Things just got a lot easier - or harder - depending on your viewpoint - for the UK vintage board game collector.
I was in a small shop called Something Different in Wentworth, South Yorkshire today and spotted a game I recognised.
It was Blast-Off by Waddingtons, the classic space game from the 1960's. With its iconic box art its unmistakable and one which found a welcome home in our house when I was growing up.
But there wasn't just one Blast-Off in the shop, there must have been twenty, all neatly displayed in rows in a special shop display base!
They were reproductions!
The box, plastic parts, the lot! All for £11 each!
I couldn't believe it. I spent £10 just on a single original spare part last year, the white plastic moonscape!
Blast Off wasn't all. Next to it were the same number of Z Cars and Lone Ranger Board Games! They were all made by a company called West 11.
Looking them up online this afternoon I was staggered to see that they have also reproduced both the Captain Scarlet and Thunderbirds Waddingtons board games from the Sixties! Alas, these trade items are sold out.
Well blow me down! If your'e after original parts then be careful what you are offered. If you want an inexpensive copy then track down a shop that sells these clones.
For further repro surprises check out West 11's full wholesale design range:
What do you think readers? Are these for sale in shops near you?
PS. the small Blast Off plastic moonscape or moon I refer to above is pictured below [not to scale]:
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PS. the small Blast Off plastic moonscape or moon I refer to above is pictured below [not to scale]:
I'm not always too fond of reproductions (my own excluded :) but this is pretty amazing. Quite a selection too, though by the looks of it they do limited runs since a lot of games are marked 'sold out'. But Blast-Off having a plastic moonscape doesn't ring any bells with me. A friend once gave me his set, and I'll now need to inspect that again to see if it's there...
ReplyDeleteBest -- Paul
I was amazed too. I haven't been able to find any examples of the Gerry Anderson clone games being sold online so they must all be in stockists around the country. Maybe thus us all quite new. Hard to say. the shopkeeper I spoke with yesterday said he had only just got his Blast Off games in. As for the moonscape, its a small white plastic half moon with the top sliced off. I got an original one as a stand-in for the base of the SpaceX Photonic Space Station model I made a couple of years ago!
DeleteIs that that tiny blueish thing under your Mark IV Photonic Station? The one with the red funnel on top? Then at least I'll know what I'm looking for - from the word 'moonscape' I imagined something along the lines of the play surface in Super Set 1.
DeleteThanks -- Paul
No, the Blast Off Moon is a small white plastic half-moon, upon which the satellites sit. You can get spare original Moons here at Gamesbreakers, which is where I got mine https://www.gamesbreaker.co.uk/storev2/open-product.php?page=viewproduct&product=board-game-parts-waddingtons-blast-off-waddingtons-board-game-spare-parts
DeleteI'll pop a picture of the 'moon' on the post Paul.
Many thanks for posting the pic, Woodsy, and that was what I was referring to underneath your Mark IV Ph ST. Having finally found my set, I'm glad to report that little thing is present and accounted for.
DeleteThanks again -- Paul
How does the Blast Off moon compare to the real thing underneath the Photonic Station toy Paul?
DeleteDidn't I once send you a picture of that Woodsy? Basically it's at least three times as wide but with roughly the same height. Lots more detail. And of course that stem with the cup on top where the Station sits on.
DeleteBest -- Paul
Ah yes, you did thanks Paul. I'll have a look at that.
DeleteHere is a vintage Italian "Space:1999" game (totally different fron the Omnia and the Milton Bradley ones). The Eagles models are really nice, IMO...
ReplyDeleteCheers
Ervino
https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/193870/spazio-1999
That is a beautiful looking game Ervino. The box art looks like a TV! There is also a an Italian UFO board game as well isn't there. Have you seen that?
DeleteHi Woodsy!
DeleteYes: "UFO - Distruggete Base Luna" by Editrice Salani Firenze.
Here is a link to the fantastic (as always :-) Malaguti ISOSHADO site page http://www.isoshado.org/6/6_merchandise_archivio/games_miscellaneous.htm
Please note that there are two editions of the game: the first, with UFOs & Interceptors cardboard playing pieces & and a second with (alas generic) plastic playing pieces. IMO the cardbord pieces are nicer...
Cheers
Ervino
Some one re-did the Answer Robot a while ago...as if there weren't already enugh versions!
ReplyDeleteH
Yep, the same outfit West 11 Group have re-issued the Magic Robot game. I'm still not sure how it works! It really must be magic!
Delete