Viva Billy Blastoff

 I love this old Spanish catalogue ad for the Payva clone of Billy Blastoff. It may even be a licensed issue and not a clone.

Lily Lledy did something similar in Mexico.

Have you any Billy Blastoff or knockoffs?

BILLY BLASTOFF AND LUNAR SCOUT: WHATS ON THEIR TV'S?

I love miniature toy TV's.

I always have and had lots of different types as a nipper in the Sixties: viewmaster types, which you clicked for a new piccy through the tiny eyepiece; the little TV in the Corgi Lincoln Continental and of course Billy Blastoff's TV. 

In the Billy Blastoff  knockoff Lunar Scout set the picture used as its mini TV screen is a neat looking and familiar Thunderbird 2.

Ringing bells I found its source. Here it is courtesy of Arto, the boxed and wondrous box art on the Ray Guided X-2 Space Ship..

Taking a look at the real Billy Blastoff's TV by Eldon/ Scalecraft, pictured below, it has a completely different screen picture, though in order to identify it I really need it to be illuminated by Billy's backpack. Can anyone oblige?

Other miniature toy TV pictures welcomed!

GOLDEN ASTRONAUT BILLY BLASTOFF

I saw this golden Billy Blastoff on auction last year and kept the images. It could be part of the South American version, Capitan Boy.

Its a new one on me and I cant decide if the body has simply been painted white to gold by a previous owner. Maybe not/

I like this golden Billy. It sort of fits with the whole Golden Astronaut vibe too.

Looking at it again I'm wondering if its the really tiny version of Billy from South America called Mini Capitan Boy.

BIG COMMANDER BILLY BLASTOFF

 

This is a new one on me, an online BIG version of Billy Blastoff called BIG COMMANDER. Its under licence from Eldon as stated on the box.

I associate BIG with toy ride-on tractors and the like so this is surprising. 

Anyone come across BIG COMMANDER Billy Blastoff sets?

Billy Blastoff's Jack Plug Telly

Can there be anything cooler than Billy Blastoff's little TV?

With it's neat jack plug seen on radio headphones and that fabulous rocket scene on the screen, Billy was the first kid I knew with his own colour telly.

I don't think Eldon called it a TV though. Something to do with the radar.

Did you have a Blastoff Television?

Vehicles, Disassemble!

I liked these Take Apart toy vehicles when I saw them ages ago on auction. I don't know the brand but they had a UK design patent.

They've got really cool spacey designs.

I've seen that same font used for 'new design' on blister packed Billy Blastoff toys. Anyone know its name?

Its Charly Duty on the Moon Alright!

I saw this on Ebay Italy. I've blogged it before many years ago and I was fascinated back then, just like now. Space Operation Charly Duty, the Italian Billy Blastoff by Co-Ma.

Despite its obvious Billy Blastoff chops I do think Co-Ma managed to imbue its set with their own style and pazazz. There's some neat green Selenites too.

What do you think?

By the way, I looked up the name Charlie Duty: this was the surprising response! Any job or task that is deemed to be extremely undesirable Usually involves messy occupational duties(cleaning toilets in particular)! Blimey!

LITTLE BILLY

 

I like this little Trol Billy Blastoff I saw online. He's probably related to the Capitan Boy range of South American toys.

Did you have a Billy Blastoff at Christmas?

BILLY BLASTOFF LOOKALIKES?

What do you think readers? Has Billy Blastoff and his space car influenced this toy range?

https://alphadrome.net/data/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pid=6064#top_display_media

BILLY BLASTOFF'S BABY CAR

I saw this lot on Ebay a while ago described as possibly Marx or Giant brand vehicles and figures. Many of these you'll recognise as SpaceX. Golden Astronaut and Apollo Moon Exploring.

The vehicle I like the most is the small orange space car in the middle, which is popping up more and more these days. it seems to me. You never used to see that much it really. 

The little orange baby car appears in various sets and packs and is a miniature clone of the larger Billy Blastoff space car, which some of you may have had or still have.

Do any of you have the orange car or big Billy Blastoff uncle readers?

Here's the Billy version in all its glory as shown on the quite gorgeous Billy Blastoff website by Maurice [thanks], well worth a visit or three.

http://billyblastoff.net/home.html

WILL OSBORNE'S BILLY BLASTOFF SHOP DISPLAY AND CENTURY 21 MAGICARS

Hi all,

here's my Eldon’s very own space hero Billy blastoff with corresponding shop window display. 

The Century 21 Twinpack cars would fit onto the captain Scarlet track that was posted a few weeks ago. They would also fit the ideal Motorific raceways sets.

 Will O.

UK

New Billy Blastoff Website!

Hi Woodsy,

First off this is not SPAM. I know they all say that but really, it's 

not. Even if it still sounds like it after this statement!

I am writing to you regarding a new website I've just posted which is 

meant to become a full cataloging of Billy Blastoff. Hoping you'll have 

a look and consider posting it on Moonbase Central. I'd really like to 

spread the word around and share what I have so far and solicit input 

from others. 

