SCOOP INVESTIGATES TRACY ISLAND PART 1

Now that some supermarkets and toy shops have begun to discount the Vivid Tracy Island following Christmas I thought it was time to invest in one.

The first thing that hits you is the size of the box – it’s big, very big, around 6.5 cm x 5.0 cm x 2.2 cm.

Inside it’s full of various components protected by cardboard, the largest being the base.  

As this could be considered a moderately complicated snap-together construction kit I don’t suspect   many youngsters will be putting it together, and if that turns out to be the case then the average adult should allow a couple of hours to make sure everything clicks into place properly.

Applying the self –adhesive stickers needs a lot of care. Ham-fisted dads need not apply, although here’s a tip – they are a little easier to apply if you use tweezers.

Here’s the finished thing which I have to say does look a little more detailed than the old Matchbox Tracy Island from the nineties.

Any young TAG fan (and some older ones!) should be happy with this replica of the ‘real’ thing.

The Tracy lounge, kitchen and apartments have detailed stickers covering them which look great in close up.

The Roundhouse uses one long curved sticker which needs a lot of care when applying. I got a couple of air bumps in mine but it doesn't look too bad from a distance.

Looking at the cliff detail you can see the seams where the more pliable sections of plastic are joined together. These have to be pulled and eased into place. This can be a bit of a pain as they can tend to try and revert to their original distorted shape.

In part 2 I’ll take a look at what hides behind the island and the secret part of the base.