The Lindberg 5 Space Ships of the Future Set

Back in the 1950s the US kit company Lindberg, of Chicago, Illinois, released a small range of space kits. All the kits were from the very dawn of the Space Age, and all pre-dated the first manned space flight in 1961.

The most famous was the Flying Saucer (used by Ed Wood, in his infamous movie Plan 9 From Outer Space). The other four kits were speculative designs, showing what the spacecraft of the future might look like.

All release dates from Scalemates.

517 Flying Saucer (1954)

12 Parts. Later issued as Unidentified Flying Object UFO. Also released by Glencoe Models as the U.F.O.; by Atlantis as the UFO Flying Saucer; and by Polar Lights as the Plan 9 From Outer Space Flying Saucer.

1001:98 Multi-Stage Transport Rocket (1958)

25 Parts. Later issued as Mars Probe Space Transport; then Star Probe U.S.S. Explorer.

1002:98 U.S. Space Station (1958)

20 Parts (or 70 according to early boxes). Later issued as the Mars Probe Space Station; then Star Probe Space Base.

1003:98 U.S. Moon Ship (1958)

40 Parts. Later issued as Mars Probe Landing Module; then Star Probe Space Shuttle. It later reverted to the U.S. Moon Ship name. It was also re-issued by Glencoe Models as the Lunar Lander.

1004-98 Satellite with Three Stage Launching Rocket (1958)

33 Parts. Later issued as the Mars Probe Communication Satellite.

Finally, in the late 1950s, came a magnificent boxed set of all five models, called 5 Space Ships of the Future, and numbered GB-103. This re-used the box art from the individual kits.

The kits were slightly re-named from the original kits, and were now: the Flying Saucer; Three Stage Transport Rocket; Space Station; Moon Ship; and Satellite Rocket.

Inside the full-colour outer box, the models were individually packed in blue and white boxes. The box illustrations were the same as the full-colour versions, but Lindberg were clearly trying to save on printing costs.

From photographs of the set in the box, only four kits are visible. Presumably the Flying Saucer was packed beneath one of the others ?

Today, this is a very rare set, although all the models within it have been re-issued several times.

Looking this set up on Scalemates, a 2017 re-issue is shown, with the kit number 609. By this time the Lindberg name was owned by Round 2. However, it seems that this planned set was cancelled before release.

A great pity, as it would have been a wonderful addition to any space model collection. The box art was the same as the original, but with slightly changed, and updated text. The Lindberg Line company logo was also changed to The New Lindberg Line.

Scalemates listing for the planned 2017 re-issue.

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/lindberg-609-5-space-ships-future--1102187

This site has photos of the planned re-issue box and decal sheets. It also mentions the cancellation.

https://www.collectormodel.com/round2-models/3549-lindberg-model-kits-5-space-ship-of-the-future-back-from-the-past/#sthash.dpEn8HgK.dpbs

Three photographs from Worthpoint.

Have you got this kit?

Paul Adams

New Zealand

HAVE YOU DRIVEN A FORD CONVERTIBLE LATELY?

Woodsy,

Here is the first of my 1/32 car models, a 1940 Ford Convertible. 

This kit was first issued by Pyro in 1965 (!), and has been reissued so many times by different companies I’ve lost track. 

This is the 2010 repop by Round 2, using the old Lindberg logo for nostalgia purposes. As you can see, I left the 4-part body in all it’s awkward glory, as I did not feel up to tackling those curvy seams with body putty. 

A fun, simple build, and I figured why not use the enclosed “Hot Rod” decals? 

For the complete “teenage modeler” experience!

Rob C

USA

Paint-by-Numbers Pyro Birds by Paul Adams

The Pyro Plastics Corporation, of Union, New Jersey, was one of the smaller American kit makers. 

Originally a general plastics firm, it was active in the kit field from the 1950s until the early 1970s. In 1958 it launched a small series of Bird kits, carrying the Mark Trail name. Mark Trail being a newspaper comic strip, with a conservation theme.

 There were only three kits in the series:

C280-.89 American Bald Eagle

C281-.98 Ring-Necked Pheasant

C282-.98 Mallard Duck

The Eagle sold for 89 cents, and the other two for slightly more, at 98 cents. There was apparently also a set, containing all three kits, but I have not seen a picture of this.

All three kits were re-issued in 1963 in new boxes, with new numbers, as Paint-by-Number sets. This being the first such range by Pyro. The paints came on a palette, and were common to all three sets. The colours were generic: black, white, yellow, red, blue, and green. A brush was also included.

