B is for Big Blobs in Bags!

Just as the Montaplex New Zealanders had different contents, so some of the sets in the 100-code numbered series of pocket-money toy 'sobre' (surprise) envelopes had earlier incumbents prior to the better known Airfix/Matchbox/Atlantic copies, it is these we will look at now...

There is a forth set, being equally crude 30/35mm's; copies of the Blue Box GI's (possibly with a few Monogram poses to make the set up to ten poses).

Each set comes with a piece of scenery as the runner they are attached to which are missing from my collection, I'm not sure why the top set has only seven poses (there may be a clue below), nor whether there were three duplicates to make-up the total sought?

The set at the bottom were sold as Japanese, the set above them as Americans, the top set (Germans?) and the missing set (Brits?) are still a mystery to me...any ideas?

Here we see some 40mm Italian originals of the Spanish piracies, these are in hard metallic colours of polystyrene, very much in the style of the CoMa Spacemen and Galenites, although there is no actual connection known to me other then the obvious similarity?

The prone guy seems to have a control box for a rocket launcher or something (like the little Roscopf figures) and the kneeling chap (in gold) was 'using' or operating something. While I believe Serjan copied the mini-submarines (as flats), Montaplex didn't, neither did they copy the flame-thrower (damaged above), which may account for the lower pose count of the copied set?

Note how the Spanish efforts are not pantograph generated copies, but free-hand lifts, much reduced in size.

U is for Unknown Flats

Well there were a shed-load of unknown trees in the last post, so we will stick with unknowns for a few days, looking first at Flats. If you think you can identify any, you can comment here or email me.

These are very similar to the standard European flat of the 1950's and 60's, but are near full-round rather than FLAT flats, if that makes sense. I suspect they may be early British cereal premiums, any ideas? 40mm, polystyrene hard plastic in a faux ivory colour, they may be Salvation army band, but I think they are more of a civilian concert orchestra type set-up, or part of a circus.

These are a good 20mm, semi-flat, soft green plastic with Airfix hunter for scale comparison. All four marching figures are slightly different and they seem to be Garibaldi types OR Spanish Civil War? I have another similar sized sample, but with two vignettes, one of which - I'm sure - is different, however - yes! you guessed it - I can't find them!! [Update - I found them, they are by the same company, but are Wild West, they contain several vignettes, and come both in the same green and in blue, I will therefore post them separately another day][Second update - both these and the wild west set are by Serjanboys, a Spanish 'sobre' manufacturer similar to Montaplex]

The real reason the Hunter was dug out; this set is again similar to European margarine or tobacco premiums, but are in white plastic, not cream/ivory, also they seem to be in a phenolic resin or Bakelite type material and came in a very large sample, suggesting old factory/out-painters/shop stock from here in the UK. A vague memory prompts the thought they were given away with biscuits in the early 70's. [Coke-Cola copies or reissues with thinner bases, a world-wide series of promotions, quite common, except a Springbok added to the South-African promotion...I'll come back to them one day]