News, Views Etc . . . Vectis Over the Next Fortnight

Another newsletter from Vectis brings a reprise of the other-day's announcement and further details on three more auctions next week (this coming week) and two the week after, as I seem to have saved dosh during lockdown, as have others I know, might be that you too are ready for a splurge?

Lot 5

TV & Film-related Sale

Tuesday 23rd June 2020, Starts - 10:00hrs

" The TV and Film related sale to be held on the 23rd of June features 64 lots of The Key Issue Comic Book Collection, over 1500 issues of Silver, Bronze and Modern Age Marvel, DC and other comics, including large groups and Single issues, with some hard and soft back books. Further items in the sale include Star Wars helmet collection groups, model kits, accessories, plus carded and loose figures, including graded. There is a large collection of Batman figures and vehicles, Thunderbirds collectables, Camberwick Green figures, plus Transformers, He-Man, Dr Who, and many more. The sale will also include a large selection of Prototype, One-off and Pre-Production sample items, from Disney characters, Star Wars, Tonka and Sindy plus Mr Turnip BBC TV original Whirligig scripts, artwork and ephemera. Further items include Hero Quest and other fantasy board games and sets, Modern Action Man, Subbuteo, Lego, and Caterbench product. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Lot 1025

Specialist Die-Cast Sale

Wednesday 24th June 2020, Starts -10:00hrs

" The Specialist Sale to be held on the 24th of June, features seven private owner collections. The French Collection features 41 lots from Victory Models, Shackleton, and boxed and unboxed cars, trucks, and buses from Dinky. The Yorkshire Collection includes 29 lots of boxed and unboxed Dinky models whilst The Hampshire Collection features Tinplate and Plastic models from Mettoy, Wells Brimtoy, Victory Models, and Triang Minic; plus Corgi and Dinky figure sets and vehicles. The Graham Tucker Collection comprises a number of different toys and books, plus Pelham Puppets, Triang Minic ships, and Corgi Gift Sets; Dinky, Budgie and Matchbox. 1/50th scale cranes, Excavators and construction machinery feature in The Humberside Construction Collection whilst Private Owner Collection #1 includes Lansdowne Models, SMTS models, Spark, IXO, Minichamps, EFE, plus Aircraft and Corgi Aviation Archive. There are further items from Other Vendors including TV and Film related diecast, French Dinky, Marklin and Dinky Aircraft. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Lot 2037

General Toy Sale

Thursday 25th June 2020, Starts - 10:00hrs

" The General Toy Sale to be held on the 25th of June, features The World's largest collection of Law Enforcement Insignia and Police Memorabilia. The haul of over 10,000 pieces forms part of an emergency services collection, amassed by a private collector over several decades. Further items in the sale include boxed groups from Lledo, EFE, Bburago, Solido, Matchbox Models of Yesteryear plus many others. There is a large selection of magazine Issues from Hachette, Altire and similar; Britains boxed sets, Disney "Cars?, Dinky, Danbury Mint, Triang, and white metal and resin lots from Provence, Record, John Day, Starter and others.  Further items include books, video games and consoles, board games, magazines, robots and space toys, Subbuteo, Lego and much more. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Lot 3097

Model Train & Railway Sale

Friday 26th June 2020, Starts - 10:00hrs

" The Model Train sale to be held on the 26th June features The St Martins Bay Collection; OO Gauge British Outline from Hornby, Bachmann, TMC Models and other Manufacturers & Accessories. HO Gauge Continental & American Outline, N Gauge and OO & O Gauge Golden Age Models. Further items in the sale include OO Gauge British Outline from Other Vendors, a Wrenn Single Owner Collection, Part 3 of The Chris Freeman Meccano & Vintage Toy Collection, plus further Meccano & Other Constructional Toys, Live Steam, Hornby, Modern and further O Gauge plus Books, Magazines & Catalogues, Railway Photographs, Pictures & Prints and our usual good selection of General Trains. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Lot 4351

Specialist Matchbox Toy Sale

Monday 29th June 2020, Starts - 10:00hrs

" The Matchbox sale to be held on the 29th of June includes two private owner collections. The Belgium Collection and the Bruges Collections, both feature Matchbox Regular Wheels, boxed and unboxed, single models and groups, including cars, commercials, buses, tractors and emergency vehicles plus others. The collections also include Gift Sets, Major Packs, King Size and Super King. Further items in the sale include sales and service stations, Accessory and Major Packs, Super Kings, Speed Kings, King Size and Superfast. The sale will also include unlisted variations, factory errors and unfinished models, plus, counter displays, books, catalogues, artwork, games and sets. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Lot 5606

