Master Minds

Today's earlier post on the Barrett Space Master has proved interesting for Swordies. Reader Arto wrote to me: 

Hi Paul, what an interesting case, which brought back to me this quite recent LiveAuctioneers item. It seems that Morphy's had to re-auction the item with a revised description six months later, as the pictures used are exactly the same. And thus also the price came down from $550 to mere $60. As the first description states, there's a picture of the Spacemaster in Blast-Off! (p. 114).
Cheers,

Arto

I'm grateful to Arto for these links and to make it easier I've shown them below along with the date of the auction, the pictures and the basic description given.

Morphies Auctions January 2011 [pictured below] Salesman's Sample. "Very little wear overall. Includes original salesman sample box. Item was never put into production and there are only a few known examples. Pictured on page 114 of "Blast Off" by Mark Young, Steve Duin, and Mike Richardson".

Morphies Auctions August 2011 [same picture as above] Contemporary Copy. "This is a contemporary copy of the original prototype ship and comes in a laser-copied box".

I also found this online record of a Christies blue 'factory sample' sale in 2001:

Christies 2001 Factory Sample "Barrett and Son. Rare Spacemaster Rocket Ship, factory sample, never issued (perspex cover missing) and three Hill aliens." Sold for £235 [were the Hill aliens related to the Space Master in some way? Woodsy]

Reader Ferryman has also wrote in: Hi Woodster, I have a little more info for you on the 'Space Master' blog post. There are apparently only three known original examples of this toy in boxes. They were all salesman's samples and it never went into actual production. Cheers, Ferryman.

So Swordies, the toy never went into production and only three boxed salesmen's samples are in existence. Presumably the 2001 blue factory sample was either one of these [or a fourth?]. The Morphies'  and Ebay auctions appear to have been yellow and red reproproductions respectively and no doubt, because of the mega rarity of this toy, there will be more. Do let me know if you have any more info regarding the elusive Space Master!