C is for Contribution Fortnight - X - Arco Cap-firing 'Space Tank' SPG from Clarence

Along with the playset we looked at the other day, Mr. Clausey also sent me a couple of shots of what is best described as a bloody-great behemoth of a thing! Clarence has been picking these up off eBay when he sees them and has a battery of five now!

Described by Clarence as an Arco cap-firing tank, I started to dig-around Google and see if I could find out more about it, in fact I couldn't find anything, until I added 'Combat Force' to the mix, whereupon I found the item currently listed on evilBay for 50-odd dollars, but credited to DSI (Diversified Specialists Inc.) Toys [or DSIT], so I pulled the post and frantically emailed Clarence to double-check the Arco connection.

The enemy appears to have got round behind the battery (of guns) to interdict the [battery] power source!

Clarence got back to me with an assurance that Arco is moulded onto all his examples, along with other marks (MAC*XI), so we can assume that they (Arco) supplied these 'Weapons of Mass-destruction' to DSI. More womble'ing on Google reveals that DSI specialised in this kind of toy alongside dolls (far more money in dolls than we 'boys toys' fan's imagine), between 1970 and 2003; when they ceased trading.

As Arco were themselves absorbed by their then parent Mattel in 1997, having been bought by them in 1986, and with the DSI version being boxed in 1991, they were clearly marketed by Arco, with Mattel's permission, probably sourced from an anonymous OEM in China and shipped through 4th or 5th parties to DSI . . . such is the modern toy industry, and with everyone in the chain wanting a percentage or two of profit . . .

. . . but enough of the boring bit! This thing automatically fires 8-shot cap drums, while driving about! It's like a self-propelled Lone Star six-shooter! Well . . . eight-shooter. Compatible with standard 3¼" (90-odd millimetres) action figures popularised in the 1980's following Mattel's famous Star Wars franchise figures from the late 1970's, it has three dedicated stations for them, two cupolas 'up front' with hatches and a seat 'up-top' for the gunner.

The mechanism is similar to that in a cap-gun but a one-way, inner, toothed-gear wheel - set onto the same face that receives the ammunition 'magazine' - is operated by battery-powered electric signal, to trigger firing, rather than a manual mechanism.

The same power-pack provides movement forwards and in reverse and all in all the DSI, Arco or 'and' Arco-Mattel rendition of the Remote Control Combat Force Ring-cap Firing Mobile Attack Cannon [Battery Operated] is a beast!

Under all the weaponry is a basic M1 Abrahms chassis, but the beast reminds me more of some of the experimental 1950's Russian SPG's which turned-up in ex-Soviet museums after The Wall came down! Really it's a 'Space Tank'!

Thanks for sharing it with us Clarence

06th-Feb - Late Addition - Arco on Nu-Earth!

C is for Contribution Fortnight - IX - Novelty Chopsticks from Brian

Well, the title says it all, Brian sent these with the following line; "Seen in Chinatown, NYC, these plastic one piece children's chop sticks are delightfully colorful plastic tat." And I can't disagree with any of his points, they are colorful (you're going native Brian!) ahem . . . colourful plastic and they are delightful tat!

They remind me of the Iwaco erasers, but I suspect a less 'take-apart' more 'over-moulding' technique is involved? Loving the green Panda, the orange tiger looks the part and who didn't have a pink rabbit when they were little . . . you didn't? Sue you parents for mental cruelty, everyone had a pink rabbit! I assume they can be removed and stood next to your place setting?

Brian added; "They somehow cross the divide between toy and practical objects.". Yes, and like nite-lites, candles, 'phone-stands, plant-ties, bottle-stops or bog-brushes we love that sort of thing here at Smallscaleworld! I'm still looking out for the 3-Samurai glass-stand thing that was in Plastic Warrior magazine (I think) ages ago!

I will also assume NKM is the retail-outlet not the brand . . . and did you notice that the piggy-wiggies come in Mr. & Mrs. variants!

Thanks Brian - novel, charming and tat - bargain!

C is for Contribution Fortnight! - VIII - Commonwealth Street Light from Susan

Susan Chadwick sent me these next two images with a question...

"Great information on your blog about Commonwealth Plastics.  Very much appreciated.  I found your blog researching the Lamp Posts.  I have a Blue one that isn’t listed on your blog.  See attached.  Wonder if they made other colors…any idea of boxes for these items or how they were sold?  Were they sold as part of a kit? Thanks in advance."

To which my rather poor reply was...

"I'm guessing they were sold for model railways Susan? Sort of O or G gauge, 'carpet', tin-plate type, toy trains? But possibly for dolls houses? H"

But what are we on about?

