REMOTE-CONTROLLED HOVER PROBE FORCE 3 FROM FERRYMAN

Hi Paul, I've attached the long awaited HP3 pictures. I found this little beauty on Ebay, it was listed in Italian but it didn't put me off bidding. I translated the text from the listing in Google Translate and found that it was in working order and the seller was happy to ship abroad. The seller mentioned in the listing that he had two P3's but the second one was broken. From the translation it appeared that the winner of the auction could make an offer for the second P3, but as I won the auction and didn't have a good knowledge of Italian I decided to stick with one.To my amazement when the package arrived, there were two P3's in it. I kept the best one and sold the second one. Hope the pictures are good enough!

Ferryman

Is this IT? The bell-shaped horror!

Is IT from the 1950's monster flick IT CONQUERED THE WORLD the inspirartion for WOTAN's bell-shaped alien?

BELL-SHAPED ALIEN FROM APOLLO MOON EXPLORING BY WOTAN

As previously shown in an early post, Apollo Moon Exploring sets included a set of 2cm chrome alien figures to threaten our heroic golden astronauts. One of these aliens is a particular favourite of mine, a bell shaped, robotic alien who stamps about the toyworld appearing in other guises, such as on keyrings and most notably as a rubber 'jiggler' toy from the early seventies. On his base is a peculiar logo, comprising the letters A T S in a monogram style. Ive been unable to identify this logo and its even stumped the cereal-maestro Astronit! Can anyone else identify it ? Or has anyone ever seen this guy in any other form of toy ?

HAPPY EASTER BLOGGERS FROM SPACEGGS!

If only all Easter Eggs could be like this! Hope everyone has a great Easter holiday, Woodsy.

Egg now being scoffed by my friend Markus!

APOLLO MOON EXPLORING CARDED SETS

I recently saw these on Ebay USA. Not actually owning any of these carded sets I find myself drawn to them! It's always the way! I think the pastel backing cards themselves are particularly attractive and no doubt eminently displayable. There appears to be a set missing here - which one one is that then?

I'm intrigued though - are the loose alien cake toppers currently on Ebay (see top of blog) the same as these in these carded sets? Uncarded dead stock? The whole cake connection is bizarre, although I would love an alien cake! I've recently read a brilliant article on golden astronauts for cakes in the essential PLASTIC WARRIOR magazine, which I can thoroughly recommend.

THE BARRY FORDE SPACEX COLLECTION

P3 Helicopter

MEV-2

Lifting Body x 2

Cricket

Forklift

Orange Space Patrol 1 and green unlicensed version

Reconnaissance 2

Surveyor

SII - MOLAB

SII - Lunar Transporter

Booster

SII - ATS

All these pictures originally appeared on the Space 1999 Transporter Forum. Reprinted here with the kind permission of Barry Forde.

STOP PRESS!

BLOG EXCLUSIVE COMING SOON - LIMITED EDITION DIE-CAST MINIATURE SCRAMBLE BUG IN PROFESSIONALLY MADE PROJECT SWORD BOX COMPLETE WITH SWORD SPECIFICATION SHEET. EXCLUSIVE TO THE BLOG. MORE DETAILS SOON!

HAWK

From the Woodsy collection: Tri-ang orange Spacex Hawk and green Tarheel Nova Rockets

British Library: Old Toy Trade Journals

Recently wrote to the British Library with a Project Sword/ Trade magazine enquiry. This was the reply, but, having tried, I don't seem to be able to take it further with them. Anyone got these old journals?

"The catalogue records below were selected by a researcher using the British Library Integrated Catalogue. Number : 2 Toy retailing news. (London : Batiste Publications, 1975-78.) (P) TQ 12 -E(1) (0307-6741) Record number : 3 Toy retailing news. (London: Toys International, 1975-) P.2000/423. Record number : 4 Toy trader. (Watford : Turret Group, 1979-1980.) (P) TQ 13 -E(4) (0041-0136) Record number : 5 Toys and fancy goods. (London : Trade News, 1960-62.) (P) TQ 12 -E(6) Record number : 6 Toys international. (London : Batiste Publications, 1962-80.) (P) TQ 12 -E(1) (0041-0195) Record number : 7 Toys International. (London, 1962- .)

