Woodsy's Book News! American Friction

After five more years of research I've published a second volume on the less-well known Jack Rosenthal toys. 

Having hit the ground running it took half the time volume I took, a whole decade! 

This second volume covers JR toys released by other companies like Gordy International and also UK toys not covered in the first book. 

It's smaller than volume I, with fewer pages so Blurb print it for less. Photography is in part once again by our very own Bill.

It was great fun to do on Blurb and volume III is now also in the works.

This new volume II is called..

 American Friction.

 Details will remain in the side-bar. Should you be interested,  ask me about a discount code.

Kevin's SpaceX and JR21 Toy group Shots

Hi,

I've got these shots to hand.

Kevin

UK

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Tri-ang SpaceX and SpaceX II toys

JR21 toys

The X-90 Flying Saucer Car

 

The X-series is thought by most collectors to be part of JR21's toy output. This X-90 is a fabulous example I saw on auction so I saved the snaps ages ago.

A wonderfully streamlines plastic space car that ejects flying rotors like the Major Matt Mason launcher many of us had as kids.

A really gorgeous toy, the model number is #241.

What do you think?

JR21 THUNDERBIRD 2: ITS STORY HAS LEGS!

I've been researching the legs of JR21 Thunderbird 2's of late, you know, the retractable part metal/ part plastic rods with those cute button feet.

As far as I can tell there are two colours, red and white. 

Having read up on the subject in various places, it would appear that the red ones were released with the HPM version of the toy - thats Herts Plastic Moulders i.e the initial and UK version [the one later partly filled with sweets 'cos they couldn't source the friction drives!]

HPM then lost the contract to a Hong Kong factory and the resultant JR21 logo'd [2 versions of logo positioning] Thunderbird 2 had white legs.

Is this your understanding readers?

Which one have you got?

SPECTRUM IS ....LINCOLN GREEN?

I recently saw this bundle of JR21 SPC accessories described as Lincoln. Was the Lincoln SPC the same as the JR21 toy? 

IT'S A GOOD FRIDAY!

TIME TO START THAT EASTER FUN!

WILL'S WONDERFUL BOX OF WONDROUS UNWANTED TOYS!

One of my customers bought in a box of goodies for me yesterday. Looks to be some nice things in it. Will send some more pictures when I’ve had a sort through. Will O.

Jumping for Joy

Italy's Quercetti is well known for rockets and parachutes.

Their JR21 marketed Fireball XL5 has featured here many times, as has the Mach-1 and TOR.

These toys incorporated a small blow moulded parachutist and chute.

Eolo's much bigger set had a similar jumping astronaut cum pilot.

This bended knee jumper became a staple. Here's a more recent bag of three. 

I think you can still get this toy in some form.

It's become a party favour!

TADA! Tommy Buster! JR21 legendary Toy Rifle

I'm always interested in the Tommy Buster, ever since it first appeared here on it's TV21 offer page.

Here's the Japanese TADA version - yes, more TADA! - I saw on auction. There's an M logo too, presumably the Miura in the listing title, but it's new to me.

Did or Do you have a Tommy Buster?

Imagine coming down to this on Christmas morning! TADA!

THAT'S A LOT OF ROCKETS!

I love this SAS lot from 2018. There's something for everyone in it. What would you have liked?

21 CARROTS

Being an avid fan of JR21 plastic animal toys [I wrote a book about them] I was intrigued when I saw a toy similar to one of the less common ones, the Friction Carrot Eating Bunny.

You can see from these auction pictures that the JR21 bunny has somewhat bent feet as he sits on his scooter.

Linda, another Hong Kong outfit, released a Bugs Bunny on a Scooter, which also has bent feet as he balances on his carrot cart.

Both quite wonderful toys, I hope you like them too.

JOE 90'S MACS CAR in GAMES AND TOYS MARCH 1969

 Thought this was a nice advert. Will O.

DRUMMING UP BUSINESS

I always like large groups of vintage plastic toys. This lot caught my eye on The Saleroom business website so I kept the pic. 

