MOONBASE CENTRAL

Wednesday, 1 June 2022

Half Term Playtime

Hackfall, Mashamshire

Tuscan Raider and Peg doll

Ripon police exhibition

Bug game

Junior's new shiny stuff

Junior's new chums. All called Bill!

You Offering me Out?

I heard a saying this week I've not heard for a long long time.

To be offered out.

A schoolkid said it to another one.

"You offering me out?"

Basically it means "do you want a fight outside?"

It's an old saying. Schoolkids said it when I was young back in the stone age.Thank God no-one offered me out. I was never a scrapper. Not even with some Kung Fu under my belt. More of a philosopher!

Is it a saying you know?

Tuesday, 31 May 2022

After a nice meat pasty for lunch, we visited Ripon Police Museum today, where Junior got a metal Special Police pin badge. It took me right back to when I loved buying badges wherever I was taken by my Parents and older Sisters as a kid. Tin Sheriff's stars were a real favourite, to go with cap-firing colt 45's.

Junior wanted a plastic truncheon too. Had it been 1971 it wouldn't have been an issue. I would have wanted one too and got one to pound my older Brothers with. Alas Time moves on and truncheons and little Junior sisters don't mix! A recipe for disaster.

Like all good museums you could get toy versions of everything and besides the badge and truncheon there were plastic helmets and working handcuffs.

I adored stuff like this as a kid, especially plastic swords and armour. Seeing them in Museum shops still gives me a huge thrill.

Did you have a plastic truncheon or tin badge or handcuffs readers?

Matchbox Graffic Traffic Introduction

Woodsy recently mentioned that he and his grandson have been touching up some old, scrap die-casts. Using felt-tip pens and stickers they have been having fun bringing new life to old and tired toys.

This reminded me of a range of models that Matchbox had produced back in the early 1990s, called Graffic Traffic. Matchbox basically offered children the chance to do what Woodsy and his grandson are doing, but using brand new models.

Graffic Traffic sets included one or more models, painted plain white, along with three waterproof marker pens, and a sheet of self-adhesive stickers. The first sets appeared in 1991, the range being expanded over the next few years. On the back of the card or box were the instructions, in several languages:

Wipe car with a clean cloth before decorating

Design and paint your own crazy car

Then stick on the decals you choose to complete your car

I thought this series would make an interesting short article. Then I discovered just how extensive the range was. It included vehicles from the basic 1-75 line, the larger Superkings, Convoy series heavy trucks, Sky-Busters aircraft, and even buildings. Change of plan - several articles would be needed to cover Graffic Traffic in any detail.

Apart from the basic Graffic Traffic sets (known as Graffix in Germany), there were also a number of other sets along the same lines. Graffic City (with buildings), Monster Trucks, Magic Graffic (colour changing models), Graffic Traffic Neon, Super Graffic Traffic Metal Flake (with glitter), and chrome finished Hot Metals.

Here is the 1992 Matchbox Pocket Catalogue, which devotes two pages to the new range.

Matchbox_1992.pdf (mdiecast.com)

I do not recall ever seeing any of these models in the shops, although I began collecting die-casts in the mid-1990s. In fact, I do not think I have even seen any at model fairs. I will certainly be looking out for them from now on.

Paul Adams NZ

Photographs from Worthpoint.