R is for Rack-Toy Round-up - New York

Brian B has sent us a sample of what's hanging on the hooks in New York's Bodegas and Trading Posts this festive season, and there are some past names to check again, with soldiers, frogs and, err, well, we'll get on to Brain Rot in a minute!

 

A nice set of tropical frogs from JPW International, probably seen before in different packaging, possibly available elsewhere for more 'geld' under a bigger name (K&M, CollectA or one of the Japanese moulders?), but with 8-10 in the bag, around the 30-cents mark, per frog!

 

Hunson's current 'Army Men' offering is a mix of two armies of figures, being later sub-piracies of Matchbox and other figures, it's better than nothing in a landscape which has so few army toys beyond the big-box, generic, action figure stuff.

 

Speaking of Action Figures - this unbranded set has an interesting action-figure scaled swamp-bike at the top! I can't really make out the figures, but I think they are the little ones we've seen many times now from Poundland and the long-gone 99p Stores?

 

While Brain Rot is . . . err . . . a knock-off? Continuation? Extension . . . take? I think we'll call it a 'take', a cleaner take on the Skibidi Toilet meme-stuff, which we also saw here, also courtesy of Brain a while back, apparently not coming out of Italy, I shall defer to Jan, who covered them on his Site of Curiosities a few weeks ago, and found a link which goes some way to explaining!

T is for Today in History! The AI History of House Martin Games!

My question to the AI results page of Google Search; 

"History of House Martin games?"

Google's Answer; 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

There are no games made by a company called "House Martin Games." The query likely refers to Housemarque, a Finnish video game developer acquired by Sony in 2021

.

 

The history of Housemarque can be summarized by its transition from indie arcade-style games to big-budget "AAA" titles like Returnal, its deep relationship with PlayStation, and its beginnings as a pair of companies started by former demoscene developers. 

Origins in the Finnish demoscene

• Early days (1993–1995): The company was formed from the merger of two of Finland's first commercial game developers, Bloodhouse and Terramarque, which were founded in 1993. Both companies were led by veterans of the country's "demoscene" and worked on titles for Amiga and PC.
• Formation of Housemarque (1995): The two companies merged to become Housemarque in July 1995. The studio's early projects included Super Stardust (1996) and The Reap (1997).
• First million-seller (1999): The studio achieved commercial success with Supreme Snowboarding (released in North America as Boarder Zone), a title for PC and Game Boy Color that sold over 1.5 million copies. 

PlayStation partnership and the "arcade is dead" era

• Sony collaboration: Beginning in 2007, Housemarque developed a close relationship with Sony Interactive Entertainment, creating a series of well-received downloadable games, most of which were PlayStation exclusives.
• Arcade-style hits: These exclusive titles included:
  • Super Stardust HD (2007)
  • Dead Nation (2010)
  • Resogun (2013), a PlayStation 4 launch title
  • Alienation (2016)
  • Nex Machina (2017)
• Struggles and a new direction (2017–2020): Despite critical acclaim, these arcade-style games were not commercially successful enough for the studio to remain financially stable. Following the release of Nex Machina, Housemarque announced that it was abandoning the arcade genre to focus on a larger, more ambitious "AAA" project. 

• 
  

Returnal and acquisition by Sony

• Returnal development (2020): After three years in pre-production, Housemarque's new project was revealed as Returnal, a third-person, story-driven roguelike. It was created specifically for the PlayStation 5, allowing the studio to utilize the console's unique features, such as the DualSense controller.
• Critical and commercial success (2021): Returnal launched in April 2021 to glowing reviews and strong sales. It demonstrated the studio's ability to transition from smaller-scale titles to a cinematic "AAA" experience while retaining its signature focus on tight, arcade-inspired gameplay.
• Acquired by Sony (2021): The success of Returnal led Sony to acquire Housemarque in June 2021, making the developer part of PlayStation Studios.
• Future projects (2026): Housemarque announced its next title, Saros, during a February 2025 State of Play event. It is scheduled for release in 2026 and is described as a spiritual successor to Returnal. 

