M is for Moshi Monsters!

We haven't had a board game for a while, nor a decent LRG type post, so killing two birds with one stone, here's a fiver's worth of Charity Shop purchase from a while back, well, March '22 it says here, I don't know where the time goes, I really don't! The Moshi Monsters related Monstro City Game from Vivid.

Box - check!

Paper stuff - check!

Ooh! That's starting to look a little more promising, are they gold?

Oowyeah! And about the same size as a lot of the blind-bag collectable shite (from which they've probably been bought-in?), seven Moshi Monsters I couldn't begin to name (the cover says the spiky one is Iggy), as I don't follow this stuff, just take it into the collection when it's cheap!

T is for Two - Dozens of Droids! 'Droids Galore' even! A Plethora of Droids . . .

. . . more Droids than you can shake a big stick at! The Droid mother-load! Droidload? Droidsville, Droidsylvania . . . Droidtopia? This was as a result of a chance happenstance type of synergic coincidence'y thing!

I was looking for the SCS Direct Robots set, as it was one of two known SCS sets I didn't still have (the other is a set of 28mm Role Play figures I may have seen a while ago in a weird sort of head-shop in Basingrad priced-up for far more than they are worth!), in the cause of which search I found a bagged set of Wall∙E robots, so a 'T is for . . .' post was born!

Because - in the end - the 'find' arrived earlier, we'll look at the Wall∙E stuff first; but here are the two together, the Wall∙E in a header carded bag, the SCS in a huge but not really strong-enough plastic tube or 'Toob'. Contents also vary as widely with 15 pieces of harder plastic against 52 pieces of a modern PVC substitute.

Branded to Thinkway Toys as the parent and imported (into the UK at least?) by Vivid Imaginations who are a brand in themselves, we get 15 different robots in a J-hooked, header-carded bag (it's going to be a geeky post as I have 19 images of 42 pictures/scans to blurb-up!) with colourful artwork.

The Wall∙E sculpts are an odd thing, not totally unique, but there are few examples in the whole hobby, and while I know there are some others; I can't think of any specific ones off the top of my head (actually; some of those European margarine premium flats of the larger buildings are an example) - they are semi-flats, but sculpted with a level of view-point/vanishing-point perspective, giving them a distorted look from some angles, but enhancing the 3D effect of a relief-flat, if viewed head-on, from the front or back.

Wall∙E himself is the only character to get duplicates, with one each of three poses as seen here.

The other yellow plastic (a softish but tough material, which could be a polyethylene, or a polypropylene or one of the modern hybrids?) figurines include - from the left a Light-bot (Doh! They're Bots not Droids . . . I'll have to redo the whole opening!); Umbrella-bot (behind); Beautician-bot (in front) and Defebrillator-bot.

Weird tombstones! The rest of the set are in white plastic (same tough, soapy polymer) and clockwise from top left in the left-hand image are - Steward, Massage-bot, 'M-O' (medical officer/orderly?), Eve (Wall∙E's paramour), Vacuum-bot, Autopilot, Paint-bot and 'Gopher'. If the card (next shot) is anything to go-by, we are looking at the back of Vacuum-bot in that left image, but it's all a bit academic!

Because I did rather go for broke on the imagery with this post, here's a confirmatory scan of the naming pannel! Heay; anyone who's followed the Eraser-bot posts knows I like robots, and let's be honest, the more bots you've got . . . the less bots you still have to find!

And - just a quick one . . . if I buy something I rarely credit the seller as it's mine to do what I will with (I credit donations and contributions, but no one can remember or find the name of every seller at every show or auction site), however I happened to purchase this from Eric Critchley, one of the old guard, a regular contributor to PlasticWarrior magazine and someone I've probably always looked-up to (or envied?!!), and he happened to send a second set in the parcel, free and as a suprise, so I was able to open one for the images and keep one mint.

As I'd bid without really looking at the set, and sort of assumed it would be like other rack-toys (or the SCS set), in having duplicates and had already promised those duplicates to another friend of the Blog, I was able to send that friend the lose set, with some SCS's. So many, many thanks to Eric for the kind act, which was very-much passed-on.

So, now we get on to the 'Droids' proper, deep-space, far-away, super-dooper, fighty-bitey battle-bots! These are under the WD / Wicked Duals branding, and while I'm not sure which is which, I think these are the older iteration, with the boxed sets branded straight to SCS being the newer issues.

And - of the four (or five?) sets we've seen now - I've had two of these older tubes (or three? God! It's all on the Blog somewhere!), and the tubes DO NOT travel well. Not only do they shatter, shedding their load, but the outer box can be damaged as well (Amazon; my money putting that slave-driving, popinjay fucker in space and he can't even send me a parcel in one piece!), so when the contents have the quirks previously highlighted here at Small Scale World, you can never be 100% sure it didn't happen in the Amazon warehouse rather than at SCS Direct's packaging department.

