Capsula Spacial

This is a neat tin Spanish space capsule toy. Again by the mighty Jyesa.

I love the box art. The flying spacecraft is wonderful.

Did you have a capsule readers?

Godspeed Artemis II.

The Capgun Plane.

Woodsy. 

This turned up the other day. It's a capgun in the shape of a P47 Thunderbolt. Only 8 shillings and 11 pence! A Bargain! 

Will O

Robin Paint and Poster Truck

Hi Woodsy,

I have just discovered what may well be the most beautiful tinplate toy ever made – the Wells-Brimtoy Robin Paint and Poster Truck. Needless to say, I discovered this while looking for something else entirely, and just had to dive straight down yet another rabbit hole.

Not only was this a wind-up clock-work toy truck, the back contained a slide-out tray of water-colour paints (which are nearly always missing from surviving examples). Hooks on the sides of the truck (usually broken off) held a toy ladder on one side, and a paint brush on the other (also usually missing).

Wells was founded in 1919, and Brimtoy in 1923, the two firms merging in 1932. Wells-Brimtoy Distributors Limited was formed in 1949, but a variety of names appear on the toys.

The always useful Brighton Toy Museum site has a page of Wells-Brimtoy advertising (dated 1956), which shows the truck. It has the paint tray extended, and supported by a fold-down leg at the rear.

https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Category:Wells-Brimtoy#/media/File:Wells-Brimtoy,_Modern_Toys_for_the_Modern_Boy_(GaT_1956).jpg

No.708 Robin Paint and Poster Truck. Clockwork Truck complete with 12 paints in movable palette, paint brush and painter's ladder. Boxed singly in novel coloured carton of which two sides are in black and white outline for child to paint. Size 7 1/4 in. x 3 1/4 in. x 4 in.

Presumably that is the box size ? As usual with post-war Wells-Brimtoy models, the construction is a mix of tinplate and plastic.

Most of the truck is tinplate, including the cab interior, with a coloured plastic cab top in light blue. It is based on the Bedford S-Type truck.

A friction motor is fitted beneath the vehicle, with a wind-up key on the left side. The colour scheme is mainly red and blue.

It has Made in Gt. Britain on the right side of the cab, with more details on the fold-down tail-gate. Here the name of the maker is given as Welsotoys.

The sides of the truck are colourfully marked, with the name of the toy, and a Robin holding a yellow leaf in his beak. I thought that Robin looked familiar – was it anything to do with the Robin comic ?

Robin was a weekly comic published from 1953 to 1969, initially by Hulton Press, whose other titles included Eagle, Girl, and Swift. It was aimed at very young children.

A Robin was the logo of the comic, and the price was printed on the leaf that the little bird is holding. The Boys Adventure Comics blog has a wonderful article, with numerous excellent photos, showing the truck.

https://boysadventurecomics.blogspot.com/2020/07/updated-guide-to-robin-comic-merchandise.html

What a wonderful toy!

Do you agree?

Eight photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Tractor Been

I used to own one of these beautiful tinplate tractors and trailers. 

Gorgeously made and with working gears, it really was a clockwork wonder.

This week I saw this set with a box online. The box is new to me, my toy was loose. I'm unsure if it's country of origin. You?

I bought mine in a lovely vintage toy shop in the 1990's in the back streets of Scarborough in the Yorkshire coast. I had my Father in Law with me at the time.

Alas, like most things, I sold it years ago to pay for more ..... Vintage toys! 

Wow! International Airways By Technofix!

This tinplate treasure looks a bit special. I mean, Javol!

By Technofix of West Germany it's a real avionic wonder. The finish and box art are superb.

Anyone got one?

The Tin Man Film

Does this short film count as a Frankenstein movie ? It is about a Mad Scientist who builds a robot, which then goes on a rampage.

Thelma Todd (1906-35) and Patsy Kelly (1910-81) made a total of 21 short films for Hal Roach, released by MGM, between 1933 and 1936, the last being released after Todd's death in 1935. They were basically a female Laurel and Hardy team, and very funny.

In The Tin Man (1935), the two are trying to find a house at night, but have not written down the address, and stop at a strange house to use the telephone. It turns out to be the abode of a Mad Scientist, who wants revenge, and unleashes his creation on the pair.

In the end they escape, and capture an escaped convict. Great fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSQDTemOMU4

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Calling Out the Minister!

Hi Woodsy

In a recent post, you mentioned a toy car called the Minister, which had appeared in an auction.

 It seems the car is based on a first-generation Pontiac Chieftain, from around 1953/54 (thanks to Rob Craig for identifying the real car).

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2025/10/yes-minister.html#comment-form

The toy was available both as the Minister Delux sedan, and as the Minister Open Deluxe convertible, in several different colours. Yes, the spelling does vary on the boxes – Delux for the sedan, and Deluxe for the convertible.

It appears that this is a fairly modern toy, but done in a vintage style – some of the boxes actually have on the side 'Warning: This is a collector item. It is not a toy. Should not be sold or given to children'.

In the bottom left hand corner of the box are the words 'Made in India', with the name of the manufacturer in the bottom right hand corner Amar Toy, Delhi. Some also have a small black and gold sticker on the underside of the car saying Made in India.

