DIRTY LOOKS

 

I saw this dirtied down Task Force 3 last year on auction. I kept a pic because I wanted to ask you if you liked the effect its created, the dirtying down?

Personally I don't like it and prefer to see toys left alone but that's the collector in me. As a kid I also messed with stuff like you will have done. Maybe a kid did this?

MEN IN BLACK: KOLCHAK?

Reading further into my TV Horror book I was amazed to read something about Kolchak the old American TV series. It says that there was an organisation in it called Men in Black. is that right? Is that where the comic version and the later Will Smith film comes from? Do you know readers?

BATMAN'S PORSCHE

Being a fan of both Batman and sports cars I thought this Argentinian Carrera was a cracker!

Bats looks so relaxed in his comfy seat under the canopy.

I suppose you could stick a Batman decal on anything and make it a Bat toy. Argentina produced hundreds of presumably unlicensed plastic Batman cars of different types and this is just one of them online.

Do you like it?

Have you stuck a Batman sticker on anything?

Zero Sum

Well it was interesting to note Woodsy's comment the other day as to what we were collecting. I said that I had moved away from most space toys due to their inaccessibility. This happened a while ago, and to fil the gap, I sometimes bought unusual army toys. One line which I really enjoyed was the late 90's line from Bluebird, 'Zero Hour'. The basic line was a range of armed forces facing up against a renegade terrorist group, called Bad Brigade. The toys took cues from M.A.S.K toys, allowing commercial vehicles to transform into fighting machines.

Recently, I was really pleased to hear from Richard Dixon who was the chief publicist and photographer for Bluebird and he shared a lot of the displays he built for the model shoots. Richards work can be seen on the blog and on his site which is recorded here:

https://projectswordtoys.blogspot.com/2018/05/richard-dixons-zero-hour-in-beginning.html?m=1

It was great to hear Richard's story about how the line was publicised and through him, I was able to get a better picture of the full extent of the line. As a result, I finally managed to secure the last set in the line, a Bad Brigade Ambulance which can be converted into an assault craft for amphibious attacks. The set also comes with troops, a frogman, a sea scooter and an inflatable power boat.

So with this line finally under wraps, I can concentrate on maybe building a diorama like Richard's!

Oscar Mayer Company History

Hi

         I just found a very interesting history of the Oscar Mayer company on You Tube. It shows several of the Wienermobile vehicles that have been used over the years. Well worth a look for any fans of the Hot Wheels models.

I Wish I was an Oscar Mayer Weiner - Life in America - YouTube

Paul Adams from New Zealand

NO TERRAINEAN

With the previous super sonic tin toy in mind, I've often wondered if Jack Rosenthal and co ever considered releasing the Thunderbird's Fireflash as a plastic friction toy under the Century 21 or JR21 toys banner?

I certainly don't know of any such toy and moreover I can't think of any old Fireflash toy other than plastic kits. Is that right?

There is a modern wooden model of the plane, which is quite nice I imagine. I saw it on Ebay.

As soon as I saw this it reminded me of my Super Rocket Plane by AHI, itself an American Hong Kong copy of the Century 21 Toys Moonship. What do you think? Similar to the above body?

TOMIYAMA SUPER SONIC JETLINER

 I think I've died and gone to heaven!

Check out this amazing Japanese tin super sonic jetliner I saw online.

here's the toy.

Here's the box, a Sears product if I'm correct.

The plane also came in white and blue.

What do you think?

LOLLIPOPPERY

I was wondering about ice lollies I ate as a boy. For some reason I associate Cleveleys near Blackpool with delicious lolly scoffing.

But I'm confused. What was the difference between a Split and a Mivvi? Any?