Weirdsville Customizing Set

After delving in to the Remco Flock & Feather bird kits from 1969, I wondered what other plastic kits included feathers ? Not many, I should think. The only one I can think of is the Hawk Weirdsville Customizing Set - which was part of the Weird-Ohs line from the 1960s.

The Weird-Ohs were designed by Hawk box-top artist Bill Campbell, with the first of 12 kits being released in 1963. The Weirdsville Customizing Set included three of the early Weird-Ohs vehicles (described as 'Three Miserable Mouldy Models'), along with a plastic bag of items with which to customise them. All were moulded in white plastic, and were individually bagged.

The kits were:

530 Digger - The Way Out Dragster (42 Horrible Bits of Fine Mouldy Polystyrene)

531 Davey - The Way Out Cyclist (39 Horrible Bits...)

534 Leaky Boat Louie - The Vulgar Boatman (27 Horrible Bits...)

To quote the box-top, the bag of 'goodies' included:

Foul Feathers in Kooky Kolors

Gooky Glitter

Hysterically Horrible Hair

Fancy Fuzz

A Length of Blotchy Braid

Enough Customizing Frills to Confuse a Magician

Over 100 Putrid Parts to Paste

The Set was numbered 301-300, meaning it had a retail price of $3.00. Given that the individual Weird-Ohs kits sold for $1.00 each, that effectively means the customising accessories were free.

White glue (PVA) was recommended for attaching the custom materials. The instructions further suggested dressing the models up with items from around the house. 'Beads, colored string, aluminum foil, and pieces of cloth' were all listed.

All the Weird-Ohs kits, along with the Silly Surfers and Frantics, used box-top paintings. But the Weirdsville Customizing Set used a photograph of the three built-up models, adorned with the customising accessories. This probably did not help sales. A panel at the side listed the contents.

The contents were also shown on one side of the box, with other Weird-Ohs kits on the opposite side. The kit number was only shown on the ends of the box.

This mix of nightmarish monsters, with feathers and glitter, seems a little strange. I do wonder how many sold. Certainly, not many appear to have survived, and the set is now considered rare.

All the Weird-Ohs kits have been re-issued, and the range expanded by adding other kits from other companies, but the 

Customizing Set has never re-appeared.

Two photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand