About Me

My photo
No Fixed Abode, Home Counties, United Kingdom
I’m a 60-year-old Aspergic gardening CAD-Monkey. Sardonic, cynical and with the political leanings of a social reformer, I’m also a toy and model figure collector, particularly interested in the history of plastics and plastic toys. Other interests are history, current affairs, modern art, and architecture, gardening and natural history. I love plain chocolate, fireworks and trees, but I don’t hug them, I do hug kittens. I hate ignorance, when it can be avoided, so I hate the 'educational' establishment and pity the millions they’ve failed with teaching-to-test and rote 'learning' and I hate the short-sighted stupidity of the entire ruling/industrial elite, with their planet destroying fascism and added “buy-one-get-one-free”. Likewise, I also have no time for fools and little time for the false crap we're all supposed to pretend we haven't noticed, or the games we're supposed to play. I will 'bite the hand that feeds', to remind it why it feeds.

Friday, August 2, 2019

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events Saturday 3rd - Friday 9th August 2019

So Boris the Clown got off to a good start by going to Scotland to 'save it' for the Union and being told where to get off by just about everyone he met, he then went to Ireland sorry; Ulster where he tried to convince the Nationalists, Liberals and Unaligned/Independents that he was totally neutral, the day after having dinner with three senior members of the Tory-propping DUP! He then went to Eire, where he was told where to get off by just about everyone he met! Go Boris - Churchillian saviour of humanity! Not really saving the pound though, is he?

Still, as least he probably knows we didn't have an RAF in 1776 . . . that Trump huh? What a card!

Anyone looking for toys of Washington's airborne glory will need a Toy Fair and sadly they are in short supply this week, but there's a four-day Vectis sale to make-up!

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Toy Fairs

Sunday 4th August 2019

Porthmadog - Chris Dyer Fairs
Y Ganolfan Community Centre, High Street, Porthmadog, North Wales, LL49 9LU
Tel. - 01643 702 757
Mob. - 07966 694 579
10:30 - 15:00hrs
Admission £2
(used to be a couple of really good army-surplus stores in Porthmadog High Street; all my German-army shirts came from there and a Russian t-shirt with a darned-hole and slight stain that might have indicated the demise of its original owner in Afghanistan?!)

Burton-on-Trent - Burton Railway Society / Chris Eaton - 4th Annual Toy & Train Collector's Fair
National Brewery Centre, , Horninglow Street, Burton upon Trent, DE14 1NG
Tel. - 01283 532 880 (National Brewery Centre)
Tel. - 07877 346 371 (Chris Eaton)
10:30-15:00hrs
Admission £4, children £1 - includes entry to Brewery Museum

Falkirk, Scotland - McLaren Models
Tel. - 01324 624 102

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Auctions

Tuesday 6th - Friday 9th August 2019

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis Auctions (4-day sale)
Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Tel. - 01642 750 616

Tuesday 6th
£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;

" The Specialist sale on the 6th of August starts with The Andy White Collection of Smaller Diecast, over 240 lots of Matchbox Regular Wheels, Accessory & Major Packs, King Size & Super Kings and Superfast. Plus Corgi Rockets, Husky & Corgi Juniors, Benbros, Morestone, Lone Star, Fun Ho!, Dinky Toys and Miscellaneous Items.
The sale also features further Matchbox models including Regular Wheels, Superfast, and Super Kings, plus others, and over 200 lots from an Ex Matchbox Employee. This collection features predominantly models from the 1980s-90s and includes many rare, never come-across models, the ones that collectors knew existed but people rarely kept! One not to be missed for the Matchbox collector."

