Sad About Monsters

Slowly but surely I'm selling the last of the items I had left over from my toy fair days in the Noughties.

Just a few things left, this Forry keyring has now gone too. I bought it from the States as a thing of interest to have on my stall. The keyring was a promotional item for the late great Forrest J. Ackerman, publisher of Famous Monsters and father of the Monster craze in the Sixties. I still have lots of his magazines, so I could let go of this after many years languishing in the loft.

Sad really.

It was originally somewhere on my old stall back in the day. Here's my mate Mark - top and me, bottom. It's probably Doncaster or Morley.

Hugely happy days standing at fairs and wearing our Mad About Monsters T-Shirts, the name I have my vintage toy business at the time. 

Somewhere I have the massive Monster Lab toy by Ideal, boxed, which graced my stall now and then and caused a stir.

Do you or did you stand at fairs? Toys, books, records, models?

Sizzlin' Scenery! The Chase is On!

Bills passion for Sizzlers is rubbing off on me. I was amazed to see this road chase set on auction. It looks huge! It recalls Gilberts 007 road race set, which I would loved as a kid. This Sizzlers set too!

Talking of Sizzlers, it's time for some sausages! 

Shed Loads

 Like with any blockbuster toy or film, the knockoffs are never far behind.

No sooner had ALIEN burst into our lives the rip-offs were shedding their skin.

Here's just three.

I remember Within the Rock. It was a mid-90's TV film. I've only seen it once. It name checks Predator too!

Titan Find. Never seen this. I quite like the strapline, Where Space Ends, Hell Begins!

Another Within flick, The Intruder Within. This one is says 'an alien experience's in case you forgot it's an ALIEN knock-off!

Have you had the pleasure?

Any more ripoff aliens and predators out there?

Stalwart Supporter

Hi,

Here's my plastic, friction drive Stalwart that I bought a few years ago and converted to an Anderson-esque vehicle.

Cheers,

Kevin

Combat Barrage: Six and Mortar

 I like the look of this Combat Barrage I saw on auction last year.

The box art is fabulous.

The six wheeled vehicle has great Anderson vibes!

The vehicle reminds me of my beloved Airfix Alvis I played carpet wars with as a kid. Is it an Alvis?

That cannon would have come in handy against marauding aliens from UFO! 

Not sure if the make.

Do you like it?

Hot Wheels Roller Coaster Car

Hi Woodsy,

You recently posted a link to a model of a roller-coaster ride car. An open, multi-seat vehicle running on rails.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2025/11/snakes-on-train.html?sc=1764218562032#c3627597381108365579

I recalled that Hot Wheels did a similar die-cast model, and here it is. Called Loopster, it first appeared in 2015 (copyright date 2014), and has been released in several colours.

The models have connectors front and rear, allowing a number of Loopsters to be linked together, to create a train. Some models have passengers with their arms down, and some have one figure with arms raised.

Do you like it?

Hot Wheels Wiki page for this model.

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Loopster

Paul Adams from New Zealand

2001 in 3D?

https://youtu.be/fLwkj6SpRJs?si=QnNc8YygTilzVnWw  

any readers of the blog got any spare 3D glasses??

MJ

South Coast Base

Cap in Hand

 Washing up I noticed the fairy liquid bottle top.

It's a pilgrims or pirates cap! 

It's even got a recess underneath for ....

... A substitute pirate cap for an action figure! 

Like the pirate Joker!

Or the Fighting Furies

Or the Europlay peg leg!

Have you got a little pirate or pilgrim that needs a cap?

Cart for Carts Sake

 I had to look twice when I saw this pot lamb cart.

It reminded me of MM Toys lovely plastic lambcart! 

They did a donkey too!

Have you any interesting ornaments or fancy goods?

The Chemtoy Jaws Action Figure

Once more to Amity Island, courtesy of Brian F, Monster Base, New Jersey.

- Fin -

🦈

The grey original

A Howling Success

The neighbours' mutt has been howling of late and the sound recalled 

some successful

movie howls.