The Joe & Urs Ayres Matchbox Toy Collection Sale

Tuesday 30th June 2020, Starts - 10:00am

" The Joe and Urs Ayres Collection to be held on the 30th of June is a private owner collection of over 600 Lots of Matchbox Regular Wheel models. The collection includes road and racing cars, trucks and haulage, tractors, motorcycles, removals vans, constructions vehicles, buses and coaches, caravans', boats, military and many more. They include many rare and hard to find issues with different colour and wheel variations. "

Catalogue (on-line and download) here

Vectis also explained the system as it stands and going forward in the immediate future;

" We are now back and working to almost full capacity. We have a one or two Specialists still shielding and we have safe distance measures set out within the warehouse, but the Auctions are continuing and the prices being achieved are very strong.

We are still operating closed Auctions, with no viewing or room attendance. Bids can be made prior to, or on the day of the sale, please see our website for more details.

Because of the measures in place, and the time-off we have had, we are still slightly behind with packing, so please bear with us when waiting for deliveries, rest assured we are working as quickly and safely as possible whilst ensuring our usual high standard of packing.

If you would like to collect your lots please contact us prior to collection and once paid we can arrange a mutually agreed time with you.

We have some fantastic collections coming up this month, a World Record Collection, Original BBC props, Key Issue comic books, and a plethora of private owner collections with many rare and sought after Lots. Please take a look at our online catalogues and remember, if you would like any further information or photographs we will be happy to provide extra condition reports on any Lots. "

ARU is for Armoured Reconnaissance Unit

Just a quickie I shot at Sandown just over a year ago, now well-over-time to get it out of Picasa, and despite a tatty box - a really rather wonderful thing! Thanks to Adrian Little at Mercator Trading - as always - for these shots.

Huh? What do you think of this? It's not all of them, but therein lies a small story, as Adrian found it it had an extra jeep, but no carrier, and they were all jumbled up, so he wasn't sure it was complete, so when I took it up to the stands outside the hall, to photograph it I worked out that each vehicle's wheels fitted in slots in the lining-card. Turned-out this box didn't have the carrier (single 'rocking' axle) but did have slots for the truck.

I suppose there was a version with the carrier and/or the other missing vehicles - amphibious Jeep/DUKW (it's none too accurate for either) and twin-Bofors 'gun-truck'? But that was months later and a didn't photograph the whole one - Doh!

Box sides, the turret of the armoured-car was missing and I was going to provide a replacement, but in the end to colour-match, I just gave Adrian a whole one as swap for the Allied-star adorned jeep which was buckshee to the set.

Seen here on the right; most of the vehicles can be found with or without the thermo-printed star (exceptions so far being the staff car, gun & limber, and strangely the Churchill?) while all the vehicles which take figures (Jeep, carrier and amphi-thing) can be found with one, two or three figures glued in. The Gun truck also gets a gunner sometimes.

We looked at them separately here, eleven years ago!

and ARU is actually for

1)    Annual Report [on a] Unit
2)    Army Rugby[-football] Union

News, Views Etc . . . Vectis Auctions, 23rd June - Next Tuesday

Louise at Vectis has notified me of the TV/Movie related sale next Tuesday which has some interesting consignments if you are of a certain age - I'm too young to have even caught the repeats!

Please find below a short press release on a fascinating collection coming up next week.

BBC TV ARCHIVE COLLECTION

Vectis Auctions Ltd – 23rd June 2020

Featuring in the 23^rd of June TV and Film Related sale at Vectis Auctions, is a collection of original BBC TV props and ephemera from the Children’s Show Whirligig.

Lot 316 - with change of cloths!

Whirligig was first broadcast in 1950; a new children’s programme that soon became a huge success. The show ran for 6 years and aired fortnightly in a prime-time 5pm Saturday evening slot. The show featured Mr Turnip, a vegetable-based puppet who became a celebrity in his own right. He had toys, dolls, games, and even toiletries made in his name, as well as being made children’s “Man of the Year” in 1951.

Mr Turnip was created and operated by renowned puppeteer Joy Laurey. As the show was broadcast live Mr Turnip had many more strings than a conventional puppet, allowing for a greater range of movement by Joy.

Lot 326

The original, fully operational, Mr Turnip puppet prop, owned and created by Joy Laurey, is featuring in the Vectis Auctions TV and Film related sale on the 23^rd June 2020. He is accompanied by original scripts, including one dated 25^th November 1950 – the first time the show was aired; plus working notes from Joy, studio floor plans, contracts, photographs and correspondence.

