Although I don't have the pleasure of owning any carded sets, only a few loose items, APOLLO MOON EXPLORING is one of my favourite SWORD/SPACEX knockoffs. In fact 'knockoff' is unfair as they stand up as great space toys in there own right. Made by the Imperial Toy Corporation of Los Angekes in 1970, the series comprised of 12 carded sets all appearing on a blister card with beautiful lunar artwork backgrounds. Each one came with a golden astronaut as seen in earlier GOLDEN ASTRONAUT sets by Multiple Toymakers of New York (SPACEX in the UK). Sold as 'Authentic Mechanical Replicas', they were most likely displayed in toy shops on racks. Retailing for 39cents in the US they carried the cute caption ' THEY REALLY WORK'! Some of the sets also contain miniatures of much larger MAJOR MATT MASON toys. These have been detailed by blog contributer Paul Vreede and colleague John Eaton on the excellent 'Where The Wild Toys Are' website. This month 11 of the 12 sets of Apollo Moon Exploring appeared on Ebay and offered those of us, who sadly don't possess these wonderful space toys, a chance to see the card fronts up close and personal (anyone know which set is missing?)
This last carded set containing the unmistakeable MOON PROSPECTOR links the series to the earlier PROJECT SWORD range we know and love!
Have many blog readers got these toys, carded or loose, in there collection?
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