Above is my very first collection of vintage toys back in the early 1990's. I was just in my Thirties and had just discovered toy fairs and Model Mart! I collected lots of Batman and space toys and purchased a tinplate rocket from Hungary called the Holdraketa [top left]. This rocket, which I got at an evening toy fair, had a neat spring-loaded mechanism, which pushed the rocket upright allowing a "ladder" to drop. Long gone now, I never thought I'd see another one [seen hundreds!] and certainly not one made out of plastic.
But that's exactly what happened last year. This plastic version of the Moon Rocket surfaced on Ebay. It appears to have the same push-in nozzle, lifting arm and flop down ladder. A lovely looking thing and a development on my old Holdraketa. Anyone else got rockets like these?
I have the Chinese knock-off Holdraketa - it has the B&W box vs. the colored one of the original
ReplyDeleteThe Hungarian tinplate rocket was marketed for some time, and the Chinese copy may still be in production. They were sold in the UK by Hawkin/Tobar.
ReplyDeleteI have a vague memory I may have had the plastic version in the 1960s.
Ed, I'd love to see the ~Chinese knockoff. And Andy thats fascinating that they may still be in production, presumabley for the collectors market and not as kids' toys? I wonder how many versions there are of this rocket?
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