Happy Eastertide Readers!

What are you up to this Easter readers? 

I know it's Good Friday but are you scoffing choccy eggs yet?

Ed Needs Help Identifying Rocket

Woodsy,

I got this rocket in a job lot some years ago and have yet to be able to identify its maker. Maybe one of Moonbase's knowledgeable readers can shed some light?

From Vegas Base

Ed

One Man Custom: My Home-Made Johnny Seven

Since childhood and my parents giving me a Johnny Seven one Christmas I've always loved this classic Topper toy rifle.

Like all my old toys I guess it went to Preston's landfill back in the mid-Seventies.

Remembering how much I loved it, in 2000 I bought myself a boxed Johnny Seven at the NEC's Memorabilia show. It was from an affable young dealer called Ian and cost £300, the most I've ever spent on a collectable.

It's tucked safely away in the attic.

 I do occasionally get it out on maneuvers!

I restored another Johnny Seven in 2007 for re-sale, replacing some missing parts with original and repro replacements.

I blogged about it some years back, the post comments becoming a sort of talking shop for J7 restorers! 

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2018/04/rebuilding-johnny-seven-one-man-army.html?m=1

And so to the present. Having finished my Secret Sam rifle recently I was looking for something else to make, when I came across a bunch of old Nerf guns at the Thorpe Arch boot sale. Bingo! £4 later I had my raw materials for making a ........

..... Johnny Seven! 

With a good dose of bits from my bits box and a pair of plastic shoe horns the toy began to take shape.

A couple of home-made missiles completed the look.

Dipping my toe into paint spraying for the first time, I took my mock-off in the garden ......

... And primed it red.

I made a whole armoury of missiles!

And here's Johnny! 

The One Man Army made in the kitchen! 

Hope you like it.

You can see it's a similar size to the original.

Phew! Boy, was it fiddly but lots of Topper fun! 

*

Next up, Redbox Secret Agent.

Rob's Tarheel Nova II Drawing

Woodsy,

I was going through some old papers, and found this odd drawing I made circa 1970.

It shows a side view of my Tarheel Nova II, along with some strange typewritten "specifications" which I do not recall at all! 

Anyways, there it is, and it gives you an idea of how obsessed I was with that toy at the time!

Rob C

Ct

USA

Ed's Tarheel Project Sword Probe Force 2 Prepping For Take-off

Woodsy,

I haven't figured out if my Tarheel PF2 is taking off from the Project SWORD field in Woomera or London .....

... But, here it is just outside the hangar on my new runway display board!

From Vegas Base

Ed

Ed's New Runway Diorama/Display/Photo Board

Woodsy,

Back in 2018 I built a runway project out in The Cave, a 20"D x 96" (8ft) L runway to display various space and aircraft toys on for photography.

 It was a good concept but ended up falling flat.

Why? Well, first and foremost it was a shelf - a long shelf - and I really needed that space to store toys on. Secondly, in order for me to take in all 8ft in one photo, I'd have to knock a hole in the opposite wall and make the shot from outside!

I've had a couple of 2'x4' framed pieces of particle board sitting out in The Cave waiting for me to come up with some kind of idea for their eventual use. I thought, heck, I have soooo many spaceships, aircraft, helicopters, hangars, launch pads, etc., it's nutz - and no decent way to photograph them. The project isn't finished yet, but just good enough to start taking photos on, which I will send in a follow-up e-mail. The project was worked on top of our washer and dryer out in The Cave as shown in these photos.

From Vegas Air Field

Ed

Ed's Banks

Woodsy,

Here's some of the banks in my collection. A couple you've already seen, a couple you haven't:

The Astro Mfg Guided Missile Bank (I had one of these as a kid - but in a matte finish)

Fosta Plastic Space Ship Bank

Ertl #F004 Diecast Hershey's 1932 Northrop Gamma Plane - Bank

Ertl No. GC-5041 Diecast Miller Genuine Draft Truck Bank

I think there's a couple more out in The Cave that I haven't gotten around to photographing yet.

From Vegas Base

Ed

Creature Feature

A big fan of the Creature from the Black Lagoon, I love this huge wall statue that's out.

I'm tempted to dip my toe in! 

Do you fancy the creature hanging over your door?

MORE STAR TRAVELLER: THE RV IN THE WOODS

Another random toy connection I thought I'd had was whilst watching the uber-brilliant Cabin in the Woods horror film from 2011.

The protagonists of the flick, a group of young friends, travel to the cabin in a large RV truck [do I need to say truck? Is RV enough?]

It reminded me immediately of the Barbie Star Traveller by Mattel released in 1976. Not sure it is the same though. Anyone know the RV make?

A huge toy, which I was thrilled to find at a car boot sale years ago. There were tons of parts inside and I had a superb Sunday afternoon in the garden putting it all together. It was fiddly though and TV commercials at the time recommended that Parents put it together! ha ha

Lets Go Barbie!

Rob's Heimat Holiday

Woodsy,

Just for fun, here are pix of a few German HO scale houses I've decided to take to Goodwill. 

I've had them for years, and frankly, I need the space! No train layout anymore, so I have to be discerning on what I keep.

 All of these hail from the 1960's, although some of the builds are more recent.

Rob C

USA

Cor! Gormiti Island

I saw this at last week's local boot sale, the Gormiti Isola di Gorm. Despite being relatively modern, the box was HUGE, which instantly drew me in!

Looking inside it appeared to be a group of big plastic hills and a playmat. The pictures are examples on the net.

I had to walk away as I felt my hand reaching for cash. It was just too darn big to own!

Do you know Gormiti? 

Have you any huge boxed toys?

The Adventures of Captain Video and His Futuremen (An Extremely Short Story) - Pt. 1

Woodsy,

Aboard his spaceship the 'X-9', an unknown spaceship has been detected on Captain Video's radar screens. 

Upon hailing the unknown ship, all transmissions were met by an eerie silence. 

 Captain Video decides to board the hulk in an attempt to find answers and, upon entering the ship, quickly learns the air is breathable.

From Vegas Base

Ed

Hopping Mad

It's nearly Easter readers.

I'm mad about the eggs, Spring, holidays and chocolate.

Are you looking forward to it?