3 Fisher-Price Adventure People Sets We All Wanted

You may have caught our recent nostalgic "rabbit hole dive" on some of our favorite Fisher-Price Little People sets. It seems we've struck a chord, as many of you responded with fond memories, saying things like, "Oh wow, those were the best!" and some of you likely headed to eBay to buy some for ... your nephew. That's it, your nephew. Yeah, that's the ticket.

READ MORE: 30 Toys That Defined the ’70s

In the late '70s, many of us began to feel that the Little People sets were a bit babyish. Fisher-Price called it and decided it was time for a more "adventurous" approach. Enter the Adventure People.

Fisher-Price

Here Come the "Action Figures"

According to the Fisher-Price Collectors Club, 40 Adventure People sets were manufactured between 1975 and 1985, featuring more than 75 figures.

Let's talk about these figures. Standing around 3.75 inches tall, they differed from the Fisher-Price Little People by being to scale with other popular action figures of the time, including G.I. Joe and the immensely popular Star Wars figurines.

Fisher-Price

Adventure People Vs. Star Wars—But Not Really

In fact, the dimensions of the Star Wars figures were influenced by the Adventure People, and there are rumors circulating that Adventure People were even used as molds for the Star Wars figures.

As Star Wars action figures skyrocketed in popularity, Fisher-Price even began introducing quirky aliens into their Adventure People sets. It's quite a complex action figure origin story.

This size similarity also allowed figures from different "universes" to be interchanged during play. So, Adventure People, G.I. Joe, and Han Solo could all mingle at the same party without raising any eyebrows.

With 40 sets introduced in a relatively short timeframe, let's delve into the three sets that every kid coveted.

Ready for adventure? Let's dive in!

Fisher-Price

Fisher-Price Wild Animal Safari

We thought we were Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom! These folks didn't realize that capturing the animals to film them would kinda not be looked at as a positive experience in the future but maybe it was for science.

sidehustle1717 via Poshmark

Fisher-Price TV Action Team

Live from the den at 5! This playset featured a tough news boss with sleeves rolled up (that's how you knew he meant business) and it was way ahead of its time with a Black female news reporter. Pretty cool, right? I wonder how many people pursued careers in TV news later in life because of this cool "on-the-job" set.

CatherinesAtticFinds via Etsy

Fisher-Price Aero Marine Search Team

I don't remember if the box for this awesome set mentioned if it was okay being used in the bathtub, but in the bathtub it went! The set included a submarine with functional pincers for picking up dangerous sea specimens, like the gummy octopus it came with.