Dave Barnacle, Palitoy Box Artist

I know there are many Action Man fans among Moonbasers, so I thought this You Tube video would be of interest.

A look at the work of Palitoy box artist Dave Barnacle, who sadly passed away this month, April 2025.

He did many of the Action Man boxes in the 1970s, as well as other lines, such as Planet of the Apes, and Star Wars.

There is even a look at some concept art for figures that never made it in to production.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdkC7yN-fJc

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hot Wheels Easter Bunny - Fast Delivery

The Hot Wheels Racer Verse line began in 2023. It is a line of small, cartoon-style racing cars, all driven by well-known characters, mostly from films and television, or Super Heroes.

The drivers are plastic, and slightly over-sized. Which is common with such character cars, but all are recognizable, and really well detailed.

The 2024 range included this Easter Bunny (New for 2024), driving an Easter Basket, filled with eggs. Only the lower body, and the blue-spotted upper portion of the nose are metal – the rest is plastic.

The eggs sit behind the driver, under a clear plastic 'egg shell'. The Easter Bunny himself has a well printed face, and ears.

Made in Thailand, copyright date 2023. Being a premium line, the Racer Verse cars are around four times the price of a regular Hot Wheels car, but they are really fun.

Various multi-vehicle packs and track sets are available. Not too many shops seem to carry this line, at least in NZ, so you may have to search for them.

Happy Easter

Paul from NZ

Paul's Do You Know About 1

At a fair I picked up a paperback book, Do You Know About ? Space Flight, from 1962. A really nice volume, from the dawn of the manned Space Age.

Since I had never heard of the Collins Do You Know About ? series before, I decided to do a little digging. I could not find a lot of information on this series, but it seems there were at least ten titles, published between 1962 and 1964.

The series comprised educational books on natural history, science, and transport, aimed at children. They are very similar to the American How and Why Wonder Books series, some of which I had as a boy.

The Do You Know About ? series was published by Wm. Collins, Sons, and Co., of London and Glasow (the company had started out in Scotland, in 1819). There are not many on-line sales listings for these books, sometimes only one or two for each title.

I do not recall ever seeing these books. They were available in both hardback and paperback, although I do not know if this applies to all the titles.

The length was a standard 48 pages; page size 264 x 206 mm. The illustrations were a mix of colour and black and white artwork, by various illustrators, although one listing I found does mention The Stars having photographs.

All had painted, full-colour covers (some of which are signed), with the cover image repeated on the back. A red panel carries the words Collins Pageant of Knowledge Series.

One oddity is that the two space books (Our Solar System and The Stars) do not list an author on the title page, just the illustrator - Roger Hall. However The Stars does have a small copyright notice on the Contents page, which does name the author.

Given that both books are illustrated by the same artist, might the author of the books also be the same ? If anyone has Our Solar System, and can confirm or refute, that would be great.

I am guessing here, but might Our Solar System and The Stars both be parts of a longer, previously published work, or works ?

Publication Date 1962

Do You Know About ? Birds, by David Stephen, ill by Ralston Gudgeon.

Do You Know About ? Animals, by David Stephen, ill by G.W. Backhouse.

Do You Know About ? Aircraft, by Maurice Allward, ill by T.E. North.

Do You Know About ? Space Flight, by Maurice Allward, ill by I. Teece.

Publication Date 1963

Do You Know About ? Reptiles and Amphibians, by David Stephen, ill by Len Fullerton.

Do You Know About ? Our Solar System, by ?, ill by Roger Hall.

Do You Know About ? The Earth, by Maurice Allward, ill by W.L. Branton.

Do You Know About ? Cars, by Maurice Allward, ill by T.E. North.

Publication Date 1964

Do You Know About ? Railways, by William A. Porter, ill by T.E. North.

Do You Know About ? The Stars, no author is listed on the title page, but at the bottom of the Contents page is 'First published in this edition 1964' and '© 1964 Dr. H.C. King'. Ill by Roger Hall.