On the far left is a T in a Circle Speedboat with the box behind it, a toy I have in my T in a Circle collection. Directly in front is the JR21 Bear Drummer. Its box is to the right on the top row and is a toy I might track down for Moonbase one day.

The green tinplate Camaro is a gorgeous R/C toy car I've bought and sold in the past. I found a boxed one at Ascot car boot sale years ago, which was quite a classy boot sale all round.

Lots of old novelty toys here. Which one do you like?

WILL O'S TV21 FIREBALL XL5

 

From Will's new TV21 comics collection, his JR21 XL5 parachuting spaceship and the ad in a November 1965 edition of the comic.

Did you have one of these XL5's or the other rockets advertised?

ELF TOYS THUNDERBIRDS LAYOUT

 

I was sent this snap by a reader who found these Elf Tracy Island parts in his parent's loft. Luckily it still has its paperwork too.

It always amazes me when one of these sets surfaces like this.  We've seen them before on MC and years ago at that but its always great to see and gives me a glimmer of hope that one day a reader will unearth a Project SWORD Moonbase Play Set somewhere!

Do you like the Elf Toys lay out?

Kev's JR21 toys

Hi,

Here are mine, not including my Project  SWORD toys.

Cheers, 

Kevin

OK TOYS NEW FLYING SAUCER?

I wonder if this OK Toys DB flying saucer is a variation of the JR21 New Flying Saucer? What do you think? JR21 link in the labels below the post.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-space-ship-db-battery-526427967

SPANISH FLYING SAUCER TOYS: NAVE ESPACIAL

This is a lovely old flying saucer toy I saw on Spain's Todocollecion, the Nave Espacial by Kuxan

I really like the box art.

The overall look reminds me of the New Flying Saucer, which JR21 released.

The base recalls the Project SWORD Moon Prospector and the New flying Saucer too.

Have you got any flying saucers?

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Here's another Spanish Ovni entry.

A very shiny saucer with coloured lights.

By Spanish outfit JYE it came with lovely box art of two boys watching an astronaut over a wall!

THE ORIGIN OF THUNDERBIRD 5: THE TOY AND THE TV MODEL

I've long pondered how Century 21 Toys/ JR21 Toys made the Thunderbird 5 toy in the Sixties and often perused the web and books for hints as to what the parts were from.

I say parts because its been long conjectured by collectors that the C21/ JR21 TB5 toy was made up of other existing toys. In other words the main brown body and the engine were from existing toys.

Ten years ago I posed this same question and I established a link between the toy's clone by Soma and an obscure ice crusher! Whether this assisted in the search for the origin of the JR21 toy I don't know, but you can read it here https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2012/08/a-saucer-full-of-secrets-soma.html

Have you any idea what the original toy was readers? is it a toy you own? Do you like it?

What is a bit clearer is the way Derek Medding's team made the actual Thunderbird 5 model for the TV show as some research has already been done by long-time Andersonist Marc J .Frattasio back in 1996! Published on the SuperM site, Thunderbird 5's origin can be found at the end of the Thunderbirds vehicles page http://lester.demon.nl/superm/tech/sfx/tbirds/models0.html

Do you like Thunderbird 5 readers? Is it an effective model and design for the show?

DO YOU KNOW WHAT FAB3 WAS?

I've always loved FAB1 - like most kids of my age. Its just one of those TV cars that was the perfect form of style and looks and drove straight into the showroom of our memories.

FAB2 was Lady Penelope's yacht, which we've blogged about once or twice. Not sure if Parker was the pilot or whether FAB1 went on board. It would have made a great JR21 toy, maybe using the Vosper  toy as its basis. Would that have worked?

Amazingly there was a FAB3 too! I only found out today. I could never have guessed and I had to chuckle when I read it. It was Lady Penelope's racehorse! Now I've no idea if it appeared on TV and whether Parker was the jockey. Not sure it would have been a decent JR21 toy, but they did release at least three other small toy horses, the Rocking Neddy, Piggy Chariot and Cowboy Joe.

Now please don't tell me: there was a FAB4 too?