 I do also have some repair tips and parts I make and 

sell, I do a little home machining and am happy to help others that may 

not have a lathe or a mill available. Basically, I love seeing these 

old toys preserved and couldn't believe all that the Billy Blastoff line 

included so this is the result. All 124 pages and 537 images of it!

Thanks a lot for your consideration and thanks for all the work you do 

on the blog. Just been peeking at it so far but it looks like a good 

bunch of folks and some really neat old toys. I did get some cues from 

your site - the Billy patent stuff for one - that are integrated into 

mine and I've tried to give credit there.

Cheers,

Maurice M.

http://billyblastoff.net

CAPITAN BOY - BILLY BLASTOFF IN A VOLCANIC CRATER

This is fun.

On YT, its a 2 minute plus clip of Mexican Billy Blastoff toys gathered on a lunar surface by fan Ricardo Campos.

Billy Blastoff was called Capitan Boy in Mexico and released by prolific toy firm Lili Ledy.

The film-maker Ricardo is clearly passionate about his Billy as he's schlepped them all way onto the Parangueo volcanic lake-crater in Central Mexico to get his moonscape.

When I first saw this clip I was extra excited as I thought it might be linked to one I found a few years ago on You Tube, which I blogged at the time. 

It was a TV ad of the less-well known little brother of Capitan Boy called Mini Capitan Boy, who even comes with Tri-ang SpaceX-styled toys!

The Parangueo clip up top isn't connected to the Lili Ledy TV ad but I appreciate the crater moonscape nonetheless.

Have you got any Lili Ledy toys or Billy Blastoff or indeed Capitan/ Mini Capitan Boy?

BILLY BLASTOFF'S CRAWLER WHEEL

Seeing Billy Blastoff's orange Crawler wheel rang a bell.

Was it like the Spacex MEV2's?

Not really.

Was it like the much scarcer Hover LRV as seen here, top left, in Wotan's very old collection.

Hmmm. What about the related Scramble Bug wheels by Hover too?

Well, it just so happens that Wotan still has a wheel from his Hover LRV [nothing else mind].

here it is.

front.

Back.

Can anyone confirm if this was also used on the Billy Blastoff Moon Crawler?

Go and have a look when your'e next playing with your Billy.

RISING FUN

I posted this unusual Japanese Mr. Tomy airport pilot set the other day.

So I had to look twice when I saw this toy!

The box is just so similar. It's a lovely tinplate airport fork lift with a really cute Quality Toys crate bound for New York.

I assume PAA is what I knew as Pan Am.

The old Indiana auction description describes the make as SSS International -  I think.

https://www.sportscards.com/item/vintage-paa-luggage-fork-lift-tin-friction-sss-japan-quality-toys-s-1098-mib/352595086266/

MR.TOMY BY TOMY: IS HE THE ORIGINAL BILLY BLASTOFF?

This amazing toy set I saw on on old Yahoo Japan site caught my eye.

It looks like Billy Blastoff to me like the stuff I had as a nipper.

This set is called Mr.Tomy Cassette Action Pilot by Tomy of Japan.

Is Mr.Tomy Tomy's original Billy Blastoff?

Anyone know?

SPANISH BILLY

This is the small jack-plug TV from the Spanish Nacoral version of Billy Blastoff.

Is that the same image on the TV screen as the Eldon original?

MULTIPLE TOYMAKERS 1970 SPACE BASE

I've always liked the look of this Space Case by Multiple Toymakers.

I saw this on the Bay and kept the image ages ago.

Dated 1970 [what a year! I wuz 10], it mashes together everything we love: SpaceX, Apollo Moon Exploring and Thunderbirds! What's not to like!

The little orange space car is a cutie and is a mini version of a Billy Blastoff buggy.

Thunderbird 5 has become Space Station 6! You gotta love the nuances of toy knockoffoffery!

You get a whole load of little LP astronaut clones too! Are they SpaceX size I wonder?

Have you got this set or any of the toys in it readers?

YELLOW BLASTOFF

Being a fan of Billy Blastoff since I got my own one Christmas years ago in the mid-Sixties I am always checking in on the little fella.

So I was interested when I saw this Japanese Billy Blastoff set last year on Yahoo Japan.

Japanese kids and collectors seem to love Billy too and there are a range of Billy sets and toys in Japan.

This struck me as unusual as it has a yellow crawler.

I'm pretty sure they're usually white or grey in Western sets. Its even grey on the Japanese box pictured.

Have you seen a yellow one?

BLISTER BOX

About 25 years ago I bought a Billy Blastoff radiation truck.

It was one of the first mint vintage items I acquired.

I got it mail order from TV Toy Zone from their beautiful catalogue pre-internet and pre-Ebay.

An unusual feature was the packaging. It was a plastic sealed blister box with an internal card base.

Just like this one I saw on Ebay this month.

Alas I don't have mine anymore.

But I remember the unusual blister box, which I never opened.

So I was pleasantly surprised to see a similarly blistered toy on the Bay this week.

Tommy Turtle.

The packaging looks sealed like my old Radiation truck.

Have you any blister boxed toys?