Some of the toys are battered and damaged, one or two have been repaired and some have repro parts, but all have been played with and enjoyed.
So for now and in advance of a definitive checklist for the blog, which I will post shortly, lets look at some fabulous toy designs!
SPACEX STAGE ONE |
The series was laid out as four separate sections, Earth Base, Space Station, Moon Base and Outer Space Travel, each having four small toys and a Spacex Major model. Outer Space Travel had an additional standard model in lieu of a fourth Major.
EARTH BASE
MOBILE LAUNCH PAD |
TRACTOR T5 |
FORKLIFT 7 |
HELICOPTER P3 |
These four iconic models can all be traced to their design origins in various strips in TV21. The Mobile Launch Pad, one of the most complex toys in the series, is missing two small bridges on the gantry and sports a reproduction command capsule. The Tractor T5 is one of the more commonly occuring vehicles, often found without the cord and hook. Forklift 7 is an oddly robust little vehicle, and Helicopter P3 very often appears with damaged or missing rotors.
Spacex Space Station to follow soon..
Bill, I can understand your fascination with these little gems. Although I'm a late comer to SpaceX/GA/APEX as an adult collector they reminded me of other miniatures I had as a kid: Giant of Hong Kong, Marx Miniature Playsets ('Hand Decorated By Artists') and others. They're certainly a lot of fun!
ReplyDeleteSpacex remains my favourite range of toys and certainly the ones I played with most as a kid. I had all the small ones then except R2, the only large one I had was the Nuclear Pulse. I never saw the Spacex II range. Now I've got all of Spacex I, carded and uncarded and the 3 large ones, though no box for the MLP.
ReplyDeleteLovely pics, Bill!
ReplyDeleteSpacex were firm favourites with my brother and self too. We had 14 out of the 15 Stage 1 vehicles, Helicopter P3 proving elusive in every toy shop we went to. No larger toys, though I seem to recall a neighbouring kid having a Moon Base.
One note: the 'Major' appellation I've only ever seen in a Toys International trade announcement (it's on the blog somewhere but I can't seem to find it).
Best -- Paul
The 'Major' prefix kind of stuck with me, ever since I came across it on Woodsys very first checklist! (See above!)
DeleteI may have missed it on the blog- where does the helicopter appear in TV21?
ReplyDeleteHere you go Andy. As discovered by the Philosophic Toad
ReplyDeletehttp://projectswordtoys.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/p3-helicopter-1966-pre-spacex-drawings.html?m=1
First I have heard of them, but I am impressed!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link, Bill, yes, that's it all right!
ReplyDelete