T is for They Keep Coming!

I picked these up the other day!

Having said I'd go back for the dark-blue team when we last looked at them, I didn't and they've probably all gone by now, that was back in January, but now a third 'player' has bought into the league - Knightsbridge PME Ltd.?

Totally new colours, even the referee has white turn-downs on his socks for a slightly different look to the originally-found Wilton's ref '. The set is following the Wilton's pattern with 3-a-side and two goalies but is the most colourful to date.

Numbering has gone a bit awry, with the true number-one miss-registered and the number-three over-stenciled with a 1, despite 3 being marked on the base-underside and - as a raised moulding - on the shirt!

The card, albeit in black & white, seems to suggest other colourways, so I suspect we'll be returning to them, whether I track-down the blue set or not. And 50p each with two 'free' goals - bargain! Have you found these, what colours have you seen/got, or . . . what brand were they sold under? 'Cos that's three now; I'm gonna' need a bigger tub!

A is for Archive - "Dyna-Mo"

Back in the days before glossy consumer-oriented catalogues, you had to buy the modelling press to find the after-market companies, write to them (enclosing a stamped, self-addressed envelope) and hopefully hear back from them, replies which usually arrived about four months after you'd given-up all hope!

In this case, Dyna-Model sent the potential customer a post-card sized flyer, with artwork from their own advertisements in the model railroad press, which as they have credited the magazine, must be artwork wholly or partially 'got-up' by the magazine! Further, the card . . . isn't; it's actually the same glossy sugar-paper as the original magazines and may have been provided by the magazine as a kind of reversed advertising?

The mailed owner has subsequently added the next item issued; R-23 (a sow and piglets), dating the flyer to soon after the magazine ad's had run so probably the autumn of 1947, or 71 years ago!

The owners of DMP have thought to tantalise the applicant with news of new products, by hand, on the back of the flyer . . . but then not actually listed them!

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Two biggies over the weekend, Birmingham (NEC) is second only to Sandown Park and Windsor is one of the other jewels' in the show-crown, and a club-run event to boot! So, alphabetically, shows then auctions;

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 29thSeptember 2018

Brentwood - J&J Fairs

International hall, Brentwood Centre, Doddinghurst Road, Brentwood, Essex, CM15 9NN

Web. - www.j-jwebbtoyfairs.com

eMail - jandjfairs@virginmedia.com

Tel. - 01522 880 383 (J & J Webb)

10:00 - Approx. 14:30hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, 1st child £2

Gateshead - Jim Corr Fairs - Toy, Train & Sci-Fi Fair

Gateshead International Stadium, Neilson Road, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE10 0EF

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' £5

Windsor - Maidenhead Static Model Club - International Toy & Train Fair

Windsor Leisure Centre, Clewer mead, Stovell Road, Windsor, berkshire, SL4 5JB

Web. - wwwwindsortoyfair.co.uk

Mob. - 07825 564 960

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, concessions £2.50p, early bird (from 09:00hrs) £7, last hour free.

Refreshments, for parking - see map below

One of the best shows in the calendar! The flyer got scribbled-on, I've tried my best to clean it up and apropos nothing in particular, I used to have a friend in Vansittart Road and can vouch for the pub on the corner!

 

Worcester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

Perdiswell Leisure Centre, Bilford Road, Worcester, Worcestershire, WR3 8DX

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2, free parking

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Sunday 30th September 2018

Birmingham - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'NEC'

Hall 18, National Exhibition Centre, Birminham, B40 1NT

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

Admission £7.50, early-bird (from 08:00hrs) £12, OAP's £7, Children £2

Free parking

Enfield - Whitewebbs Mueseum of Transport - Dinky & Lone Star Exhibition (and visit from Morris Minor Club)
Whitewebbs Road, Enfield, Middlesex, EN2 9HW
web. - http://whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk/
Tel. - 02083 671 898
10:00 - 16:00hrs

 

Kirkby-in-Ashfield - Townsend Toy & Train Fairs (Malcolm Townsend)

Festival Hall, Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, NG17 7DJ

Web. - www.tttf.co.uk

Mob. - 07951 072 790

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Accompanied under-16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Northfleet - SRP Toyfairs

Northfleet Girls School, Hall Road, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 8AQ

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Wirral - Barry Stockton - Merseyside Hobbies & Model Railway Show

Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, Wirral, CH62 5DH

Web. - http://barrystocktonfairs.co.uk/
Tel. - 01513 343 362
10:30 - 15:30
Admission - Adult £4.50p, Children £1