Wednesday 7th
£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;

"The Specialist sale to be held on the 7th of August features five private owner collections plus Dinky Toys, Corgi Toys, British, Continental & Foreign diecast and TV & Film Related. The Swiss Collection features boxed and unboxed cars and commercials from Dinky, including French models. The French Collection offers 27 lots of Corgi Chipperfield Circus models plus TV and Film related vehicles, and The Dinky Military Collection features over 30 lots of French Dinky. The Hampshire Collection features further Dinky models including French Dinky and The North London Collection offers Pre-War Dinky (Hornby Series), John Hill & Co aircraft and road vehicles, Tootsietoys and cast-iron vehicles. Further items in the sale include Dinky and Corgi empty boxes, Haulage, Military, road and racing cars, buses, French, trade packs, pre-war and Dinky (Nicky Toys), Corgi Rockets, Corgi (Husky Models), pre-production vehicles, Gift Sets, ephemera, shop displays and awards."

Thursday 8th
£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;

"The Specialist sale to be held on the 8th of August starts with a Private Owner Collection; over 90 lots of predominantly Matchbox Models of Yesteryear, including Code 2 issues, plus Matchbox Collectables.  Part 2 of The Ex Matchbox Employee Sale offers a further 115 lots including Matchbox games, ephemera and novelties, plus Superfast, including Gift Sets, Action System, Pack Sets, team Collectables and promotional sets. The collection also includes Matchbox originals, Premier Collection groups and shop displays. Further private owner collections include The Kent Collection, - large groups from Hot Wheels, Corgi and mixed diecast, and The Pontypool Collection, original and re-painted groups of Triang Spot-On, Corgi, Dinky and others plus lorry, truck and haulage groups."

Friday 9th
£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;

"The General Toy sale to be held on the 9th August starts with over 40 lots from the Lincolnshire Lead Collection; featuring Britains and similar boxed and unboxed figures and sets.  Further items in the sale include John Barnett "Ancient Warrior" swords, and Koto Katana Samurai swords; plus, vehicles from Corgi, Dinky, Lledo, Matchbox, Hot wheels, Franklin Mint, EFE, Vanguards and many more. The sale also includes a selection of Tekno Trucks, Corgi Modern Trucks Hauliers of Renown, military aircraft and vehicles, Airfix, Revell and FROG kits, plus tinplate and plastic, white metal and resin models. Further items include jigsaws, games, Lego, Scalextric, books and magazines; vintage video games and consoles, football programmes and ticket stubs, plus Palitoy and Mattel teenage Dolls."

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Wednesday 7th August 2019

Warrington - Warrington & Northwich Auctioneers & Valuers
551 Europa Boulevard, Westbrook, Warrington WA5 7TP
Tel. - 01925 658 833

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Friday 9th August 2019

Spalding - M&M Auctions
Unit 4, Plover Court, Stephenson Avenue, Spalding, Lincolnshire, PE11 3SW
Tel. - 01406 422 848
Viewing - 29th May and mornings of sale days from 08:30hrs

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Other Events

Saturday 3rd - Sunday 11th August 2019

Ropely - Mid Hants Railway/Watercress Line - Day Out with Thomas
Mid Hants Railway/Watercress Line, Ropely, Hampshire, SO24 0BL
Tel. - 01962 733810
Admission £20, child (2-16) £14, family ticket (2+2) £60
Ticket includes; train rides with Thomas, meet the Fat Controller, temporary tattoos, entertainment show, vintage [fairground?] rides, etc...

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Saturday 3rd - Sunday 4th August 2019

Beeston - English Heritage - Legendary Joust
Beeston Castle & Woodland Park, Chapel Lane, Beeston, Cheshire
10:00-17:00hrs
Bury - East Lancashire Railway - Day Out with Thomas
East Lancashire Railway, Bury Bolton Street Station, Bolton Street, Bury, Greater Manchester

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Sunday 4th August 2019

£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Biggleswade - Shuttleworth Collection - Family Airshow
Old Warden Aerodrome, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire

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Minor Stuff

Some sites mention aToy & Train fair in Morley/Leeds on Sunday, organised by Dualco, but as far as I can tell it's a proper vintage/antiques fair and unlikely to have more than the odd piece of overpriced hollow-cast or tin-plate novelties? Morley Leisure Centre, Queensway, Leeds, LS27 9JP

