Search the Toy Encyclopedia


Pee Wee Herman
"Wherefore art thou, Pee?"
By Euphrates
Pee Wee Herman Playhouse Pee Wee was like David Lee Roth; you either loved him or you hated him. For those of us who loved the campy character and the swell Playhouse shows, he is greatly missed. For those of us who loved Pee Wee and love toys, read on!

In 1987/1988, Matchbox made figures based on Pee Wee's Playhouse and Pee Wee Herman movies. The Playhouse figures are about 6 inches tall with crude articulation but great likenesses. The movie figures are plush and much taller including a 17-inch mute and 17-inch talking Pee Wee.

The toys have a retro feel to them. The talking Pee Wee uses a pullstring rather than a chip. Many of the 6-inch figures are windups. Even the packaging for the Playhouse features a small boy playing with the set who looks like he is right out of the early '60s!

The Matchbox vinyl Playhouse is my personal favorite from the line. The color and design are stunning, and a bunch of the features of the TV Playhouse were faithfully replicated like

the talking floor
a working front door
the talking window
dancing flowers

The figures and accessories, although not very poseable, still look great in the house.

Here is a list of the Matchbox releases and some of the other Pee Wee related collectibles that I have seen:

Pee Wee Toys by Matchbox
Pee Wee - Jacket
Pee Wee and Scooter - Figure, Jacket, Scooter, Helmet
Miss Yvonne
Pterri
Randy/Globey
Jambi and the Puppetland Band - Jambi in Box and three jazz musicians
Cowboy Curtis - Cowboy Curtis and Vinyl Cowboy Hat
Reba - Reba with Mailbag and Dress
King of Cartoons - The King with his Crown!
Ricardo
Magic Screen
Conky
Chairry - (These are always dirty or stained if loose.)
Playhouse - Table, Counter, Sofa, TV
Plush Talking Pee Wee
Plush Chairry
Plush Pterri
Plush Vance
Plush Billy Baloney

Other Pee Wee Collectibles
Cereal Bowl
Plastic Lunch Box
Condom
Key Chain
Trading Cards
Novelty Ring
Watch
Viewmaster Reels
Colorforms
Ball Dart Game
Table Cloth
Bed Spread and Sheets
Curtains
Halloween Costume
Air Fresheners

These toys were dumped by stores after Pee Wee's alter-ego's incident. The toys were marked down to "get-'em-outa-here" prices. Despite this, the Pee Wee market is quite healthy today with many of the carded figures going for $15-$35. The Miss Yvonne is one of the hardest to find and regularly brings $45-$50.

Copyright 1996-2011 GoGoMag.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.