you can't see before you disassemble one, they remove the license light from the decklid to add a small hole to fix the big plastic engine in the back.

1972:
They put yellow wheel this year.

Pink one name Plum Wild

Green one name Super Beetle (more like lime, same as Side Winder one)

1973-74:
They put white wheel these year.

Pink one name Plum Wild

Green one name Super Beetle (not same green then the 1972 one)

Particular change they made this year, they made the headlight from white plastic and they put a trailer coupling to the rear bumper.
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On the 1972-73 Might car carrier, the bugs share the same change then the Mini Lightning bug.

Those bug had those particularity: Thin 6 spoke wheel, with white plastic headlight, trailer coupling and no license light on the decklid (the small hole was hidden behind the Tonka license plate sticker).

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I have also this example.

Particular one. It have the thick 6 spoke wheel (after 1970), no sign of any Twingle toes sticker, clear headlight (before 1972), trailer coupling (1972 or later), license plate light on the decklid (before 1972) and Tonka from Canada license plate.

My impression, This is a 1971 example. I don't have any scan of the 1971 look book and I never see an other one. Waitting for your impression.
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Here are two promotionnal example that I fund on the internet. Pretty rare example and of course expensive one:

JC penney promotionnal one:

Probably 1971 example because first example of the jack up rear end but without the big plastic engine. Clear headlight, license plate light on the decklid and no trailer coupling.

This one, I'm not sure that tonka made it or it was a custom one but I think I saw it a few time. This is an empi version. Look in the low right corner of the picture, on the first rack.

I don't have any information about this one... You????

So, Thank you for reading and again, don't hesitate to reply and add information that I mist.

Sat May 22, 2010 8:40 am

Nice Tonka collection!

Sat May 22, 2010 10:47 am

Great collection :o

The J.C. Penny promotional is indeed very scarce. Here is mine.

Tue Jun 01, 2010 6:59 pm

Very nice collection of Tonka...I have a few of those and a dune buggy at the same scale of the bug...

Claude Lapierre
St-Georges de Beauce
Quebec Canada

Fri Jun 04, 2010 10:06 am

WoW :!:

That is a very nice collection of TONKA VW Bug toys :wink:

Here is a Restor-Version TONKA Herbie VW I made for Greg Weber a few years ago :D

Fri Jun 04, 2010 6:11 pm

Bob, your work is amazing!

Claude

Wed Aug 04, 2010 12:06 pm

Hi all,

I'm posting the new Tonka addition that I bought:

I got three 1967-68-69 bug:

The maroone one :

I put a picture showing the diffence between the red 1965-66 one and the maroon 1967-68-69 one :

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Also, I got the the green 1967-68-69 one :

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Finally, i got the blue 1965-69 one. I don't think that they change the collor between 1965-66 and 1967-69:

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Finally, I got the two bug that went with the mighty car carrier of 1970:

the blue one:

and the green one:

The green one is pretty rare because it was only available on the 1970 mighty car carrier.

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I finally got the small car carrier to put my tote bug on. In really good condition.

I don't have alot information about the tonka tote. I know that there are few collor used. There are two with a V8 engine in the back with ''metal flake'' paint. I have some that I just bought that are shipping to me right now. More picture to come.

If you have more info about those, let me know.

Stephane[/img]

Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:21 pm

Hi all!!!!

Here are the new addition. Don't forget, any comment or info will be appreciate.

So, here are the Tonka tote from my collection with the most information that I can give you.

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First, the one that we see frequently, The mini car carrier with two beetles Tote:

The truck is in near mint condition. There use to have one orange and one lime green bug. Those two bug had rubber tire, steel floor pan, plastic shell and plastic windows. There is two versions of those two bug:

One with white wheels and one with clear wheels:

I don't have the orange one with white wheel but I will find it ;-)

I have also this one:

http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/album_page.php?pic_id=719518

This one don't have any windows. I don't know if there was remove or sold like this but there is no sign of dismantlement.

Here are some below picture of those bug:

All have Tonka stamp with the serial number (57020). All my orange one don't have any ''Made in'' stamp in. But, my lime green one have ''Made in USA'' stamp.

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Now, the big engine one. There is two color available: Metal flake Purple and metal flake lime green.

Those had some big V8 engine in the back. Also, they hade smoke windows, grey wheels and metal flake paint.

They had some headlight add and paint in grey. I find one, purple, without those headlight:

I never saw a lime green one without the headlight. If you have one, tell me!!!

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Now, this green and red one:

Those now have large plastic wheels and no windows. Also, the plastic shell is really cheap plastic. Below, the green one have ''Made in USA'' stamp but the red one don't have any ''Made in'' stamp. The serial number are 57020-A now.

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Those two have small plastic wheel wihout any windows. Also, the red one are more like brown then red.

Those two are also 57020-A serial and both are ''made in mexico''

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Finally, I've got this great set:

This yellow one is exactly the same as the last green and brown one.

The guy who sell it to me telling me that he bought this set new in the 70's. Below the truck, it's stamp ''Tonka Corp. 1978''.

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For those who are questionning about those two small hole in the pan, there was a use for those. There was use to attach on a small plastic clamp so the kids could bring his tonka car on there trousers belt:

Those small plastic clamp don't show up frequently because they where really cheap and they broke easilly.

I found also this great helmet to show those tonka tote:

This helmet is really cute. My kids really love it. They ask me every day if they can wear it. Really funny stuff.

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So, here was my new addition. If you have comments, don't hesitate.