It's Beaulieu Supercar Weekend 3rd/4th, down there on the edge of the New Forrest, if this is anything like the big auto-jumble meet I went to about fifteen years ago, it's great for plastic vehicles (and die-casts etc.) up on the hill between the venue-proper and the car park. I filled-my boots with cheap, esoteric tat over the week - on that occasion! I suspect this is a more prestige event - www.beaulieu.co.uk

And there a children's bookswap in Newcastle for those of you with more bookish offspring, up that way - the National Centre for Children's books, Line Street, Ouseburn Valley, Newcastle-upon-Tyne - www.sevenstories.org.uk

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Overseas Events

Saturday 3rd August 2019

Dallas (Texas, USA) - North Dallas Toy Show
Dallas Events Center, 4343 Sigma Rd, Suite 600, Farmers Branch, TX 75244, Texas, USA
 Tel. - +12 148 937 726
09:00 - 15:00hrs
Admission $2.00, children under-12 free
Located between Midway Road and Welch, take 'Welch Road' exit off 1-635

Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th August 2019

£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Concord (North Carolina, USA) - CCC - Charlotte Comicon Summer Show
Embassy Suites Concord, Charlotte-Concord Convention Center, 5400 John Q Hammons Drive, North West Concorde, NC 28027, North Carolina, USA
Admission $5.00 per day, children under-9 free
10:00-18:00hrs - Saturday 3rd
10:00-16:00hrs - Sunday 4th
Comics, toys, collectibles, cosplay etc...

Macungie (Pennsylvania, USA) - Das Awkscht Fescht 2019 - Outdoor Toy Town / Indoor Toy Show
Das Awkscht Fescht, P.O. Box 193, Macungie, PA 18062, Pennsylvania, USA (organisers)
4062 Brookside Road, Macungie, PA 18062 (parking)
Eyer Middle School, 5616 Buckeye Road, Macungie PA 18062, Pennsylvania, USA (Indoor Toy Show)
Shoemaker and Macungie Elementary Schools' Parking Lots (Outdoor Toy Town, behind and accessible from Eyer Middle School)
Web. 1 - https://awkscht.com/ (main event pages, starts today; Friday 2nd)
Web. 2 - https://awkscht.com/toy-show/ (toy shows)
Tel. 1 - ++6109 672 317 (hotline)
Tel. 2 - ++6108 235 033 (flea market)
10:00-17:00hrs (3rd - Outdoor Toy Town)
07:00-14:00hrs (4th - both events/toy show sites)
Admission charge unknown

Sunday 4th August 2019

There's supposed to be a Hotwheels show in Chicago (USA), but I can't find anything on it* so while it may well be a Mattel toy-related convention, it may equally be downtown gang-bangers playing with souped-up 1970's sedans to loud music and the smell of melted-rubber, while oiled, tattooed-babe's in hot-pants, hang-out (in all senses of the word), either way; sounds like fun!

* This is not an insult of all Mattel Hotwheel sites, just an aside! That Standinger, he's as daft as a brush up a badgers arse, how is my not finding something an 'insult' to anybody? Stoopid man!

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If you are an event promoter/show curator/auctioneer and you want your toy, model, collectable or popular-/youth-culture type sale/exhibition/event listed here -  FOR FREE  - or linked to; please eMail me -

maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com

- stating the date/s of the event, address of event, contact details, opening/viewing times, admission pricing and any other relevant facts/details or features - parking, travel notes, disability access, availability of refreshments, event subject matter &etc.

And please mention any flyer-art or poster-/leaflet-scans but send by separate eMail, in case they go to the 'junk' folder, from where they can be recovered and marked safe, but only if I know they're there!

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Hestair Kiddycraft Brick-News

Art
Tate Modern in London has an interactive art 'installation' in the main turbine hall at the moment consisting of a ton** of white Lego, with which little fingers (or bigger ones) can make what they like, the aim is to construct elements of one's ideal 'future City' but expect to see various attempts at space-ships and genitalia (or genitalia-shaped space-ships!) left in the pile, still, I suppose that by limiting it to one colour they have greatly reduced the chances of rude words also being left!