Notably these are the the lonely wail of the David Kessler wolf in the alleyway in American Werewolf in London.

https://youtube.com/clip/UgkxiC1q2TC1uclxqkQmTbXpks0kpq8CUvra?si=I-rZDb8OXyBLYH5X 

And the pained yowl of the junior T.Rex stuck in the hold in Jurassic Park II

https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkx0ew2aGljOLPF6b1QkL9NbABIfQR0urAI?si=8iFogRJd1a4rn1yM 

Do you know of any notable howls?

FEEL THE HEAT

2026 got off to a great start recently, as I managed to score three new Hot Wheels Sizzler models, including a pair in their original packaging. Mattel were always streets ahead of the competition with their product packaging, from the amazing Hot Wheels flare (which is still in use today), to the bold and striking graphics on the Major Matt Mason space toys, which were always prominently visible on any toy store shelf. Mattel’s Sizzler line, although slightly understated compared to Redlines, was equally well promoted. Each car came in a hard plastic case, supported on a card insert. It is probably this stout packaging that helped keep these two beauties safe over the last forty-plus years. The batteries inside the cars had long since corroded and failed, the fumes from the process leaching away the chrome paint on one of them. However, the self coloured plastic bodies remained intact - aside from some minor play wear.

The Spoil Sport model needed a rechrome of the engine, but was otherwise unscathed and both models even had original price stickers on the case, showing price reductions from £10.00 down to just £2.99.

Sizzlers were very rare and expensive in the UK and were not as common as standard Hot Wheels cars.

The Ant Eater and Spoil Sport models were among the initial 1969 releases and were still on release around 1972, hence the post-decimal prices.

The Up-Roar was one of the later releases and used a different chassis with a longer, slightly thinner battery. This one was found loose, but still in good condition, despite losing its chrome.

All three models had a quick dip in raw lemon juice to remove the acidic corrosion from the copper contacts and could be racing again very soon!

The portable Juice Machine takes four large D cell batteries and can charge up the tiny motors battery in 90 seconds.
 

Terry's Rocket Lunchbox

Hi Woodsy

Saw this on Buyee listed for 65p with no bids. It was stuffed with cheap new plastic toys.

Regards

Terry

Don't Block It!

 

Watched this tonight, The Block Island Sound from 2020 and enjoyed it.

A sort of The Happening set on the coast, the mystery in the island's surf is a strange reverberating noise sending residents bonkers. 

I wont say anymore.

Anyone for Foosball?

We bought this at a bargain price of £1 at a car boot years ago.

It's proved popular with younger members of the family over the years and it was brought out again this month for our football mad neices. 

The name of this toy has morphed over time. In my day it was known as table soccer, which was also another name for blow football. As the word soccer waned in popular usage in the UK, it became table football. 

But a new name appeared during the last decade or so. 

Foosball. 

Oddly enough this is the German word for football, correctly spelt as Fussball or Fußball.

I have a feeling that the US TV sitcom Friends popularized the name Foosball, which could be why it's used now.

Anyone know?

1980 - 1994 Hong Kong Logos & Trademarks - ROBOT & SPACE TOY TIMELINE - Alphadrome

I found this really interesting on Brian's superb Alphadrome.

Later logos.

https://www.alphadrome.net/forums/topic/4909-1980-1994-hong-kong-logos-trademarks/ 

One More Chomp! Great Bite Monster Truck

Hi,

Here is a new model from Hot Wheels, called Great Bite. Part of the 2025 Monster Truck line, it is either a motorised shark, or a boat shaped like a shark, on a Monster Truck chassis.

It is basically a big grey and white shark, with chrome trim, very big teeth, and blue tyres. The model comes with a plastic car for you to drive over, which is standard with Hot Wheels Monster Trucks.

Four photographs

Paul Adams from New Zealand

One Last Bite!

 To round up the day's chomp, Here's a small chum slick of Jaws inspired figures.

A fab Japanese boxed rubber toy

A carded version of the above. Simple but effective!

A modern boxed version to satisfy the growing retro appetite of fans.

Part of the same campaign, the cast were carded too:

Quint.

And the boys. You can see here the shark gets the famous air tank thrown in! 

50th Anniversary carded extravaganza! 

Movie Maniacs desk ornament!

And last but not least, McFarlane Toys 50th Anniversary deluxe diorama!

Cor!

Which would you reel in?

Well, the waters round Amity Island's all calm again so,

Farewell and good bite!

🦈