R is for Rainbow Re-issues of Rug-Rats & Ranch Kids

A bit of Marx for a change, and something that really makes you go "Whaaa....?". Kent Sprecher's site explains that originally a few of each mould-shot would be added to a larger Wild West ranch playset, and that sort of makes sense, as does the fact that people like Thomas had sets of kids or 'dressing-up' kids in their ranges, but it looks like a lot of effort to go to for something I wouldn't have thought sold well, but they did things differently in the past!

Boys and girls; that's a dolls-arm in her hand by the way . . . not anything else it may appear to be!

The green chap seems designed to hold something in his raised right hand, which is not a full 'ring-hand' but clearly curved to hold stuff, but there was no stuff with them?

While these two are also foxing me, they both appear to be interacting with absent articles, which from the poses would seem to have been quite large, horses, barrels, tree trunks . . . something like that? The dog goes with the set, the barrel is Britains, late PVC stuff (starting to go sticky) as is the pile of luggage in the previous shot.

The rest of my pose-sample, I'm missing a prone/fallen, baseless Indian boy and the adult who's tasked with looking after them! He may be in the box of unsorted Wild West large-scale we saw in a forthcoming as I was initially sorting stuff out?

While we're looking at Marx, I have these three soft ethylene copies, sequentially numbered on the base-underside, from 17, and managing to look a bit premium/givaway, a bit Italian (especially the bases), a bit shooting-game and a bit US dime-store hard styrene Space-toy . . . all at the same time! They have no other marks and remain a mystery, can you help; do you know them?

 

Now known to be of Greek issue, both as Kain premiums (product still unknown) and as carded generics, with the Kain removed on some and struck-through on others. 

W is for ♪♫♫ We've Got a Litt 'le Convoy, Made Out of Celluloid . . . CONN-VOIY! ♫♪♪

When we last looked at these I may have given the impression I had a load more in storage, we'll . . . I might, but I only found three and a few other related pieces? It may be that some are in an 'unsorted' stash somewhere, but I may have over-estimated the sample, against previously downloaded images!

These are the wagons I've found, I thought I had more (at least four more?) in the unpainted form, but these do mirror those previously seen, so I think there were the three main styles; round/hooped roof, angled/pitched roof and an open, board-sided wagon, with various loads, with or without a driver (or walker-beside) and with a canine, cattle or horse-type motive-power.

The cow is probably under-scaled, the dog (a chow type, but Japanese so not a 'chow' per se and hopefully not edible?) being over-scale and the horse being a pony or donkey? It's funny, these are touristy things, and seem to mirror the old tin-plate or lead penny toys which also often had a dog as the draft animal.

Paint them up and you've got your refugees blocking the roads in South East Asia.

Indeed - I suspect these have been just so painted, for war-gaming, although I'm pleased the artist (was it you?) left the ends and roof of the sedan-chair unpainted, as the thick varnish works well, and the woven-palm or giant-bamboo leafs effect on the roof is charming.

Here we see the base and the 'kung-fu' guy reused in a different context, along with a chap who's come loose from one of the other vignettes in this 'series' (which probably came from  a co-op of several craft-type outfits, a bit like Erzgebirge?), he seems to be carrying a rice hoe or flail, and may have been walking beside a wagon on one of the larger, based, scenes.

While here, both the previously seen females are reused to make a Lady and her maid-servant out for a trip on the lake - feeding the giant carp! Again I think this is a home-painted example, and I compared this to a couple of others here.

With a lot of the vignettes the scale can go right off and here we have the vaguely 1:76th scale cow stepping over a stream with an N-Gauge tree and a 1:1200'ish five-story pagoda! The cow has actually come-loose and I've posed him just shy of his glue marks!

These aren't terribly rare, and there's often a few on feebleBay, along with much larger versions of some (54mm-compatible rickshaws are worth looking out for), but there's often damage due to the nature of the material and their age - these are probably all 1950's? My horse-riding Lady has a damaged umbrella, the commonest problem.

The animals and larger cargo items are blow-moulded, the people, wheels, boat and smaller cargo items are injection mouldings, everything else is built-up from rod, sheet or strip and the bases are vac-formed, so all the main techniques for working with plastics were being fully utilised, in Japan, quite early, with the older celluloid.

