WILL'S TOYS INTERNATIONAL SUMMER OF '69: MORE!

Some more ads from Toys International July 1969. You may have seen them before but I thought I’d send them anyway. Enjoy.

Will O

UK

DERRY DARING TV AD 1975

 Ideal's Derry Daring was their mid-70's homage to female stunt motorcyclist Debbie Lawler.

Capturing the whoosh of the Evel Knevel craze, Derry 's daring didn't last long sadly, cancelled in 1976, but her hey day was immortalised in colour TV ads.

Here's the Wheelie Car one courtesy of You Tube.

Do you remember Derry?

Did you have some Evel?

PLAZER RAY GUN

I have just come across this, the Multiple Toymakers Transistorized Plazer Ray Gun, from the 1960s. Wow.

It is a massive ray gun, that needs both hands to operate, and uses two D Cell batteries, which are installed under the long red panel at the front. It reminds me of the head of K-9.

Made of red, white, and light blue plastic, with the name of the gun, Plazer Ray, in chromed lettering on the right side. The name of the maker appears under the rear section.

The box is made of corrugated cardboard, with full colour paper labels glued on. The ends say Multiple Toymakers, Bronx, N.Y., and A Division of Loral Corporation. Made and Printed in U.S.A. The copyright date looks to be 1966.

You look through the rear scope. Line up on your target, and pull the rear trigger. This operates the aiming laser and beeper. The colour of the laser can be varied - red, blue, or green - by turning the red wheel just in front of the scope window. Then pull the forward trigger. This fires a cap, which destroys the target. The caps are housed within a solid metal magazine, which fits inside the forward handgrip.

It seems there were problems with these guns not working, and it certainly looks as though it would have been a complex and delicate toy, even when it worked.

I only found a few sales listings for it, and an old print ad.

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1966-wards-christmas-catalog-page-1809531804

Old TV commercial - the quality is not very good, but it is still fascinating.

https://www.google.com/search?q=plazer+ray+gun+toy&oq=plazer+ray+gun+toy&aqs=chrome..69i57j69i60l3.8403j0j15&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:d5e6831c,vid:uK_XOBh6cZI

However, there is a You Tube video by ToyKingWonder which shows the gun in action. It also shows how to take the toy apart, the inner mechanism, and how to get the gun to work. It is very detailed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wDlcKBHs0Y

I wonder if it was sold outside the US ?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

SPACE SHUTTLERS: BUT WHAT ARE THEY?

These toys are so odd, Space Shuttlers, the First Mechanical Toys in Space by Tomy 1985. Above is Rat Stuff, the pop over mouse. 

Strangely, it says Rat Stuff is an exact replica of their first one. Surely that would make Rat Stuff second?

There are three in this range and I have no idea what they do!

You?

ARTO'S HAVOC

 Two HAVOC accessory sets kindly supplied by special agent Arto.

COMPLETE HAVOC!

 This is a new one on me, Havoc.

She's a super agent action figure from Model Toy Ltd.

This accessory set I saw on auction is called Surprise from the Skies. It looks like a bit of bubble wrap with a weapon, boots and a helmet!

I love the artwork storyline on the card back. Very Modesty Blaise, it could be straight out of TV21!

Made in Hong Kong.

Have you some Havoc in your life?

SECRET SPAM

 I couldn't help noticing these items labelled as Secret Sam, which of course was the name of the famous Topper toy spy case.

Completely unrelated we have here the Secret Sam CB hidden auto antenna!

Probably more akin to the Topper case here we have a Secret Sam Super Snoop by Kingsway!

Which other famous toy names have another life? Johnny Seven? Strange Change? Spirograph? What do you reckon?

FRANK HORNBY HERITAGE CENTRE

Just seen a TV clip about the Frank Hornby Heritage Centre in Maghull outside Liverpool, UK. Trying to google it and find a website I was taken to Bootle Leisure Centre where there's no mention of it. Its not easy finding the founder of Meccano, Hornby and Dinky!

Anyway, this is what its meant to look like in the Heritage Centre. They have the very first boxed set, Make and Know, from where the name Meccano came from.

There's also Frank Hornby's house down the road in Southport with a blue plaque.

Has anyone been to these commemorative places to the great Frank Hornby?