Museum Artifact: “Skill-Flight” Electronic Board Game, c. 1960s
Made By: Sidney A. Tarrson Compant, aka Tarco Toys, 518 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, IL [Near West Side]
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: “Skill-Flight” Electronic Board Game, c. 1960s
Made By: Sidney A. Tarrson Compant, aka Tarco Toys, 518 S. Racine Ave., Chicago, IL [Near West Side]
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
I have a tarco gumball machine that I received in the early 1950s as a birthday present. No box and missing the key but it works fine. I have the instructions as well. Anyone else have a similar one?
I have a Tarco snowcone machine robot that has never been opened. I’m looking to find out what it is worth today.please contac me if you have any idea or know anyone who can help me out… trishchandler452@gmail.com
Hello Craig and Alec. I’ve been collecting Tarco Toys for about 25 years. In my extensive collection I have an unopened, on card, Secret Agent 606 Beam Gun (Tarco Item No. 770), as well as its apparent successor the Ray Dart Gun (Tarco Item No. 780), which is virtually identical to the 606 but the card has different graphics.
I don’t have a website and apparently can’t post a pic on this comment board. Would be happy to compare notes on Tarco… Alec, do you have any old Tarco catalogs you’d be willing to share? – Mike
So glad I found this page about Tarrson/Tarco. Around 2000, I bought an unreleased Tarco toy, the “Secret Agent 606 Beam Gun,” on eBay. I spoke to the seller after the auction and he said it was supposed to be a Jonny Quest toy, but the licensing arrangement with Hanna-Barbera fell through. The boy pictured on the blister pack sure looks like Jonny Quest. The seller said Tarco intended to release the toy with the “Secret Agent” name but decided against it after making a number of copies. He said only about a dozen made it out of the factory. Does anyone have any information about this toy?
Hello, My name is Alec Saunders, im the grandson of Ronald Tarrson and Great Grandson of Bud Tarrson. Love your website.
Hi Mike, I am a collectible board game guy also ( 55 years at it ). I restored recently a complete, fair conditioned Skill- Drive game. Almost all of the offerings of this game selling on e-bay are worn out and inoperable that I have seen. Obviously this operating system with its loose mechanical tolerances wore out pretty quickly and relatively few survived. I have 2 of these games ,my other one complete but needs a lot of preservative attention. I would be glad to send you pictures of my restored sample if you are interested. I am looking for more info on the Tarko Co. also. Hope to hear from you. Jim goodman
Sending you information in a separate email about the Tarrson Co. “magnetic” board games. I collect Tarco toys and have much information and photos about the hundreds of various toys made by Tarrson from the late 1940s to their demise ca 1980.