The photographs of Space Flight are of my copy; the rest are from Ebay - 14 in total.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Memories of 2023's Collectors Fair

At the 2023 Auckland collector's fair, I picked up seven kits, and a box of bits (but it was a really lovely box). A mix of modern and vintage kits.

Of course, the vintage kits will not be built. They are rare and precious treasures, to be preserved, still pristine in their boxes.

In the 1960s and 1970s Airfix kits were sold in the USA, usually in different packaging to those sold in Britain (and New Zealand). The Series 1 kits came in cardboard boxes, while in Britain they were still being sold in plastic bags in to the early 1970s.

The artwork on this 1960s Hawker Typhoon is amazing. The colour scheme is bizarre, and nothing like the scheme actually worn by RAF Typhoons.

I have never seen a US Airfix kit in New Zealand before, so I grabbed this one. Inside the box is a normal Airfix Typhoon, in silver-grey plastic.

The Hawk Convair C-131 light transport is really old - the copyright date on the early style box is 1959. This kit too is in silver-grey plastic.

There are 28 parts, including the one-piece wings (rather than the usual upper and lower halves). There are no clear parts for the cockpit or cabin windows.

This Revell Lockheed P2V (later P-2) Neptune box was full of various aircraft parts, mainly fuel tanks. But I bought it for the wonderful box art - an Operation Deepfreeze aircraft on skies taking off in Antarctica.

There is a small note in the lower left hand corner, which says ' Made in New Zealand by Lincoln Industries Ltd, Auckland', along with a Made in New Zealand Kiwi logo. It probably dates from the 1970s.

The French company Heller produced a lot of obscure French aircraft types, including the Mureaux 117 reconnaissance aircraft. This looks to be an original, 1967 kit.

The North American F-107A, was an experimental US jet fighter, first flown in 1956. Only three were built - its most unusual feature was the air intake above the fuselage.

There are not many models of the type. This being a modern Trumpeter kit.

A modern Revell Chance Vought F4U Corsair naval fighter of WW2. This one is destined to receive RNZAF markings.

I also found a 1/72nd scale Monogram P-51B Mustang, which will be covered separately, and a Heller P-39 Airacobra fighter. This had been re-packed in a plastic bag, not its original box.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Barbie's Monster Truck and 'Vette

I popped in to a shop in my local shopping mall, and discovered two great Barbie die-casts from Hot Wheels. Both were added to my collection.

First up, the Barbie Ultimate Camper Monster Truck. This is not based on the existing Barbie Dream Camper, but is a new design.

It has a truck-type cab, with camper body. The card says 'New for 2023'.

Everything is a deep pink, with green and white swirls, the large Barbie name in white, and the smaller Barbie names in pale pink.

The inner chassis and engine are deep pink plastic, with an outer chassis in black. The front and rear bumpers, the steps, and the interior, are white plastic. Clear blue plastic windows.

The wheels have white tyres, with pink hubs. There is a squashed yellow car for your Barbie Monster Truck to drive over.

Hanging on one of the pegs was a Barbie 1956 Corvette in pink, with a white interior. I already have one of these, but this example lacked the usual white scallops along the sides, and the Corvette name.

My guess is this is not a colour variation, but a factory error, and it has just missed out on the side printing being applied. The card shows what the regular model looks like.

A great pair of models - now to look out for the blue and white version of the Corvette.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Corgi Tarzan Gift Set 36: The Origins

In 1976 Corgi released Gift Set 36 Tarzan, one of the most magnificent they ever produced. The Set re-used a number of existing Corgi models, but in new colour schemes.

Having already looked at the Tarzan Set on MC in February, I thought this time we would see where the various items came from. Most details are from The Great Book of Corgi, by Corgi Chief Designer Marcel R. Van Cleemput.

Corgi had first released a Long Wheel Base Land Rover in 1957 (the year after the range was launched), but this was to 1/46th scale. In 1976 a new model appeared, in 1/36th scale, which was much larger than before.

