BUGS GLORIOUS BUGS - PLACO & DURHAM

WOTAN has sent in more bugs - and what great ones too! Placo Toys and Durham Industries. I love the Super Scrambler box! It'd be great to see a colour picture! Anyone help?

NEW DISCOVERY - MEGO SPACE TRACT SPACE GLIDER

Newly discovered on Ebay USA is this amazing SPACE TRACT ROCKET SHIP knockoff of the SPACE GLIDER. Described as a battery operated spaceship made by MEGO in early 1970. The ship is marked Hong Kong and measures 14.5 inches from tip of antennae to rear. The box describes the features as being jet sound, bump n go with tail light. I managed to get some extra pictures of the toy from the seller. The normal twizzle knob has been replaced with a very strange pilot globe. I have seen something like this before but can't think where. It amazes me that a big company like MEGO, famous for Super Hero action figures, made a spacve ship like this. It begs the question are there any more out there? Unfortunately I dipped out of the bidding early on as the old coffers are low! Still I am thrilled to get the pictures on the blog and am amazed that after 20 years I am still seeing SWORD knockoffs like this that I have never seen before. Even in recession Life is good!

FAMOUS BUGS - LA LA LA LA LA LA LA

BANANA SPLITS BUGGY

SPACE 1999 MOON CAR

SPACE 1999 TV SERIES MOON CAR

SPACE 1999 MOON CAR CUSTOM

SINDY CAMPER BUGGY

Couldn't resist posting these famous bugs! There's a Space 1999 Moon Car for sale at Metropolis Toys. There must be more famous bugs but I reckon the Banana Splits are the coolest. Check out YouTube at the page bottom for crazy video footage! That's it, no more now!

NYLINT TWISTER SCRAMBLE BUG

Now I'm hooked! There's tonka-style Bugs everywhere on the net! Here's some more - the fabulous NYLINT TWISTER! Check out this TONKA BUGGY too.

I promise I'll stop! Is there a tonka-style one that looks exactly like the SWORD Bug I wonder?

COOT - THE REAL LIFE SCRAMBLE BUG

Paul Vreede, ace Blog reader, has sent in these cool pictures of the real life Scramble Bug - The COOT! One has just sold for just shy of $1,600 on Ebay USA. What a fabulous all-terrain vehicle, clearly the basis of the TONKA CRATER CRAWLER posted the other day on the blog (check out Ebay USA for more). Paul has sent a link for the COOT on YouTube too - what gloriously wet fun! Finally, Paul has sent a fabulous link to an All-Terrain Vehicles website Route 66. Check it out!

MY EARLY COLLECTION 1990

Recently I found these shots of my early vintage toys collection from around 1990 including my first re-acquired Project Sword toy, the SPACE GLIDER (bought at an evening toy fair in Normanton - they were great!). The snaps were taken by a professional photographer mate of mine back then, which I have scanned for the blog. Around 1990, I started to buy Model and Collectors Mart magazine, which was absolutley wonderful. The classifieds were excellent and were the 'Ebay' of their day - I miss them a lot (I used to advertise for PROJECT SWORD information!) The mint bubble-boxed Corgi Juniors Batmobile in the bottom pic was my first purchase through the magazine - from the excellent TV TOYZONE. I was so excited when it arrived in the post. Those were the days! Alas, many of the toys pictured have been swapped/sold over the years.

HUNGARIAN SEA SWORD

This Hungarian UFO ship (EBAY) sort of reminds me of the SEA SWORD (top), which appears in the Project SWORD annual. On second thoughts, maybe not!

TONKA SCRAMBLE BUG E.R.V CRATER CRAWLER

I don't know, I just like this Tonka ERV on Ebay USA. Those huge wheels remind me of the Scramble Bug. Those Tonka toys sure were tough!