The internet has changed all our lives and certainly the way we collect. Before the late 1990's I used to send off stamped addressed envelopes for peoples' lists of collectables for sale or trade. They would advertise in the small ads at the back of Model Mart and in the local Yorkshire newspaper.
Those snail-mail days are long gone but I do find myself missing them. There was something very tangible about receiving paper letters and lists through the post and following things up on the phone. This is how I got my entire project SWORD collection during the 1990's.
What do you think readers? Was it the Dark Ages back then or actually a great time for collecting?
This is my latest home movie: trying out the spring-loaded mechanism of the illustrious Nuclear Ferry toy. The toy is on loan to me from a kind collector so I have been understandably careful with the experiment.
I have put off posting the results, filmed in January, because, after careful planning, part of it went completely wrong - you couldn't see anything! Rather than put it off any longer I've simply chopped out the dross and will film a second part soon! Be patient.
This year's new SWORD cyber- sightings are coming thick and fast. Some are Japanese collectables we've seen before and some are new to the blog.
First up is this beautiful shop display of rack toys. Japanese shops appear to have gone in for these cards of assorted bagged plastic gifts in big way. They probably still do. The SWORD interest is the bagged blue pop rocket top right. The header card has Probe Force 2 illustrated on it. We've seen this before but never on its display card like this. Interestingly, next to it is a grey Angel Interceptor! See the close-up shot.
Next up are a series of online appearances of our friend the 1972 Imai kit Thunderbird 7, known to SWORD fans as the Beetle, the shielded version of the Snow Train. This first shot is the kit almost finished.
mibro
This Imai Thunderbird 7 is definately new to the blog. Dirtied down and mounted on a sandy base, it looks fantastic and totally transformed.
This final shot is of a white Thunderbird 7. The still is from a Japanese collectables book posted online. It says that the model was issued in 1989/1990. Was it white plastic instead of the standard yellow or has someone simply painted it white? Was the box the same in 1989?
In the blog's first year we reported on a Japanese meccano-style Scramble Bug toy by DeltaX. We've never seen the back of the box - until now. You can see that the biult-up toy can double-up on itself. Whether this toy is inspired by the SWORD Scramble Bug I don't know but it does look similar.
Yahoo Japan
Here's the small Japanese model Zero-X again. This time we see it with its box. I'm not sure if its Glico or Morinaga.
Yahoo Japan
And finally the most exciting sightings of the month are the next three items. First we have two small green plastic SWORD replicas, which I assume form part of the hard plastic Japanese miniature fleet reported on the blog before. The Probe Force 2 is completely new and the green colour of the Scout 2 is new to the blog too.
Yahoo Japan
The last item was flagged up by two fellow SWORDies at the same time, Terry H and Salim, to whom I'm grateful for the heads-up. Its a Japanese display card of assorted bags of plastic toy spaceships. the real SWORD interest is the header card, which shows what is clearly a Nuclear Ferry. This time we have an astronaut sat astride it and another space-walking. I can't see any Nuclear Ferry toys in the bags although the red and white UFO type spaceship top right on the illustration does feature as a grey toy in the bags at the bottom.
Yahoo Japan
This display card illustration is very similar to this one we saw on the blog years ago featuring space watches rather than bagged toys. The Ferries are identical.
As the premiere of the new Thunderbirds Are Go series creeps slowly closer and with it, the release of Vivid's toy range here's some more pics we may or may not have seen from various internet and social media sources that include a photo of the new Thunderbird 3 toy and it's curious grab arms.
Still waiting for FAB 1, although I have read a few unconfirmed rumours on social media that something might be revealed in the not too distant future!
Playing with analogue photographic effects again, so I thought i'd bring out my Narcissus toys. Big one is the half finished Halcyon kit, part weathered and needing decals and the other, with the 'E' insignia, is the excellent Galoob Action Fleet toy. And for a big no - prize, whats the connection between today and the ship?
Top: T in a Circle/ Tai Hing Moon Prospector - Stafano Valsecchi, Second Down: Chibi/ Bichi Explorador Planetario Moon Prospector - karafankunte, Third Down: Soma Space Ship X711 [Thunderbird 5 knockoff] - bbrsales bottom: Yoshiya Sky Patrol Flying Saucer - choose4us Start them all of together! Courtesy of You Tube
Years ago I found a huge boxed set of plastic track with a couple of fantasy type cars at a local sale. The cars looked like they were snake or lizard skin. Long since sold, for the life of me I can't recall the name.
I was amazed to see the self same car on an Argentinian auction site - the Viagem Fantastica. The box art even shows the multi-coloured chunky track.
