2005 and Beyond: Multiple Reasons to Get Excited

Multiple Toymakers 2005 and Beyond toy series was mentioned on the blog recently by myself and WOTAN. I personally don't have any of these toys but here are a few piccies I have in my archive from Ebay et al. Presumably Multiple Toymakers  recycled Golden Astronaut sets and Missile Launchers to create this range but I'm guessing. I assume they are relatively rare in the overall SpaceX canon? WOTAN recently informatively blogged the following:

2005 & Beyond were Multiple Toymakers retooled ships. Different from standard SPacex in that they left out the more complicated bits of the molding such as the launchers or the cones on the nacelles of SPace Patrol (yes there was one!) Had the Spacex logo removed too, but left behind the little rectangle on which it sat.

Wotan wades in: heres a shot of the 'space patrol' - Ive got both carded sets and as you can see, the production values have gone out the window. It came with no nacelle cones and no provision for missile launch tubes,

The rocket from the 2005 boxed set is a re-used one from another MTM product, the Army Srtike Force as seen above and also in the Plaidstallions  site

There's lots more Multiple Toymakers sets in their catalogue on the supercool Plaidstallions site. [There appear to be both white and blue rockets in the V-shaped windows of the boxed sets]

Here are a few more cool Multiple Toymakers toys including beautiful looking Kung Fu sets and a lovely Trailer Camp carded set of cars, which would look great parked around their Golden Astronaut range!

Spot the SpaceX Difference - Help Needed by Reader Paul V

The other day I got a Spacex set, with what looked like a few common Spacex toys on top of its regular contents. Except that closer inspection has me delighted and mystified on two of them. With Mr Woods' kind cooperation, I would like to ask everyone if they have any that show the same details?

First thing I noticed was that the Needle Probe is marked "made in Hong Kong" underneath its fuselage. Whereas every other one I've ever seen has that marking underneath its wings, with or without a Triang Spacex logo. Second thing I noticed was the rather vivid shade of blue on the landing gear, also the first time I'd seen that as opposed to the greyish blue or black found on other Spacex toys. It's also whitened from having the wheels pinned in, which I'd never seen happen before. And finally I compared it to another example and saw the most obvious difference being the rather mauvish shade of pink, also never seen before. (Other tiny differences are the width of the front landing gear being slightly more narrow, the wheel pins having slightly thicker heads, and the cockpit being a tad higher than usual, but all of those could be still be due to production tolerances I think. And it doesn't have name stickers on the wings, but perhaps those got lost).

And then I noticed the same "made in Hong Kong" under the tail end of my new Space Patrol 1 as well. All narrow caps, with almost no spaces between the words, as opposed to a larger, better spaced marking in the middle of the fuselage, again with or without Triang Spacex logo. And it has the same blue landing gear with the same whitening in it. So I compared that to another example as well, and only then noticed the most obvious again, in that it isn't screwed together like all the others. When preparing the picture above I finally spotted the difference on the engine housing fins, but seem to recall having seen others with rounded instead of square-cut ends which I'll now need to doublecheck. (The darker blue engine nacelles are a common variation, normally found on later-production Patrol craft).

I have no reason to believe these aren't bona-fide Spacex toys (and wouldn't know what the heck else they might be if they're not), but all the different details on them do make me wonder a bit. And also where they might fit in time-wise with the other variations. Which is why I hope somebody else has these toys showing the same details, or yet another Spacex toy with the same colour landing gear. And if you've got it in (or removed it from) a Spacex pack then I'd be very happy to hear that too. Any luck?

Many thanks in advance

--

Paul Vreede

Mobil X-30

1956 magazine advert. The craft is similar to the 1960's JR X-30 Space Explorer toy.

Copies of the Ad available on Amazon and Ebay.

The Skeletons in My Cupboard

When I was a little horror in the Sixties I was monster mad. I drove my poor parents crazy with my dark penchant for Dracula, Frankenstein and all their Universal fiends. Like many monster kidz one of my earliest ghoulish Christmas goodies was the Airfix Skeleton, realistically jointed and able to move like a proper 'scalliwag'! [piccied above]. Not satisfoed with simply making the model I then proceeded to create a small theatre by removing the seat from a dining table chair, blocking off the back and sides and dangling the skeleton on cotton strands! It was joined by somewhat stiff Pyro Dinosaurs like Anklyosaurus, my favourite. Rubber monster jigglers completed the gothic stage and I put on performances for friends and family on dark winter evenings![ Is that strange?]. My older brother's collection of Aurora monsters was for me the peak of monsterdom, which included the creepily boney Forgotten Prisoner of Castle Mare. Ugh!

When I started to read about vintage toys in the early 1990's I got hold of the great Bill Bruegman's books [I once wrote to him and got a reply!]: Aurora Models and Toys of the Sixties, where I learned about more skeleton kits I would have LOVED as a kid but somehow they passed me by, MPC's Pirates of the Caribbean [example above]. I also discovered the ultra-rare Creature from the Black Lagoon by Penn Plax [below]. Penn Plax were the kings of fish tank thingies or 'action aerating ornaments' and the combination of monster toys and aquariums is irresistible. I'm unsure if they are actually toys but I do love their plasticcy looks now. I'll never have the dabloons for the awesome Creature but I have owned a beautiful Fishing Boy and red Frogman [below]. Penn Plax also brought outer space to the bottom of the sea with UFO's and Zoid-like craft. I particularly like their version of the LEM, which they've cleverly re-badged the Sealab Explorer [below].

Anyone else like skeleton toys, Aurora/ Pyro models or Penn Plax and other aquarium ornaments? Stories and piccies welcomed!

Bingo's Sunday Morning Cartoon Cavalcade

For Toad
Sir Prancelot
http://youtu.be/ZuHz8I7sohQ

For Yorkie
Top Cat
http://youtu.be/ykRZbOb1c5c

For Andy B
Noggin The Nog
http://youtu.be/pTcStBUW2Ao

For Mike
Rocket Robin Hood Opening
http://youtu.be/6MfisiGqtEM
and episode 'Dementia 5'
http://youtu.be/K8_2GUXnPu4

and For Me!
King Arthur and the Knights of the Square Table
http://youtu.be/q7O7NgjWPeM
[never knew it was Australian!]

....and now go and fill up your bowl of cornflakes or ricicles or puffa puffa rice or ...can't remember any more cereals! Can you? [have most lasted?]

Things of Plastic

It's not often I come across another site which covers our friends Spacex and Apollo Moon Exploring but here's one, Things of Plastic. There's some great close-up piccies. Enjoy.

http://thingsofplastic.blogspot.com/2011/04/lw-tri-ang-space-toys.html

Oxy Gum Anyone?

The opening credits of Saturday morning cartoons were often as enjoyable as the main events themselves. One of my favourites was Marine Boy, particularly the red metal spider crab he faces on the ocean floor [above]. Another great one was The Rhino smashing through a biulding wall in the opening of the original Spider-Man cartoon ["...catches theives just like flies!"... you remember!]. Puffa Puffa Rice never tasted so good!

Have you a favourite cartoon opening credit [or fave breakfast cereal]?

Kiddy City R2

I was intrigued when I saw this old AHI carousel toy on Fleabay. The description clearly stated that its from 1962 and the Disney Moonliner rocket on the box art backs this up. The toy sold for nearly £1000.

It wasn't any of this that I found interesting though. It was the pilot bays in the flying rockets as you can see below. Am I dreaming again or do they remind you of R2D2 sat in Luke's X-Wing [pictured below]? A whole 15 years earlier!