And if you have one that I don't have, tell me or lets make a deal ;-)

Thanks

Tue Aug 31, 2010 9:37 pm

Offtrack a little bit here. I saw that Tonka Car Carrier in your pic.
My brother and I got Tonka's for Christmas when we were about
6 or 7. He got the Car Carrier and still has it, but his is all black
with gold stripes/lettering. It came with a van and a Jeep Cherokee.
I got the Tonka Telephone truck and a pickup with tires that could be changed.

Sorry, not trying to hijack your thread, just good memories from your pics.

Sun Oct 31, 2010 6:14 am

WOW !!
What nice Tonkas !! I have a bunch that I collected in the late '80s w/ my kids, I've given several away to the neices & nephews, having backed away from the dreaded "Toy Addiction" :lol:
I have a pic from 1967 of Christmas at my folks house, 3 boys and nothing but Tonkas ! :lol:

Thu Nov 04, 2010 8:36 pm

Sometime around 1980 (give or take a year or two) my school class went on a field trip to the Tonka factory near Minneapolis MN. I don't recall the exact city the factory was in. I do remember seeing the machines stamping out Tonka toys. We each received a free toy at the end of the tour, and I still have mine. It is one of the small beetles you have shown, similar to the ones with the belt clip setup. Noe sure where it is right now, but if I find it I will take a pic.

Good memories.

Fri Nov 05, 2010 6:53 am

The factory was in Mound, MN near Lake Minnetonka. I seem to remember hearing that it closed down some time ago.

I also took a tour on a class field trip in about 1980 or 81.
I got a green Dune Buggy at the end of the tour.
It was a favorite sandbox toy for a while. I don't have it anymore, though.

Tue Nov 09, 2010 7:59 pm

Hi all.

Here are the new addition. Sorry for the quality of the picture, but the close up are really bad.

First, I'll like to thanks all of you who send comment and picture of there tonka. I always tought that the tonka vw are really well done.
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papa_vw, you have a really great collection of tonka. about your pink example, I saw one for sale some week ago on ebay exactly like yours. The seller was talking about a promotionnal version that was rare to find. I don't have alot information and I was not able to buy this example. Well done. Also, I show up your picture of your collection to my wife and she find it great, so here what we have done:

Thanks ;-)
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Bsqare, cdennisg and crukab; thanks for your story. I like to see that I am not the only one who love tonka from my child to today. Happy to bring back memories.

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First add, I got my last tonka tote that I needed:

I have some other but they are already store. I will post picture next time.

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So, here are the black example and the teal one :

really great example, not a scratch.

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Finally got a JC penney one :

It have some scratch but it is complet with all the sticker on it.

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Here are both mighty car carrier who carrie some vw.

First, the one from 1970 to 1972. Mine are from 1972 :

Look nearly new. Just a few scratch. With his original car.

Second are the one from 1973;

Still need to find the jeep for it but I have both vw.

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I really like this collection.

Thanks again for your comment and don't stop to add it.

Thanks

Mon Nov 29, 2010 3:00 pm

Hey Guys,

I have a mint one, BUT... I'm willing to sell my old one if anyone if interested.

The decals are near mint.. The body has some rust, etc, etc

$20... They are rare... You could repaint and put stickers back on..

Thanks.. Mike

[email protected]

Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:55 pm

phanal wrote: Here are two promotionnal example that I fund on the internet. Pretty rare example and of course expensive one:

JC penney promotionnal one:

Probably 1971 example because first example of the jack up rear end but without the big plastic engine. Clear headlight, license plate light on the decklid and no trailer coupling.

vwtoyguy wrote: Great collection :o

The J.C. Penny promotional is indeed very scarce. Here is mine.

Define "Expensive"? Here's mine:

It's missing it's front bumper.

Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:39 pm

Hi,

About the JC penney tonka, I have seen some for sale from 20$ up to 100$ each. I bought mine for 20$ but it wasn't mint at all (broken windows and both bumper). I use spare parts to make it look good.

Lotrat, Yours look pretty good. It also missing the small STP sticker on the side near the rear bumper (maybe you have it on the other side).

Now, I'm only missing the yellow one. Someone have one for sale... cheap ;-)

Thanks.

Wed Oct 05, 2011 10:16 am

Hi,

has anyone ever heard of a dark blue metallic Tonka beetle?
The seller claims it was the original paint. I have my doubts abuout that as the color is very thick in comparison to other Tonka beetles I own.

If it has been restored, it was quite good work as there are no hints of sanding or the previous color.

Kind regards from Germany

Jo

Fri Oct 07, 2011 8:37 pm

Hi Jo,

That's a great looking dark blue Tonka you have. I'm pretty sure that tonka never did a dark blue version based on all tonka catalog that I have seen. It look like someone restore it by sand blasting the body and paint it with car paint and clear. Event if it's not and original color, it's a great looking piece you can put on the shelf to show to everyone.

great find.

BTW, i'm still searching for an original yellow one if someone have an extra.

Thanks all.

Stephane

Fri Dec 16, 2011 6:32 pm

I have the purple JCP Volkswagen Tonka car, I would like to know more about it..what it is worth the year etc..if anyone knows. Also I would like to add I am doing this research to know what I might be able to sell it for so also if anyone is interested to adding it to there collection let me know..same state preferably :) I am in MN txt me 651.354.6271

It has both JCP stickers little rip in one where the P should be but other is complete, very little rust and about 1/2 inch of front bumper is missing all around a great looking old car
Thanks

Sat Dec 17, 2011 1:17 pm

Hi dbarott,

If there are some rust and part of the bumper is missing, it is in play with condition. If it still have both STP sticker too, it can worth around 30$.

You can still repair the bumper by changing it with an unbroken one. It's pretty easy to change. But, change it with a correct one (with the hitch on the rear bumper).

Send us picture.

Thanks