Countdown Poster Fever by WOTAN.

Project 21 over on Eagle forum have scanned and hosted all of the first year of TV21 and the whole run of Countdown comic. I missed out on TV21 as a kid, but did get Countdown. In the June of 1971, while in the grip of Apollo 15 fever (!!), there was a pull out poster in Countdown of the next steps in space up to 1988 - was it me or did i miss something ? Ive still got my original poster, encapsulated in plastic and gracing the garage wall, shame we never made it to Mars though...

Nice one Wotan!

APOLLO EXPLORATION BOXED SET

Hi Woodsy,

I saw your article about the Boxed Apollo Exploration set on Ebay in 2005. I picked that one up for a small fortune after some spirited bidding. Gotta love those craters and monsters from outer space! I'll rustle up some pics and send them through to you soon! (although the seller's ebay pics were pretty good). I've ordered my copy of Playset magazine #17 from the friendly folk at Playset mag and am looking forward to seeing the set in print!

Cheers,

Tony Panther

LUCKY TOYS LUNAR PROBE NO.1 - JR21 ROCKET LOOKALIKE

This interesting rocket was recently on Ebay. It's a dead-ringer for the rocket on the JR21 and similar Rocket Carriers featured before on the blog. The name, Lunar Probe No.1, is clearly similar to SWORD names like Probe Force No.1. I am familiar with Lucky Toys making plastic racing cars. Did they make any other space toys or even Lunar Probe 2 and 3 I wonder?

The seller, Ilex18, kindly sent the extra pictures and information before it was sold:

"Hi Paul. I've sent some pictures. It's hard to get clear pics of the small
writing, but it reads on top of box "Lunar Probe No. 1, Friction Drive Chromed
Parts, The Lucky Toys, Made Exclusively For Trade Development Enterprises LTD.,
London." The small writing on side flaps reads "No. 186, Made in Hong Kong."
Hope this info helps.Many thanks for your interest, Holly"

Reconnaissance 2 Die-Cast

Found this little Chinese die-cast Spacex-Reconnaissance-2 lookalike at the last Donnington Toy Fair on Sunday. I liked it!

Original plastic Spacex R2 has appeared on the blog earlier here - from the Paul Vreede collection.

STUMPED BY CRICKET - FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN WOTAN

Now I'm back online here we have the first bloglet in the scoop tray....from our man WOTAN:

The first range of Spacex toys includes the distinctive, purple Base Patrol Cricket P1 - an armoured car with bubble canopy and cannon ( purple vehicle - middle picture). Second series Spacex revived the basic body as a quick addition to the line with the Apollo Tracker (and here). All of the initial run of the first vehicles are found to have been patented by Jack Rosenthal of JR21 toy fame as was discovered by Paul Vreede recently, apart from the Cricket, which does not appear to have been patented. The design of the 'car' first appears in the Remco Hamilton Invaders line in 1964, several years prior to the launch of Spacex, as the Mosquito Jeep (grey vehicle - top picture, also done as blue/red versions).

Remco used the same model for the Star Trek toy line (yellow 'astrocruiser' - top picture) and produced a white version for the Canadian market too (top). Mosquito and Cricket are obviously insectile references, so even overlooking the straight lift of the design, Tri-ang have blatantly plagiarised Remco. Several other army versions of the car have turned up by lesser manufacturers such as Codeg, featuring various styles of rocket launcher or cannon on the back ( four green vehicles above in pictures) and I have even found a modular, 'building block' style set with a red cricket and two other Spacex model bodies and an interchangeable motor base (middle picture).

One thing which always struck me about the cricket in all its variations was the similarity to Ed "Big Daddy" Roths 1963 Beatnik Bandit custom car. Harry Bradley adapted the basic real world design for the Mattel Hot Wheels Redline series and Ed Roth used a similar shape for his 'Orbitron' car and much later Bandit II (bottom pictures)

Might it be possible that there is a real design for a futuristic, atomic age, armoured car lying around somewhere ? Any gearheads care to comment ?

