ROOMS WITH A HUE

 Well it has to be said that our decorators are making some headway painting the entire house bar the bathroom.

Here's one of the bedrooms nearly finished. No more cracks and nice new clean beige walls.

Like all painters' jobs the radio gets dotted with paint. Have you a radio like that?

The landing is nearly done too and we can think about which pictures to hang in a couple of weeks.

First we are getting the carpet man in. After 20 years its time we had new carpets for the grandkids to muck up!

Have you decorated recently? 

SCOUTING FOR TOYS ANYONE?

I recently caught an episode of Scouting for Toys, the TV documentary about the life and times of Vectis toy auctions in the UK. Vectis are possibly the biggest vintage toy auction house in the country.

The episode I saw was about Matchbox cars. A lifetime's collector of these cars was selling up and his entire collection was up for grabs. It included every model mint and boxed, together with unique one-offs and prototypes. A big deal even for Vectis and that really came through in the programme.

The seller, one Graham Hamilton, was treated like Matchbox royalty by the punters who turned up at the sale, shaking his hand and I even think I saw him signing something. In the world of Matchbox collecting Graham Hamilton is king!

The auction itself, or the highlights shown in the show, was exciting, largely because the buyers were clearly excited by this stunning collection, the amazing quality of everything and the scarcity of some prize items like a reversed colour recovery pick-up, which had everyone jumping.

When the hammer fell for the last time and the bids were totted up Mr. Hamilton had made a staggering half a million pounds! Clearly a huge sale for him and for Vectis too. He explained that he wanted a large American car to drive around in real life now and would use some of the dosh for that.

I enjoyed the show and will look for the others on repeat somewhere. Inevitably the toys themselves take second place towards the finale and it ends up being about the money but it is an auction house after all.

What do you think of Scouting for Toys?

GOOD MORNING FROM ZEMO

Looks like it's going to be another sunny day in Southport, and it's a top 'o the morning to you all from Zeroid Zemo!

 

THE VEHICLES OF THE INVESTIGATOR ON FILM

You can see both the vehicles in action from the Investigator's Full pilot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kwv0xLSoY6I

Do you like them? Did you have them as toys?

TO GO WHERE NO MECCANO HAS GONE BEFORE

Personally I'm not a big Meccano fan and wasn't as a kid. That isn't to say that I don't appreciate the effort put into the hobby by enthusiasts.

This USS Enterprise is one of the best Meccano models I've seen. This was on the Spanish auction site Todocollecion. It reminds me of a blow torch!

Looking at it again I'm not sure it is Meccano. Is it?

MY MARX WILD WEST FIGURES

 Following on from my previous Marx Man from UNCLE figures  post, and at the request of reader, Tony K, here's some photos  of the Marx 6" Wild West Cowboys kindly sent to me as a freebie when I bought the UNCLE figures.  

I have five, of what I think should be a set of at least six  as each of mine are numbered on the base, but I'm  missing number four, which I believe is a wounded cowboy clutching his chest. Number 3 has part of his lasso missing.

There are also a further six American Indians to collect.

I did a little further research and found that the original Marx Wild West figures were dated 1964 on the base.

Like my UNCLE figures they are painted and lacquered to a good standard, and along with a number, they carry the name on the base  'Plastimarx Mexico'. 

Plastimarx was originally a Mexican company called Artefactors Plasticos that was acquired by Marx at some point in the fifties and renamed, soon becoming one of Marx' most profitable branches. 

 I also found that in 1963, another Marx company in Hong Kong, Gold Marx produced several fully painted 6" figures, using enamel and gloss lacquer not unlike my UNCLE figures, and these Cowboy figures. However, the painted ones are supposed to be identified by having a 'Marx - Made in Hong Kong' or 'Marx - Made in Taiwan' stamped on the base, so when it comes to my figures, it's still very much inconclusive.

Adios, Pardners! 

Back to the Future III DeLorean

Hi

          Hot Wheels have released several versions of the DeLorean Time Machine from the various Back to the Future films. A point about the Back to the Future versions is that the DeLorean name is not mentioned on the packaging.

The model first appeared in the Mainline in 2011, and in a more detailed version as part of the more expensive Retro Entertainment line in 2013. This is the latest version, and is from the 2022 range.

The Back to the Future Time Machine - 1955 is from Back to the Future III. It has extra equipment strapped to the bonnet, and flanged railway wheels for running on tracks. Lights and other details are picked out in various colours. Both the body and the base are metal, making for a very heavy model.

The backing card shows a desert landscape.

The Hot Wheels Wiki page for this model:

Back to the Future Time Machine | Hot Wheels Wiki | Fandom

This site also mentions a Back to the Future Monster Truck version, also coming out in 2022. I have not seen this version yet.

Back to the Future Time Machine (Monster Truck) | Hot Wheels Wiki | Fandom

Paul Adams from New Zealand

TERRANOVA 47'S KITBASH ROSEBUD

Hello,

As in my reply to Will O's post about Mattel buying Rosebud.

Here is the Rosebud kitbashed steam railcar on my layout and in the display case it usually lives in.

Regards,

Terranova47

USA