GOLDEN ASTRONAUT BADGE AND CERTIFICATE

Continuing WOTAN's excellent badges theme, here's a snap I grabbed offa Ebay some years back. It appears to be a badge and certificate for the US Golden Astronaut toy line. Could a reader from the States confirm this?

SPACEX AND SWORD BY WOTAN

Towards the end of the Spacex era, the second series of the toys were released. Unfortunately for us collectors, Tri-ang were in difficulties at the time and it must have affected production on this less prominent line of toys. A series of four adverts went out in kids comics during the run up to Xmas 1970, showing Spacex models old and new as well as the offer of a new addition to the line - a badge. I saw the adverts at the time of release, probably in Buster or one of the similar weeklies and promptly became so excited at the prospect of new Spacex toys, that i couldnt sleep for weeks. However, it would be another three years before I discovered any of them, quite by chance while visiting my mother in hospital, in a small discount store in Liverpool.

I never found any of the toys in a high street store. Woolworths always had huge amounts of the first series and all the major department stores had displays and playsets, but the second run were nowhere to be found. Apart from being exclusively new models, the few i found in the few weeks following that initial discovery, the chief difference alongside the radically different cards - was the badge. Not all models carried one, the Booster Rocket and Lunar Orbiter came with one and several of the larger models like te Molab, ATS and LAMA may have had one, but the nuclear ferry and NASA Glider - similar size to the Booster, did not.

Tri-ang had obviously decided that the SWORD badges some time earlier had been a big selling point and 'borrowed' the idea. As far as I know, all Spacex Commander badges were a uniform red with silver plate letters. Sword badges had, i believe, four ranks - Astronaut, Captain, Commander and the elusive Supremo. As you can see from the photo, the similarities are obvious and the two types of badges work well together. Ive never seen a Supremo badge, let alone own one as it would only have come with the premium models such as Zero-X or the large Apollo set - has anyone got a picture of one ? Wotan.

Brilliant article. Woodsy

ZZROBOT COLLECTION

Hello Paul, i am a advanced spacetoy/robot collector across the pond. I , too, collect project, 21th ect. toys. I assume you access your fellow countryman's web site , alphadrome.com . They now have a database of pictures of hundreds of space toys. Here is a link to old pictures of some of my collection, I have more in storage and have obtain more since these pictures were taken. Paul, yes, please post my message and link, my good friend Larry Waldman of Cybertoyz and I do collect most any space toys, including project sword/golden/apollo, in particular the Hong Kong made toys. cheers....stan.

Wow! Great collection Stan!

Woodsy

BLOG EXCLUSIVE 4 - PLAYSET MAGAZINE AT A DISCOUNTED RATE FOR BLOG READERS

Here's a Blog Exclusive you'll not want to miss! I've negotiated a special price of $6 (+ shipping worldwide) for blog readers directly with Playset Magazine for Issue 17 from 2004 (Zeroids Cover) - for a limited period only ( always wanted to say that!). This issue is currently retailing at $20 on the Playset Magazine Website! The Magazine Editor has kindly agreed to this price of $6 for a short period for which I am grateful.

Specifically of interest to the blog is Issue 17's multi-page colour feature on Apollo Moon Exploration. In their own words the issue covers...

".....the awesome Marx Man From U.N.C.L.E. Target Gun Set in COLOR on our
centerspread pages with its THRUSH villains VS Napoleon Solo and the repressed,
but violent Illya Kuryakin. We also have some great Rex Mars 60mm figures and a
remarkable, never released store display(courtesy Francis and Jason Turner and
the Official Marx Museum). . .PLUS the wonders of the future in COLOR with the
Apollo Exploration playset. Here you'll feast on Jetsons-like space ships,
flying saucers and space sleds galore! But that's not all -- theres new Japanese
Assassins, New Replicants, a newly revised book on Britains all in review, plus
a New Market Report by the always-thinking Tom Stark. And if that's not enough,
we'll have some great ads, classifieds and news for your Saturday night toy
fest!"

