007 JAMES BOND HARPOON GUN: LONE STAR AND KNOCKOFF

These fabulous 007 toys, part of the spy craze that ran alogside the space craze, belong to main Sword-blog reader Ferryman. He explains that both toys were based on existing ray gun tooling with barrel and butt attachments. The Lone Star one (top 3 pics) is well known for having made various appearances as Dalek and Star Trek guns over the years. The smaller gun (with black body Ed.) is less frequently seen but its original form appears to be heavily by the Lone Star Dan Dare gun. The smaller gun has no makers name on it and simply says made in Hong Kong. The bottom picture is a comparison of both. Ed.

Awesome! Thanks for sharing Ferryman. Woodsy

JOHNNY EXPRESS CRANE

Paul, Just seen your c21 blog.Topper Toys were not only available in the UK, they were made here, see the address on the catalogue below. (De Luxe in the USA had a relationship with Lines Bros who were, of course, the parent company of Lipkin/Rovex.) This unused Johnny Express crane is up for swaps or eBay once the post strike is out of the way - probably 2010 then! Best, Sean

T IN A CIRCLE GERMAN SATURN 5 ROCKET

Blog reader Ferryman has sent in these great clear shots of his German T in a Circle Saturn 5 Rocket from the 60's. The logo and model number (425), top picture, appears on the underside of the rocket but not the box. There are two other versions of this toy that I'm aware of, the Apollo X and Apollo 11, made by a variety of manufacturers including T in a Circle. I remember passing one up years ago ay my favourite little vintage toy kiosk in Whitby - I dodn't know what it was at the time!

C21 MISTER SOFTEE VAN

Plastic Mister Softee Van by Century 21. Yummmmmmm! From the Ferryman collection.

TOPPER TOYS JOHNNY EXPRESS

Ebay US

In the 1960's Topper Toys released the huge Johnny Express range of vehicles. Not a toy that I had, I'm not even sure it was availaboe outside the US? I have a recollection that this toy appeared in an episode of Thunderbirds or another Anderson TV show. Does this ring any bells?

TARHEEL NOVA III AKA THUNDERBIRD 6

This the fantastic plastic 1960's NOVA III by Tarheel Industries of Tarboro, USA famous for their Project SWORD US copies.

It's one of three NOVA's that formed a series: I,II and III, II being a pink Thunderbird 3 lookalike and I a green jet similar to the Spacex HAWK.

The main SWORD Moonbase Blog covered the origin of NOVA III earlier in 2009, which you can read here. and on the Space 1999 Forum here. In short, its THUNDERBIRD 6 or at least one Brains' designs - the red craft at the bottom of the picture below. I don't think the other two designs were ever made as toys. Or?

You can see footage of Brains and the Thunderbird 6/Nova III in the film Thunderbird 6 on You Tube

(7.7 minutes in)

C21 SAM LOOVERS SALOON

This beautiful and ultra rare piece of Century 21 is the Sam Loovers Saloon from Joe 90. Only 7 inches long it packs a big punch, having just been sold on Ebay for £1620! Is that a Century 21 record I wonder? I'm not after posting the usual C21 suspects from the big Anderson TV shows as there are excellent sites around already covering them. But this is so unusual it goes in! If you check the last picture you'll see the JR21 diamond logo. Pictures posted with kind permission from the Ebay seller, Toy Cellar.