** It's not clear if it's a literal ton or a figurative one?

Comedy

£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
From the Evening Standard (28th June) by 'Adams' and summing the situation up a month-ago nicely I think! Lego had just been voted most annoying toy to step on . . . toy soldiers came-in at number 7 I think? Number 5?

Entertainment
Lego have bought-up Merlin Entertainment, clearly realising that the writing is on the wall for their ocean-filling polymer-product, it looks like they might be planning to get out of toys and into theme parks?

The purchase brings them Madame Tussauds, the London Eye, Thorp Park, Chessington World of Adventure and Sealife . . . among other well-known and successful attractions. With the Legoland theme parks the new group (Kirkby) will be the world's second largest high-end, low-brow, event-destination, tourist-trap operator after Disney.

Not so Entertaining?
Yet today's paper has Merlin reporting a drop in sales at Legoland after the last Lego movie failed to deliver, or drive enough customers to the site . . . you win some, you lose some!

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Toys In The Media

£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Have we had this one before? Another example of the kit-runner trope, illustrating an article on 3D-printing in medicine I cut-out, but rather spoiled by the components being 'painted' on the trees! And why would you be made to glue every bone of the hand together if the spine comes in long-section mouldings - and a different scale!

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
A wooden car being used to promote public transport over privately-produced pollution

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Argos took it's toys to 'PRIDE' the other week!

My question is - why the f**k has the potato-head family been given a plastic potato? Surely the whole point . . . the whole fun; is in finding an odd-shaped root-vegetable to make a funny face, with four-eyes and multiple hands. Or, ruining a banana or courgette, an apple or a water-melon for a Mr Bloody-fat Head? Mr Lemon, Mrs Orange?

The plastic heads have set holes and therefore set positioning and a limited number of configurations, once you've tried all the obvious ones and placed the ears where the hands should be and vise-a-versa, there's nothing left but to get bored? Never mind PRIDE . . .

"Down with plastic potatoes! Freedom for funny fruit! Vary the vegetables!"

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Other News

Hassenfeld Brothers
Hasbro have posted strong second-quarter results which they have credited on sales of Marvel Avengers and Magic The Gathering licensed merchandise. I though MtG had died a death, I still have an un-played-with set of the original two-pack card set somewhere!

Revenues are up 9% on last year, by they are warning that if the Trumpton puts tariffs on Chinese imports; prices will have to rise, that's from their no-shit-Sherlock department - which Trump clearly hasn't spoken to!

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Danger Mouse
Is to return with fifty-two new episodes from next year, on BBC (CBBC) rather than ITV, but Brian Cosgrove (originator) will be consulting with Boulder Media who have the gig.

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Follow-up to Foreign Fellow's Fate
That skandie-carved Lewis chess man I mentioned a while ago in a 'News, Views . . .' sold for £750,000 in the end, I don't know who bought it or whether it will join either of the bulk samples at the British Museum or the National Museum of Scotland? But I do know if any of the other - still missing - four ever come-up for auction, they won't be joining my collection!!

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TJF
His post today is priceless and will be responded to in due course, but there is now a queue of rebuttals of the nonsense coming from that stable of 'tards, so it may be a while before I get round to his latest fuckwittery. 'John' - yeah, he's a real person!

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H is For How They Come In

Busy week this week; I'd already found two lots by the time I posted last week's News, Views Etc..., since when three more purchases have been made, all of them charity-shop buys.

£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
A simple rack-toy, probably seen (and ignored) a few years ago in the now-defunct Poundworld or 99p Stores (PMS? I think that was 99p Stores?) and probably originally for offer at the same money! But now the deal is - I save two each of the figures and the hanger-card/labels for the archive and send the rest to recycling.

As mentioned it's a PMS import, the Wizz Toys being a short-lived phantom-brand, new to me and probably only used for a season, to graphically tie various disparate toy lines into a 'corporate' range.