Lot 324

Other Whirligig items include printers proof mock-up annuals, Mr Turnip and Whirligig annuals, and puppet related literature. Some very interesting reading.

Lot 317

Also in the collection are two further puppets created by Joy. Septimus and Phoebe, the puppets were designed and created for the show “The Adventures of Septimus”. The show, which was not televised, was intended for Anglia Television and was about a stone gargoyle boy who comes to life and is capable of time travel. This unique lot also includes letters, sketches and photographs of the intended show.

Lot 328 - I love the distances in the '6th British Empire & Commonwealth Games', but I don't want to go back to them; all twelve's and eighth's and fourteenth's!

Another show, which Joy Laurey was commissioned for and which was subsequently produced was The Adventures of Twizzle. “Twizzle” was produced by Gerry Anderson and AP Films during the late 50s early 60s, the puppet, Jiffy The Broomstick Man, was created by Joy using images created by Roberta Leigh, these original hand coloured illustrations are available within this fascinating collection.

The catalogue is now online at https://www.vectis.co.uk/auction/general-toy-sale-812-1

These lots can be found between Lot 316 – 330

For further information on any of the lots in this collection or in this sale please contact Kathy Taylor on 01642 750616 or email admin@vectis.co.uk

Z is for Zoological . . .

God! That was obvious; could have used that years ago! Anyway, when we looked at Peter Evans' donation the other day I said we'd look at the Poundland (for that is who they are!) animal pairs again properly as I had myself grabbed a sample . . . while keeping an eye out for the supposed 'series 2' dinosaurs one assumes will - at some point - follow the series 1's we looked at a while ago!

The two sets together, they did have a set of dogs a while ago, but firstly they were really big and secondly they seemed to only send a few to each store, so getting a whole set or even knowing how many were in the set wasn't easy, so I thought "Well . . . they'll come in loose some time"!

But these are more straightforward for several reasons, first they're smaller and in pairs so you can pick them up quicker (I may try to get all of them now my 'sample' has become a fledgling 'collection'!) and they are on the back (we'll look at it below) so you know what you're looking for - the dog-packs had no such 'check-list'.

I think she's supposed to be a lioness (see card back below) but the sculpt appears to be far more textured than the press-photo's presumed master or early test-shot and the darker colour of the cheap paint-job (Heay, they’re 50p-each we can't be too judgemental!) takes her further still from lionid'ness! I think a repaint as a leopard could prove quite successful?

The ape is lovely, I think someone has confused him by doing the cup-&-ball trick with three buckets and a banana!

Again the rhinoceros looks quite different from the shot below, while the polar bear is looking the other was - which might be down to an image mix-up, but the days of upside-down negatives in art studios is long gone, replaced by digital imagery; where you'd have to chose to invert an image? But both nice for the money.

Four more pairs? If I track them down we'll return to look at the rest, but for now, thanks to Peter Evans for doubling the 'sample' and they're in Poundland now if you're passing.

P is for Putt-Putt Tank!

Not - as far as I know - connected to this morning's earlier's (real problems with Internet again today!) ABC, but there are similarities; two colours, olive-green and sand; poor representation/sculpting of the original target model; made in Hong Kong in the late 1950 and/or through to the late 1960's and sold as rack-toys or similar within the pocket-money bracket.

Generally they come with colour-matched running-gear, but I do have one with contrasting wheels, so a 'Friday afternoon' job or a 'Monday morning' job!?!

We have looked at them before, so it's difficult to know what to add, there were sets (I've only found generics and they are on the blog), they were bought-in by Speedwell (with another generic gun) for adding to large gift-set boxed 'dioramas' and they don't seem to represent a specific marque, but could be used as Tetrach light, air-portable WWII tanks by old-school gamers with a bit of imagination!

There is a smaller copy which is less common (the larger one is relatively common as far as these things go), but it's tracks have aged slightly better! I only have the one so don't know what colours it came in - if any others?

The common, larger one is marked MADE IN HONG KONG NO 404, the smaller one just a MADE IN HONG KONG, both in a wide DIN or Ariel-Rounded type font.

This example has poor moulding with a hole and splits down the mudguards caused by 'short-shotting' in the production process. It also has better tracks in a silicon rubber best described as pinkish-gunmetal!

Side-on ambush! Despite being outnumbered 2:1, green-force should retire from this action with a 6-0 scorecard!

I found this shot after-all; three of the sets they come in with further cards of the figures which raises the possibility of blue, grey or purple-brown examples being out there somewhere but as the guns (which we looked at here) have so far only turned-up in green it's not that likely. And many thanks to James Opie for some (most! Four?) of the sets in the above image.