H is for Happy Birthday . . .

To me! No; it's not my birthday I gave up celebrating those years ago! But the blog is ten today, or at least it was or will be ten sometime 48-hours either side of today, allowing for at least two leap-years? I think!

The first post here was on December the 8th, so . . . anyway, I don't usually mark the occasion with more than a passing-line, usually a few days or a week or so after the event, if that, but I thought I'd better do something for the tenth.

Which I nearly forgot! I only remembered this afternoon (Thursday 6th), after I'd uploaded and slotted in everything for the weekend, so I'm hoping I can find time to get this up tomorrow (Fri.), after my annual trek to Lidl's for stollen-bites! I've knocked-up a quick rehash of some of the highlights of the last year.

Actually it's mostly from after May, all the early stuff seems to have gone to the dongles in a big clear-out just before PW's show, so the early 2018 football stuff is missing, and a few other interesting things we looked at back in the late-winter and early spring.

That's it otherwise; no great shakes, it's just another day, and there'll be plenty more, with the output of the last 12 months being nearly a third of all the Blog's output; I've barely got started and will be just as busy next year!

Thanks to all for visiting, a special thanks to those who contribute, donate or comment - and if I haven't posted it yet . . . it's still in the queue!

Q is for Question Time - Charging Flats

A set of three matching flats today, they were in storage, but in a box of TBS's, not in the flats boxes, so I must have picked them up at Birmingham's show in 2011. Three bayonets intact too!

Anyone recognise them? I'd like them to be Plástico Osul from Portugal (and will tag as such just to group them), and there are similarities with both the cows and the kneeling figure (seen here previously), although these are more 'khaki infantry' than the more colonial-looking soldier I know is Osul? The green figure here is a similar shade to one of the cows, and bases look the same!

T is for Testicular Gonadians from Planet Bollocky-Ballock

I don't suppose we'll have another title quite like that for a while, but is seemed to be appropriate, given there's no getting round this; the artwork and sculpts leave nothing to the imagination - these Space Monsters are clearly walking, talking, pink gamete-sacks . . . with ray-guns! Except; they're actually green?

Again the artwork is brilliant; evocative of a different age. And I don't think anyone can claim these are derivative of someone else's figures; toy, comic, TV or movie? They share the catalogue/box number of Set 49 with the spacemen as they share the box.

They are also the same intermediate 40mm, but being alien Cajones will have a little more scope for use as they can be giant goolies in one (20/25-mil) universe and evil dwarven testes types in another (54/60-mil) - preferably long, long ago and far, far away!*

*A phrase which is probably ©, P, Patt App., R, Reg. and TM, George Lucas-Lucasfilms-Disney!

I'm not sure if these come in any other colours, I have a half an idea I've seen them in a navy-blue? They also have a casualty (far, top-left) and are an eight count. That's it, that's them; Nut-nagers from Nards - box-ticked!

A is for Astronauts . . . no; Spacemen . . . no; Astronauts . . .

. . . no; spacemen . . . err . . . Doh! Ah! They're Space Legionaryes (with a 'y, e'!), that'll be double-good 'spacetalk'.

I'm sure I've mentioned in the past that my rule of thumb with the recording and/or sorting of unknown figures of this persuasion is that if they are dressed in funky or natty duds and armed with projectile or beam weapons they are 'Spacemen' and if they look like NASA moon-walkers or Soviet Cosmonauts they are 'Astronauts'.

Atlantic go and muck that rule up with their obvious astronauts, forty millimetres and armed with alien tech while carrying something looking like Nottingham's finest Space Marine jet-packs!

No obvious signature on the artwork, but quite evocative and looking a bit like a Metal Hurlant cover by Mobius; it seems the guy in the centre has just 'fragged' his boss in the back . . . 'cos that hole's an exit-wound, and . . . the other three don't seem too bothered!

Actually quite nice figures, sadly in an intermediate scale of little use to most, but they could be filtered into one of the aforementioned GW armies at a push, or set to bring order to Elastolin Huns! Also, like a lot of Atlantic's output, they aren't half as rare as people would have you believe, and are therefore overrated and over-priced!

