By the way I misspoke when describing the Marx "Lunar Exploration" Space Tank, which is derived from the M-47 or M-48 Patton, not the Abrams.
Keeping these at my work space in Syracuse NY located in my father's stylish basement workshop, which has an actual late 40s bomb shelter attached. You can do worse.
Good bargain price. Condition is undetermined, though that loose gear doesn't bode well. In the end obtained for appearance + space art applications rather than functionality. It won't need to drive anywhere.
I'd already had one of the white cast "Moon Scout" versions in an equally compromised state.
Worth it for the box. Please attribute pix if re-used.
Very cool.
Looks like they've been driving through Space Bugs. Will attempt to clean & recondition upon testing the mechanism, and post the results in another exciting update.
1968
Dittos.
The stamping on the bottom of the white Moon Scout version.
And on the green Space Scout.
So I now have two of the Scout class rovers, two of the Grabber class rovers, one of the Robot Grabber vehicles, and two trailers with launching mechanisms + remnant rocket and Space Helicopter. Will enjoy figuring out what to do with them.
I have a thing about Rocket Gantries. This one not only on LP Toys wheels but with a spring loaded "launch" mechanism which spits its rocket form vertically. Likely to a height about equal to the top of the gantry. And you know, when I was six that would have been plenty.
Appears to have been used as a sponge, a phrase we invented to describe used/trade-in product which would arrive with visible water damage at Rhino Records in Albany, NY (now closed, and one of my favorite jobs ever). The trade-in form which would be added to the register drawer for the day would have looked like this:
TITLE: Apollo Moon Exploring #304-E
GENRE: Hong Kong Space Toys
MEDIUM: Moulded plastic.
CONDITION: Appears to have been used as a sponge.
APPRAISED VALUE: n/a (see above)
PAYOUT: $.75
AS: Store Credit
INITIALS: SN
DATE: 6.22.19
NOTES: Immediately purchased by SN from store for $2.50
Been wondering where to find or how to make more of that checkered rocket bling label ... Model shop? See, I want to use it to decorate space looking stuff that I've been collected. Instantly looks like something from a missile range.
Am not holding my breath on it functioning.
The launch trigger.
The only markings visible through the packaging.
Which is about ready to come apart, and I may decide to help make that happen for real.
The set's Golden Astronaut, and by golly if he isn't a real one.
Yup.
To be complete here's what appears to be a matching gantry set from a Creepy Clown "Unique Cake Decorations" set I have posted previously.
ISN'T THIS EXCITING??
Difference being of course that while apparently utilizing the same basic moulding for the gantry + rocket the base does not have the spring loaded launching mechanism.
Just an empty box for static display only, on top of your cake. Right.
Figures likely sourced from MPC.
Hong Kong on their bases, no markings on the gantry. A second example of the set in a compromised package is incoming and I cannot wait to open it.
Had these things in & out of a shopping cart and on or off "Watch" lists since like, April while learning what they are. What I know is that they were made in Mexico from the original Marx moulds with no markings, cast in a softer army man type plastic in day-glow hues rather than the hard plastic metallic colors of their original 1950s issuing. No clue on when my set was cast; The packaging looks 1990s as the seller claimed. Not only are there scifi Flash Gordon ships but a sharp looking delta winged Cold War era fighter. The USAF emblems on the space ships are a nice touch -- Didn't know our Flyboys had any of these! Impressive.
And I don't hables the Espanole so I'm actually not sure if "Poli-Man" is the name of the company who allegedly made them or just the name of the set as packaged.
Had to have em! Am unsure what the value of an original casting of the forms would have been but gave up on an auction for one matching the yellow ship when it hit fifty bucks. This set cost a little more than half of that and has all four of the ships plus the jet. Score. And as for finding examples of those metallic plastic originals, to quote Chico Marx yet again "We'll find time for both."
Will bust them open in another exciting video! and see how many wheels match up.
Been chasing one of these for a while. The same space capsule form was issued in all of the Marx playlets from the 1960s but have good reason to be sure this one is an "Operation Moon Base" 1962 original. The capsule was cast in both the red/orange plastic here + a silver/gray plastic as well though I am only familiar with the red variant as a Moon Base component. Not sure how you would end up with the silver one, nor have I yet seen a loose silver capsule offered up. Would love to learn more -- please comment or message via the form below -- and as far as I know the capsule was not included in any of the Marx space sets from the 1970s.
The capsule deconstructed: Five pieces, all of which were part of the same mould and should match in color. This one obviously contaminated by tape residue and indeed the capsule cone does not fit to its base all that soundly, explaining why someone had it taped. Kids like to do stuff like that and this was someone's toy rather than a museum piece or "morgue" remnant.
YES.
Comparing the fit to the seat with other Marx type driver or pilot figures, the silver an Operation Moon Base figure, the darker blue by Marx from a matched set and the lighter blue a Made in Hong Kong copy likely by MPC.
Moon Base pilot fits perfectly.
Standard issue Marx pilot clearly too small.
And dittos for the MPC copy.
MPC
Marx
Badass.
The top of the capsule crowned by this contraption with the loop meant to be caught by a hook dangling from a recovery helicopter from the Cape Canaveral playset ... Not sure what is supposed to hook it from Moon Base, now that I think about it.
Simulating intended use with my Moon Train space chopper. How a helicopter would work on the moon beyond me but I digress.
With the ATV Space Tank and some of my moon terrain made from cement glazed with acrylic tar gel by Golden's Artist Colors. Capsule resting on a large cast iron gear I found.
A certain amount of coolness going on here ... Now I want the matching gantry. And them green Moon Men.