As well as the shattered tube/holed box, there was a certain amount of damage and one missing piece in the whole lot . . . sigh! It's the modern, run-out of ideas, sliding into oblivion, world we live in now!

However, it was the first set which had a 'correct' count, both in the advertised number (52 items) and a 50/50 colour/pose split. There were only one of each colour for two in total of the pairs at the front of the parade though, so me and the guy I split them with got one each; I think I kept the grey's and sent the two rusty ones!

There is a real mix of genres within the set and we see here a nice Japanese-style manga-anime type (bottom right) two 1950's 'pulp' types (top right - including one whom looks a bit like Bender, but a more businesslike Bender!), while the main picture has a droid who would look more at home in 2000AD's Robohunter strip.

Another Futurama'esque droid here, I don't know if it's a helicopter or a press? But, as it's fiction - it can be what you want it to be! The arms are very Bender-bot and will also go very well with those rack-toy 'Bat-bots' of which we looked at a new one the other day courtesy of Chris Smith, who have the same kind of shower-hose/ducting arms!

Bottom left - every SCS Direct set seems to have a dragon! I'm lovin' the tortoise battle-droids (top) with pop-out weaponary, something Star Wars Genosian about him, while the wheeled 'Bird-bot' one (bottom-right) looks energetic to the point of demented!

Top left is another who could be from a 200AD strip or Japanese TV series, while the others are more steam-punk, with a pulpy one top right and a insectoidal-droidal across the bottom.

Pure 1950's pulp here, but also harking back further to HG Well's War of the Worlds with all those tentacles and the tripod perambulation? Or Jules Verne - I can imagine rows of these hanging limply in racks in the hold of the Nautilus?

Two big cheats with this set were A) really heavy bases, so heavy they all suffer from shrinkage warping after mould removal and B) eight rather pointless pieces of scenery! The tool box (right) is half-useful I suppose, but the wall (left) is a hollow-backed piss-take!

The 14th sculpt - which was probably my favourite - is another 2000AD'esque one, but more Judge Dredd or Ro-Busters and is tracked, like Wall∙E, hence the comparison here, although I suspect the SCS Direct one would eat Wall∙E for breakfast! He's telling Wall∙E what he saw off the shoulders of Orion!

A couple more comparisons. Between the two sets and ignoring the odd sculpting trope of the Wall∙E set, there is a Robot for every occasion/eventuality here, and being inanimate objects lend themselves to any type of painting from polished chrome-spray through glossy showroom, battered, to rusty, military or mauve!

We haven't seen 'Berserker' much this year, but then it's been an odd year (2020.2), anyway here he is giving a scale to one of each of the SCS Direct set's Droid-bots! It's the Mercedes showroom circa the year 2525 - if man will still be alive!

Mah'favourite!

P is for Pirate Pugwash!

Referring-back to last year's ITLAPD's late post, these were a follow-up from Brian on the British TV-watching kid of the 1950/70's favourite pirate . . . Captain Pugwash and his adventures aboard the Black Pig!

Brian hasn't got a scale model of the Black Pig, so he's stolen a little jolly-boat and has sent Pugwash and [his nemesis] Cut-Throat Jake off to find a proper ship, in that! Although I fear one of them needs to move to starb'd as neither of them is exactly svelte, and it'll get rougher once they leave the comfort of the harbour walls - if you know what I mean!

Vivid are responsible for these polymer likenesses of the [mildly] derisible and very entertaining duo. Presumably based on the current standard animated-style version, Brian may have been entertained by the original B&W series while I got colour! For foreign readers who may not be familiar with this icon of British cuw'cha, the original animation technique involved paper cut-outs, live in the 1950's (on hidden sticks), recorded stop-motion (like Southpark) in the '70's.

A few days later Brian sent me another shot after outfitting Jake with a 'proper' sword! Thank you Mr. Berke . . . pirates and nostalgia; it's like going down the pub!

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events; Saturday 18th - Friday 24th May

Still not Blogging proper, but here's some weekly stuff . . .

. . . last weeks weird strings of letters will have looked like this . . . if you've downloaded the 'SoldierWW2' font from the internet, if your Explorer recognises it, it can read it/will show it - my bad, I didn't think I'd be in a cognitive resonance design bubble of my own making! That last line will give Madame Pardeilhan kittens!

