HONG KONG RACK TOYS - UNLICENSED TO KILL by Tony K

I recently stumbled across two fantastic plastic knock off carded rack toys. 

I immediately recognised the 'Sea Explorer' duo from my own childhood summertime inflatable paddling pool days.  I think around the late '60s - early '70s.

The card art is simple and colourful, packed with the promise of underwater adventure and excitement. The illustrated character with the tuxedo and bow tie needs no intro. The futuristic plastic underwater craft offer a shamelessly unlicensed nod towards 'Thunderball'. The generic plastic frogman were familiar favourites often found in an assortment of HK rack toys from the era. A paddling pool of warm summer water and imagination set the scene.

Once, cheerfully cheap and very disposable, these vintage gems are now very difficult to find. I had endless fun with rack toys as a kid and perhaps appreciate them even more now, when I think back to the fun and value for money they provided.

Tony K

UK

Memories of the 1970 Mexico World Cup

I'm not a football fan at all, but the World Cup always gives me the chance to indulge in my nostalgia for Brazil.

I watched them play bonnie Scotland last night. 

The magic was still there. The Brazilian flair that I remember so well from my childhood, because when I was 9 I saw perhaps the greatest football team ever re-invent what we then called soccer into what we now call the beautiful game. All down to one team.

Brazil.

It was the Mexico World Cup 1970.

I think my folks got their first colour TV for it. I half-recall neighbours being round to see the spectacle too.

And boy, was it one. I can still picture the vibrancy of Brazil's yellow shirts in the blazing Mexican sunshine. I'd never seen sunlight or colour like it. It was as if someone was throwing neon rainbows over the whole thing. 

It wasn't just Brazil in colour. It was their sensational style of play. They were simply brilliant. Fluid, graceful, quick. Nothing like the drab matches my old Dad sat through on the old, albeit, black and white TV. Someone had switched the sun on and set the style dial to max!

I was mesmerized by that team.

But more than this, for me at least, it was the Brazilian players' names that have stayed with me the longest. I'm 65 now and can still recite most of them I reckon. 

Here's but a few: 

Tostao, Jazhninio, Rivelino, Albert and of course, Pele.

It was as if they had but one name, not two like us boring Brits. And many ended in io like Jazhinio. Exotic was not the word. 

There was one that didn't sound like the rest I remember, so I had to look it up last night.

Gerçon. 

Of course!

Yep, Brazil, Mexico World Cup 1970. It was a wonderful childhood experience and watching the modern team retrieved a little bit of that Seventies magic for me.

No collectables. Just memories.

Did you see the 1970 Mexico World Cup?

🇧🇷

 

Starfire!

I'm not a gamer so I'm unfamiliar with Starfire, but I love the tubular design of the spacecraft. It's really unusual. There's an echo of later Gerry Anderson I reckon.

Is this a design you know or maybe you've played Starfire?

The Space Models Story

I'm not on Facebook but I could see enough of this to find it's interesting. There's a great shot of FAB1 being finished.

https://www.facebook.com/61557528503531/posts/pfbid0pivhXnKis6RMztfNnzQWjNqJujALZ89sCNXh3JX7Y13RpgiwbAcrk4Lk6oxknAEl/

And 

https://share.google/YGvjK5xs3Y0P5xNkO

Go Go Motor! Asahi!

I recently clocked this beauty in Buyee Japan, a 1960s Asahi Toys pull-back Moon Rocket. It's 24 inches long too! 

What a beauty with a box to cry over! It's reminiscent of other toys like the SWORD Cape Kennedy rocket.

You like? 

Mystery Thunderbird 2

Recently on eBay this motorised TB2 is a mystery to me. 8.5 inches long, do you recognise it?

*

Postscript

Taking up Arto's suggestion, here's the Lincoln Thunderbird 2 kit and their Space Warship kit for comparison. 

Lincoln TB2

Space Warship

And my own afterthoughts,

ASC Space Patrol

And the MOLTO TB2

We Were Ziggy's Fans

I so remember this colour record sleeve back in the day when I was a Bowie nut.

Life on Mars, the single, released on this date in 1973.

Early 70's I guess. A true early teenage obsession, the high point being seeing him play live at Preston Guild Hall. 

Ive still got most of my original LPs, except Aladdin Same, Diamond Dogs and Pin Ups. These are missing in action after moving too many times in the 1980's.

We're you a Bowie fan? 

Tinysaurs

These small boxed dinos from ELM of Hong Kong are quite gorgeous. 

I don't know them but as a kid I'd have adored them.

Are you familiar with these?