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Wednesday 3rd October 2018

Hertford - Joe Lock Fairs (Evening Fair)

Richard Hale School, Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

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Auctions

Friday 28th September 2018

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis (last day of a four day sale)

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
01642 750 616
General military & civilian figure sale

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Saturday 29th September 2018

 

Norfolk - Speedbird Promotions
Online Auction

 

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Wednesday 3rd October 2018

Kent - C&T Auctioneers

Unit 4, High House Business Park, Kenardington, Kent, TN26 2LF

Web. - www.candtauctions.co.uk

Tel. - 44 1233 510 050 (from abroad)

Tel. - 01233 510 050 (within the UK)

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Thursday 4th October 2018

Sheffield - Sheffield Auction Gallery (day 1 of 2 a day auction)

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB
Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com
eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

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Friday 5th October 2018

Poole - Cottees Auctions Limited

Mannings Heath Road, Poole, Dorset, BH12 4NQ
Web. - www.cottees.co.uk
eMail - info@cottees.co.uk

Tel. - 01202 723 177

Auction starts 19:00hrs

Viewing Thursday 4th October; 10:00 - 17:00hrs and on the morning of the sale from 09:00hrs.

Sheffield - Sheffield Auction Gallery (day 2 of 2 a day auction)

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB
Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com
eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

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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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C is for Celluloid Coach

So good I collaged it twice! You all know I like an HO'ish wagon or two, here's a new addition to the fleet!

Picked this up at Sandown, what a peach, a bit dented on the right side, but for something that was probably twenty years old when I was born, and made of the most frangible material ever used for plastic playthings, I think it's survival to date is a bit of a miracle!

As well has the standard vac-formed halves welded together, this Japanese toy has Mazac wheels running through tubular-axles on wire rods and a cotton-threat rein, all have also survived - a real peach, it's even still got a piece of flash between the rear legs of the horse hanging-on buy a hair's width!

I love the footman in a fez, who looks surprised to have got the gig, while the 'Archbishop-Patriarch of All Russia' seems to be driving!

H is for How They Come In - Other stuff!

At Sandown as well as Jim's box, there was the usual purloining of plunder from around the six halls, but I'd sorted it before I shot the photo below, so I'll bulk the post out with some other recent acquisitions.

Back at the start of Rack Toy Month (Friday the third to be precise), I returned (loaded down with the Phidals to the bottom/right corner of the above image) to find a box from Peter Evans, from which we've already had dedicated posts on the knights and ninjas while the pirates and army-men enhanced more generic posts, the rest will all get their day in the limelight, but for now they get five-minutes fame!

Speaking of Phidal - I notice WHSmith have reduced theirs to £6, which is much better than what they were charging when I had a whinge!

So this was the Sandown Park plunder, there's stuff from Adrian, Gareth and Jim in there along with quite a few bits from Abid, including the three lorries (blue one marked Marx) and another of those Ruiz Land-Rover's.

Bata officer (his arm's in a separate bag!), cereal premiums, Yolanda Pink Panther, rubber Superman, Tom & Jerry pencil-tops, comic aircraft kit giveaways (in paper bag), Drevopodnik MP directing traffic, nice paint Cherilea Indian . . . all sorts!

The floor sweepings at the end of the show were particularly fruitful, with a kicking footballer complete and working, an equally undamaged Starlux cowboy and various bits for the 'bits boxes'!

Highlight - also from Abid, I think? I like the colours - the Italian flag - and also these don't seem to be Kleeware, but rather slightly cruder copies with no number-plates, Tudor Rose or some minor make?

Ooh! Are we sorting me a nest, great!

Another parcel from Peter arrived the other day, most of it will be held-over 'till next year's Rack Toy Month, but I may look at some over Christmas, we'll see how everything else goes!

Immediate highlights (from the bag of bits & bobs) are a cat and a 'combat babe' with a hollow back, which might be for a little polyethylene parachute, although there's no obvious tie-down points for shroud lines, so she may just be a real cheapie like that Prince and Princess I got from a pound-shop half-a-decade or so ago, who both had hollow-backs to keep unit cost down!

I've also been buying, the above have all come-in in the last three or four weeks, cake decorations form a closing-down shop, Mattel's JP from a charity shop and TKMaxx had reduced their bendy Superheroes to two-quid (presumably to make way for Christmas stock) so I grabbed a few of the smaller ones pairs (the larger singles were the same price) to go with the pair Brian B sent me over two years ago.

Since the above shot was taken, I've had half-a-set of Phidal fairies from a charity shop and a quid's-worth of dino'rasers from Poundland - it just keeps coming and I'll keep showing it!

