R is for Rockin' Rack-toy Ravers in Raffia Rah-rahs!

So, I dug into another box! Actually I was looking for something else, fount these three bags and thought "They'll make a nice rack-toy month post!", so here they are!

Straight piracy of the Britains Hawaii pair but with one of the more ornate Hong Kong palm tree's you'll encounter, all mounted on a little base as a vignette, and while it may have been available as a novelty toy all over the place, I guess sold in larger numbers as a Hawaiian tourist trinket, or in similar territories for the same reason?

The 8 components; the girl is attached to a small spring, which is wound into the larger base-hole (so she can jiggle and wiggle her little tush with a flick or a shake) and she has a separate skirt - I don't know if they come in other colours - while the tree is well-burdened with coconuts!

Other piracies of Britains native dancers are available, and here Maid Marion has popped-over to see what all the fuss is about! She has a green base so probably also belongs with the more normal Robin Hood cake-decoration copies (we've looked at a bagged Friar Tuck here in the past) but was in the bags with the Hawaiian pairs as triple-figure sets, again - like the Robin Hood figures - cake-decorators seem to be the target customers.

I have a darker-skinned girl (should that be duskier? Do the 'PC-Brigade' even allow "dusky maiden"? Probably not!) with a damaged foot (no spigot), she has a yellow-plastic skirt too.

While on the end of the line is a very poor 3rd/4th generation copy, probably from the same source as some of the equally-poor African Warrior copies you find; certainly she has the same uneven 'made in Hong Kong' letter-stamped on her base in a sort of 'typewriter' font.

News, Views Etc . . . Compton Verney's Automata Exhibitions

A friend mentioned a toy inventor (Rodney Peppé)'s exhibition the other week and kindly popped down to Compton Verney and picked-up a brochure for us to look at, it turns out there are two exhibitions running side-by-side, both of toys or with a connection to toys.

The main exhibition is the 'Marvellous Mechanical Museum' collection of automata and working novelties through the ages, and while there are tinplate, clockwork and later plastic versions of this elephant out there for you to find, the one in the picture is by Faberge, is from the Royal Collection and is outside of your pocket's range . . . or mine!

The exhibition has been running since the 30th June (if you've been; the Blog would love follow-up shots!) and will end on 30th September, it's free with entry to Compton Verney's Art Gallery and Park.

Pricing is complicated but for those with no gold or silver membership packages the minimum entry for an adult - during exhibition periods - is £13.60 (£15 with gift-aid), and a family ticket is £30 with kids under five getting in free.

Other events are free or priced separately and include a Marvellous Mechanical Museum Family Trail (free) which involves using an activity sheet to guide you (or your younger companions!) round the exhibition thematically. There's also a Daily Guided-Tour (free) which sets-off at 12 noon or 2.30pm every day.

We've missed the curators tour (4th July) but there is a talk on Automata in Literature and Culture on Wednesday 2nd September from 2.30-3.30pm, delivered by Franziska Kohlt, this costs £25 to non-members but includes entry to all the other attractions.

Alongside the main automata exhibition is Rodney Peppé's World of Invention, which looks at the public oeuvre of Mr. Peppé and his many creations, books and inventions - it's all in the blub above!

In addition to the above events and exhibitions, Compton Verney has a fine park garden and there are other activities every day somewhere in the grounds or house. It's cheaper than Legoland and - it's brain-food!

Compton Verney is midway between Banbury and Stratford-upon-Avon and can be easily reached from junctions 11-to-15 off the M40 (12 or 15 recommended), with trains stopping at both towns, and Leammington Spa.

Compton Verney Art Gallery & Park

Compton Verney

Warwickshire

CV35 9HZ

Web. - comptonverney.org.uk

eMail - info@comptonverney.org.uk

Tel. - 01926 645 500

Tel. - 01926 645 516 (group ticketing; Emily)

M is for More Armymen!

A few loose-ends from recent activity here at Central Processing, all from the lower-end of the spectrum as far as Toy Soldiers go!

These came in a year ago with the gun set we looked at last RTM, but they aren't worth a detailed look, being very generic despite the branding to Aldon, unremarkable copies of Airfix German Infantry with vehicles that might help sort loose stuff one day, but the artwork is similar to several other sets of similar age (early-mid 1980's?) and contents, Hing Fat's 'Action Heroes' for instance, so probably not.

I bought these at the snowed-under Sandown Park toy fair back in March, where Joanne Christensen (who normally stalls-out between halls 1 & 2 with far superior old toys) was up in hall 3 with a table full of toy and model figures.

