My Precious!

 

Being in the beautiful Peak district National Park is putting me in mind for all things Tolkien.

The woods, the valleys, the rocky edifices, I can well imagine the Rohirrim chasing Wargs right through them! 

With Middle Earth in mind, this week I'm hoping to acquire a cassette box set of the 1981 BBC radio production of Lord of the Rings, which I heard at the time and have hankered after ever since. My Precious! 

Do you recall the radio serial readers? What were you doing in 1981?

Superman Action Comics Sedan

Superman made his debut in Action Comics No.1, published in 1938, at a cost of 10 cents. The cover showed him lifting a big, green sedan high in the air.

Hot Wheels have produced a number of Superman related models in recent years, including a model of the cover car from Action Comics No.1, which came with a Superman figure. This was a special model for the San Diego Comic Convention in 2018, which was the 80th Anniversary of Superman.

In 2024, as part of the Pop Culture series of premium models, a new version appeared. The Pop Culture models have metal bodies, metal baseplates, and more realistic Real Rider wheels.

They are also about three or four times the price of a regular Hot Wheels Mainline model. But in this case, worth every cent.

The car is green, with a bare metal baseplate that includes the front and rear bumpers, and the running boards. The interior is red-brown plastic, and the wheels are white with yellow hubs.

The highlight of the model is the outstanding tampo printing, which matches the car on the comic cover. There are black shading lines, with white and yellow highlights, plus headlights, grille, and rear lights.

The card is excellent, and reproduces the comic cover. The formal name of this model is Action Comics #1 – Action Sedan.

I love this model – one of the best models Hot Wheels have ever produced.

Do you agree?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

THE WORLD OF BENDABLES SPACE ALIEN

 FigureRealm is a good source of toy info.

The 1979 World of Bendables Space Alien set is one such toy and new to me.

Have a look.

https://www.figurerealm.com/actionfigure?action=actionfigure&id=100239&figure=spacealien

What do you think?

Buxton Bounty

On a frosty day trip to the Peak town of Buxton nestled betwixt snowy hills the Missus and me mooched among the many charity shops.

Prices of vintage toys and games have shot up in Charities of late, especially old board games, of which I saw a few like Airport, Hotel, Escape from Colditz and Totopoly.

I did pick up some some old tech, namely a 1989 VHS pre-cert Kung Fu Horror film called The Men from the Monastery, a 1974 Shaw Brothers production. I collect old horror and thriller videos, preferably big box but small and pre-cert are fine too. This is the first 1980's horror video I've seen in a charity shop for years, so I was chuffed.

I also got a set of BBC Radio cassette tapes of their 1981 production of Lord of the Rings. This is the 2001 re-issue and just part 1, The Fellowship of the Ring, which I first heard, along with the rest, in the Spring and summer of 1981, whilst volunteering for the RSPB at the Ouse Washes. It was all very Middle Earth!

I like Tolkien tapes and books and have a few. The older the better and preferably with classic art on the covers. I have sold some old computer games like the Hobbit and regret it, as the box art was fabulous.

Have you any old VHS or Videos or Lord of the Rings books and cassettes?

To LP or not to LP? That is the Motorcycle

Hi,

I picked up the the LP Space Motorcycle this new year. It is a wondrous beauty! 

The motorcycle itself is in mint condition, with handle bar still in a separate plastic bag (will I ever be able to open it, just to see the motorcycle complete - wouldn't bet on it). The box is wonderfully in shape, but has some slight water damage on one end and one picture panel. Still, the box displays nicely too

Only when I received the item, I noticed that there are two different box versions! Just compare the photos attached. My example has the LP logo and item number, #106, printed on the picture panel. while the Alphadrome example has none [below left]. 

I wonder which came first, and why there are two editions of this elusive space toy? The colour of the motorcycle dashboard is also different between the toys themselves.

Anyone else got one?

Arto

Helsinki Base

image: Alphadrome: LP and Spanish versions

Reel Treasures

 I picked up a bunch of old cine films and a projector today. All for a tenner.

I love the box art!

The lower three are still sealed.

Have you any cine films readers?

It's a Jungle Out There!

 I've got all my Tarzan ducks in a row.

Just need to re-model them now.

Re-modelled and painted.  Just the finishing touches to do and then it'll swinging on the vines all the way to a backing card.

Watch this space.

MORK AND FONZIE?

Do you remember Mork appearing first in Happy Days? 

I don't!

Here it is! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGV8Kw7_oBE

Did you get any Mork and Mindy collectables readers? 

Or Fonzie stuff?