PALMER'S AMERICAN MASTODON KIT BY PAUL ADAMS

Brontosaurus and Mastodon: Palmer Plastics Inc., of Brooklyn, New York, made these two prehistoric creature skeleton kits. 

Scalemates date both of these kits to 1959, but there do not appear to be any dates on either the boxes or the instruction sheets.

The American Mastodon (Mastodon americanus), an elephant-like mammal with enormous tusks:

This was Palmer kit number No.110-1.00, which meant catalogue number 110, retail price $1.00. No scale is given on the box, but the model was 10 inches long.

One side of the box has a panel giving details of the Mastodon, which states that they were 15 feet long. That would make the 10 inch long model about 1/18th scale.

The box top art-work showed the skeleton, which is what you got in the box, along with a smaller view of a live Mastodon. It is described on the box top as an 'All Plastic Scale Model Assembly Kit', and 'Scaled From American Museum Restorations'.

The oblong box has a lift-off lid. One side has a panel showing the other kit in this series, the Brontosaurus.

There were 43 pieces in the kit, including the base, all moulded in a suitable bone coloured plastic. The tusks and larger bones were moulded in two halves.

At some point (probably in the 1960s or 1970s) a company called Natural Science Industries, of Far Rockaway, New York, re-issued this kit. I am not sure if they actually produced the kit themselves, or if the kits were made by Palmer, and just sold in NSI boxes.

NSI made a wide range of educational and craft toys, so these educational Palmer kits would have fitted in with their other product lines. Both firms were based in New York City.

The NSI boxes were nearly identical to the normal Palmer releases, and used the same box art, with the addition of the NSI logo and address. The original kit numbers were retained, but without the price suffix, and now just said No.110.

There seem to have been three, slightly different versions of the Mastodon box.

Palmer logo and address.

Palmer logo with NSI address (this looks to be a sticker)

NSI logo and printed address

Scalemates do not mention this NSI version, and it seems the Mastodon kit has not been available for many years. As a kit subject the Mastodon has not fared too well, being over shadowed by the Mammoth.

Ten photographs from Worthpoint.

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Dr. Dreadful's Gross Toys

I have said this a million times before: some of the sickest minds on the planet work in the toy industry. This You Tube video proves that beyond all shadow of a doubt.

It is a collection of old TV commercials for Dr Dreadful, a range of toys that make various 'gross things' (really gross things), that you are actually expected to eat.

Not my cup of tea. Maybe yours?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gU5bCS1rEI

Paul Adams from New Zealand

JUST CUZ ....

Fun From Ed

Vegas Base!

Grrrrrr!

The Hot Date Trap

 My latest trio of second hand Hot Wheels.

Two Beetles or Kafers as they're known in Deutschland [I love the metallic green one harking back to redline glory!] and a slick red buggy.

They're all dated as follows: 1982, 1988 and 1988.

Having gone down this rabbit hole before, I knew the dates were red herrings, simply being the original release years for theses specific designs.

The real reissue dates should read: 2017 Dino Riders 5-Pack, 2014 Fourth of July and 2022 Compact Kings Bug.

The date trap!

KEVIN'S SCRATCHBUILT SPACE 1999 MOONBASE ALPHA CHEST PACK

Just made this replica of the spacesuit chest pack from Space 1999.

Glad to get that off my chest.

Kevin

UK

WATCHING CAPTAIN SCARLET'S FIRST EPISODE WITH JUNIOR

 The Grandson Junior and I recently caught the pilot episode of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons.

Its the one that starts on Mars.

I had high hopes for this with Junior watching as well but I couldn't remember what happens.

Getting carried away I told Junior all about the SPV, MSV and SPC, explaining that they're probably some of the best vehicles he'll ever see!

The episode didn't disappoint!

All three vehicles were there in spades and Junior was impressed, thankfully!

The high points were undoubtedly the Swift Removals Van scene, when it falls apart to reveal the SPV ready for mysteron-bashing and the Angel Interceptors taking off from Cloudbase.

But its pinnacle of Anderson magic was the Car-Vu. Designed by the gifted Mike Trim, what a fabulous high-rise car park it is, straight out of the future! 

Like a giant fantastic screw, Junior and me were chuffed when the SPV got in there and looped its way to the top! I was thrilled it still looked so good for kids today after 50-odd years.

image: mike trim

One sticking point were the guns. I'd forgotten how much shooting there was in Captain Scarlet. Everyone carries pistols and shoots the hell out of each other. No ray guns, these are normal weapons. Junior didn't seem bothered - he's 8 this year - so I didn't say anything.

All in all though, watching episode 1 of this old Anderson series with a modern 7 year old was thankfully a success!

Here's that Car-Vu scene again. Do you like it?

https://youtu.be/IqS4kWK6aV0?feature=shared&t=1155

Ed's Tin: The Sanko 'Y' Piasecki YH-16 USAF Helicopter

Woodsy, et al, here's another helicopter for your enjoyment!

This one isn't nearly as large as some of my other's but is marked for the U.S. Air Force so it's right at home with the majority of my air fleet. 

I believe the trademark is for 'Sanko' because that's how I've seen it sold before. Maybe the MB Crew can confirm that. 

The cover art is a pretty decent depiction of the YH-16 helicopter but the toy itself - like many toys - is a caricature and has been 'selectively compressed' into a much shorter version. 

The toy has a friction motor which makes the rotors spin when it is pushed forward. The fuselage measures 8 1/2" (21.59cm) L x 1 1/2" (3.81cm) W (the wheelbase = 2 3/8" 6.03cm) x 4 3/4" (12.06cm) H. The rotor span is 7 1/2" (10.05cm).

Hope you like?

From Vegas Air Field

Ed

USA

MY BLUE-GREEN ROSEDALE ORGAN

 

This is a picture of the Rosedale electronic organ just like the one I had as a kid. I adored this thing and couldn't get enough of its reedy gaspy notes.

Like everything I had it got chucked.

Fortunately I found another one about 10 years ago and could once again enjoy those wispy keys.

Did you have one?