A SEASONAL SACK OF PROJECT SWORD COLLECTABLES

Well readers, the last of the turkey is drying out in the fridge and the stuffings gone hard. The Christmas hats are screwed up into balls and lie forlorn next to the growing herd of  empty beer bottles. Yes, Christmas is nearly over for another turn and the top of the year beckons like a waiting train.

 

 

But just in case you didn't get that fantastic project SWORD collectable you so dearly wanted on the big day, there are still some to be found from the comfort of your Christmas-warmed sofa.

 

 

Boxed Project SWORD toy vehicles continue to grace Ebay as they have done in one way or another all year. There's currently a smattering of Century 21 Task Forces, Dyna Soars and a loose Moon Ranger from the brief look I had this morning. No C21 SWORD toys are cheap nowadays [remember the Nuclear Ferry earlier in the summer!] but fortunately some are still commonplace and do turn up boxed and in good shape.

 

 

The best bargain has to be the Project SWORD Annual on Ebay UK at the mo at under a tenner. The Annual is cover to cover fabulous SWORD in glorious colour detail including some vehicles you'll never see anywhere else; the ANT, Sea Sword and the wondrous Moon Crawler. Alternatively for a nerve-shredding experience why not try hovering your finger over the Buy It Now button of an eye-wateringly priced copy of the Annual going for a ridiculous $600 or £363!

 

If you have THE Sword Annual then why not spend your Christmas money on the 'other' SWORD Annual, the TV21 Annual 1969 with Captain Scarlet on the blue cover. The SWORD story The Loyal and the Dead is worth a tenner in itself. There's usually one or two Amazon or Ebay.

 

For Hong Kong T in a Circle or Tai Hing SWORD collectors there's always at least one T Moon Prospector on Ebay Germany. A quick look's confirmed it. American Tarheel SWORD is harder to find but a relative of theirs has been languishing on Ebay US all year, a loose green NOVA II spaceship for $85. Its the larger version of the Spacex Hawk.

 

 

Speaking of Spacex - and Golden Astronaut - there's a squadron of loose and carded vehicles on Ebay at the mo, together with a few Apollo Moon Exploring. For deeper pockets there's still a boxed Apollo Moon Exploration set by Hippo Toys. If you're a fan of the Spacex Cricket, in all its exotic forms, then you might like the large Jeep version by Molto of Spain. A quick check and there's one on Todocollecion.

 

 

For an original SWORD collectable from Japan, which won't require a second mortgage, you can't do better than a bag of UFO rubbers by Takeuchi. All authentic miniature rubber SWORD vehicles, they come complete with a fab picture backing card. I love these sets and have collected different colour mixes for the past few years. Scanning Noppin reveals a bag on auction at a starting price of 500 Japanese Yen.

 

 

My own SWORD wish, as yet unfulfilled by the big red guy with a beard, is a wall canvas of one of my favourite SWORD vehicles, the Moon Crawler. The canvas depicts the vehicle in its original form as created by the US John Schoenherr in 1962. It is available via the US magazine whom he worked for, Analog, priced $35.

 

 

Finally, should you be a fan of the sort of space art, which may have influenced Project SWORD, then not wanting to blow my own trumpet, I've written a book on the subject. Containing lots of information about 1950's and 60's space and sci-fi art and comparisons to SWORD box art, together with loads of colour pictures, its a jolly good read if I say so myself! Published privately through Blurb, if you're interested then please do let me know.

 

 

Right, time for a mince pie before the last ones disappear!