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

Toy Fairs

Saturday 18th May 2019

Merthyr Tydfil - Chris Dyer Fairs

Merthyr Leisure Centre, Methyr Leisure Village, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, CF48 1UT

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

Admission £2

10:30-15:00hrs

Brentwood - J&J Fairs (John & Julie Webb)

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

Oxford - Richard Atkins Fairs - Toy and Train Collectors Fair

Exeter Hall, Oxford Road, Kidlington, Oxford, OX5 1AB

Web - www.toytraincollectorsfairs.com

Tel. - 01869 347 489

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Refreshments

Free Parking

Didcot - Retro Ronnie

Civic Hall, Britwell Road, Didcot, OX11 7JN

Web - www.retroronnie.com

Mob. I - 07708 385 061

Mob. II - 07900 266 427

Hours unknown

Admission unknown

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

Sunday 19th May 2019

Great Bentley - R & G Toy Fairs

Village Hall, Plough Road, Great Bentley, Essex, CO7 8LD

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01206 251 351 (Gary)

Tel. - 01255 473 509 (Richard)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission £2.00, under 16's free

Free parking, refreshments

Newton Abbot - Ray Heard Train & Toy Fairs

Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon, TQ12 3AF

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01823 480 097

10:00 - 15:30hrs

Admission £2

Free parking, refreshments

Kempton Park - RM Toys Ltd.

Kempton Park Racecourse, Staines Road East, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, TW16 5AQ

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 02392 381 529

Mob. - 07957 823 507 (Russell Martin)

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission - £4, OAP's £3.50p, Children £1, early bird (from 8:30hrs) £10

Doncaster - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Doncaster Racecourse'

Doncaster Exhibision Centre, Leger Way, Doncaster, DN2 6BB
Web. - www.bpfairs.com
Tel. - 01604 846 688
Mob. - 07966 527 177
10:30 - 15:00hrs
Admission - Adults £4, Seniors £3.50p, Children £1, 'Early Bird' (from 8 a.m.) £10
Plenty of free parking

Orpington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

Auctions

Saturday 18th May 2019

Bury St. Edmunds - Lacy Scott & Knight

Web. - www.lsk.co.uk

eMail - oleggett@lsk.co.uk

Tel. - 01284 748 600 (general enquires)

Tel. - 01284 748 623 (Oliver Leggett - auction)

Toy and Collectors Models

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

Thursday 23rd May 2019 -

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

14:00 - Finish

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

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!

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

N is for News

AAC Museum

The Army Aviation museum at Middle Wallop has opened again after a major re-vamp, I've enjoyed several visits - back in the day - wandering round the exhibits, so can only imagine it's an even better reason for a day-out now?

Hamleys

You're probably aware already, but the same day I was reporting the 150-somthingth store opening (last Thursday), the sale (rumoured in the past) went through, with Chinese shoe-empire C. Banner selling the whole concern to India's Reliance Group for around £70m quid.

They also opened their fifth store in Hyderabad last week!

The Works Aren't Working

The Works posted poor results and suffered a loss of share value last week, I suspect it's just a glitch and certainly hope it's not a sign of something more serious; the Blog gets a lot of mileage from them in the course of a year!

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

L is for Links

Only the one this week, a book, it may have appeared here already in the past, but I can't remember, so here it is . . . again?

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Son-Story-First-Miniature/dp/153620482X

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ

H is for How They Come In

In addition to the pile of plunder I dragged-home from the PW show last week, there have been a few shrapnel purchases from local charity shops in the last seven days . . .

. . . I managed to get over to Farnborough earlier this week and did the three charity shops in the old precinct, nothing in two of them but several things in the third, among which was this Vivid board game; not worth a separate post, and really only the vampire man-bat is of any use to figure collectors.

The sarcophagus would be better if he wasn't wearing comedy 'shades', the pumpkin will reappear in Halloween comparison-shots at some point and the Medusa's head will make a change from-/in a display of- all those cereal premium kings, admirals, explorers and footballer busts!

A china (and probably China) panda and an Ertl rail-trolley operator (large scale Thomas the Tank Engine?) were also procured for pennies!

I ignore these in the shops (well these days I'll take a shelfie) because they aren't worth the price, but in a tatty box for a quid, they are worth the punt as archive items; packaging's gone to the recycling, where it joined the Khufu game's box and main components!

A dodgy Panther, UPS truck (in mufti), high-performance sports-staff car (HMS Queen Elizabeth's?!!) and a reasonable Jeep Wrangler join a tacky helicopter and two road-signs; it's the bottom-end of the die-cast market! All courtesy of Top Toys; an importer based in Northampton we've seen before I think.

This afternoon (Thursday)'s loot included a tenth Halo (of twelve, I may yet get them all?)* a handful of chinosaurs, a Taiwanese Luke Skywalker (magazine part-work) and a pallet of milk-churns, which were joined by a Phidal set of Toy Story figurines; they will get a separate post at some point.

* Except the post I'm referring to is err . . . still in the queue . . . Doh! Forthcoming! The Works (for it is they) are replacing the Jada Halo with Happy Potter (HP II) and Fantastic Beast sets, also in twelve's,  I think?

ᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥ ☼ ᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪᴥᴪ