Saturday, June 15, 2019

NASA Cape Kennedy Apollo Moon Landing Souvenir Astronauts, Late 60s (?)


Vendor's story is that these were available for sale from the "souvenir stand" at Cape Kennedy during the Apollo Program years, age & maker unknown. Curious cut back helmet design, and I wonder why they are painted with a chrome finish rather than white. The rounded moon terrain as bases is a nice touch. Guy on the left also manages a vague resemblance to Neil Armstrong, for whatever that is worth. US penny for scale.


The detailing on their backpacks is slightly different. Nice sculpting overall, though I wonder why NASA's gift shop would look to Hong Kong for souvenir swag.


"KT NO.409 MADE IN HONG KONG"


"KT NO.410 MADE IN HONG KONG"


The swirling/ribbing suggests they are resin castings rather than sprue-mould injection forms. And it is a very hard plastic which "clinks" when tapped against the tabletop. Most Hong Kong made 1960s spacemen are softer "army man" type plastic which is slightly flexible. These are different, and are more in the spirit of collectible figurines than children's toys, lending veracity to the vendor's claim. Though my rule is always "You buy the Spaceman and not the Story", and I like them.



Nicely detailed terrain with endearingly sloppy overpainting.


Religious icons from Byzantine tapestries? The broken/worn noses also lend a hint to how old they might be. Note the "notch" on the right guy's shoulder from what I think is a shim hole from the mould which was not shaved off prior to being painted. Very different whatever their real story might be.

UPDATE: They have also been sighted as Cake Topper decorations, a fate which befell many smaller Hong Kong made plastic space toys after America's Moon Fever had ebbed, with HK warehouses still chock full of the stuff:

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