MYSTERY SATELLITE TOY

I saw this strange Satellite space toy online.

I recognise the pink and blue handle, which I associate with spinning toys.

I assume that the spinning element of this toy is the plastic ball reminiscent of Telstar.

But what is the red item in the bag? How does that fit in?

DINKY FAB 1 ROLLS ROYCE

Elegance, charm and deadly danger!

When it comes to collecting vintage Thunderbird toys, the  Dinky FAB 1 Rolls Royce is definitely a must have.

These die-cast models were produced between 1966 to 1977, and featured detailed painted figures of  Parker at the wheel, and Lady Penelope elegantly seated in the back. The figures were covered  by a clear plastic canopy which also slid back .

It has a front firing missile, which shot out of the Rolls Royce radiator grill, and four harpoon type missiles shooting out at the back.

Like most Dinky toys it went through a few subtle changes over the years during it's manufacture. Generally speaking there are four slightly different Penelope pink  versions, and a darker fluorescent coloured pink version (Collectors have reported other colours which could possibly be prototypes, factory errors or simply 'code 3' fakes )  

The simple rule of thumb is early versions had painted pink strips running down the back of the canopy, later versions are clear.  There are also four different types of wheel hubs, starting with a 'Star' type, followed by  smaller Spun, which had larger tyres, then cast with large tyres, and finally smaller Cast, which are the type that appear in my photos.

" Parker, get out the Rolls Royce!"

"Yes M'lady"

GO FLOAT ROBOT

I found loads of loose toy robots when I was an avid car booter or as I liked to think, they found me!

One of them was the Go Float robot. It was strange droid made of yellow plastic and standing on a single leg with a brush as a foot. Yes, a brush! It could dust round the house in no time!

The bristles gave the robot a floating movement when switched on, hence the name.

It also had a sort of spanner set on its chest like the hands of a clock. There were wheels instead of arms. 

All in all a cute bot but very odd. Have you got one readers?

XL5 TO H2O

Had this repackaged Steve Zodiac type water pistol for years. Not bad for 65p.

IMAI GOOD BOY MODEL SCRAMBLE BUG: DISPLAY BOX

These are pictures I found on a Japanese auction site of the mini die-cast Scramble Bug by Imai. 

Each bug came in its own clear plastic box typical of the Imai/ Edai Grip ranges.

Six bugs were packed into a yellow carton, which I assume was for wholesale going out to model and toy shops.

Has anyone got this small die-cast Bug?

DINKY 'GABRIEL' MODEL T FORD

I have to admit this isn't a favourite. Apart from John Steed's Bentley, I'm not really a fan of vintage cars.

Dinky released 'Gabriel' in 1969, and ceased production in 1971. To me it's an unremarkable Model T Ford die-cast, painted yellow and black, with a figure of Father Unwin at the wheel, and a couple of 'Gabriel' stickers either side.

It did come with an attractive box and display plinth, though.

I can still remember watching The Secret Service  when it first appeared on TV towards the tail end of 1969, but I've no idea how I found out about it.  Apart from my own local  TV channel, Granada, it was only shown on a couple of other regional TV channels in the UK. so there was certainly no big publicity push, but somehow I did manage to watch all of it's thirteen seldom seen episodes.

I remember enjoying it, seeing how it was another Gerry Anderson production. The models and sets were the best Century 21 had produced up to that point, and I was already aware of  comedian Stanley Unwin and his ' 'Unwinese', but, even as a youngster, I found it a bit pedestrian, and the long shots of live actors did become jarring after a while.

But the big let down was that the 'hero' vehicle  was just an old vintage car - charming perhaps, but not very exciting.

Subsequently, I never bothered picking up Dinky's 'Gabriel' model at the time. It was hardly the imaginative futuristic vehicle that I'd come to expect from Gerry Anderson's  other Sci-fi  creations.

I did find this knocked about example, many years later at a car-boot sale, which I bought for fifty pence. I know it's not perfect, and  I know there's many collectors out there who do enjoy this model, and  proudly display it, (more than likely next to their Dinky 'Stripy' Minis from Candy and Andy.) and that's fine of course. Maybe it's appeal is the very fact that it is so different to the other 'hero' vehicles in Gerry's series.

September Beckons

In a month's time it'll be the blog's birthday. Hard to believe it began way back on September 15th 2008!

If you have any pictures, stories, articles or art that you would like to appear during the birthday week  in September then simply email it to either Scoop, Bill or me.

Naturally it wants to be about vintage collecting but also vintage pop culture, monsters, space and scifi will do just fine.

Till then.

DINKY SAM'S CAR

Sam Loover's car, the second of the two Dinky die-casts featuring vehicles from Joe 90.

Like Joe's Car, this model came out in 1969, appearing in the Dinky catalogue from May of that year.

It continued being advertised up to 1973 in the Dinky catalogue, and while Joe's Car appeared in the 1974 catalogue, Sam's car did not, so I'm assuming it ceased production during this time. 

It's fairly well known to collectors that Sam's Car came in a variety of different colours, the three commonest are chrome, powder blue, and metallic red. But, several other colours have also come to light, such as a different shade of red, white and gold. There are probably others. 

The model's gimmick was a 'keyless clockwork motor' or alternatively speaking, a pull back and go mechanism.

It also came with a self-adhesive W.I.N lapel badge which was attached to the inner display plinth.