THERE IS ONLY TOMORROW

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM SCOOP

 As  I know our readers on the other side of the world have already entered 2024, and here in the UK we've got to wait just under four hours before the fireworks, I thought, before I pour my first Guinness I'll wish you all a happy and safe New Year. 

All the best, Folks.

Fangs for the Memories! New Year's Eve in Whitby

 A day trip to Whitby on the Yorkshire coast is always a treat. Twinned with Anchorage, Alaska, this old fishing town is a feast of sights, sounds, seagulls and salty chips.

Here are a few snaps I took.

There's an old die cast shop. I bought some great Super fast there last year.

An Army Surplus with Action Men! 

The really old toy corner shop on the market square. I bought a Fairylite Stingray here years ago for a fiver! 

And some black and white shots of Whitby's old gothic streets.

St. Hilda's on the hill.

Henrietta Street end

The harbour

The lights of dusk

Dark Henrietta Street.

The famous steps.

The Board Inn.

A Snicket to the shore.

Old town.

Christmas Spirit.

Dracula! Bram Stoker wrote it here!

Arguments Yard. Settle this! 

Town centre.

Over the Bridge.

Christmas tree.

Have you got a favourite seashore town like Whitby? 

A BOX OF T for the New Year

Project SWORD Moon Prospectors are always fun.

I had one as a kid back in the Sixties.

Here's the T in a Circle [Tai Hing] version I saw on auction.

 

Its always worth checking the branding on the toy itself.

This one is Century 21 Toys.

Looking again at the box there are no UK patent/ registration details.

I've seen T in a Circle Prospectors in a T in a Circle box too.

I reckon these are all crossover mash-ups when Century 21 Toys likely teamed up [bought?] T in a Circle, which we've discussed before on MC.

Have you got a Century 21 / T in a Circle mash-up?

All the best for 2024!

A CORGI TO REMEMBER

 As my post on the picture on the cover of the new Corgi catalogue is creating a bit of a buzz, here's a reminder of the photos Corgi produced showing their prototype die-cast Stingray.

Will it be a hit or a miss?

THE CABiN REVOLVES!

Beside the ever-gorgeous Space Glider in this auction shot is the fab box art of the Space Surveyor X-12. Not a toy I know at all but I adore that artwork. The astronaut is looking through a telescope!

Is it a spaceship you have?

A Dusting Off

 Been on a Charity shop spree today, as we do. Dusting off our shoes, it was the first since before Xmas.

Here Are a few things I spotted, although I didn't buy anything today.

Star Trek puzzle

James Bond paperbacks, all 7 or 8 pounds each. Anyone collect them?

Pyrex plates like my parents had. They're massive! Did you have Pyrex?

Old Sindy

New Batman

Gay Toys buggy. No idea of it's age. You?

Vermont House picture, which I thought was quite a random thing to see.

Fisher Price record Player

Sindy furniture

Big robot with dinosaur chest scene. How's that for a mash up!

Playmobil

Bruder crane

Harry Potter lego

See anything you like?

Getting Ahead at Xmas

Star Wars is always on the Xmas list for me, usually in the form of one of the many books issued every year, or occasionally a model. This year, I was very pleased to get two of the newest LEGO Star Wars busts, of The Mandalorian and Clone Commander Rex. I love the franchise attention to detail and design with the costumes, probably even more than the spaceships and the endless variety of helmets on display across the many films and series is fascinating.

The Lego sets are marvels of design, taking a simple toy to almost sculptural levels, just using standard parts. It does mean that the classic ‘studs’ are visible on the models, but the shape of the helmet is instantly recognisable. Both helmets are about 6” high, and sit on a stand. I haven’t started the large Clone Commander set, but the Mando helmet took a couple of hours to complete - mainly because I misread the instructions on a couple of steps and had to go back. My only concern now is if it gets knocked off the shelf, nearly 600 tiny parts will scatter!

In a similar vein, I have recently been picking up models from the Deagostini Star Wars Helmet partwork which was published a few years ago. At £9.99 a piece, on a regular basis, the magazine ran to 80 issues, plus specials, so at the time I didn’t bother due to the cost.

Now, having seen the quality and the breadth of the range, I wish I had done, as each helmet comes in a hard plastic display cube and is extremely well made and detailed.

The Rebel pilots helmets caught my eye, along with the stormtroopers, so I picked up a couple of items on eBay. Alas, due to the rarity of some issues, prices vary tremendously and a full set can fetch upwards of £300.

Still, the most I have paid so far has been £18 and the least, for the Bounty Hunter 4-LOM was a fiver.

The Rebel fighter helmets are only visible briefly in Return of the Jedi and it is hard to distinguish which one is which, so having a nice model for reference is a good thing.

The original Kenner line of Star Was figures famously mixed up the names of the two Bounty Hunters who appeared on the bridge of the Executor in Empire Strikes Back, naming the alien Gand Findsman ‘4-LOM’ and the robot battle droid ‘Zuckuss’. Later issues of the Power of the Force figures redressed the matter and got the names correct on the card.

The Gand Bounty Hunter Zuckuss is depicted as a full head, rather than a helmet, but is extremely well sculpted and detailed.

The battered droid 4-LOM with its faceted insectoid eyes, could also be mistaken for an alien and is again represented by a full head bust.