To buy this issue at the special blog price via Paypal:

1. $6 per Issue 17 (SIX US DOLLARS)
2. Add shipping - to UK/EU $5.40, Canada $2.20, US $1.68 per Issue 17
3. Buy Issue 17 direct from Playset Magazine's website via Paypal ( you can opt to pay in US $ easilly)
4. IMPORTANT: Write the codeword "blue" into the message box on your paypal payment and mention this blog
5. The Paypal ID to send the money to is playsetmagazine@aol.com (you'll need to copy and paste this into your Paypal payment)

For a limited time only!

Woodsy

THE SPACEX NUCLEAR FREIGHTER AND THE WOMBAT BY WOODSY

I've often admired the beautiful design of the rare Spacex II Nuclear Freighter and Salvage Craft based on the picture on the backing card (top picture). I can't help noticing the similarity between the Freighter's design and that of the earlier World Air Force Carrier or WOMBAT, which appeared in Thunderbirds and Stingray.

The first appearance of the WOMBAT was on TV in the 23rd Thunderbirds episode 'The Duchess Assignment', which aired February 17th 1966 at 7pm. The vehicle was called the 'Carrier Aircraft' (source: Fanderson - no TV still available)

Just over a week later on the 26th February 1966 the vehicle re-appeared in TV21 issue 58 and on the cover of issue 59 (picture one from the bottom and the one above showing a close-up) as part of the Stingray comic strip story 'The Medallion Mystery'. Whilst transporting the Crown Jewels the World Air Force WOMBAT crashes into the sea.

The second to top picture shows a still of a model WOMBAT being observed by Stingray, a shot that was never used (source: GACCH - more information available at this fabulous site).

The wonderful middle shot is a scratchbiult model of the Carrier Aircraft in the Thunderbirds TV show episode 23 'The Duchess Assignment'. The modelling and photography is by the ultra-talented Keith McNeill and the picture appears with his kind permission.

Intrigueingly there is also a 1960's toy based on the WOMBAT (bottom picture), which appears in the seminal Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide by Dennis Nicholson: a 40 - 45mm plastic Air Force Jet, which came with Japanese Guriko chocolate. The picture appears with Dennis's kind permission. This is further verified by Marc Frattassio in his excellent research into Gerry Anderson candy premiums.

It would be just great to see the Spacex Nuclear Freighter in the flesh but I would settle for a gander at the Guriko Air Force Jet! At least we have a photo of it!

NASA SPACE GLIDER - NEW TO THE BLOG - BY TONY PANTHER

Hi Paul,

Here are some pics of yet another different version of the SWORD Space Glider I picked up a couple of years ago.

It's based on the orange version of the Space Glider but has NASA stickers on it and no mention of Project SWORD.

Differences from the SWORD version are:

1. darker blue cockpit "glass"
2. blue switch at rear instead of silver
3. flat cylindrical protrusion on the underside of the nose
4. different stickers, obviously! The "NASA" stickers under the cockpit are placed over the line of small blue windows
5. different wheel housings - the NASA version has "open" housings with exposed metal axles, while the SWORD version has "closed" housings which fully enclose the axles
6. no nose antenna - instead the antenna's mounting holes have been filled in with mysterious "space jewels", with the holes re-shaped to accommodate them... One less thing to lose I suppose.

Best of all - it still works - I popped a couple of batteries in tonight and, surprise, surprise, it made a dreadful howl (which I assume was the "jet sound effects" referred to on the box of the SWORD version!), the wheels underneath spun around and the light in the nose flashed away merrily illuminating the "space jewels" brilliantly. I doubt that any self-respecting astronaut would have failed to find his way back to it.

In contrast my SWORD version didn't give a peep when I tried to switch it on... So much for saving the world...

Have fun!