It's a combined glow-in-the-dark street-light/lamp-post with street sign and mail-box. I've since remembered that there are some more on these somewhere on the Internet and after a bit of a search . . .

On Binn's Road Website It doesn't add much, but there are other colours! Meanwhile on a short-lived link (so copy it now if you need it) there's this on Terapeak with its original envelope/label!

Thanks for the pictures Susan.

C is for Contribution Week - VII - Battat's 'Terra' from Brian

T is for Terra

Just a quick one, I know I said we'd have a News, Views yesterday, but because I've been a couple of weeks ahead since the 20th December, and wanted to get the 12-Days thing out of the way before the other unpleasantness (a whole harbour and industrial estate, from thin air, bwaahahahahahah!), we will continue with odds and sods from Picasa and a box-ticker or two for a while I think? [Written 5th Jan and totally out of context now! Except the harbour complex,; that's still dead funny]

These came courtesy of Brian Berke, back at the end of the summer, and were going to be a Rack-toy Month thing, then a December thing but I ran out of room and time, so they're here; now! No - Now!

Bears! Brown and white, nice sculpts, certainly as good as anything done by Britains or Schleich in the last 60 years! But - priced to the point where a whole family can be obtained for the price of a single lump of German vinyl-rubber.

Brian reported them being in Target when he first eMailed them to me (and these are marked on the rear 'Only at Target'), and by the autumn I'd found them in TK Max which means they may have been in TJ Max - over the pond by Christmas? (That's a question mark covering my arse against future accusations, not that I haven't used them in the past, but some people...). They have since appeared in Wilkinson's (Wilco) and Poundland as well.

The Poundland one is a huge fantasy warrior'ess/Amazon type - about 6", but not for a pound; having bought out 99p Stores, a year ago, they were themselves bought out in the autumn and are now starting to carry items for far more than a pound, re-locating themselves in the market somewhere below Poundstreatcher or that place I found in Basingrad (Home Bargains) before Christmas; who were also in the news the other day with good sales-figures for the holiday period. When you've created lots of [relatively] poor people - discount stores become 'where it's at'!

The tubs were not to be found in Wilco's, probably because they have the similar set of not-so-blind bag dinosaurs (coming to the Blog soon) along with the cats (which we looked at over Christmas) and some dogs but they were in the larger TK Max down at Farnborough Gate, although they weren't in the smaller Basingrad one, so it's a bit hit-and-miss clearly!

As well as the mini-animals tubs ($7.99 is about a £-fiver* - I didn't note the UK prices!), the dinosaurs and the wild animal range, I also saw large-scale farm/domestic types in TK over Christmas.

*Given what's happening in both countries at the moment: by the time you read this it could be 1,000 dollars to the pound or £1,000 for $1!

While the whole range are Terra by Battat, these larger dinosaurs are further credited to the Dan LoRusso Collection; whether he designed them or sculpted them I don't know, but they are very good.

As mentioned above - a fantasy range also exists.

When I was a kid, Hydras (in books) were always fat, female-looking, opera-singer type giants with lots of snakes for hair, but at some point in the early 1980's that seems to have been changed to multi-headed dino-dragons, I guess we have Ray Harryhaussen to blame for this situation, but Mr. Gygax may have had a hand in it!

I guess it's easier to sculpt 2, 3, 4 or even (as here) 5 heads that a few dozen! But again; beautifully executed and clearly the meaner cousin of T-Rex? As always - thanks to Brian for the contribution.

More on Battat at rhe STS Toy Animal Wiki; Here

C is for Contribution Week - VI - Marx Tabletop from Clarence

This appeared in my inbox with no text the following "Marx Desert Fox custom play set table..thought you might like....." in the title box and an eMail address I didn't recognise! I though it looked lovely, but needed something to go with it, so sent a message - "But that's lovely! Would you like to say something about it before I put it on the blog...."

I love it that one American has made it across the river and started laying into the Germans with his bayonet, windmill-fashion, while the spotter on the island's 'bought-it'!

Clarence Causey (for it was he) then explained the idea behind the table-display . . . 

"Hugh [I] got [The] original set in 1972 for Christmas at age 9.  Then for some reason at age 50, after having my own kids, began to relive my childhood and decided to start with the old Desert Fox play set.  I have the original plastic play mat, but thought a table would be easier to move around and have fun with, and my kids helped me paint it.  The set is all original Marx with exception of palm trees, US soldiers and 88mm flak guns which are all recasts.  Naturally enough, everything came from eBay..."

 . . . and sent a close-up of the rarer Marx '51' Tank, a scale-up (with extra detailing) of the older model.

The close-up of the bigger '51' tank

So thank you Clarence for sending that little treat to the blog (he sent something else as well!), 50? The best reason for starting anything Clarence!