They share a box with their nemeses; the Space Monsters, the artwork for each being on alternate sides of the same box, with a blank price label being the only clue as the box's contents.

That's it really; keeping them on the runner meant it would only ever be a box-ticker.

News, Views Etc . . . Forthcoming Events

Not much of an easing-off as we get ever closer to pig-out Tuesday . . . the birth of the little baby Jesus! Only 18-sleeps now, I'm not in a very festive mood yet, all my Advent chocolates are the same shape, and it's a poxy, girly heart . . . fussa-russa!

Still, on the bright side, I don't live in Syria, Yemen, Burundi, CAR, Congo or Pennsylvania, so clearly - blessed by the little baby Jesus, me!

 

Reminder: this listing which went through a few edits back in May/June to get to the current format, is sorted by date, then alphabetically by location in two sections; Toy Fairs first, Auctions second. No one gets bumped up or down and if you're not here - you didn't tell me!

 

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Toy Fairs

Saturday 8th December 2018

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

10:00 - Approx. 14:30hrs

Admission £3, seniors £2.50p, 1st child £2

Chester - Tony Oaks Toy Fairs

The Cheshire Country Club Sports Club, Plas Newton Lane, Upton, Cheshire, CH2 1PR

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01270 652 773

Mob. - 07825 631 323

10:30 - 14:30hrs

Admission £2.00

Free Parking

Gateshead - Jim Corr Fairs - Toy, Train & Sci-Fi Fair

Gateshead International Stadium, Neilson Road, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, NE10 0EF

eMail - jim_corr73@hotmail.co.uk

Mob. - 07504 035 955

10:00 - 15:00hrs

Admission £3, children/senior citizens £2, 'Early Bird' (time unknown) £5

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Sunday 9th December 2018

Ashington - David Parsons - Toy & Train Collectors Fair

Ashington Community Centre, Foster Lane, Ashington, West Sussex, RH20 3PG

eMail - modelcarmart@gmail.com

Tel. - 01424 846 676 (Pete)

Mob. - 07742 609 865

10:00 - 14:00hrs

 Adults £1.50, concessions £1

Northfleet - SRP Toyfairs

Northfleet Girls School, Hall Road, Northfleet, Kent, DA11 8AQ

Web. - www.srptoyfairs1.co.uk

eMail: srptoys1@hotmail.co.uk

Tel. - 07739 998 012 (Paula or Gerry)

10:00 - 14:00hrs

Admission charge unknown

Stafford - Barry Potter / BP Fairs - 'Stafford Showground'

The Preston & Argyle Suites, Stafford County Showground, Weston Road, Stafford, ST18 0BD

Web. - www.bpfairs.com

Tel. - 01604 846 688

Mob. - 07966 527 177

10.30 - 15.00hrs

Admission £4.00 (early-bird £8), OAP's £3.50, Children £1,

Free parking

Wimborn - David Rees

Queen Elizabeth's Leisure Centre (Sports Hall), Blandford Raod, Wimborne Minster, Dorset BH21 4DT

Internet presence unknown

Tel. - 01202 590 158

10:15 - 14:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

Free parking and refreshments

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Tuesday 11th December 2018

Elsecar - Newcomen Fairs Ltd. - 36th Elsecar Toy & Train Fair (evening fair)

Elsecar Heritage Centre, Elsecar, Nr. Barnsley, South Yorkshire, S74 8HJ

Web. - www.newcomenfairs.co.uk

eMail - sales@newcomenfairs.co.uk

Tel. - 01226 744 425

19:00 - 21:00hrs

Admission £1.50p, children 50p

Hook - Steven Clements Fairs - Hook Evening Fair

Hook Community Centre, Hook, Hampshire, RG27 9NN

eMail: clementfairs@aol.com

Tel. - 01380 725 322

Mob. - 07958 101 891

18:30 - 21:30hrs

Admission charge unknown

New venue, free parking

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Thursday 13th December 2018

Hertford - Joe Lock Fairs (Evening Fair)

Richard Hale School, Hale Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, SG13 8EN

Internet presence unknown

Mob. - 07866 641 215

19:00-21:00hrs

Admission £1

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Auctions

Tuesday 11th / Wednesday 12th December 2018

Newbury - Special Auction Services (SAS) - two day sale

81 Greenham Business Park, Newbury, West Berkshire, RG19 6HW
Web: www.specialauctionservices.com
eMail: mail@specialauctionservices.com
Tel: 01635 580595
Fax: 0871 714 6905

'Trains galore'

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Wednesday 12th December 2018

Leominster - Brightwells

Address unknown - not sure how they want you to attend, is it on-line only? Google them, you make the effort; it seems they can't be arsed!

