Mr. Prodigal's Dad's Toys! It's Staggering!

I stumbled on this Reddit link ( click visit) and was blown away by the sheer staggeringness of this chap's ginormous old toy collection. 

Check all his photos. Simply stupendous. Do you agree?

https://images.app.goo.gl/15Liy27T1tufeoAQ9 

I'm a Rocket Tin

Paint tins were essential kit back in the Sixties. No self-respecting boomer would be caught without a tin tray of watercolours.

And so it was in East Germany too. This Varia paint tray is just wonderful with those rocket and satellite illustrations. 

Did you have a tin of paints readers? 

The Monogram Chromed New York Hudson

Hi Woodsy

In the late 1980s Monogram released a series of chrome-plated models called Metal Master. There were four 1/24th scale 1930s cars, and two versions of the 1/87th scale Hudson 4-6-4 steam locomotive.

The Hudson was a 1982 kit, and one of two HO gauge steam locomotives released by Monogram. It initially came in three versions, with markings for different US railroads; and was later re-issued by Con-Cor and Revell.

They were Snap-Tite Model Kits, meaning they snapped-together, with no glue required. The completed locomotive stood on a short section of track, which was included in the kit.

Even in 1/87th scale, 3.5 mm to the foot, the Hudson was a massive 13 inches (33 cm) long, including the tender which carried water and coal.

Everything in the Metal Master kits was chromed - even the track, and the coal in the tender. The boxes, instruction sheets, and decals all carry a 1988 copyright date.

The boxes said Note: Completely plated plastic model kit - not die cast. No painting required. Apart from the boxes and instruction sheets, the only difference between the two models was in the decal sheets (both printed only in black).

1133 New York Central Hudson Locomotive

1134 Chessie Special Hudson Locomotive

The second version had Chessie Special on the boxes, but Chessie System on the instruction sheet and decals. Chessie System being a nick-name for the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway, and later the official name for a group of railways owned by the same company.

Bright, chrome-plated silver seems like an odd choice for a steam locomotive, and the kits appear to have been short-lived. The other locomotive kit by Monogram, the even more massive 4-8-8-4 Big Boy was not released in a chromed version.

Six photographs from Worthpoint

Anyone got one like this?

Paul Adams from New Zealand

Ray Fan

 There's something classically beautiful about this Astro Ray design. Evoking a golden age of space adventure, the design took hold and influenced countless toy Ray guns.

Here are just a few.

Have you anything like this readers? 

Space Board Games from Germany

 I've always loved board games.

It's the box art and contents that do it for me. Not the playing. I get bored!

Here's a fantastischen gallery of German space themed board games I've found. 

You may have your own versions of these games. 

Here's the link to the Brettspiel Museum

 https://share.google/pUpwQB891aTeM0UXK

See anything you have or like? 

EAGLES AND STUFF

 We're very close to Breakaway Day, and the 50th Anniversary of the first showing of Space: 1999.

In spite of it's flaws, Space: 1999 is still incredibly popular with TV sci-fi fans, here and abroad.

Last year in London, fans attended a fantastic Space: 1999 Convention where, along with plenty of celebrity  guests .we also had  some fabulous displays of original props

Here's a selection of photos I took .

Johnny Seven's Phones

 As a Sixties Boomer I, like many kids, adored my Topper Johnny Seven One Man Army.

The big brother-repelling jewel of Santa's pile one Christmas, it's easily one of the best toys I ever received.

So having only had the rifle I was naturally intrigued by a single Johnny Seven Walkie Talkie in a Matlock junk shop I found this summer.

Not the familiar military green, it was red and much lighter than I expected. Still, it was big, as you'd expect from Johnny. A real thrill to handle, alas without it's cable and the second handset it was a challenge I sadly passed on.

Interestingly it's non-battery operated, which I assume means that it relies on paper cup and string technology. Does anyone know?

A full red phone set would look like this. I guess it's non-military looks gave it a more general appeal in toy shops.

And the more familiar army green came in a box like this, the Combat Phone Set.

There was also a helmet set which I think included a field radio.

Topper really were at the top of their game with these toys in the mid to late Sixties.

Did you have one readers? 

Arco's Action Figure Vehicle

I've always liked the idea of general toys being used with action figures. Sometimes companies did just that. Arco did it with this generic action figure car. 

I've never seen it but I imagine it went down well with kids who couldn't get hold of branded character vehicles. Star Wars is even namechecked on the box as well as GI Joe and others! Not sure who the figure is sat inside. Arco's own?

Have you mixed and matched unrelated vehicles, toys and figures readers?

https://flic.kr/p/2eFVcmU