Cheers

Tony Panther

Australia

Brilliant Tony! One I've not seen before. Love this detailed comparison and especially the nose jewels. Remind me of the Day Fran glider version. Woodsy

KELLOGGS SPACE-AGE MOLAB

Scouring through my picture archive I've found this shot of the Kellogg's 'moon vehicle' - as usual missing it's aerial - featured in an earlier posting. As discussed before it's virtually a deadringer for the Spacex II MOLAB. (Picture: Ebay 2008)

SPACEX II CARDED NUKE FERRY, NASA GLIDER AND BOOSTER ROCKET BY FERRYMAN

Hi Paul, 3 x SpaceX pics above. There not as good as usual because I had to use a flash. I did see loose examples of the Moon Buggy and Luna Transporter on Ebay recently. Ferryman.

Look great to me! Woodsy

THINDERBIRD 6 NOVA III LOOKALIKE PICTURES

As per my earlier post about this, Jim Lewis of the Space 1999 Eagle Transporter Forum has put 3 stills there of the Thunderbird 6 Nova III lookalike. Look here.

BANDAI THUNDERBIRD 2 POD VEHICLES

I love these clunky plastic TB2 pod carft by Bandai. They are very SWORDesque. Wonder if there were anymore made? Firefly? Pics courtesy of WOTAN/ Terry Harle.

CRAWLER CAVALCADE BY WOTAN

One of the most recognisable and unusual toys of the sixties was the Major Matt Mason (MMM) Space Crawler. Fantastic design and unique appearance made it an obvious target for the plagiarists. Apollo Moon Exploring sets made a beeline for MMM stuff and besides some small white vehicles which bear more than a passing resemblance to the Majors equipment Paks, they plunged straight in with a direct lift from the Mattel toy, copying the design and colour scheme pretty accurately. Eldons Billy Blastoff line also felt that their astronaut needed a crawler, so they took the basic idea and made it their own, adding an extra leg to the wheels for stability. Marx line of mid-size action figures, Johnny and Jane Apollo decided to grab a piece of the crawler action too and added a large, chunky vehicle to their line, but took the time to distinguish it considerably from the Mattel design by including a glass canopy and steering as well as the extra spindle on the wheel.

Finally, not to be left behind, Tri-ang Rovex sneaked in a rare model into their 1970 line of toys, the MoonMobile. Taking a pinch of Gerry Anderson and adding that to the mix, the Tri-ang machine has a slightly Flash Gordon feel to it with its streamlined body. The figure sitting in the cockpit has more than a little Captain Scarlet about his uniform and the rockets included with the toy are from the Dinky SPV, so Tri-ang obviously making full use of their co-company Meccano! Wotan.

You big crawler! Woodsy

NOVA III IS THUNDERBIRD 6 MR.TRACY

Behold Thunderbird 6! Well nearly anyway. In the fab movie Thunderbird 6, which I caught on Film4 yesterday, Brains is busy trying to create a new rescue vehicle, without much success and much enraged usage of the phrase "Mr. Tracy, Mr.Tracy..."!

About a third of the way through the film Brains creates his third or fourth 'model', which is a deadringer for Tarheel's Nova III above. The resemblance is striking!

Alas, I have not been able to find a photo of Brains's model anywhere (anyone help here?) The originals most definately won't exist as Brains, highly strung as he is, throws them all on the floor smashing them into pieces! Balsa death dives!

In the UK Thinderbirds 6 is repeated today at 1pm Film4. F.A.B!

HOVER LUNAR ROVER FROM WOTAN

And presto! as if by magic we have a Hover Lunar Rover! - the blue one with the red wheels ( they look the same as those on the line's Scramble Bug) - next to the blue Hover Space Glider (alas, minus antenna) and more Major Matt Mason vehicle - look-alikes courtesy of WOTAN. Not sure what the red rocket truck is? I love the wooden gantry with skyray rocket holding the paper down!

I just thought, the Space Adventurer featured in the blog earlier looks a lot like that brilliant little spaceship the Jetsons flew around in in the 60's cartoon!

