Vintage Parachute Trooper

In my childhood was the golden age of cheap Plastic Toy Solider. They come with all type of colors but mostly Green. One of outstanding plastic toy solider is none other than the Parachute troopers aka Airborne Ranger.


A paper or plastic Parachute and a Plastic toy solider with a ring on top of it helmet. It is a simple toy concept and affordable during my times...even now too. The concept of this toy was inspired by the World war II era I guess.


The parachute was made up by a thin layer of plastic often with strips design. The one that I recently acquire has Chinese wording "道锐玩具" on the Parachute.


The parachute will come with a chunk of strings at one end. All you need to do is to group the strings and tie the end on the ring of the plastic trooper. Remember to be careful not to entangle the strings but tie it as firmly as you can on the ring.


Now you are ready to play. Just tossed the toy high up into the sky and the parachute will do it's work half way through the landing.


When the parachute is fully open, it will be a graceful sight carry away by the wind if there are any.


The trooper will serve as a weight in the mid air stabilizing the parachute. I recalled playing these toys with my neighbors and it was so fun to watch.


As soon as the toy hit the ground, the fun ended. You can toss the trooper up in the air again and admire the beauty of airborne. This graceful act however is only good to view from the ground level. So don't bother thinking of throwing such toys out of the window and look down. It is dangerous and you may get yourself in trouble if you stay in an apartment. As fun as this toy is, it is rather rare to find such toy again. Maybe kids now are more into Computer games than any fun toys...


The one who taught of such simple, cheap and fun toys was a genius. These toy are fading away through times unless we do something about it.

Feel free to share this with anyone who you think also share such memories and hopefully such toys will still remain in days to come. .

Join me next Sunday for more of my yesteryear toys. :)


Comments

alafista said…
Wow that brings back memories! I used to have one too.
chrismandesign said…
this is as vintage as u can imagine... i think i had one of them (obviously without that mandarin caption... LOL) & this is fun in the old & real way... coul u translate 道锐玩具 ??? (for my sounds like Chin, Chung, Chang, or something like that kjakjakjkajkajkja) i had infancy as u did, & i have a new infancy right now (as i guess u do as well) N O S T A G I A...
LEon said…
@alafista
Ah! I have found another friend of my era. LOL

@chrismandesign
道锐玩具 = Dao Zhuan Wang Ju
Dao zhuan = Name of the company I guess
Wang Ju = Toy
:D
Anonymous said…
thanks leon this bring back old memory but I think the old one not using plastic soldier but a foam or something with picture of a soldier
Unknown said…
Wow cool :) liked that one!
LEon said…
@moemoekyun
Hm...I remember the solider I got was plastic. Maybe that's another upgraded version?

@Jacqueline
You played this before?
Ant Sized Man said…
Sweet, old skool fun.
Remember getting these and droping them from the bedroom window. Endless innocent fun.
Bro, I bring me back to my childhood years again. Yes! Yes! Yes! I love playing this parachute together with my combat toy soldiers in the past! My mother even told me I kept talking to myself and create scenarios playing my toy soldier.
LEon said…
@Ant Sized Man
You have that over there in your childhood too? Cool!

@Dennis
Ya that how I used to play too but for me I think I made louder noise than you because I remember my parents asked me to lower my volume. :P
Juliana said…
I remember playing with this kind of toy in my childhood. It came as a free toy with the "Kaka" crackers or "Doraemon" chocolates back then! Very nostalgic indeed, thanks for post! :D
MOCK! said…
The place we bowl on Sundays has a game room where kids win tickets and trade them in. My boy ALWAYS spends his tickets on the new version of this guy. Loves the concept...
LEon said…
@Juliana
Yes now that you mention, I remember I got most from Kaka Snack!

@Mock!
I wouldn't be surprise as the design is timeless. I hope in time to come my kid gets to play with this toy too!
Bubbashelby said…
I just saw a pack of parachute guys at Toys R Us yesterday - 4 for a dollar. Almost picked them up.

As cool and cheap as these are, I remember being even cheaper as a kid and taking thread and a sandwich baggie and making parachutes myself for little green army men (and anyone else small enough - like MUSCLE wrestlers.) Hours and hours of fun!

Great post!
chubbybots said…
Ah I played with these before!! haha. Now looking back that is one heck of a helmet to be able to hold up the parachute like that in real life haha^^

Nice find man :D
LEon said…
@Bubbashelby
Ya it should be cheaper back then. Glad it is still general available there over your end.

@chubbybots
You are welcome. It's a timeless design.
desmond said…
Wah bro, you still keep this. super vintage leh. I played it during my childhood time. My soldier was in green colour.
LEon said…
@desmond
I just got this. It is a update version of a old toy concept. :) I remember the soldier back then was green too.
Damn... now that is a cool classic toy... I think I do have one when I was a kid... don't know where is it now or what happen to it though..

Can we still buy this in Singapore nowadays? I would love to buy one, this parachute guy is fun to play...
LEon said…
@David John
Yes I found this recently in Singapore but it was the only one left. If I happen to see it again, I will get one for you. :)
Monday August 13,2023 ,I'm sitting in my chair thinking about when I was a kid growing up ,I had this army guy with paroshoot,plastic if I remember correctly,and I looked it up and found this blog. I'm 49 now and it had too be 1982ish when I was at least 7 when the parashoot army guy came out.Remember getting it ready and going up in a 2nd level apartment landing and throwing it off I watching it float down. Those were the days👍I'm going too buy one and leave it in package ,for a keepsake. Tom

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