A WINTERS TALE

I could do with this cool Firecat tracked toy, seen on Ebay last year, this morning for my run to the milk and bread shop! It's like a bad day on Io here in West Yorkshire, England, where Spring is still snoozing under the snow. There's blizzards, gales and snow falling outside my window!  On the News they've shown the Army using Snowcats to rescue drivers stranded on stricken motorways!What's the weather like where you are in the world today?

COHETE LUNAR VARIANT

The Cohete Lunar by Uniplast has appeared on this blog many times. From Argentina it's main claim to fame for us SWORDie SpaceXers is the fact that the card art rocket is lifted directly from Ed valigursky's original painting of the NOVA rocket, which featured in the Life Man and Space book. There are a number of colour variations of this plastic toy: blue, yellow and red.

 

 

There is also a card art variant by the same company I've recently stumbled across. I don't recognise the artwork at all and I personally much prefer the above NOVA car art.

Metal Men in Space

Zylemex/Zee toys Metal Man range of figures from 1977. An attempt to get a market share of the Mego//Takara Micronauts fever. Heavy die cast figures which have an almost fifties space chic to them. Majority came in the limited edition Sears box set.

Snow Joke

I know a lot of you folks in Europe and beyond cope with snow and ice without any problems but here in Blighty a flurry of snow and a very chilled wind and the country grinds to halt!

I loved this weather when I was a kid but these days it's just a pain.

Struggling to start the Probe this morning I made my way to work but on the way looking at the fields I thought how picturesque they looked.

It cheered me up so I thought I'd share  them with you people  - roll on summer!

HOLY GRAIL: CAPTAIN SCARLET

Reader and Captain Scarlet collector has sent me this picture of his own personal Holy Grail, a vintage Spectrum Helicopter Watering Can. Has anyone ever seen one?

Octopussy Jet / Artos Aerocar

I do like a good Bond movie and Skyfall is probably the best yet, but possibly one of the limpest outings was Octopussy, lacking any really major villain and light on technology. Apart from the nifty little jet plane that was stowed in a horsebox. Corgi made a fine little Juniors carded set with car and horsebox and the plane itself which is barely an inch long. I never got the whole set, but found the plane somewhere along the way.

Ubercollector Arto sent me a snap of his Corgi Juniors Aerocar, as seen in Man with the Golden Gun, flown by Scaramanga. Not officially tied to the film, but clearly related.

SPANISH MILITARY CRICKET: NEW TO THE BLOG

On a recent scouting trip into the cyber wastes I was searching for Spanish jeep toys. To my utter surprise up popped the above image for a military vehicle very similar in design to the SpaceX/ Golden Astronaut cricket.

 

This Spanish military toy is called Jeep Ejercito I think but this needs checking. What's certain is that it was made by MOLTO, the prolific Spanish plastic toy maker, well known to Thunderbirds toy collectors for their beautiful versions of Thunderbirds 1, 2 and 3 in both single and triple boxes [photo's welcomed by the way!]

 

Here are more shots of the Spanish military cricket unboxed and minus the rear radar assembly and aerial. From the box art it's possible that a further seated soldier attached to the radar itself.

 

pictures: todocollecion

ARTO'S 'FIND A FLYING SAUCER AT WORK DAY'

My previous post asking if any readers have any photos for  'Take A Space Toy To Work Day'  turned up a super looking flying saucer money box from mega collector, contributor and all round good friend of the Blog, Arto.

He writes,

"Your blog post was aptly timed for me, since as a matter of fact I *did* have a space toy with me at work today as well - for a simple fact that it came my way today! Found it during lunch break while browsing one of the local thrift shops I like to frequent every now and then. Formerly unknown money box in the shape of a fancy space vehicle. Not too old, perhaps 1980's-90's or even more recent, but the design is a killer! It was made by a company TGP in Norway, but I could not find anything more about this particular model for now.

The diameter of the beast is 17 cm. The hole for inserting coins is at the back.

Sending this to you guys in case the design brings up any thoughts about influences that went into it".

Well, anyone come across this little beauty or got any ideas about it?

And don't forget, any other photos for 'Take A Space Toy To Work Day' are always welcome.