MYSTERY MAN

Picked this plastic figure up this week.

I thought is was a small GI Joe action figure but I can't figure it out. Can you ID this ninja style black-caped fella?

JUST HOW BIG ARE PREHISTORIC ANIMALS?

This walking size chart will amaze the dinosaur fan in you! How big?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK2IEM4zzk

Avon - That Name Rings a Bell

In the seventies and as far as I recall the late sixties, there was a regular occurence in our houshold, every month or so, when the 'Avon Lady' would call. This mystery woman would appear, deliver various toiletries and leave again, allowing my sisters and mum to peruse the contents of the delivery and the included catalogue. At the time, I didn't pay much heed to the various goings on and odd scents drifting from the bathroom shortly after. It was only after I noticed the catalogue open at the bath goods page and saw some brightly coloured childs bubble bath items.

Being a fan of a good bath and plastic tat, I was curious. There were, especially at xmas, a good selection of kids toiletries, like Soap on a Rope, bubble bath and shampoo - all attractively packaged in car shaped bottles, submarine soaps, and rocket tubs. So, naturally next time the Avon Lady appeared, I made a beeline for the box, to see if either my sisters or my mum had taken my pestering on board and forked out for some goodies for me.

Those days are long gone now, along with the Tupperware Woman and the Prudential and Pools Men, lost along the wayside as first mail order and then online shopping took hold. But it is interesting to see some of these items still appearing today, testament to Avon Cosmetics marketing and product drive, almost every household in Britain had Avon toiletries knocking about, sometimes unused as some of the contents were, quite frankly, dreadful.

One of the gimmicks they used to hook the kids, was the clever combination of packaging and a play element, along with the eye watering soaps and sprays. One great example is the 'Moon Flight Game' (with non-tear shampoo). This was a nice boxed combination of a bottle, with a lid shaped like a lunar lander, some counters and heavy vinyl playmat. Unscrewing the lid and placing the lander in a docking position on the command module (empty) bottle, you could squeeze the concertina base and blast the capsule off across the playmat, scoring points dependant on where it landed.

The graphics on the box are good and rather excellent on the vinyl mat, very typical of seventies space race fare. At the head of the post we also see the AV-1 Spacecruiser shampoo bottle, given to me by my good friend Paul V. A simple, elegant, almost art deco style with a removeable nosecone lid.

Next up, my most recent addition, the Avon Spinning Top. Feeding my current passion for tops, I spotted this just this week and it is in excellent condition, complete with bright 60's box and instructions. The winders catches are suffering plastic fatigue, but strong enough to set it spinning perfectly.

The red top would unscrew allowing the bubble bath to be dispensed, until finally empty, it makes an admirable spinning top with great balance.

Back to the seventies once more for Avon Wild Wood Aftershave, in a very fine totem pole shaped decanter. Another of my obsessions, totem poles, brought this beauty to my attention some while ago. Opening the plastic thunderbird lid, the heady scent of earthy fragrance is still evident. Testament to Avons mixmasters that it still survives after all this time in the empty glass bottle!

For further info on space themed cosmetics, check out Alphadromes page on bath toys:

http://alphadrome.net/forums/topic/22150-avon-space-mission-decanter-bubble-toy-space-ships/

THUNDERCATS POCKET MONEY TOYS -O!

What a range of toys!

http://thundercats.org/collectibles/classic-1980s-merchandise/miscellaneous/pocket-money-range/

Anyone have any? I have.

ALNWICK CASTLE

This is Alnwick Castle, the ancient stronghold shouldering the River Aln in the kingdom of Northumbria.

Me and the Missus visited over Spring Bank.

Vast and complete with a resident Earl, its sprawling medieval bulk has witnessed history and made history.

It was Hogwarts as well.

 

It was first begun in stone in 1096.

The ramparts bristle with statues.

The dragon experience for Potter-mad kids is neatly tucked away

Its brooding towers overlook the rural Aln valley.

Its library contains 14,000 old books.

Unusual features like this spiked lamp abound.

Alnwick is one of the many wonderful castles in this ancient Northern county and one of the most complete in England.

Naturally it had a fine shop and many a child bought plastic swords and helmets and shields just like I did when I was a knight-mad nipper.

What do you think of Alnwick Castle?

Do you like castles and knights? Did you have any toys?

Remco Movieland Drive-in Theatre

Hi

Here is the Remco Movieland Drive-in Theatre toy (the British spelling of theatre is used on the toy itself, rather than the US spelling, which is only used in the YouTube titles), which had a working projector. First up is an advertisement for the toy. The set included six toy cars, which look to be tinplate.

(2) Remco Movieland Drive-in Theater - YouTube

Then a very brief look at how the film strips were loaded - the 'films' were simply a series of still images, like many other toy movie projectors.

(2) Drive In Movie Theater Toy - YouTube

This one runs through the Mighty Mouse film. I do not know if further films were available separately.

(2) Vintage Remco Movie Drive In Theatre Battery Operated Toy - Reanimation Toys - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

MID-WEEK MEGA SALE

 Quite a good catch today at the local mega car boot sale in a huge field.

Some Pokemon goodies for Moonbase Junior and some older stuff for yours truly. A few die-casts in there too. There must have been at least a thousand die-casts spread around in trays and boxes across the field.

There's some Bandai Power Rangers, a Takara Hobby Joy car, three old Hot Wheels, a Majorette Holiday Inn car and so on.

What do you think?

As always there were tons of things I liked but couldn't get like some of these ace tough Tonka vehicles. I like the Brinks van at the front left. 

Can Anyone Identify this Masked Hero/Villain?

Hi Woodsy, this bust has been in the barbershop for a while now and customers and staff often ask who it is and I've gotta say I've no idea, many years ago I had a pair of encyclopedias of heroes and villains from the comic book world but I'm still stumped! 

Any readers have an angle on this?

MJ 

Southcoast base