This is a post from several years ago but I've found it languishing in my drafts so I'd thought I'd fire it off
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Merging several old posts together, I have here brought us right up to date on the various Project SWORD metallic/ chromed toys.
Years ago Dennis Nicholson sent me some photo's of a his friend Kelly Lannan's beautiful and unique metallic gold Task Force 3. I have wondered about it ever since. Is it a knockoff or is it a colour variant from Tarheel? There is no maker's mark or number on the undercarriage so no clues there.
In 2011 Bill kindly photoshopped a dome into place for me and we can see what it looked like completed below. I have inserted John Eaton's latest fabulous pictures of the new silver Task Force 3 for comparison. What differences can you see?
Bill B mentioned that he had owned a rare metallic blue Task Force 1. We were treated to an Ebay picture of Bill's toy - below - yesterday and also when the blog first launched. Could this be related to the two metallic silver/ gold Task Force 3's we now know of? Was it carded? Some evidence of all of them having backing cards came in Patron Zero's comment on the blog in 2014 here.
Daydreaming further I have photoshopped two of the loose toys together into the same shot to help you decide yourselves. I have added a Tarheel logo simply as garnish, no other reason. If all of the metallic SWORD toys are related then the next question is whether there is a metallic Task Force 2 as well? The mind boggles! What do you think readers?
For the sake of completeness here are further Task Force 3 pictures from the blog's archives including the standard Century 21 and Tarheel versions, together with the rare boxed SL knockoff.
Above:
Top: C21 Task Force 1 and 3
Middle: Blue TF1 and Green Tarheel NOVA [Bill B]
Bottom: Tarheel Task Force 1,2 and 3 [Astronit], which all came bubble carded.
Above
SL boxed Task Force 3 [Woodsy]
Metallic colouring wasn't just confined to Project SWORD. Spacex-mania generated these neat but rather cheapo knockoff 'Futuristic Space Vehicles' too!
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As this is an old post there'll be more metalliced space toys or Task Force variants out there now.
Have you any?
Boy, those photos sure take me back to the glory days of Space Toys. They are too beautiful for words. I was lucky enough to snag a Tarheel NOVA kit, in that wonderful Day-Glo Green, which I immediately repainted silver! SFZ
ReplyDeleteHa ha, it's great you repainted it SF. A budding modeller and painter even then!
DeleteHa! Dennis Nicholson and Kelly Lannan are both names I know!
ReplyDeleteI love metalized toys, before the advent of new paints, those finishes were unattainable to us backyard bodgers!
Ha, I thought you might Looey, fellow Aussies. Dennis's book in 96 was a revelation to me in and inspired to publish the SWORD checklist online on both Kelly's TV21 site and Brian's Alphadrome in 98 I think, which amazingly Arto remembers. Dennis also helped with a few great posts when I set up the blog in 08 and I was chuffed. I got to meet him in 2010 in Bristol.
DeleteHad the Task Force1, back in the 60s.
ReplyDeleteWould love 'em all now, to be honest.
Wow, that was a cool toy Mish. Did you get it in Shipley, where I am currently writing this reply!
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