All the birds were basically brown, and the kits were moulded in brown plastic (dark brown for the Eagle, and medium brown for the Pheasant and Duck), so only the details and the base needed to be painted.

At some point, possibly 1965 when the Paint-by-Numbers line was extended, the original paints were replaced with NEW ! Water Soluble Paints. This was pointed out on the side of the box, but not on the box tops.

All the kits now sold for 98 cents, although this did increase later. That was good value, given that most of the kits were no more expensive than the original issues, but now included paints and a brush.

The new boxes were basically white, with a full-colour painting of the bird within. This would have undoubtedly helped with finishing the model.

C353-98 Bald Eagle

C354-98 Ring-Necked Pheasant

C355-98 Mallard Duck

In the 1970s the Pyro range, including the birds, went to Life-Like, who sold the kits under the American Wildlife name. According to the Scalemates site, these kits were also issued by Bull Mark, which seems to be a Japanese company. The Eagle has also been re-issued by Lindberg. None of these appear to be Paint-by-Number sets, with paints and a brush, just normal kits.

The series was also released in Britain by Kleeware, as these pages from a 1960 Hobbies Annual list all three kits, with a retail price of 7/- (seven shillings, or 35 New Pence). But the only kit I have seen on-line is the Pheasant. Again, these appear to be the original kits, not the Paint-by-Numbers versions. Kleeware kits of any subject seem to be rare.

Category:Kleeware plastic construction kits - The Brighton Toy and Model Index (brightontoymuseum.co.uk)

Eight photographs, all from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Truly Horrible Lindberg Monsters Update

Some years ago MC published my article on the Truly Horrible Lindberg monster kits. 

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2021/10/truly-horrible-lindberg-monster-kits-by.html

In it, I said I had come across what appeared to be a later mail order advertisement for the figures, possibly from a comic book.

The quality of the image was very poor and hard to read. I thought the name of the company selling the kits was Victory Specialties. That was incorrect, I have just discovered the name of the company was Victor Specialties, P.O. Box 151, Derby, Conn. (Connecticut, USA). No ZIP Code is mentioned in any of the ads I have seen.

Other mail order operations: World Wide Specialties, Shopper's Guide, and Hit Records, all have the same P.O. Box number, but with different Dept. numbers. All four names are used in different ads within the same comic. Monster Mailman has two different addresses, either P.O. Box 151, Derby, Conn, like the others; or Charlton Bldg., Derby, Conn.

Charlton Publications Inc., Charlton Building, Derby, Conn, was the publisher of such magazines as Horror Monsters, Mad Monsters, and Brides in Love.

Presumably, the ad for the Lindberg kits would have appeared in one or more of their publications at some point.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2021/10/truly-horrible-lindberg-monster-kits-by.html#comment-form

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THE LINDBERG PIRATE SKULL

Over the years pirates, pirate guns, and pirate ships have been a popular subject for kit makers. In 2006 Lindberg decided to get a little more milage out of their old, full-size human skull kit, by releasing it as The Pirate Skull. Indirectly cashing in on the popularity of the Pirates of the Caribbean films, the first of which had been released in 2003, with a second in 2006.

Like the rest of the Lindberg anatomy kits, the Skull was a re-issue. The Superior Plastics version had a copyright date of 1960 on the box, and was moulded in their standard Superlon plastic. The anatomy kits then went to Educational Products in the later 1960s, and finally to Lindberg. Some issues of the Skull included a human brain.

The box-top of The Pirate Skull (or Le Crane de Pirate on one side of the box) showed a well-weathered skull, sporting a bright red headband, and shiny gold tooth, with a green and black snake crawling over it.

The box boasted: 'Life-Size Anatomically Accurate Unassembled Plastic Model Kit'. Skill Level 2. Features were: 'Movable Jaw'; 'Molded in Bone White Plastic'; but 'Decorative Accessories Not Included'. The gold tooth could simply be painted on, but you would have to find your own headband and snake.

The side of the box gave further details. 'This finely detailed kit with removable skull cap can be used by doctors, educators, and schools for study purposes. The teeth can be drilled and filled for demonstration'. A display stand, and anatomy chart were also included.

Kit number 71302, with a copyright date of 2006. J. Lloyd International Inc. Made in U.S.A.

This was one of several pirate kits that Lindberg did around this time, most of which had Caribbean Pirates on the box.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Truly Horrible - The Lindberg Monster Kits by Paul Adams

Hi and Happy Halloween!