Gareth and I had several trips to her stall, and these were in a five-for-a-pound basket. I've since found a few more so assume they are pretty contemporary, but have yet to ID the set or branding.

The green ones are a mix of Airfix Russian Infantry sculpts and Timpo 1^st version swoppet poses, both of which have been around for donkey's-yonks, while the silver figures are more takes on New Ray's sculpts.

Some irony there - as it's amusing one of the first decent set of original rack-toy figures to come out of the Far East in recent years is already as heavily pirated as Airfix, Britains or Elastolin ever where!

Bases don't match, but they are protagonists in the same set.

Shot these a couple of weeks ago (Smyths? Asda?), furher variations of the HTI sets we've seen here a few time now, this time with a larger M2/3 'Bradley' MICV. The vehicle has been kicking around since at least the 1990's; originally coming with the larger (35mm) copies of Galoob's sci-fi troops 'X-panders', themselves recently reprised in larger, cleaned-up sculpts by Lanard.

The shtick with the APC is, by the time you've opened all the doors, ramps and hatches you find there's no engine, no transmission, no turret basket, no ammunition, no seats, no nothing! It's a tracked carry case . . . or armyman plastic carrier!

C is for Cloned Chinasaurs

This little lot came in from a charity shop a few weeks ago, and are interesting for two reasons, firstly, I think they are the Jaru set (one of the Jaru sets) Brian Berke has previously sent to the blog as shelfies . . .

. . . namely the Explore Planet Earth 12 Dinos Play Dinos (#1679) sets. Brian has also sent us shelfies of a fifteen-piece set (#1655).

Secondly, because while it wasn’t' clear from the shelfies, each dinosaurs appears to have been pantographed in two (or three) sizes to create family groups (if you get a large enough sample!) of indentikit Chinasaurs!

As a fan of Dimetrodons I'm well pleased with these two fiery additions to the collection, but a further observation I think I made at the time of the original posts is that I'm pretty sure these are old 1970's 'HONG KONG' moulds dug-out and re-run with a variety of China marks?

Three of this sample were singles but some of them can be seen in Brian's shots, in other sizes; the triceratops with lop-sided horns (in orange) for instance. Also there seems to be more paint involved in my purchase-sample than the bagged sets, particularly the 12-dino set, although the stegosauruses are the same.

Speaking of the 'Steggie', he's the one I'm sure was around when we were kids, I definitely remember that arrow-head and the way the double-row of spine-plates have been achieved by a single row bent alternately to either side, allowing for a simpler mould . . . classic rack-toys!

The whole sample - which I'm assuming is either a near complete set or the contents of multiple sets - is of twelve dinosaurs, although the flying dino's and larger sauropods seen in the bagged-sets are missing.

There are two large, three medium-large, three medium-small and four smallies, whether all pose/sculpts come in all four size brackets remains to be seen? I suspect 3 sizes per-animal; with some starting bigger and some finishing smaller.

Prior to the last few years, I only collected smaller dinosaurs, but they will give us a clue as to whether they were HK-marked, when they turn up - I haven't seen them yet!

T is for two - 'Armymen' AFV's

It's mostly vehicular in the subject matter for this post, but there are a few figures. Both sets from Peter Evans (a year apart) and at the lower-end of the rack-toy oeuvre, which is pretty low, but still fun!

Campaign Project Peace Set . . . obviously from the practice peace through superior fire-power school of peace-keeping! Not a totally generic set; purporting to have been manufactured by QL Toys Factory of China, it was imported by SQP (UK) Ltd., of Barking Essex.

The figures are n'th-generation copies of Matchbox GI's and the ATGW carrier from New Ray (and others) in a 45/50mm range.

The figures have been kept, along with the flag and the card archived after scanning, they are pretty poor, but at only four per-card and the cards probably distributed widely and thinly to more independent outlets, I may never see them again, and while some may argue that might be a blessing, they all have their place; I mean to say, they're better than the Cherilea UN troops, aren't they?

As if a large rocket on a large cannon wasn't enough 'peace' for you, there are two 25-kilo grenades (four-man, rolling downhill, for the use of) stowed on the side on the truck! After photographing the lorry went to charity, where it will bring joy to some little war-monger I'm sure!

Sat in Picasa since last year, this also went to charity, still in the bag, as again the thing's a generic and with few clues on the limited graphics, it's large scale and lack of connection to any real vehicle, yet without the benefit of looking much like a 'space-tank', it was hard to justify the space!

