Hi Woodsy,
Liked your post about the Gold Astronaut Super Set recently.
Here are a couple of photos of my Super Set, including a close up of the front of the vac-formed moonscape base showing the printed dots, plus a shot of the reverse of the base, showing its "natural" purple colour.
I've often wondered why the GA set's moonscape was done in purple, whereas the Spacex version was a more realistic white-light blue. Suppose the manufacturers figured that American kids in the late 60s wanted brighter colours?
I've also attached a pic of the Super Set I found on Worthpoint with a different box top, which appears to have two cut-outs.
Not sure how this would have worked in real life, as open cut-outs would allow the toys within to fall out!!
Maybe they were originally filled with cellophane (or maybe a past owner did their own modification?).
Stay safe everyone!!!
Cheers
Tony P
Oz
The use of light and dark printing (?) on the moonscape to simulate light and shadow is very interesting, and unusual. Did any other toys have this feature ?
ReplyDeleteNot sure Paul. It is unusual I agree.
DeleteI've got the Spacex version. Mine was very battered indeed but I sort of restored it!
ReplyDeletePictures Kevin please!
DeleteThis is one set that eludes me. I've seen several come up but the final price is always out of my range.
ReplyDeleteI have the Multiple Toymakers Golden Astronaut Moon Exploration Space Set #1524 and the Multiple Toymakers Golden Astronaut Interplanetary Patrol Space Set #1525 box sets. Both boxes are window boxes with cellophane covering the large openings.
The openings are cut with 90 degree corners.
I suspect the one pictured above is a owner modification. If we look closely, the cut closest does not appear to be a straight cut but wobbles down the length. the cut along the right side also appears to be wobbly and not the straightness one gets from die cutting. The cuts around the artwork would have been a risky thing as even a slight misalignment would result in the ships being chopped. Also the corners of the cutout area all have tears forming from the inside and going towards the outside of the lid. The one on the left even having the 'stress mark' look of it starting to tear. Looking at my own boxes from the same time frame, the corner tears all are/have started from the outside corners of the boxes and creased inwards. So the damage is worse on the box corners and essentially nonexistant in the corners of the cutouts. Look at the far left corner barely in shot, that corner is busted but the box is not tearing but creasing. The right corner is also breaking as to be expected but also massively torn from the inside to the corner. There is also no reason for a non stress area to tear like that rip on the right side by the R2 wing.
The big telling sign though is the wing tip of the Hawk. It does not line up with the rest of the wing. In fact it looks like it had a straight cut across the wing and the tip was bent to be closer to the body to help secure it.
I agree. Well worked through Lance. Wonder why someone would cut that piece out Lance though? To dramatise the tails of the ships? Then again I did crazy things to toys and books when I was a kid so anythings possible. I cut up a James Bond Annual so I could have any little pictures of Judo and Karate! The UK version of this set will feature here soon.
DeleteI've got this Super Set as well. While the vehicles were pretty much all there, most were broken or had missing pieces but I had enough spares to complete it. Fortunately the purple Moonscape was in good condition.
ReplyDeleteGood job on completing your set Ed. There seem to be a few of these sets around in America. The UK version of the super set doesn't come up that often.
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