The US kit company Aurora was famous for its Monster kits, most of which are based on various Universal movies from the 1920s (The Phantom of the Opera) to the 1950s (Creature From the Black Lagoon).

Seeing the success of these kits, which first appeared in 1962, other companies wanted a piece of the Monster pie, but Aurora had the rights to all the big name Monsters. Everyone else had to invent their own Monsters, and pit these unknown horrors against the likes of Dracula and Frankenstein. No contest.

Lindberg was a well known name, with a long history, but they were never in the Big Three. They produced several small groups of horror kits, including this set of four Monsters. They have appeared before on Moonbase Central, but I thought they deserved a closer look.

MOONBASE CENTRAL: DURHAM'S GREEN TOY MONSTER (projectswordtoys.blogspot.com)

The Universal Monster Army site also devotes three pages to these kits.

The Lindberg monster models! (universalmonsterarmy.com)

Apart from this there is not a lot of information out there on the kits, just some photographs. They are not even listed on the Scalemates site.

There were four kits in the series. The box art has a horror movie look to it, perhaps trying to suggest a link to well known movie monsters. Wotan also suggested that they may have been inspired by American Indian ceremonial costumes and masks. They are certainly very similar.

No.272:50 Krimson Terror - perhaps based on The Masque of the Red Death (1964), which was a Roger Corman movie ? The figure has four arms.

No.273:50 Creeping Crusher - a vampire in its bat form ?

No.274:50 Green Ghoul - a Mummy, although the bands seem to be overlapping plates rather than bandages. Lobster Man ?

No.275:50 Mad Mangler - Frankenstein's Monster ? Two mouths.

Calling these models 'kits' is really pushing it!

On opening the box there are only two parts, front and rear body half, plus a tuft of coloured Monster Hair to glue on top of the head. The result resembles a Troll. The models all seem to be moulded in plain white plastic. If Lindberg had at least moulded them in different colours, it would have made them more attractive.

The colour of the Monster Hair seems to have varied, and was not a set colour for each kit. Height was about six inches or so.

There was a folded sheet of Assembly Plans, with photos of the model. Here are the written assembly instructions in full: Cement body halves 1 and 2 together. Next paint monster following colors on box cover. Now cement monster hair in place. See below.

Lindberg clearly put little effort or money in to these kits. Design and tooling costs would have been minimal given the lack of parts. Even in the most basic aircraft kit you could expect in excess of a dozen parts.

The copyright date on the side of the box is 1965. The box also says 'See these Lindberg Monsters at your hobby dealer'. Just below this is 'The Lindberg Line - for those who demand the best'.

The original retail price of these kits was 50 cents. The price being included in the catalogue number. For comparison, the Aurora movie monsters sold for 98 cents, but were twice the size, contained far more parts, and were much more detailed. They were far better value.

Having bought one of these kits, and seen what was in the box, how many monster fans would have wanted the rest of the series ? Reader Andy B says he was so disappointed, he took his kit back to the shop. How many others did the same thing ?

To the best of my knowledge these kits have not been re-issued, although resin copies seem to be available online.

Six photos, in three batches. All from Worthpoint or Ebay.

*

Lindberg Postscript!

This looks like an old comic book ad on Pinterest for the Lindberg Monster kits. Although there is no mention of the Lindberg name, the line is described as Unknown Creatures. Un-named...Un-tamed.

None of the models are named, and there is no mention of them being kits, nor do the pictures show the tufts of Monster Hair that were a feature of the Lindberg versions. Price $1 each. That is double what the Lindberg kits were, so are these a later re-issue, either by Lindberg or another company ?

No idea what the packaging was like. I am stumped. Could not find anything further on these. The company name at the bottom of the page is Victory Specialties, but I assume this is just a mail order company ? I cannot read the address.

Model numbers from the ad. I have added the Lindberg number and name for identification purposes only.

X201 is Lindberg No.272:50 Krimson Terror

X202 is No.273:50 Creeping Crusher

X203 is No.274:50 Green Ghoul

X204 is No.275:50 Mad Mangler

Let these terrifying intruders scare you out of this world. Plastic models...gory...grim...grotesque...5 1/2" high...These never-never-landers are available in four types...one uglier than the next. May be painted with plastic model paints...to suit the individual's horror taste.

Vintage Monster Magazine Ad 23 | Retro ads, Vintage advertisements, Vintage ads (pinterest.nz)

This is everything I have on this range.

Happy Halloween!

Paul Adams from New Zealand