• 
  

AI responses may include mistakes. Learn more

• Housemarque - Wikipedia

  Housemarque. ... Housemarque Oy (or Housemarque Inc.) is a Finnish video game developer based in Helsinki. The company was founded...

  

  Wikipedia

• 

Show all

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

 

My supplementary;

 

"Do you realise how incredibly false and inaccurate your answer is? House Martin were probably Britain's third largest games issuer at one point after Waddington's and Spears, and their products are listed all over eBay and Etsy."

 

Google's response;

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++  

 

Thinking...

 

Kicking off 5 searches

Looking at 45 sites

Getting info from

Shopping

 

Putting it all together

You are correct. The previous response was inaccurate and confused two different companies: the British board game manufacturer House-Martin, and the Finnish video game developer Housemarque

. My apologies for this error. 

 

House-Martin was a genuine, but far smaller, UK-based board game manufacturer known for its vintage editions of classic parlour games and wooden sets, not a major game issuer on the scale of Waddingtons or Spears. They have been defunct since at least the 1990s, and the availability of their games on sites like eBay and Etsy reflects their status as vintage and collectible items. 

 

Here is an accurate history of House-Martin:

Focus on classic games

• House-Martin specialized in manufacturing and issuing traditional board and parlour games, particularly chess, backgammon, and draughts.
• Their games are often distinguished by their high-quality wooden pieces and presentation, which makes them popular with vintage collectors today

 

•  The History of Housemarque – from the Finnish Demoscene to ...
• 27 Mar 2022 — The History of Housemarque – from the Finnish Demoscene to PlayStation Studios. ... How Finland's longest-running game .

•  

PlayStation.Blog

Company - Housemarque

COMPANY. Founded in 1995, Housemarque is an award winning game development studio with the goal of creating memorable game experie...

 

 

Housemarque

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It's utter determination to return to Housemarque, even after correcting itself and apologising, probably has more to do with Millions (in Yen, possibly billions with a 'B') of advertising revenue from Sony Corp.

AI is dismantling human civilisation, with a drip-drip-drip feed of monetised bollocks!

Friday, September 26, 2025

I is for Is This an AI Blog?

Three posts in 2020, and not one of them makes more than a gnat's crochet of sense?

https://jeffreyantiquetoys.wordpress.com/ 

AI has improved exponentially since 2020, but I don't know what was going on there, one wonders if it's auto-translating from another language, but the subjects - of the three posts - are all based in and around London.

And then . . . you go here:

https://jeffreytoysnews.mystrikingly.com/#_blog

And find the same strangled English, this time with four posts? Did the 'Bot responsible;e succumb to Covid a few weeks later? Does anyone know the history behind all this?

There's a rumour that the owner of Mint & Boxed was convicted of fraud and sent to gaol, but I have no firm knowledge of such happenings, and it looks like it was before these two sites (how many were there?) were churning out their pidgin rubbish! The Internet is groaning under the weight of this garbage.

I was actually searching because I picked this up the other day, thinking it was a book in the Shire Album or Self Publishing oeuvres, but in fact it's a sort of glorified catalogue, of really rather pricey stuff, and I wanted to find out more about the shop/auction house, only to find the above-linked weirdness!

It appears to be the only edition ever issued, with several on sale around the Internet, but all Issue 1 Winter 1990/1991, so a short-lived enterprise, whatever happened to the owner! Although I have also found a Summer 1989 copy, in a different format, which is unnumbered? And there are two versions of this, one (2nd printing?) cuts the logo's of Wells and Brimtoy off the bottom of the artwork.

One hobby site says, "Possible [sic] the largest vintage toy shop that ever was. Now closed." , but they like their hyperbole over there, and this mint Dinky-Corgi-Matchbox stuff goes through Vectis by the lorry load, umpteen times a year! Whilst Modeller's Loft had a pretty big store or two?