We need a whole Phidal day, there's about five or six in the queue, Superheroes, Disney, Jungle Book, Fairies and something else and one's a contribution, so I need to pull my finger out there, but I'm also running around bringing the two collections together and photographing all sorts!

From various charity-shop buys and Jim's box along with other sources - this Summer's monkey business!

H is for How They Come In - 'Jims Box'

I was looking out for Jim at Sandown Park, but he found me first and literally dumped this in my lap! I wanted his surname or eBay 'handle' by way of thanking him properly for the box that arrived here back in the summer and out of the blue, but he's happy with Jim, so Jim it is, and many thanks to him for another pile of useful, interesting, odd or gap-filling stuff!

As it opened, and less a couple of interesting bits which were obvious on the top! What can you spot? Dongle-archive ready to the left and the 'Pirate Day' opening article being finished on the screen!

First sorted into basic piles, in order to get the box out of the way, it was animal-heavy, but I think that's Jim's main trope as far as collecting goes, the O-gauge level crossing gates will be a while in the spares box I fear, but it's all grist to the mill, and one day it may be perfect as a background in a photo-shoot!

Further sorting, because all the animals are split between the storage lot and the attic lot, and with both a bit disorganised, for now I've just done them by type, and will sort them all again properly later. I've already had a good look at the piggy-wigs though, and a small post is forthcoming!

Some of the more interesting or unusual pieces, we've already had the Lone Star Indian and the Hing Kong blow-moulded Alienaut! An early Lego tree and flat rubber-sheep marked Mercis TV 1977 (some 'Pugwash' type cartoon?) were highlights along with a Lone Star knight in an odd colour plastic.

The three I picked for the post - a hard-styrene highlander from a hollow-cast mould, I think I may have one or two in storage, but haven't found the highlander box yet, I'm hoping (and suspect) mine is/are darker painting?

The Jesus/Disciple/Saint figure is also hard styrene and a copy of a Marx piece I think, while I got very excited about the blacksmith, thinking it might be an unidentified Speedwell, given its similarity in size and sculpting to those diminutive medics we looked at recently, but a quick check on Barney Brown's site reveled it to be T... &/or B... (with tatty paint) but still; new to the collection!

The local berserker gives an idea of scale/size, while the highlander shields the holy man! The reason I think I may have the odd highlander is that these three are all within the size I used to collect-to; 50mm.

Cheers Jim, they may be your chuck-outs, but they will prove invaluable to the Blog; piggy-wiggies in a day or two!

B is for Brucey Bonus - Lone Star

I lied earlier, this was sitting in the queue, the Lone Star HO sized Wild West figures, both storage-lot and here-lot combined and laid-out as fully as my sample will allow.

 

There are two versions, the earlier, factory-painted chalky-ethylene ones are getting very brittle now, and consequently hard to find and even-harder to find intact, one mounted figure each and five foot poses, painting is restricted to two colours (if that) except the black horse, but that may be a home-enhanced paint-job?

 

A second set was issued with bases added to the mounted figures, this lot is in a shinier polyethylene, the same as the game-piece Indians we looked at the other day, whether this points to them being included in a game too, is a moot point, and I've never seen them in other colours?

I like that with the mounted figures the front foot/hoof is off the base, in both cases, suggesting forward-momentum!

 

What I would say is that while the earlier ones tend to appear together (having been issued originally in a large vac-formed play-set), the unpainted ones tend to appear either as a set/near-set of cowboys or as a set/near-set of Indians, so may have been issued separately on small cards or something?

 

It's not terribly clear from the image but the left-hand mounted red one is in a slight colour variation; a darker but slightly translucent red.

 

More on these at PSR including other paint-colours and the missing poses in brown!

OOO is for Treble-O-Trains . . . or Treble-O-Lectric

Don't Worry, last bit of Lone Star for a while I think, I didn't photograph all of it, just some of the more interesting pieces, the box has gone back-up and I'm on to other things!

I did have my childhood stuff until around 1996, when some friends and I were doing car-boot sales, as much for a laugh as anything else, and I sold the little tin of gray plastic track and non-powered rolling stock along with a few accessories and both pairs of Land-Rover/Citroens (which I do regret!).

The reason for selling them was that I wanted to concentrate on figures, consequently the above carded blister-pack came into the collection a year or two later and it ID'd some loose figures in the 'unknown civilians' zone!

These figures are not much bigger than those Reisler chickens we looked-at the other day!