MAJOR MATT MASON AND APOLLO MOON EXPLORATION BY PAUL VREEDE

A couple of readers have spotted the link between Apollo Moon Exploration and Major Matt Mason toys, so here's a great explanation from reader Paul Vreede:

Here's a pic (top) of the Major Matt Mason (MMM) vehicles by LP as sold by Apollo Exploration by Imperial of LA. In front is the Firebolt Space Cannon (set # 6340). In back is the Astro Trac (#6302). And middle row from leftt to right we have Space Crawler (#6304), Satellite Launcher (#6306), Cat Trac, Space Sled and Rocket Launcher (#6305). The Space Sled and Cat-Track were sold with MMM figures (#6300 and #6319 f ex). Missing from that line-up is the mini Reconojet (#6320), which I didn't have loose when that pic was taken. It's included (top right) in the Space Set by LP, which has the same toys albeit without wheels.

Using the set numbers listed, anybody interested can find the MMM toys on my good friend John Eaton's MMM site - by far the most complete MMM reference anywhere.
Best
--
Paul

nice one! Woodsy

MORE APOLLO EXPLORATION

Pictures - Ebay 2007

NEWSFLASH - THUNDERBIRD 6 ON TV

UK ALERT ! Thunderbird 6 is on TV today on FILM4 at 5pm and tomorrow, Saturday at 1pm. What a great way to end the half-term break!

HOVER MOON BASE AND CO.

The fabulous Hover Moon Base, Space Glider and Adventure: Now these little fellows I adore although they somehow passed me by as a kid ( then again I was 10 in 1970 and had discovered pop music!). The fabulous Hover Moon Base and fleet of spacecraft. Although a Spacex knockoff it did offer value for money as you got not one but two silver astronauts on the carded toys and a veritable academy of six in the box! Added to this were little plastic pieces of pink moonscape (they look pink in the pics!). So cool.

A couple of inevitable questions arise looking at these pictures: what was on the box and card backs - nothing?, did the Scramble Bug come on a card too? and did the pink roving vehicle, which appears on the header cards come as a toy too? Where there any more of these little beauties?

One final thought, I can't help thinking that the Space Adventure is a typo with an 'r' missing. I think it should have been 'Space Adventurer', which would fit in with other two factual titles of Space Glider and Moon Base.

(picture credits: 1 (top) Ebay, 2 WOTAN, 3 MM, 4 (bottom) MM - thank you)

APOLLO MOON EXPLORING CARDED SET OF TWELVE 1970

Complete set of 12 carded vehicles from 1970 by Imperial Toy Corporation USA.

(MM Collection - mid 1990's)

I love this set of 12 Apollo Moons by Imperial Toy Corporation of Los Angeles . They aren't mine - the pic was sent to me by a US collector in the mid - 1990's. In fact I have never owned any of these but this will change soon as a few loose items are heading my way from the States courtesy of Ebay. For me the collection looks generally like the Golden Astronaut Series, the US version of Spacex. The obvious links are the little golden astronaut in each set and specific doppelgangers like the Moon Prospector, Mobile Launching Pad and the Helicopter. The flashes of Major Matt Mason in there are so cool too! But what are they readers?

APOLLO EXPLORATION/ APOLLO MOON EXPLORING AND TOY VARIATIONS

Ebay 2009

Ebay 2008

Main boxed Miniature Apollo Exploration (MAE) set

Carded Apollo Moon Exploring (APM) sets - MM collection

Carded APM set - MM collection

Carded APM set - MM collection




Carded APM and Spacex/ Golden Astronaut - Darth collection

MAE variation with Spacex - old ebay

Loose MAE vehicles - Paul Vreede collection

MAE variation - old ebay

MAE variation - Paul Vreede collection

MAE variation with Spacex - old ebay

MAE variation with Spacex - old ebay

MAE variation - Mark Bergin Toys

MAE variation - Mark Bergin Toys

MAE variation - Mark Bergin Toys

MAE variation - Mark Bergin Toys

MAE variation - Mark Bergin Toys

MAE loose figures - old ebay

MAE loose vehicles - old ebay

MAE loose vehicles - old ebay

MAE loose vehicles - old ebay

MAE loose vehicles - old ebay

MAE boxed set loose play mat - old ebay

Playset Magazine with MAE article

MAE variation - old ebay

MAE variation - Woodsy collection

MAE loose vehicles - old ebay