The internecine goings-on at the top of the hobby, where a few people think there's a fortune to be made from old toys? A couple of auction houses do OK, a few top evilBayers do OK, many bottom-feeders keep from starving, and the odd gentleman-amateur throws money at a loss-making enterprise, because he enjoys doing it, and can afford to.

But when a millionaire pays £250k for a tin-plate liner, or locomotive, or over a million-quid for a plastic Boba Fett, that's not our hobby, that's the Art World, the world of investment, and that's a very different thing.

And damn-me if another one hasn't appeared as I write this!

https://levytoysboxes.tumblr.com/ 

Thursday, September 11, 2025

O is for Once Upon a Time, in June! Miliflats AVF's

Google AI, is not happy, not only is it not happy, it tries to hide the frustration that's angered it, by bullshitting for England! Just because everyone's talking about AI, just because the stocks are high (Larry Ellison has just knocked Elon Fuckwit off the top spot of the who-can-solve-most-of-the-world's-problems-with-their-small-change-but-isn't-going-to list), don't for one moment think it's any better than it was when I was getting fuck-all useful, out of ChatGPT a while ago!

 

The question was - Miliflats Plastic Flat Military Vehicle Models?

 

The Answer was -

 

" "Miliflats" is not a known type of military vehicle or a widely recognized term in the context of military vehicles; however, it may be a misspelling or misunderstanding, as the results instead point to well-known manufacturers of military vehicle model kits, such as Trumpeter, Italeri, Takom, Airfix, Zvezda, and Revell. These companies produce scale model kits of various military vehicles, including tanks, trucks, armored personnel carriers, and more.

 

If you are looking for specific military vehicles, you may want to search for the types listed by these manufacturers, such as: 

• Tanks: M1A2 Abrams, M4A3E8 Sherman Tank
• Trucks: GAZ-66, Oshkosh JLTV, Airfix WWII British Army 30-cwt 4x2 GS Truck
• Armored Vehicles: Sd.Kfz. 251/22 Pakwagen, M2A3 Bradley
• Other: BAE Systems Amphibious Combat Vehicle, Universal Carrier Mk.I"

Absolute garbage, 'Takom'? BAESystems? Heeheehee! And - in fact - there ARE a few mentions of Miliflats on a couple of forums, but Google doesn't care, because with or without AI, Google is shit now, and it has been for quite a while! Anyway, the few mentions I could find were basically asking the same question and not getting much in response!

 

So, rather new to Blog and Internet, but shouldn't be new to Hobby, as they were advertised and reviewed in the modelling press when they were issued (1979/80/81'ish?), by Inkpen Art Productions (MIke Conniford), who also produced the independent rivals to the Bellona and Profile AFV drawings, for modellers, converters and scratch-builders in 1:76th, but I can't remember what they were called.

 

If I recall correctly, he made a few poured-resin, or whitemetal (?) solids - 3D models -  as 'Inkpen', which presumably didn't do that well, then announced Miliflats, the flat alternative to army building for war gamers. It's all in the archives, so it'll be right on the A-Z pages, if nobody puts us right here! But, for those looking, here at least is an illustrated guide to Miliflats Flats!

 

 *****     ****    ***   **  *  **   ***    ****     *****

 

Among my first acquisitions on the day (Plastic Warrior magazine's toy soldier show in June), because Adrian had kept them to one side for me, were these, and after the rant against the machine and potted-history (which may be inaccurate) above, I'll keep the blurb light!

 

Poorest image first, but I think this is a Canadian Ram Tank, and the only Canadian subject seen in this lot, which is probably not complete, but other than a Skink tracked AA vehicle (?) what other Canadian stuff might be there? There are a few CMP types further down under WWII/Commonwealth!