ABC is for Alarmingly Bad Copies!

Seen here at Small Scale World nearly a decade ago (!), loyal readers from way back will recognise these 'novelty' figures, but given how the traffic has increased over the years may be new to some of you. Chris Smith has only gawwn and found two new poses!

Running at under 45mm but mostly over 40mm, they are intermediate to the 'intermediate' scales! In Chris's own words . . .

"I finally picked up the officer last year from a job lot from ▲▲▲▲▲ on ebay. You don’t see them very often, then last month received two in a mixed lot off ebay that I hadn’t spotted when bidding."

"Two very interesting new poses; first up a charging with fixed bayonet pose, this is based on the charging with pack Herald figure but with the pack removed similar to the timpo copy you showed. Why they didn’t just copy the charging without pack pose? (Crescent had a charging figure as well, why not copy that?) The base is too small so impossible to stand the figure up without it falling over, blob of bluetack used for the photos."

"The 2nd new figure is walking with a walkie talkie, his DNA is from the Monogram GI’s but is a cut and shut of the upper half of the standing with walkie talkie and slung rifle and the lower half of the walking with slung rifle. I’ve got a few of the Monogram copies marked ABC so they would have them to hand. You can see the creases on the back of the figure are the same as the GI."

The full line-up with donors, they do - of course - fit in well with the 'pure' monogram copies and could be used with other 40/45mm figures, but I don't think there's much war-gaming with this kind of esoteric figure out there, they are collected for their own sake, and because they are a hundred-times harder to find than anything Airfix or Britains ever made!

Chris's eMails were all the excuse I needed to get mine out and shoot them again, despite them being the poor relatives now (I'll send one of mine to Chris by way of thanks for things and hopefully he's do us a follow-up shot of all four?).

The fourth pose being a pretty straight copy of a Timpo 8th Army figure with the same Crescent head-transplant as the others!

Base markings on mine; the officer is lacking the diamond-shaped ABC lozenge. ABC are quite good at marking though, even the cabs of their little 1-Ton Humber trucks (copied from Kleeware) had small marks, so this probably points to forgetfulness . . . or multiple cavities as . . .

. . . Chris then (a couple of weeks later/a couple of weeks ago) discovered they are also available in green! And he is marked. So - my two are now looking for at least six mates in two colours and some of you may [now] be looking for eight!

The size difference is down to camera angle and the sand one being a poorer mould-shot, compare the green one with mine and you'll see they are the same moulding. Again - the more we know the less we know, although this time - at least - we now know more but there's more to find, have you got fifth or even sixth poses, or more of the green ones?

Many thanks to Chris for sending these treasures to the Blog.

P is for Princess Polymer's Perfect Pumpkin Pimped for Prince Plastic's Posh Prom!

"And be back before midnight young lady!"

Proving the old adage (we'll it's an old adage here as I keep saying it, it's one of the reasons I have so many 'eemies' (as they call theirs) in the 'old guard'!) that none of this stuff is rare!

I grabbed this the other day, the seller had two left at time of writing, grab-one before they're gone!

And before we go any further it's worth reminding you of these posts;

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2017/10/l-is-for-little-red-riding-hood-visits.html

Then click 'newer post' or;

https://smallscaleworld.blogspot.com/2017/10/g-is-for-golden-gamete-laying-goose.html

and then click 'older post'

How they arrived, in a little poly-bag like this they could have been aimed at cake decorators, Christmas crackers (so I'll stick Culpitt and Tom Smith in the tags), arcade crane-machines or travelling showground hoopla stalls? The point is, this is the third iteration of the two 'sets' of these, which ten years ago were 'rare' and only visible as a couple of thumbnails on TSHQ, but which are now becoming 'old hat'!

It's so cool! The mice needed some straightening with hot water (and I mean 'hot', this is polyethylene, not PVC, so a boiling kettle poured down the reins/traces for a good 15 or twenty seconds, then pulled taught and pressed against a piece of cold marble (cutting board) or steel (draining board), needed two goes, but right as ninep'nce now!

♫♫♪ "We will pull it, we will drag it, to the party, how, how, how . . .

we will pull it, we will drag it; lets get going, now, now, now" ♫♪♪♪

Obviously with this kind of ex-shop stock, it tends to look like it was made yesterday, and while it probably is later than the stuff we looked at last time, it's clearly marked 'No307 Made in Hong Kong' down both sets of the hard polystyrene suspension, so it must be at least 30 years old?

The three figures; these are unmarked and like the mice, a standard or 'Airfix'-soldier polyethylene, so probably the same ones previously (or subsequently?) supplied to Transogram?