Cover Story: the T in a Circle Chieftain and Nichimo

Hi Woodsy

I saw your great Chieftain toy tank from Arto. Very nice.

I do not know if you have noticed, but the box top for this Hong Kong toy is almost identical to a Nichimo kit of the Chieftain. Nichimo being a Japanese company.

According to the Scalemates site, this was the original box design, and dates back to 1967. The kit was to 1/35th scale, and was available with Remote Control.

Compare the photos side by side, and they look the same except that the Saracen wheeled Armoured Personnel Carriers and helicopters have been eliminated from the background. The second Chieftain remains.

The tank commander has also been given a helmet rather than a beret, and the vehicle markings deleted. What do you think ?

One photograph from Worthpoint, and one copied from Moonbase !

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Tanks Arto!

 My good friend Arto recently sent me this gorgeous Cheiftain tank by T in a Circle, as he knows I love that old Hong Kong brand.

The red stripe is interesting, as if something has been blocked out. It's raised like tape but done in a factory I guess.

The T in a Circle ( Aka Tai Hong) brand is clearly visible on the box.

At some point I'll rustle up a turret.

There have been other plastic Chieftains too.

Here's BPP.

Clifford.

And Merehall I think.

Have you any tanks readers?

T Time: Porsche 914

 

This T in a Circle Porsche toy is new to the blog.

Seen on auction, it looks lovely! 

We'll add to our model number inventory: #419.

Apollo X: Square Box

 I saw this online a while back.

It's the Apollo X rocket we've seen a lot on MC. It's the one that can stand up on its own. 

This particular box is unusual.

It's square. 

Every other one I've seen has been wedged-shaped.

Have you got an Apollo X?

ITS TIME TO LEAVE THE CAPSULE

 This is a beautiful toy space capsule I saw on auction.

Not one I have but I can appreciate how nice it must be to have in a collection.

Simply called SPACECRAFT this large plastic toy was released by blog legends T in a Circle aka Tai Hing of Hong Kong. Their moniker is the T in a circle pictured on the side of the box.

There are some gorgeous art panels depicting radar stations, lift off, lunar activity and splashdown.

The main box top is particularly attractive with a painting of a capsule and spacewalk.

The toy came with a small astronaut on a wire circling round the cockpit.

Let me in!

Is this one you like readers? Have you any capsules?

T IN A CIRCLE MERCURY FLYING SAUCER DATED 1965

 

Its not often I see dated catalogues with T in a Circle toys in them. Here's a page from Worldwide Stores Autumn Winter 1965 featuring the red and blue Ranger Moon Ranger space ship [Empire made] with its fabulous dome.

Can anyone find a T in a Circle Moonbus or Moon Prospector in a catalogue?

DOME SWEET DOME

There's something cute about Popeye leading this small group of plastic toys on Worthpoint. He looks pleased with his snow dome. Not sure what's in it? Olive oil?

The ball seems to sit will with the two domes vehicles. The orange one is a T in a Circle space ship and the white moon car is by Hover or Hoover I think.

Have you got any of these?

The Mystery of the Secret Gaskett

Arto's Latin place-holder story reminded me of another mystery from way back when Moonbase first kicked off in 2008/09.

Here it is, as solved in 2011. Enjoy! 

Back in October 2009 reader Ferryman flagged up a gasket mystery relating to a strange card template inside the New Flying Saucer at the bottom of the above picture. The gasket was sort of cat faced and pictured a speedboat in blue, black and white. The identity of this has remained a mystery.....

Until now! 

I was recently lucky enough to acquire a new T boat, the Dolphin Cruiser and lo and behold, the box art includes, you've guessed it, the blue, black and white speedboat picture on two sides! 

Mystery solved!

Below you can see the two pictures close up.

Did these card gaskets appear inside all three types of New Flying Saucer: T, JR21 and the German Welt Erkunder?

ARTO'S UPDATED T IN A CIRCLE/ TAI HING TOYS CHECKLIST

Here's the updated Tai Hing Checklist. 

If any corrections / additions come to mind, please let me know. I have tried to stick to confirmed sightings of names and markings on the toys & boxes.

Arto

Helsinki Base

HAT-TRICK! A THREE BRAND MOON PROSPECTOR

There's a lot of Hong Kong mash-ups out there and we've seen a few right toy/ wrong box Project SWORD Moon Prospectors over the years.

This maybe the first one I've seen involving all three main brands of the Moon Prospector.

This example I saw on Ebay has a Tarheel box and a toy co-branded T in a Circle [Tai Hing] and Century 21 Toys!

Located in Texas, USA, its got all three!

Check your own prospectors; let us know what branding they have.

T IN A CIRCLE: NEW SIGHTINGS

 If like Arto and me you like old T in a Circle/ Tai Hing plastic toys from Hong Kong then here's an update of recently spotted toys.

Some of them new to the blog, some not. All fabulous! 

Names followed by model number.

Amphi Car #366

Mercedes Benz #361 [the number's on the licence plate]

Party Line Telephone #3899

Nashville Ukelele #398

Have you got any more T in a Circle/ Tai Hing toys readers?

A BOX OF T for the New Year

Project SWORD Moon Prospectors are always fun.

I had one as a kid back in the Sixties.

Here's the T in a Circle [Tai Hing] version I saw on auction.

 

Its always worth checking the branding on the toy itself.

This one is Century 21 Toys.

Looking again at the box there are no UK patent/ registration details.

I've seen T in a Circle Prospectors in a T in a Circle box too.

I reckon these are all crossover mash-ups when Century 21 Toys likely teamed up [bought?] T in a Circle, which we've discussed before on MC.

Have you got a Century 21 / T in a Circle mash-up?

All the best for 2024!

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?

I Thought it Was Tai Hing!

A few years aback I posted this page of Tai Hing toys, some of which I have at Moonbase but also some of which we have never seen before or since on the blog.

One of those is the prone soldier lying down with his rifle. Its impossible to guess how big or in what form these soldiers are  - like Airfix or much bigger? - but this one on the Bay recently caught my eye.

I thought I was onto something but I don't think its the same toy. The model numbers are wrong and there's no sign of the Tai Hing logo.

Do you agree?

Ah well, at ease soldier.

Did you get a toy like this one Christmas?