 

American subjects (there's another 6x6 further down!) include an M8 Armoured Car, what is probably a Studebaker 6x6 Truck and a Priest (which might be a defrocked British Sexton!).

 

The Germans get a Panther and a Kubelwagen!

 

Allied transport, I'll try not to make a fool of myself trying to ID these, but CMP type cab, front-left, while back-left may be a post war/Cold War Guy or AEC (Militant?), Bedford Q-something front-right, and back right is a mystery, I'd expect a Bedford O-bonnet, or a Diamond-T, not that stumpy thing . . . is it American, FWD? Gantry-crane I think, field-engineering!

 

Smaller soft-skins, mostly painted for the Western Desert, and two more possible Canadian patterns. Clockwise; Austin Ambulance, one of the Quad artillery tractor designs, Bedford MW and a question-mark!

 

Commonwealth Recce vehicles, with an AEC A/Car, a Home Guard 'Beverette' of some kind and something South African, I think?

 

Post-war Panhard is the only French subject?

 

While West Germany gets two Unimogs, 

but the British Berlin Brigade can have them too!

 

Instrument of Genocide

It fires down at women & children, farmers and olive-trees.

 

The Soviets get three - BTR60, or 60BP, the tank may be the T72, or relatively unsuccessful T80? While the other one is a BTR-50 variant, I think?

 

Bedford MK's, office, GS and GS with water bowser.

The bowser tanks weren't painted and should be all-over black.

 

The earlier Bedford RL's, from the front Wreaker/Tow Truck, Office, Radio-shack, GS, GS with trailer and GS with water bowser.

 

US, Cold War, M151 'Mutt' at the front, M113 APCs in the middle, GS, M106 Mortar Carrier and M577 Command Post, with a truck behind which could be one of several WWII or post war 'Duce-and-a-half' trucks, I have no idea which, but suspect it should be up with the WWII stuff as a GMC or Chevrolet?

 

The models are a simple sheet of poured-resin, probably pulled/smoothed into a rubber mould, the resin seems to be undercoated a basic charcoal colour, and military paint is then applied to the sculptural side. Most of the labels have fallen off, as the glue dries out, and while some are obvious, and others have catalogue codes, some, like this one are more cryptic!

 

Land Rovers, Series 3 LWB's; ambulance, GS soft-top and hard-top and Lightwieght's, soft and hard, with and without trailers. several models were broken, but this was the only one I couldn't encourage to stand up, and the Bedford RL pick-up truck, was being held-together with saliva!

 

Seems to be an early Challenger (or Shir I/II?) and BARV

 

Missing are Spartan APC, Scorpion and Scimitar CVR-T's, which should leave . . . anti-clockwise - Samaritan ambulance, Striker ATGW's, Samson (recovery/engineering) and Sultan (command)?

 

Clockwise from front-right - Saracen, Humber 'Pig', Ferret, turreted Ferret and Fox

 

This is interesting, as I think it's a short-lived gap-filler between the Bedford MK's and today's 'NATO' MAN trucks, and could be a militarised late Bedford, Iveco or LDV? Answers on a postcard - or in the comments!

 

Like the people looking for info' on the forums, I had been after these for years, even decades, and it's nice to now have such an eclectic sample, many thanks to Adrian Little for thinking of me when he saw them.

 

And the real annoyance - in a few years time, maybe in only months, despite my keeping the text down, Google AI will have a full, and reasonably accurate answer to the original question, without crediting me or the Blog, or paying for the lifted data. If anyone happens to have a bookmarked site with decent info' on these, let us know, and I'll put the links here.

Thursday, September 3, 2020

D is for Dealers - Some of Them are Scum

Those who know, know, those who don't . . . can ignore this!

You lie with dogs, you get fleas.

I will never, and have never exported the fight with TJF and the PSTSM (which they started) to any other site or platform - that they are, is a sign of their weakness. Scum! Worth reminding ourselves as they struggle to post anything of merit or add any text of interest that they were the ones calling for me to 'go and do something else' a few years ago.

