Some toys are forgotten within months of their initial release, others linger in the memory banks for decades after their demise. In the latter category is the coolest helicopter to ever hit the scene, the one-and-only VertiBird. Nobody who ever had the pleasure of piloting one of these perpetually circling choppers (or even just dreamed of doing so) will likely forget the experience of operating their very own helicopter.

The VertiBird was first introduced by Mattel in 1971 and quickly became a must-have item on every boy’s Christmas list. A small helicopter, spinning blades and all was attached by a rod to a circular base and controlled by a series of levers that allowed young pilots to control altitude, direction and speed as they set out to complete various missions and rescue operations. These missions involved using the VertiBird’s attacked hook to pick up various plastic items or people that were included in the collection of themed sets, such as the “Astronaut Rescue,” “Airborne Rescue Mission” or glow-in-the-dark “Night Patrol” sets.

Many imaginative kids would have the misfortune of assuming that the VertiBird could pick up other things besides the lightweight plastic accessories that came with the toy. But those accessories were lightweight for a reason – the ol’ VertiBird didn’t have a whole lot of power. Try to rescue GI Joe and you were likely to bend the arm connected to the base and rendering the craft inoperable. And even if one took care to not tax the VertiBird’s lifting power, many were removed from service from being left out at night, only to be permanently grounded by being stepped on. The VertiBird was a fragile beast, truth be told, and few made it out of childhood unscathed, making a working unit a valuable collectors item.

In the late 70s, Mattel issued a Battlestar Galactica version of the VertiBird but its days were numbered and by the next decade, the beloved VertiBird was but a memory. Just about every other toy company would issue their own version over the next decade (Remco even issued a Star Trek version) but none had the everlasting charm of the original. Finally, in 2000, the Phoenix rose again when Jasman Toys introduced a replica of the original for salivating fans of the chopper from yesteryear - which fetched not only little plastic accessories, but also respectable prices on places such as Ebay. An original working VertiBird, however, can be worth around $250 bucks or more, if it is in good condition and has all of the accessories intact.

It would seem that every child of the 70s still holds fond memories of this little helicopter that could. Long before RC vehicles would take over the market, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to earn your wings and soar in endless circles - just like the news helicopters of the future.