S is for Santorini

Where - I think it's fair to say - a majority of ancient historians (that's historians specialising in the ancient period, not a bunch of decrepit historians . . . although some of them are bound to have some age) now believe an advanced, pre-historical, bronze-age, naval society, akin or related to the Minoans or Troy, were based on their island paradise . . . which just happened to be a sleeping volcano - and you thought 2020 was a bit shit!

Another Waddington's game today, with 'plastic smalls' . . . . [thump!] there, that's the PSTSM leaving the room, phew! I picked this up soon after it came out, for about half what it cost, with figures still on the runners, which is usually a sign the family didn't get through a first read of the rules!

The figures are suitably ancient in the fashion stakes, and while wildly different sizes (if she stood-up straight she'd be 7-foot-6 to his 5-11), they would both paint-up well for inclusion with Atlantic's Christians in the big arena! He'd also make a good chariot soldier, while she could hide from 'Kong'!

I wasn't prepared to do a .gif of this one as there are far too many pieces (120+) and I didn't bother reading the rules at all! But a central citadel leads-on to six town pieces, 12 countryside pieces and 24 rock-sections, after which, escape (the main aim of the game) lies in crossing the ocean . . .

. . . a task facilitated by catching a ride on a passing bireme - only three at a time thought (Covid-19 social distancing!), Ding! Ding! "Move down the boat please! And don't forget to report anything unusual - No! Not the molten lava-balls falling from the sky Madam, management is already aware of that - and take all you belongings with you if you leave".

'If', because there are giant octopi and sea-dragons to help stop you ever getting to the mainland and being sold into slavery to pay for your passage! Note; the box art has reverse colours from those in my set.

There are sharks too! Now you start to understand why each player has 12 counters, it is probably likely some players don't save more than one, if any at all? The dolphins probably help . . . bloody liberals, always wanting to aid people worse off than the majority . . . it's fucking socialism you know, sodding pinko-commie cetaceans!!

I posed them with the boat as I had it out for that post the other day!

There you go, someone else went to the effort of setting-up a sample game so I didn't have to!

I'm not saying she's mad, but look at the eyes, I think she's going to kill her 'mother' as soon as the photographer says "Wrap"!

 

19-06-2022 - I've since learnt that there are various versions of this game, some with simpler or more cartoony sea monsters, another with simple cone-counters for the people, one with all card pieces, another (Germany?) with wooden playing pieces and everything else in card, but I think the above is the best version of the lot.

R is for Rubber Raider Rack Toys

Except they aren't rubber, they're polyethylene! Actually the Britains one is dense PVC which has some of the properties and is given some of the tasks of Rubber, but it's not what we're concentrating on here, except in so far as for comparison; it's the Greek rack-toys!

These were on feebleBay for ages and for very little money, I think I had them bookmarked for over a year and no one pipped me to the post, so when I finally had a spare tenner a few weeks ago I grabbed them for RTM@SCW!

They came from Greece, and while they could be Solpa they are more likely to be Stam Toys (who did use silver-coatings) or Petalo (lots of rack toy - until quite recently or still going) or even an early import by someone like Zita Toys, although they are lacking any Hong Kong or China marks, which can be a sign of domestic production, but can also just mean that local laws don't insist on origin-marking? Nevertheless they are definitely 'in the style of' Hong Kong rack-toy tat!

Obviously copied from the Britains assault craft; 'Gemini' or 'rigid raider', the three figures are quite different, with one being in a bright-blue polymer, another manufactured in gold-flecked resin and the third has an overall coating of sprayed-silver paint with a dark-red plastic figure underneath.

All three Greek vessels have retained their 'Allied Star' stickers, but my Britains boat has lost it's little MOD crossed-swords thing. I have a feeling I know someone who has a sheet of them (probably left-over from an out-worker's stock) , so if he's still got a few I'll get that sorted!

All three figures have a hole in their base to fit the forward spigot copied-across from the British model; in point of fact, both spigots are reproduced (larger than the originals, but in roughly the same place) but the base sizes (of all three figures) preclude them from lining-up with the rear one.

The other obvious difference is the addition of a cord-loop at the front, to help pull it along, but I don't know if they were fitted with one, if they were part of a hook-wall display-hanging, or something you had to add at home?

Although copied from Britains, they lack the buoyancy of the donor, but do still float so all is not lost . . . when looking to shoot them in the pond (left) or water-butt (right)! I suspect it has more to do with the properties of the Britains' PVC (more air trapped in a less dense material) rather than anything else; the design - otherwise - is carried-over pretty-much intact.

D is for Dive! Dive! Dive!

We looked at the Lone Star mini-sub/2-man torpedo with box a while ago, courtesy of Brian Berke, and at the time I mentioned the divers I had which were unfindable, well, I found them! And they weren't where I thought they might be, but that's collecting, as I'm sure some of you know only too well!

Mine is sans box (as is most of the large scale collection; too busy filling gaps to worry about packaging), but is otherwise all there, the only difference with Brian's in that his propeller was silver (polished steel!), while mine is gold (steam era bronze!). As you can see I need to find another rider - in either paint scheme - as mine don't match, one has an all-over silver suit, the other is mostly black with green straps on the helmet (matching Brains), but it doesn't end there . . .

. . . as I have a third, who doesn’t match either of them! He's not in the soft PVC-like material of some of the other Toyway re-issues, being polyethylene. Equally I don't think any of the marques who've been involved with the British re-issues have done the 'sub, so I guess a test shot of the mould-tool?

My propeller is a bit loose and keeps falling out so I keep it in its own little self-seal bag (with the equally loose counter-weight), but the hook is still there, so I could power it up if I wanted to. To be honest; I'm not sure the grommet hasn't been replaced with the end of a cheap, BIC-like biro?

Timpo's was a simpler affair with no motive power and an underside too narrow for one of those Hong Kong made, battery-operated - usually red/white - motor units you could by separately for such things, but which were also supplied with a lot of model vessels.

Mine is missing it's 'coat hanger' counter-weight, a thin [-shaped wire, similar to the Indian canoes, but a different length, which was designed to keep it upright while you pushed it about the bath! The propeller does turn, but you need a pencil or toothpick to make it so or make it go!

Timpo get a support-boat however, and there are other colours of scuba-tank (are there green ones?), the boat being used by other figures, and there is a four-man version but only with Brit's I think?

I see these on evilBay frequently, and recently missed-out on a  pearler which was bid to a reasonable sum! The divers are Britains copies I think, but the 'sub itself is relatively unique in design, but may be a copy of a toy I'm unaware of (Italian or Spanish maybe?).

From the nature of the graphics on the ad's I cropped these two out of, and the logotypes, I suspect Koon Yip were the manufacturer, while Mayfair some kind of middle-men - wholesalers or shippers? I also wonder if there is a motor nestled underneath, and whether it's B/O or wind-up?

All still on feebleBay yesterday, one (top left) a colour variation on a generic card, another (bottom right) described by the seller as Heinerle (which I doubt), the other two in Koon Yip-branded packaging and available - between the four - from the US, Canada and Germany!

The Britains one is the obvious absentee in this post, but first, I thought we'd seen it here already (but can't find the images) and second while I also thought I had one, I now can't find it . . . if I have, so 'another day' for that one!