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Minutes before the rack-toy bag, I'd shelled-out the grand total of 50-pence for this 'light & sound' Panzer IV, around 1:50/60th and getting the lines of a late spaced-armour vehicle (Ausfklarung M/N?) quite well for a cheap toy.

I needed to remove the silly, out-of-scale M1 helmet from the turret because A) it looked bloody silly and B) kept setting-off the tinny machine-gun noise (which seems to be the same as that used on Lego Space-ship bodies and Tiger Electronics Star Wars toys back in the 1990's). A few screws later and a small hole left in the turret and the job was done. I removed the batteries while I was at it.

Posed with those figures we've seen several times now (and ID'd now I think - but I can't remember where/when!), which happened to arrive in a lot from Chris Smith the same day and to be roughly the correct scale - about 28/30mm.

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
A day or two later (Monday?) I picked up this rather fine kerthunkersaurus for pennies, it's marked China - 1992, which is pre-handover (1997) so an early example of the marking and it's as good as any Euro-saur (Schleich or Papo) and sized to match their output (quite 1:32nd compatible), lacking a bit in the decoration-department maybe?

As an aside, all five photographs were taken with the same settings against the same book-cover, the camera may never lie, but it struggles with the truth too! The middle-right shot is probably the colour-truest, with two washed-out and two over-warmified.

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
This came in yesterday, but will get its own post, I didn't even know it existed, nor that Peter Pan lasted 'till the 1990's, needless to say - it has figures, nine of 'em, including a Ripley, but with long hair! Did she have long hair in 'II'?

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Finally; this bag turned-up in the same Farnborough charity shop as the bag of Germans the other week; £3.49p, I don't think they belong in a CTS bag? Six complete Revell DAK machine-gun crews; with tripod, MG34 in an SF-cradle with long-range sight, gunner, Nº 2 and base, times-six for less than four-quid beats those current Russian figures' pricing into a cocked hat . . . bargain! One of the guns was a different colour though!

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I've just picked-up two 50p vehicles - pictures next week!

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£4; © 1992 I; 03rd - 10nd August; 03rd - 9th August; 1-32nd MG34; 44 Toy Soldiers; 99p Stores; Adams Cartoon; Aliens; Ankylosaurus; Announcements; Anti-Semitism; Argos Pride; B&Q; Board Games; Charlotte Comicon; Chinasaur; Combat Game; Concord Convention Center; Deluxe Set; Dinosaur; Disney; Economist Magazine; Ego's; Embassy Suites; Evening Standard; Four Pounds; Friday 28th June 2019; Gay; German Africa Corps; kerthunkersaurus; Kit Frame; Kit Runner Trope; Lego News; Legot; Lesbian; LGBTQ2; Light & Sound; Machinegun Team; Meat Eating Plants; Meme; Operation Aliens; Peter Pan Playthings; PMS; Pollution; Pride Toys; Pull back Motor; Pz.Kpfw.IV; Revell Afrika Korps; Revell Set; Revell Toy Soldiers; Ripley; Runner; Show Dates; Show Times; Small Scale World; smallscaleworld.blogspot.com; Soldiers; Sprue Trope; Summer Show; Toxic Air; Toy Fairs; Toy Model Figures; Toy Pride; Toy Shows; Toy Soldiers; Toys In The Media; Transport For London; Tree; U.K.R.D. No. 2022253; Vectis Auctions, Venus Fly Trap; Wizz Toys;
Why was I in Farnborough? Because B&Q are selling Venus Fly Traps for £4. And not the tiny little disappointing ones I saw at Kew Gardens (or Wisely?) a few years ago, but proper ones with clampy-pads bigger than a tuppence! I figured it was just what was needed for these tiny little black fruit-fly things which are becoming such a problem (they've made it onto Radio4, so it must be serious!), especially in the winter - global climate-change problems require global bio-solutions - It's already eaten . . . "Feed-Muh' Mama!"

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