Hidden running-gear is very similar to the maybe-Jellyman boat we saw the other day, so a clue to source, but nothing more, imported by THI (new to me), it too went off to Scope (or DEBRA?) where it will fill a small owner's needs better than mine.

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Bit better this week, getting back up to speed after the short summer hiatus?

Shows

Saturday 18th August 2018

Exeter - Ray Heard Train & Toy Fairs

Matford Centre, Matford Park Road, Exeter, EX2 8FD

Tel. - 01823 48 00 97

10:00 - 15:30hrs

Admission £2, free parking, refreshments

Llangollen - Chris Dyer Fairs

Llangollen Pavilion, Abbey Road, LL20 8SW

Web. - www.chrisdyerfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01643 702 757

Mob. - 07966 694 579

10:30 - 15:00hrs

Admission £2

Oxford - Richard Atkins Fairs

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

Tel. - 01869 347 489

10:30 - 15:00hrs

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Sunday 19th August 2018

Orphington - SRP Toyfairs

Crofton Halls, Orpington, Kent, BR6 8PR

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012

10:00 - 14:00hrs

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Auctions

Saturday 18th August 2018

Bury St. Edmonds - 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

Thursday 23rd August 2018

Heathfield - Watson's Auctions

Heathfield Auction Rooms, Burwash Road, Heathfield, TN21 8RA

Web. - watsonsauctioneers.co.uk

eMail - auctions@watsonsauctioneers.co.uk

Tel. - 01435 862 132

Toys & Transport Memorabilia

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Other Events

Friday 17th (today) - Sunday 19th August 2018

Sandown Park Racecourse, Surrey - The Great Brick Adventure

Web. - www.sandown.co.uk

Lego Event

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Elsewhere

Sunday 19th August 2018

Wervik, Belgium - 18th Old-Timer Meet

Web. - www.oldtimermeeting.be

Tel. - +003256 313 338

Exhibition, auto-jumble and swap-meet

I notice the theme for this year is 'Renualt', so grab a jam-jar of rusty metal bits from the shed at the bottom of the garden and you could be in with a chance of a placing in the final concourse parade!

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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 (corrected!)

- 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!

F is for Flogging The Arse Out Of It!

Not really a rack-toy in that they are shelf-sitter's (try saying that after a beer!), but priced as rack-toys and made by a rack-toy producer with product from their actual rack-toy hangers, and only to prove a point - already made.

What's this down the bottom of a tub (currently being rained-on as I write! It's waterproof and sited temporarily); looks interesting, let's get them out . . .

. . . oh, look . . . it's those Blue Box 30mm French Resistance Fighters you-know-who (make-it-ups-man) stated - more than once - didn't exist, or only existed in 50mm (which they don't!).

Selling for the princely sum of 39¢ across the pond, and two-shillings & eleven pence over here (.21p 'ish?), the backing card (and positioning of the product elements) is the same for both sets, but the actual container is quite different.

The US-priced one (they [card/window] were available over here too) being a pretty standard window-box, opening both ends, while the UK-priced one is a plastic fold-up with the inner tray/backing-card slipped in. I have quite a few of these, and when I get my teeth back into Blue Box we'll have a look at all of them in grater detail.

As US pricing tended to be cheaper than the UK in the '50's and 60's (often still is!) and as I don't think it was ever quite two-dollars-to-the-pound (except maybe for a day or two in a crisis of some sort), I'm guessing . . . assuming . . . presuming . . . the UK version is the slightly later issue? Many-thanks to James Opie for the upper one and we looked at the individual figures here with a follow-up here.

News, Views Etc . . . Highlander in the A-Z

Starting to sort the archive in the evenings has resulted in a find I'd forgotten I had - an old article from the Sun-Sentinal newspaper of Broward & Palm Beach, Florida in the in the USA on the Highlander range. It firms up the companies start date to 1976 and reveals an interesting plan for foreign troops!

On the reverse of the article is another puff-piece (I think the 'C' suffixed pages are the 1970's equivalent of 'weekend' or 'magazine' pages?), this one on a Floridan called Billy McCarty who's reported to be in the UK doing interior design, well, if anybody designed that for me I'd beat him to death with a carrot, slowly.**

But there are a couple of military looking brasses involved in the 'make-over' a knight or conquistador type on the mantle-shelf, and something unclear which might be Caesar at Calais pointing vaguely at Eastbourne and saying "Let's go there...", on the quite small coffee table.

But it's funny - figures on both sides of a page from a 42-year-old newspaper!

** I'm joking - I would probably just sue them for emotional distress! Sadly he has passed away