Web. - www.brightwells.com

eMail - fineart@brightwells.com

Tel. - 01568 611 122

General toy auction

Will print-out A4

Tunbridge Wells - C&T Auctioneers

The York Suite, The Spa Hotel, Mount Ephraim, Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN4 8XJ (Venue)

Unit 4, High House Business Park, Kenardington, Near Ashford, Kent, TN26 2LF (Auction House)

Web. - www.candtauctions.co.uk

eMail - enquiries@candtauctions.co.uk

Valuations - jamesopie@yahoo.co.uk

Tel. - 44 1233 510 050 (from abroad)

Tel. - 01233 510 050 (within the UK)

Viewing from 08:30hrs, sale starts 10:00hrs

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Thursday 13th December 2018

Sheffield - Shefield Auction Gallery

Windsor Road, Heeley, Sheffield, S8 8UB

Web. - www.sheffieldauctiongallery.com

eMail - jmorgan@sheffieldauctiongallery.com

Tel. - 0114 281 6161

Viewing - Wednesday 12th 10:00 - 16:45, from 08:30 on sale day

14:00 - Finish

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Thursday 13th / Friday 14th December 2018

Stockton-on-Tees - Vectis

Fleck Way, Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 9JZ
Web. - www.vectis.co.uk
eMail - admin@vectis.co.uk
01642 750 616

13th - General toy sale

14th - Model railway sale

 

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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

- 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!

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Toys in the media

This actually dates from 2008 and was a striking campaign for the army's own charity The Army Benevolent Fund, which at the time was probably suffering from the popularity of the - then - new 'Help For Heroes' charity set-up by Gulf/Afghanistan-era military wives.

The scar is on the wrong side of Action Man's face though! Might be a reversed transparency?

H is for How Many?

I thought my sample of Charbens Highlanders was a bit poor until I checked them against the Plastic Warrior special and found I seem to have an unlisted drummer and a 60mm flocked piper, but I still need to track down a Drum Major - you can't have everything!

The marching soldier; there's three poses here with rifle variations on the middle pair, a 60mm to the right and the original from a hollow-cast mould on the left. In the PW Special they seem to have two versions of that early one.

Pipes . . .

Again three types, the early hollow-cast to the left in three greens, the second 54mm type to the far right and the 60mm with flocked Busby second from the right. He's better painted too and would seem to be a stab at competing with Britains Herald on a more even footing? Or he may even have been used as a tourist piece?

. . . & Drums!

My drummer, I'm assuming he's Charbens as he's painted like most of the other Highlander's - Charbens don't seem to have gone in for stripes on their tartans much! Also the drum is similar to the Guardsman's drum; sort of a semi-flat sculpt? And - because it matches the lead version in Joplin's big book!

Close-up of flock-headed 'Peter' Piper! [That's a strangled-English, German joke for those who like their childhood-rhymes on the dunkle seite!] The flocking is quite thick and has a little white plume-remnant poking out of the top, so the flocking must have been done after painting - to prevent the red plastic showing-through?

The figure is a pantographic copy of the 54mm late version, although the base has then been pared-down to match, probably to fit existing bolsters or something technical like that! Chances are there are still some Charbens to find, both the drummer and Drum Major could have a possible two other versions, now we know the marching and piper have three each?

Although, looking at mine and PW's, I'd say there seem to be five marching variants; two 1st, two 2nd and a 60mm? Note also that all the first type (from hollow-cast tools) is marching off the right foot, left forward, the other versions are off the opposite step.

News, Views Etc . . . London Toy Soldier Show

Dull Men's report on the London Toy Soldier Show last weekend!

http://www.dullmensclub.com/field-trip-toy-soldier-show-london/