Later the same day - See! It'll be over 1800 by midnight, some of you love a train wreak! I bet you slow down on the motorway to look for the blood! I wonder if the Jabbering Fuck gets similar traffic boosts, there might be a reason for their continued idiocy?

In the early hours of the following morning - So that's many thanks to Fairlane Dipstick, his timing was impeccable as it took me over the 80k for the 4mil, but his judgement was as questionable as always! He's backed the wrong horse and I suspect he knows it but we are where we are and too much water has fled the bridge. What WILL they think of next? Fuckwits!

Monday, December 9, 2019

News, View Etc . . . LinkedIn

Does anyone know where the Fuck-off-and-never-darken-my-door-with-your-shadow-again-you-money-grubbing-two-faced-capitalist-pig-dog-mother-fucking-stalker button is on LinkedIn, I can't find it?

Or someone have a word with Mr. Braun!

Saturday, June 9, 2018

News, Views Etc. . . . Comet HO Model Railway Vehicles

I have been unable to find an eMail for the 87thscale.info Website's web-master/s, who were asking (a few years ago) for a better listing of the Comet model railway, solid cast, lead/white-metal vehicles. Could anyone from the die-cast side of the hobby who does have contact with them or a contact for them, please pass on the following list for them to use.

I notice they have deleted the whole Comet entry now, but they may wish to reinstate it with this listing? I have highlighted the vehicles-proper in red but they're welcome to the whole list, which comes from a 1950/60's catalogue.

Comet Metal Products Co., Inc.

Listing

Railroad Accessories (painted HO Gauge Accessories, unless stated otherwise)

R1 - Letter Box, No Parking Sign, Fire Hydrant and Mail Storage Box

R2 - GM Milk Delivery Truck

R3 - 12 Coach Chairs, 6 Left, 6 Right (unpainted, railway passenger cars)

R4 - 3 [Staff] Lockers (O gauge)

R5 - Tool Cabinet, Utility Table, Utility Cabinet and Stock Closet (O gauge)

R6 - Superintendant’s Desk, Foreman’s Desk cabinet and Double Utility Cabinet (O gauge)

R7 - Executive Desk and Swivel Chair (O gauge)

R8 - Typewriter Desk and Swivel Chair (O gauge)

R9 - Lavatory Set - Sink, Bowl and Urinal (O gauge)

R10 - Stop and Go Sign and 2 No Parking Signs

R11 - Newsstand and 2 Half-figures

R12 - Stools and Stools with Backs (2x2 designs, O gauge)

R13 - Draftsman’s Table and Stool (O gauge)

R14 - Office Desk and Swivel Chair (O gauge)

R15 - 5 Assorted Cabinets (O gauge)

R16 - Single and Double-door safes, single and 3-drawer file cabinets (4 items, O gauge)

R17 - 3-drawer Typewriter Desk and Swivel Chair  (O gauge)

R18 - Cowboy on Horse and 3 Cows

R19 - 6 Cows (2 each in 3 poses)

R20 - 6 Horses (2 grazing, 2 standing and 2 saddled)

R21 - Cowboy on Horse and 3 Horses

R22 - Water Trough, Goat, Cow, 2 Pigs and a Horse

R23 - 4 Coach Steps (unpainted, for passenger cars at stations without platforms)

R24 - [Never issued?]