It came as part of Gift Set 31 Safari Land Rover and Animal Trailer (with lion) in April 1976. The model had an opening rear door; and a hardtop roof, with a hatch in it, and a Game Warden looking out.

It was painted white, with black zebra stripes, and red Game Warden labels on each side. The Tarzan model was metallic green with sand-yellow stripes, and a solid roof.

The two-wheeled trailer had a plastic ramp at the rear, and a white plastic cage top. It was painted to match the Land Rover.

A plastic lion, standing on a base, with one paw raised, was the load. All these items were included in the Tarzan set, except for the Game Warden figure.

The boat and trailer came from Gift Set 28, released in August 1975. This comprised a 1/36th scale Mazda B1600 pick-up truck (already available on its own), rubber dinghy in red and yellow, and a scuba-diver in full gear to pilot the boat.

The Tarzan set dropped the pick-up, changed the diver to a White Hunter, and moulded the dinghy in different colours. I am not sure if any other items were re-used, but the change-over in scales around this time would have made it difficult to use any existing Corgi models, since they would appear under-sized next to the newer 1/36th scale items.

Do you have any of these toys?

Four photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Auckland March Fair 2: Books and Die-Casts

Here is my second report, on the first Auckland fair of 2025. This time, books and die-casts.

A new book on Fun Ho ! die-cast toys. Over 200 pages, and in full colour, apart from period advertising. A 1982 Heller kit catalogue, and three aircraft books.

A Corgi Juniors model of the helicopter from the Australian TV series Chopper Squad, about surf life savers, copyright date 1978. A pair of modern Matchbox Morris Minor Traveller convertibles, with lift-up bonnets.

A group of Lone Star Beach Buggies. Nearly all plastic, with metal baseplates, although one is missing its top, and only three have a driver.

Having seen these on Moonbase Central several times, I knew what they were, so I grabbed the whole collection. The Flower Power stickers are a nice touch.

Paul Adams from NZ

Auckland March Kits Fair

Auckland has just had its first fair of 2025, and I got some great bargains. Not many die-casts this time, but I did get some really nice kits, including some vintage treasures.

Sitting on a chair behind one table I spotted a couple of vintage Renwal military kits from the USA. Thinking that they had likely been put aside for someone else, I asked anyway, and managed to bag both of these classic kits for a song.

The Nike Surface-to-Air Missile is missing one forward missile fin, and there is damage to one end of the box, but the great box top artwork is intact. The missile is moulded in white plastic, with the launcher and three figures in olive drab.

The 8 Inch Self Propelled Howitzer, or M55, has been started, but again the box top is intact. This one is moulded in green plastic, with black tracks, and a full crew of six figures.

In the 1970s Fundimensions issued a series of four diorama kits, depicting giant insects or arachnids on the rampage, three of which were re-issued in the 1990s by AMT/Ertl. Obviously inspired by all those giant bug movies of the 1950s.

One of the tables had an example of the Rampaging Scorpion kit, which had been started, but was complete. Only the box top remained with the kit, showing the Scorpion attacking a city centre.

The Japanese firm Crown did a series of Model in a Bottle kits in the 1970s. In addition to the usual sailing ships, they also did several steam locomotives sitting on a length of railway track.

I was lucky enough to find one of these kits, almost complete, but lacking the instructions. The bottle is plastic, and has a separate base, so the completed model can be inserted after assembly.

A trio of aircraft kits – a 1960s Frog Messerschmitt Me-410 (I built a later version of this kit in the 1970s); an Airfix Dornier Do-17 from the 1970s; and a fictitious Italeri MiG-37 Ferret Soviet Stealth Fighter to go with their US Stealth Fighter kit. It is the box art which makes these kits.

Finally a batch of modern 1/72 scale armoured vehicles, by Trumpeter and Vespid. A US Sherman tank in Korean War markings; super heavy German Maus tank – it weighed 180 or so tons, and only two prototypes were built; Soviet-era SA-4 Ganef Surface-to-Air Missile launcher.