The convertible box even has the Indian flag flying above one of the buildings in the background. I do not know if this is a reproduction of a real vintage toy, or a completely new design.

Now we come to the worrying part. There are a lot of sales listings for this toy car on-line, and some are perfectly fine.

But some have the words Made in India on the box top either covered up with tape, inked over, or there is 'damage' to the box in that exact spot. The name Amar Toy is also covered with a sticker in many cases.

This makes me suspicious that some people are trying to pass off a modern toy or collector model, as a vintage item.

 Of course, some sellers may have themselves bought these cars in good faith, and now be selling them on, and repeating what they think is the history of the toy.

I would advise caution if you are interested in one of these cars. The box shown in your auction photo has not been altered in any way.

I still do not know where the Minister name comes from, but Hindustan Motors of India made the Morris Oxford Series III as the Ambassador; the Deluxe was based on a Chevrolet Deluxe; and there was also a Contessa model based on the Vauxhall Victor FE. Perhaps the Minster name was just following on from these cars ?

Eight photographs from Worthpoint and Ebay, showing the original boxes, and what appear to be modified versions.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Yes, Minister!

 I saw an auction toy car listed as Minister. I thought it was the boxed black rolls at the top but it's actually the boxed red tinplate (I think) roadster bottom left. Is there a real car actually called the Minister?

Will's Tin Boat

Hi Woodsy

Following Ed's pictures of his Hess lithoe'd tin battleship, here's the sail version.

Enjoy.

Will O.

I'm a Rocket Tin

Paint tins were essential kit back in the Sixties. No self-respecting boomer would be caught without a tin tray of watercolours.

And so it was in East Germany too. This Varia paint tray is just wonderful with those rocket and satellite illustrations. 

Did you have a tin of paints readers? 

Ed's Antique Hess Battleship

Woodsy,

There are more boats out in The Cave than you can shake a stick at and not all of them have been photographed yet - especially the larger ones!

So, I thought you would be interested in the oldest boat (and the oldest toy) in The Hoard: a tin-litho 'Battleship' from the firm of Hess in Germany. 

The boat was sold from 1890-1910 and features a very early form of friction motor. Reportedly, it was also offered by Carrette.

From the Las Vegas Shipyard

Ed

Meet me at the Turnpike

I've said before that the Sears Bandai line are some of the most beautiful tin toys ever.

I mean look at the cruising lines of these Turnpike trucks. They're so Thunderbirds! 

Do you like them? Got any?

Ed's Lever Action Tin-Litho F-104

Well Woodsy.

I met with a bit of frustration trying to locate that lever-action F-104 I recently commented about.

I have one in green (as shown in your photo) as well as a silver one. Yet - apparently, I never took photos of the green version as they're nowhere to be found on the computer - and I would need to mount a full-blown excavation into The Cave to locate it. 

Anywho, here's the same jet in silver.

From Vegas Air Field

Ed

PLANES

I picked these up last month, a bundle of old metal planes and copters.

The green jet is Japanese tinplate, the rest are cast metal.

The small headless plane at the bottom is a cap banger I think.

Most of the cast models have the names of the planes on the undercarriage.

An interesting bunch.

Guardians of the Universe Car

Not sure what to make of this Super Car. I think I like it.

The box art reminds me of a neat Seventies LP record cover!

The name Guardians of the Universe is a good one. There's a definite He-Man vibe to the driver! G -Man! 

The graphics detailing is cool as well.

This was on auction. I think it's tin but can't be sure. I see this general toy vehicle as a tinplate car everywhere. What is it? What make of car?

Arto's Sears Super Sonic Jetliner

Re. your blog post on the subject, I sent you these photos of my orange Sears Super Sonic Jetliner back in 2022. 

It came up here in Finland, in great working condition and with a survivor original box. It is an imposing, sizeable toy in its 62 cm long box.

Sad news, the Suomenlinna Toy Museum which featured my space toy exhibition back in 2017 has closed down after 40 years. Still reeling from the shock.

https://www.hs.fi/helsinki/art-2000011053511.html

Arto

Helsinki Base

Rocket Man! ED's Apollo-X Moon Challenger

Woodsy,

I'm pleased to finally present this toy. 

The T.N. (Japan) Apollo-X Moon Challenger.

I bought the rocket years ago all by itself, without a box. A few years after that I was able to buy the box which had a really rough, piece of junk rocket in it. 

While the box too was a bit rough, it was serviceable. Then the toy promptly sat on the shelves for years until this week when I got off my keester and photographed it. I tried putting some old batteries in it, but it wouldn't move.

 Then, I cleaned the contacts, put new batteries in and off it went! It works like a charm as you can see by the recently uploaded YouTube video.

T.N. (Japan) Apollo-X Moon Challenger Space Toy 1960s

There is one unusual glitch though. 

When I bought the rocket, the 'L'-shaped riser bar was flush against the underside as it should be, and the capsule was fully retracted as well. However, after running, the capsule and riser bar both cycle and cause the rocket to go up and down as it should ....... 

BUT, when the capsule retracts the riser bar remains fully extended and now the rocket won't fit in the box.

From Vegas Rocket Base

Ed