L is for Lots of London Loot - November's Shots

Pretty sure this lot is all courtesy of Peter Evans, with some obvious bits from the late Michael Hyde's collection, but I've just found a whole box I hadn't photographed, which I have now done, and underneath which, was another box with a shed-load of Atlantic, which I think might have been part of this lot, anyway it is now photographed and will appear as a future part of this sequence!

 

A couple of Dinosaurs!

 

We've seen this chap before, more than once, in Keycraft and House of Marbles packaging, and a generic or two I think, here's another, these are the newer ones with the inverted net cone instead of shroud lines, which then necessitates a larger parachute to cope with the weight of all the extra fabric!

 

The trio to the right will be for a single set, probably a small 'toob' or tub, maybe a carded bag, the Rhino from a similar set and the Jaguar was a Schleich, isn't it beautifil?

 

Clearly from Mike's stash! A Marx Moses, a homemade Franciscan friar, who is doing a pretty-good job of doubling-up for Obi-wan Kenobi! A sub-scale hollow-cast type, actually a solid I think, but maker unknown, looks British C-of-E, though? And a small after-market whitemetal one, which is a European Catholic, I think, it's O-gauge compatible, and I haven't a clue who made it (O-Men?) or whether it's home- or factory-painted?

 

Lovely Hong Kong copy of Britains Highlinder on the left, a quite clean Cherilea on the right while the guy in the middle is a bit of a mystery, I guess he's a mascot for a commercial product, but Google didn't really help, shoes or perfume might be in the frame, the latter leading to soap, but I couldn't find anything solid, and the spelling is the incorrect use for a ceremonial?

 

He might have been a key-ring, but it wasn't obvious and in a flexible rubber which was more natural than PVC, so my guess is an item from the USA or a US-made product, there IS a Colgate-Palmolive shampoo, it was short-lived (1978+) and confined to the Philippines, but they had a human mascot; Charlieng Balakubak, (Dandruff Charlie), so possibly connected with cleaning or hygiene, and having some age; 1960/70's?

 

A set of ebony, or 'ebonised' carved wooden elephants - tourist keepsakes.

 

In researching what is actually 'Harry's' Animal Planet, I've managed to ID the show-jump and rider we've seen in the last few weeks, this sign and probably one or two of the horses in Jon Attwood's big donations, although they are currently in about four stacks, in two storage units, one day they will all be labelled-up and brought back together!

 

The sign is directing a late vinyl Britains sheepdog, a rather clean Crescent (?) sheep and a dinosaur which looks similar to some of the dinosaurs which I recently shelfied in B&M play sets.

 

From the left, Corgi Chitty-Chitty Bang-Bang, unknown street character (two points of articulation, arms), a hollow-cast mechanic from Timpo, missing his spare tyre, but I've never seen one with it! And a racing driver, probably from a sports car, but who . . . Monogram, MPC, Pyro, Revell? Someone like that!

 

French bazaar / premium Indian, cheapo-motorcycle, DFC knock-off knight, home-painted, an over-moulded capsule novelty chick, and a Viking / barbarian type, who I think we may have seen before, but possibly in a different colour?

 

A few bits of war-games detritus, all useful, and as well as the Atlantic, I think this was the lot with a quantity of 'lead' which I haven't photographed, it was heavy and went to storage the next day, but there was some useful stuff among it, Alberken, Higgins, Laing, etc . . . 

 

This was a bit of fun, a novelty Fungus the Bogeyman tin (which will end-up next to the sentry-box money-box Chris sent a couple of few years ago (I think Mum was still alive, so over four?)), on my future-past desk.

 

I love the strategically-placed splash announcing Jelly Bogies, as let's face it, if you're the age that enjoys a tin of snot, you're probably too young to be having the Birds, Bees and Bogeyman's Knees talk! Issued by a Hunkydory, and almost certainly a seasonal / novelty gift type thing?

 

Most of an OBE nativity scene? From Airfx! I can see Romans, Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin Hood, Bedouin Arabs, Tarzan and Station Accessories, have I missed any? Also a couple of Preiser-type N-gauge wagon horses.

 

This was fascinating, as I'd not seen it before (I've since found several on feeBay, so it's not rare), but in conversation with a reader who contacted me though Rusty at Playset Magazine, a while ago, the connection I've raised before, in a 1"Warrior article and a later one here, many years ago now, between Marx and Blue Box is becoming stronger as a theory, both because of some images I've seen of Miniature Masterpiece sets issued in the States but not here (format rather than contents), and this set.

 

It's not Marx, it's not sold as Marx, but I think they are based on the Marx sculpts (they're around 40mm), and with Rado Indistries (RI Toys) ending up with both Blue Box and Marx tooling (as I've mentioned before), the idea that Blue Box, or more correctly perhaps, the parent; Tai Sang, was involved with some of the early Marx hard-plastic, painted-production, looks more likely.

 

Obviously sold as a keepsake, for display, once I'm settled I'll obtain one of the complete ones for another look, or even a couple-more in this state, so we can study the figures without the guilt of ruining a set - they are heavily glued-in! I've seen several incomplete sets, and I suspect people take their favourite Saint to put in the car, or another room or something, maybe send one to a child at Uni', or they keep touching one for a prayer, until the paper under the glue tares?

 

Nuntastic Nun-chucks mate! Still available from revolving display-trees in Waterstones, we've seen a few others in this range of pester-power novelty games and figurines over the years!

 

Finish as you started! With a large dinosaur! And an Airfix Centurion!

Thanks as always to Peter, and thoughts wander to the memory of Mike, who I'd actually got to know a bit in the last few years, even being allowed to see his collection, so I'm pleased a few of his lesser pieces have come into the pile - I suspect the Nuns were probably from his stash too!