A nice haul, and a great day out. Several of these kits deserve a more detailed write-up – stay tuned.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

The Airfix Napoleon Kit

The fourth kit in the Airfix 1/12th scale range was the French Emperor Napoleon.

 Definitely a 'Bad Guy' as far as Britain was concerned. Oddly, this was the only Napoleonic figure in the series (until the much later French Imperial Guard Grenadier in the 1970s) - there was no Duke of Wellington or Lord Nelson to oppose him.

This was the first of the kits to be described on the header as 'One of the Airfix Series of realistic models of Historical Figures'. It was another 1959 release, meaning that about one-third of the entire Historical Figure line came out in the first year.

The kit was numbered M4F, although the paper header actually has MF4 in the upper left hand corner. It was sold in the usual plastic bag. There were just 22 parts, in white plastic, including a small textured base. The header does not actually say 1/12th scale, just 6 Inch Scale Model.

There seems to have been only one type of paper header, unlike the previous Military Figures. At least, I have only found the one style. A change was then made to cardboard boxes in the early 1960s. 

At the same time the kit was moved from Series 1 to Series 2, and re-numbered, becoming M208F. In the early 1970s it became 02508-5. There were again three styles of cardboard box, the last of which carries a copyright date of 1978 on the side.

Now we come to a rather confusing situation. In the late 1970s, Airfix began to reduce the 1/12th scale figure line, before dropping these kits entirely in the early 1980s. But not all the retired kits stayed retired - some popped up again in a later catalogue.

Napoleon was in all the Airfix catalogues up to the 14th Edition (dated 1977). He was dropped from the 15th Edition (dated 1978), but was back in the 16th Edition (dated January 1979), and gone again by the time the 17th Edition (dated December 1979) appeared.

To date, this figure has not been re-issued.

Six photographs, in three batches. From Worthpoint and planetfigure.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Hot Wheels Zowees by Paul Adams

Following the recent post on Mattel Hot Wheels Zowees (a line which I do not remember at all), I did a little digging.

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2025/02/junking-in-emporia-2-zowies.html#comment-form

 There were 14 models, the first eight of which were originally made for a Shell petrol station promotion - these came in small plastic bags.

The 14:

Baby Buggy – Pram

Beddy Bye – Four Poster Bed

Bumble Seat – Vintage Delivery Truck

Covered Draggin' – Covered Wagon

Desperado – Mexican Sombrero Hat

Diablo – Devil's Head

Good Knight – Knight's Helmet

Red Lighter – Red Emergency Light

Fire Hydrant – Fire Hydrant and Hose

Goin' Fishing – Shark With Open Mouth

Home Sweet Home – Small Brick House

Light My Fire – Coupe With Plastic Flames

Numb Skull – Human Skull

Shifty – Hand on a Gear Stick

According to the Hot Wheels Wiki, the Shell models were available in Germany under the name Fun Buggies, and they were all re-named. It also says there were similar vehicles unique to the UK market, but that it is unknown if these were by Mattel.

The cars were then issued as normal, retail models, being joined by a further six retail-only models. This looks to have been a short-lived range, and carded Hot Wheels models seem to be fairly rare.

All the examples I have seen have Hong Kong on the underside. Copyright dates are 1972 and 1973.

Zowees were only half the size of a regular Hot Wheels model, being to 1/125th scale, rather than 1/64th scale. The bases were metal, with coloured plastic bodies.

All were way-out custom vehicles, and all had at least one V-8 engine – some had two. Like regular Hot Wheels, they had low-friction wheels.

Hot Wheels Wiki entry for the line. According to this, the retail models were not available individually, but only in packs of two, three, four, or six cars; 

there also being some Zowees Plus Hot Wheels twin packs.

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Zowees#:~:text=Zowees%20were%20a%20series%20of,Wheels%20vehicles%20produced%20in%201972.

An Ebay set of 14 – for an insane $930 US !

https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/275173895348?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=705-154756-20017-0&ssspo=2iQDQftuQja&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=lNRmmDjOT0-&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Eight photographs from Worthpoint

Did you have Zowees?

Paul Adams

 New Zealand