R25 - Passenger Set (unpainted, 8 figures from R323)

R26 - Drinking Fountain, Adding Machine, Wastepaper Basket and Armchair (O gauge)

R27 - 8 Sections of Farm Fence (unpainted)

R28 - GM Open Top Truck (bull-nosed)

R29 - GM Stake Body Truck (long-nosed)

R30 - GM Tow Truck (pick-up)

R31 - GM Pick-up Truck

R32 - GM Panel Truck

R33 - Push Cart

R34 - Baggage Cart

R35 - Chevrolet Sedan

R36 - GM Express Truck

R37 - GM Fuel Truck

R38 - GM Stake Express 1 ½ Ton

R39 - GM Stake Express 2 Ton

R40 - Railroad Signal Light Dwarf (unpainted)

R41 - Railroad Signal Lights Dwarf (unpainted, pair)

R42 - 8 Coach Chairs, 4 Left, 4 Right (unpainted, railway passenger cars, O gauge)

R43 - Freight Set Skid [stillage] and Barrel (unpainted, O gauge)

R44 - Baggage Cart, Crate and Basket (unpainted)

R45 - Hand Truck with Crate and Barrel (unpainted, copies of Britains?)

R46 - Parcel Truck with Crate and Barrel (unpainted, Powered? Crate and barrel copies of Britains?)

R47 - 2Fire Alarm Boxes

R48 - 2 Fire Alarm Boxes (O gauge)

R49 - 2 Signal Lights 1/3L, 1/2L, 1 Stand, 1 Base and 1 Connector (unpainted)

R50 - GM Taxi

R51 - Passenger Set (unpainted, 9 figures, O gauge)

R52 - Passenger Set (unpainted, 10 figures, O gauge, became; R723 painted, from Ireland)

R53 - Three Station Benches (O gauge)

R54 - Texaco Gas Pump and Attendant

R55 - Gulf Gas Pump and Attendant

R56 - Shell Gas Pump and Attendant

R57 - Esso Gas Pump and Attendant

R58 - Traffic Light - Stanchion Type

R59 - Traffic Light - Corner Type

R60 - Traffic Light - Hanging Type

R61 - Traffic Light - Boulevard Type

R62 - 12 Railroad Station Stanchion Posts (gauge unknown, seems to be ‘O’)

R63 - 2 ½ Ton Truck - 10 Wheel

R64 - Freight Van - 10 Wheel

R65 - De Soto Taxi

R66 - Heavy Platform Truck

R67 - Fire Chief Truck

R68 - Fire Engine - Pumper

R69 - Fire Engine - Hook and Ladder

R70 - Wheel Barrow with Man (unpainted, O gauge)

R71 - 4 Street Barricades (unpainted, O gauge)

R72 - Wheel Barrow with man and 3 Street Barricades (unpainted, HO Gauge)

R73 - Wrecker Truck

R74 - 4-door Chrysler Sedan

R75 - Ambulance

R76 - Subway Entrance Wall Type with Lights in Kit Form (O gauge)

R77 - Subway Entrance Curb Type in Kit Form (O gauge)

R78 - Subway Entrance Wall Type in Kit Form (O gauge)

R79 - Subway Entrance Curb Type in Kit Form

R80 - Sports Car

R81 - Farm Wagon with Two Horses and Driver

R82 - Coach/Buggy with Two Horses and Driver

R83 - Carryall Carriage with Horse and Driver

R84 - Van (equivalent of British 'pantechnicon' removal van? Lorry or trailer?

R85 - Policeman and Traffic Light (O gauge, painted)

R86 - Two Figures on Bench (O gauge, painted)

R87 - [Never issued?]

R88 - [Never issued?]

R89 - [Never issued?]

R90 Railroad Signal Set (O gauge, painted)

R91 Additional Figures and Signs (7 figures, handcart and 4 items of street furniture, painted)

R92 Crosswalk [pedestrian crossing] Scene (7 figures and 2 items of street furniture + 2 vehicles, painted)

R93 Fire Fighting Set (9 firemen and 2 fire trucks, painted)

R94 Accident Group (5 figures and 3 vehicles, painted)

R95 Large Farm Set (2 figures, wagon and 10 animals, painted)

R96 Bus Stop Scene (4 figures, bus and 4 items of street furniture, painted)

R97 Flat-car Loads (8 large pieces of civil-engineering, painted)

R98 Road Signs (12 items, painted)