The fences come in two versions, and earlier version with little 'feet'lettes' that are polyethylene and prone to warping (from new) and a later set with a continuous base in a nylon or polypropylene, which made for more rigid mouldings. The gates are often found with their runners still attached, which makes them look a bit odd, but useable!

Someone did tell me who made them (as sub-contractors) but I didn't note it at the time and either now can't find the email, or it was in conversation? It was one of several plastics firms in the Potter's Bar, Herts/Beds boarder area, I think (one of which; Declon Foam, was owned by Airfix!) and they (the sub-contractor) also made the low-friction wheels (a sort of Bakelite or styrene?) and nylon/polyprop' hitches, for this early N-gauge system.

There are two versions of the telegraph pole too; the older on the right was fed from the little flaps joining the bases, which on the left hand one have been drilled-out and rounded-off by way of blanking, while the resin-feed has moved to the top of the pole where a gate-mark now replaces the extended-pole of the earlier version.

Pure guesswork; but it appears the mold-tool was cut-up/reversed and a new runner/channel added, possibly when injection-moulding machines were upgraded/replaced?

Also a reinforcing flare has been tooled into the bottom of the pole where it joins the base, presumably to stop it snapping-off at that point, something which was probably actually solved simply by changing to the glossy plastic from the older chalkier one? But the whole polymer industry was 'learning on the job' back then!

A separate set contains the trees, a common design, possibly creditable to George Musgrave whose Festival branded fir-trees for Christmas cakes may have pioneered the stacking on a pole, over the plug-and-hole 'domino-stacking' of Merit's trees, but several European railway accessory companies, Marx and others carried similar trees and the first (of either design) is lost in the mists of time.

There are two patterns of each section size (one with 'open' foliage, one 'closed' or thickened) except for the smallest and the tip, each of which has the one version, and there is only room for six sections on the trunk-pole, this gives a little leeway for different appearances of tree to be constructed.

The two I knocked-up are one-of-each 'open' frond (left) and duplicates of the middle-sizes 'closed' (right) to give different looks, the figure give an idea of how small they are and they were probably meant to represent the - now all but extinct - elms which were so common then?

M is for Mail Away - Kellogg's Jungle Safari

Another one with a bit of a story behind it, I first became aware of this as a mail-away credited to Canadian Kellogg's, I think - from the images I downloaded at the time - it was an evilBay lot, from the time when the images had long tedious numbers, I knew it was from 1964 and that it looked a bit cool, but probably relatively unattainable!

Then in a mixed lot a while ago I got a paler yellow tiger with a long split down the side and no mechanism, but it gave me hope that it must have been issued here too?

And at Sandown the other day, I picked this up! It's been totally de-labeled so no clues in what I believe is otherwise the original mailing carton, it's missing three 'bullets' and their accompanying section of runner but is otherwise complete.

You get an alligator/crocodile (they don't explain the difference and indeed, conflate the two on the instruction sheet) and hippopotamus rhinoceros - well . . .  it looks more like a hippo'! Alongside which are the three 'big' cats; lion, tiger and leopard.

The hunter (can you imagine what the Daily Wail would have to say if this turned-up in a cereal pack today!) has a standard press-in, click-lock, spring-loaded firing mechanism and I suspect was the only piece pre-assembled upon delivery by the Postie?

Each animal (if you hadn't already worked it out, but the blurb has to come from somewhere!) has a rubber-band powered 'mouse-trap' trigger which when hit by a bullet throws the unfortunate 'trophy' up in the air!

Interestingly, it looks as if the crocogator-allidile was considered for posing facing the other way, with a vestigial trigger-hole on the other side of its face?

And the Canadian set I saw back in 2013 had a different colour-set, but not opposite to mine, so they must have been on one tool, run in both colours, taken off the runners and paired-up before despatch, however, whatever the mix, each animal seems meant to have the opposite colour trigger.

The set comes with instructions that double as a play-mat and are half the size of a duvet cover (dimmer members of the PSTSM should be advised that's an attempt at humour, not an accurate description), which having been folded to the size of a mint-in-pack paper serviette; has instructions to the end-user suggesting they iron it out flat again!

I don't know which cereal brand Kellogg's attached this to, but good-old Cornflakes are the obvious first base? And the Canadian set had a more substantial mailing-box of double-skinned, corrugated-card; rather than the heavy manila of mine. Also it (the Canadian one) seems to have been mailed from/by a Rattle O.K. (or D.K.?) on behalf of Kellogg's Premiums, London, Ontario (now closed).

Scoring is as random as the Lone Star shooting-set we've seen recently!