MOONBASE CENTRAL

Saturday, 6 September 2025

Marky Bats' Robin

https://youtube.com/shorts/H775PSCldWc?si=_TlfJ_2nkSVqCUdF

Hi Woodsy

Every Batman needs a Robin, well almost...

Again with a traditional custom paint finish on this, a background generated by youtube and an AI flourish to finish,

I hope you all enjoy this.

Regards MJ

Southcoast Base

Museum of Brands Gerry Anderson Exhibition

Image: Museum of Brands

Reader Terranova47 spotted an interesting UK event on the Downthetubes site, the Thunderbirds & Space: 1999 – Sci-Fi Toys & Collectables Exhibition.

In London at the Museum of Brands, here's their own Museum link to the exhibition.

https://share.google/zf9PIiK0YlJWXZWuw

Let us know if you go. Sounds FAB!

Ed's Antique Hess Battleship

Woodsy,

There are more boats out in The Cave than you can shake a stick at and not all of them have been photographed yet - especially the larger ones!

So, I thought you would be interested in the oldest boat (and the oldest toy) in The Hoard: a tin-litho 'Battleship' from the firm of Hess in Germany.

The boat was sold from 1890-1910 and features a very early form of friction motor. Reportedly, it was also offered by Carrette.

From the Las Vegas Shipyard

Friday, 5 September 2025

LARAMI BATTLESTAR GALACTICA

A short while ago I did a brief post on some of the cheap Larami Space:1999 toys. I now turn my attention to just some of the cheap toys that Larami produced for Battlestar Galactica.

The Larami Corporation was a toy company established by David W. Ring in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania during 1959, specialising in inexpensive licenced toys based on movies and TV shows.

The toys were made in Hong Kong or Japan, and intended as impulse buys. Apart from the backing cards, rarely did the toys have any actual connection with the film or TV series.

Following its acquisition by Hasbro Inc. in 1995, it was renamed Larami Inc. before being retired in 2002.

When it came to Larami’s Battlestar Galactica line up, the backing cards were generally all the same design. Four photos comprising of Starbuck, Adama, Apollo and a Cylon, along with an illustration of a Cylon Raider against a space background.

This is my example of the Battlestar Galactica Galactic Cruiser, a small die-cast three-wheeled space plane.

Unsurprisingly, it has no connection with Battlestar, Galactica, but us collectors can't resist the lure of a collection!.

This toy came in four different colours; red, like mine, orange, blue or green.

Another of Larami’s hardly -space- related line up is the L.E.M. Lander. Not an Apollo Lunar Module, but a simple box with elongated wheels, some chrome bits and assorted stickers.

A Direction Finder, or compass. Use it to find Earth!

The curiously titled ‘Spectral Viewer’. It appears you spin the wheel to see bits of coloured plastic create a kaleidoscopic effect!

The ubiquitous Disc Shooter, every toy line should have one.. Battlestar sticker missing though!

Larami produced other disc spinners.

The toys keep on comin'

Periscope scanner and Medic Kit.

No Battlestar Galactica fan should be without a Larami ‘Atomic Yo-Yo’!

Cylon Sunglasses.! Could a Cylon use them as they have a single pivoting eye?

The glasses turned up as Buck Rogers sunglasses. I wouldn't be surprised if every toy here was rebranded for Buck Rogers.

Battlestar Galactica Binoculars, another cheap plastic toy that got a lot of reuse.

Another cheap generic toy with plenty of milage, a Battlestar Galactica watch, and Pocket Watch.

And another watch set. The animal pictures on the clock faces make me think these didn't start out as Battlestar Galactica watches! At least the one above did have a Battlestar sticker on it.

Cosmic puzzles, which do actually feature the odd drawing from Battlestar Galactica. There was a couple of different sets of these puzzles.

Something a bit more down to Earth, a Battlestar Galactica ‘Captain’ I.D. card and wallet.

There was also a silver grey version of the wallet. with a print of a Cylon Raider on the front . This version didn't include the I.D card. and Captain badge.

Cylon Bubble Machine. This is unusual for Larami, a toy that is actually styled with the look of a Cylon. Okay, it's just a common bubble blowing toy, but I suppose it is a proper Battlestar spin-off. Even the backing card has a different look taking elements from the movie poster..

The Cylon top was also re- used for a Larami Battlestar Galactica pen.

Another toy using the movie poster backing card . This is ‘Space Glow’ putty, which apparently glows when placed near a lamp, or in sunlight! The putty came in different colours.

A Battlestar Galactica Bagatelle game. This uses concept art by Ralph McQuarrie taken from the Battlestar Galactica opening episode ‘Saga of Star World’.

Larami produced several other Bagatelles with some nice backing art.

Larami produced dozens of other cheap dime store carded Battlestar Galactica toys. I couldn't begin to guess how many. The more I look on- line, the more I find, so well done, and my thanks to all those collectors who managed to hang on to them unopened, and shared their photos.

Before I go, here's a couple more!

The fighter at the top looks to be based on a Lockheed F-104A Starfighter.

The bottom fighter bears a striking resemblance to a SAAB Draken.

. Well, there you have it. A look at the cheap Larami Battlestar Galactica dime store toys. These are the ones I've come across, but there's more than likely plenty more out there in the wild waiting to be discovered.

Does anyone have any?

Top Trumps Fast Cars

I've been noticing these recently and jogging my memory.

Car Top Trumps cards.

I recall having car cards like these but also car cards that went onto a index card box as well.

These here are by Dübreq.

Never heard of Quartet. Have you?

But boy, those cars!

Did you have cards likes these?

Aerial Jeeps by Paul Adams

Hi Woodsy

The ITC, later Glencoe, kit of the Piasecki VZ-8P Aerial-Jeep has been mentioned before on Moonbase Central. I recently came across some photos of the kit, and noticed a few odd things about the box art.

First up, the artist managed to get the colours of the US national insignia on the fin wrong. How do you do that - working only from a black and white photo, and knowing nothing about aircraft markings ?

The Star and Bar (post 1947 version) is shown as blue and white only. The central stripe in the side bars should be red, not blue, matching the stripes of the US flag.

However, the decal sheet in the kit is correct.

Next, the tank supporting the group of US infantrymen is a British Centurion. Six road wheels per side, the shape of the side plates over the tracks, and the angular stowage box on the side of the turret, all confirm it is a Centurion.

Why a British tank like this?

The artwork was later changed. The actual Aerial-Jeep image stays the same – and the national insignia is still the wrong colour – but the crew figures have been revised.

The crewman who was previously firing a rifle, is now looking through a pair of binoculars, and the others have also been slightly changed. The background painting is also different, and those now look to be US tanks in action.

This version is a lot rarer than the 'Centurion' box, at least judging from the listings for the Aerial Jeep on Worthpoint. Both box styles were numbered No.3674-98, and sold for 98 cents.

The address on the box is ITC, Hollis, New York. It does not appear the Aerial Jeep was re-issued by Ringo Toys in the 1960s, although they released many other ex-ITC kits.

The VZ-8P was later re-issued by Glencoe Models, but the name had been changed to Piasecki VZ-8P Airgeep. I assume so they did not have to pay to use the Jeep name ?

There were two styles of box art, with either a large or small version of the Airgeep in flight. Oddly, these have different kit numbers.

The large image is 05202, while the small image is 05203. In addition to the three original crewmen, at least some versions of this kit included a small bag of six one-piece US Army figures.

Eight Photographs from Worthpoint

Paul Adams from New Zealand