6

Earlier 'cricket' posts: 1 , 2

LOOK AND LEARN

Hi Paul, I've been through a run of Look & Learn recently and don't recall seeing any advertising for either Spacex or Project Sword. I'd certainly remember if I saw any of the latter, given its Gerry Anderson connections. If I do come across anything next time I trawl through some of the magazines, I'll let you know. Regards, Steve Holland

..... which is the reply to my original email: Paul Woods wrote: Hi, I am researching vintage space toys from the 1960's, specifically Spacex and Project Sword. Is it possible to find out which issues had any adverts for these toy lines and see pictures of them at all? Thanks ever so much, Love your site! Paul, UK

PS. I'm pretty sure that I've seen a reference to a Look and Learn Spacex advert. I'll have to dig further - Woodsy.

Back Online!

I'm back! PC Gremlins banished to the netherworld and my kung fu is strong again! Last Donington Toyfair yesterday. More to follow.

DONALD FAGEN'S THE NIGHTFLY

I love ex- Steely Dan's Donald Fagen's 1982 album The Nightfly - sleek sounds for an Atomic age. Like he says 'We've got to have some music on the new frontier'. Listen to a snippet here to the lyrics of the brilliant International Geophysical Year (IGY):

"Standing tough under stars and stripes
We can tell This dream's in sight You've got to admit it
At this point in time that it's clear
The future looks bright
On that train all graphite and glitter
Undersea by rail Ninety minutes from New York to Paris Well by seventy-six
we'll be A.O.K.
What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free
Get your ticket to that wheel in space
While there's time The fix is in You'll be a witness to that game of chance
in the sky
You know we've got to win Here at home we'll play in the city Powered by
the sun
Perfect weather for a streamlined world There'll be spandex jackets one for
everyone
What a beautiful world this will be What a glorious time to be free On that
train all graphite and glitter Undersea by rail
Ninety minutes from New York to Paris (More leisure time for artists
everywhere)
A just machine to make big decisions
Programmed by fellows with compassion and vision
We'll be clean when their work is doneWe'll be eternally free yes and
eternally young
What a beautiful world this will be
What a glorious time to be free"

SWORD DREAM FACTORY: WOTAN'S MOONBASE MODULE 2

From the WOTAN dream machine: I wasn't altogether happy with the rendition of the Moon base module toy I did the other day, so to while away another lunch hour, heres another go - this time with the Imai Scramble bug in, which I reckon was scaled just right. Whole toy would be about 7 inches high.

Gorgeous! Where do I get one! Woodsy

EMAIL GREMLIN

Apologies but articles and pictures that some blog readers - Ferryman, ZZROBOT, WOTAN et al - have sent me some time ago cannot be posted as I can't access my normal email account, were they are stored in a queue. As soon as I can get back in I'll post the material waiting there for a public airing.

HOVER REMOTE CONTROL PROBE FORCE 3 GALLERY

Don of starbase@starbase.plus.com has sent this fabulous and comprehensive gallery of the HOVER REMOTE CONTROL PROBE FORCE 3. Virtually identical to the Century 21 PF3, except it has that fantastic remote control, which places it in the illustrious company of the R/C big three - the Cape Kennedy set, Zero X and the Nuclear Ferry! A beautiful toy and box, into which a lot of thought has gone by Hover. From these excellent shots its clear that Hover didn't put a makers' mark on the toy itself, but the NASA spearhead decals are distinctive and can be seen on other unmarked toys like the orange Space Glider.

Nice one Don!

Woodsy

SPACEX SOYUZ 6 AND 7 AND APOLLO LEM

These fabulous adverts from 1970 were supplied by the Philosophic Toad and have appeared in the early days of the blog. But I love them so here they are again! The lower two toys are like Hens Teeth - or even rarer! Do they even exist? I'm still amazed that a russian spacecraft would be covered in this largely NASA-styled range - the amazing Soyuz 6 and 7. Do any toys in any toy-line exist of these anywhere? The Space Station I find really hard to picture at this angle. Are there any other images of this - the real concept design perhaps - or would it be possible to 3D rotate the image in the picture? And what is that fabulous glider in the distance? Cruiser 1 at a funny angle?

Anyone venture a full list of all 37 'fabulous items' as stated above?