Yeah, cold shower time. 100% complete with a near-mint box any collector would walk many a crooked mile to score, big silly grin on their faces. Uphill, both ways. Before breakfast.
The listing is out of price range at current means, which in my opinion is quite reasonable given the scarcity of the form + museum-quality condition. So, smoke 'em if you got 'em, and you can view the item listing for the set by clicking here. It's even a Buy It Now, so all you gotta do is have the onions. Good luck!!
Never had it. By 1977 I was ten years old, and Space Toy playsets were not a priority until the Kenner "Star Wars" swag hit the fan. Got caught up in it like any other fan and would have been confused by this if presented with it as a comparatively generic substitute for that branded franchise inclusiveness. I wanted a Darth Vader like all the other kids had, and toy sets like this and TootsieToy's "Star Base Zeus" were likely met with general consumer indifference. My parents knew not to invest their money on it and instead just make sure we each had your basic "Star Wars" figure sets as most parents likely chose to do as well. With the good news being that these sets are now nearly priceless, the real tragedy being how many tens of thousands likely ended up in landfill once the jig was up. Ugh.
Incredible graphics through & through, and credited as the last Marx Space Toy set that Louis Marx himself had a direct hand in influencing. Though just when it first surfaced as a consumer item is debatable, with certain highly regarded reference guides giving a 1972 date, which keeps in step with when Marx sold the company. Would enjoy learning more if anyone has any insights or web links to share via comments or the email form provided.
"Fascinating ..."
And WTF fonts are those??? They ain't on my Macintoshe.
Side panel A.
Side panel B.
Bingo, perfect match for the one which came with the "Space City Vinyl Playset".
Mars Hill ... Not quite the jaw-dropper that the "Operation Moon Base" Moon Mountain is to behold, but I want one of those babies, on my studio table. Lookin' at me. Appears to be a simple vacuformed shell which had features printed on prior to being formed.
" ... Fascinating, Captain."
Interestingly, the orange cast Apollo figures are not present, only white castings. Since this set is complete the orange guys are apparently only germane to the 1978 "Galaxy Command" and 1979 "Star Station Seven" sets. The green alien figures also look to be identical to Marx aliens dating back to the Tom Corbett era albeit cast at a reduced size in translucent optic green. If my understanding is correct they first appeared in this form with "Operation Moon Base" and "Mystery Space Ship" in 1962, the simplified "Moon Base" release from later that year, and the scaled down "Project Apollo Moon Landing" set from 1967.
If they'd held out on pressing that one until after Apollo 11 they might have had a hit, and unless I be mistaken "Giant Martian Landing" was their next attempt at a Space Toy playset in the traditional meaning of the term. And if 1977 is the correct date when the set first appeared that's a full decade between space toy playset releases, a point which lends credence to the speculation on 1972 being the original release date. Would love to know if anyone can say for sure!
The four "Operation Moon Base" ground vehicles along with trailer, resuscitated by Marx to fill out this set. Hard to see, but the waxy luster of the Liquids Tank vehicle's plastic looks similar to the one recently obtained, and the non-glossy flatness of the Prime Mover vehicle's blue is a match as well. And for whatever its worth the yellow three-tank playset piece matches the OMB version I had obtained previously, as do some of the other fixture pieces albeit cast in silver rather then the OMB red. It even has the Morse Code device & bizarre Escape Capsule "thing".
Damn right it was. And there we go on the age: 1977 production date clearly stamped on the cover art under the Marx logo. I am still open to the notion of the set having originally surfaced in 1972, and indeed this packaging may have been a quick re-release attempt at cashing in on the "Star Wars" frenzy. They'd keep attempting to cash-in on it too, until the company folded for good in 1980.
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