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| Same suit as below, but with new arms |
Strange as it may seem, I now have more Major MATT MASON accessories than I ever had as a kid. Back then, I only had the basic figure 'paks' and whatever pieces of equipment were included with them. At different times, I had Sgt. STORM, maybe DOUG DAVIS, and CALLISTO. I didn't get a Matt Mason until around 1970 or '71, when I swapped a CORGI BEATLES YELLOW SUBMARINE and my Callisto with a pal for his Matt figure. (I wuz robbed.) My originals have long since been consigned to history, but I now have (and have had for some time) three Matts, three Callistos, and one each of Davis and Storm - plus all sorts of equipment I never had at the time.
Over a quarter of a century ago, I bought a figure and a bag of accessories from the late ROGER WILSON of WONDERLAND TOYS (I think it was called) via mail order (I saw an ad for the shop in EXCHANGE & MART) for a mere £70. Included was an armless Moon Suit (though the other stuff was in good order), so not too long after, I bought an unopened Moon Suit blister pak from ANDY FOLEY of TV TOY ZONE for £25. I carefully opened it and put it on display, but after around 20-odd years, the latex arms crumbled to powder when I was dusting it one day.
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| The replacement arms I made |
So, to reiterate, the replacement arms don't operate like the originals, but are extremely similar in appearance and just perfect for display purposes. There's another seller who also makes replacement arms, but they don't look like the originals, which is why I plumped for the ones I bought. Go on - take the first step to restoring your old Matt Mason Moon Suit today. I bought two sets of arms, which now allows me, for the very first time, to display both Moon Suits together, though I haven't placed a figure inside the other one yet, hence no photo.
Well, what are you waiting for? Straight over to eBay with you.
Well, what are you waiting for? Straight over to eBay with you.
Had Matt Mason,the other blond guy Sgt.Storm,the moon station,Sporpius.I got bored and turned the station,into my own version of the Jupiter 2 .Callisto from Jupiter.space sled.
ReplyDeleteStorm was a redhead, Callisto was a slaphead, and it was rumoured that Davis's hair was a wig. Never had any of the big stuff, don't have any now - only some of the smaller equipment. I'll have to do a post on them some day.
ReplyDeleteI recall having the Matt Mason figure as a kid and maybe a sled? (bit hazy on the latter) but either I was, or one of my two brothers, a bit tough on the the old Matt, bending his arms often enough to have the wire inside eventually become exposed, at which point our commendably safety-conscious Mum must have deemed the astronaut too hazardous for further play and consigned him to another metal 'space capsule' for a one-way trip out of our house. Never had the desire to replace him since and in general I have been more inclined to track down books and comics from my earlier years than toys, but seeing him again here does bring back fond memories so I thank you for prompting those flashbacks with your post.
ReplyDeleteThe wire tended to break rather easily (and quickly), PC, so you or your brothers weren't necessarily too tough on him, it was just a design flaw. The other drawback to the toy was that the paint also peeled rather speedily, rendering the playtime possibilities with Matt and his crew rather restricted, time-wise. I'm surprised any examples of the figures actually survived. Was a great-looking toy though, if a short-lived one.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah my Matt Mason went to the great trash bin in the sky many decades ago thanks to their wire arms breaking and sticking out of the rubber this threatening me with poking my eyes out. Something I didn’t know until many decades later was the colorforms Outer Space Men were designed as companions for the Matt Mason toys. What was fascinating about them was it was never said if the aliens were friends or foes, you had to decide for yourself.
DeleteWere they originally designed as companions for Mason, PS, or were they actually intended for something else before getting 'pressed into service' for Matt and his pals?
ReplyDeleteHmm . I think they were designed as a spin off for Matt Mason. Mel Birnkrant, the creator of the toy line, has a website about them - colorforms outer space men.
DeleteI was an original Major Matt Mason fan. When I was five or six, I had several of the figures, including Captain Laser and Scorpion, plus I had the moon suit and a couple of the vehicles, and maybe the Space Station. I got most of that at Christmas time one year. I actually still have Major Matt and Sgt. Storm, but they are well-traveled, but still functional.
ReplyDeleteIf only they'd had unbreakable wire and non-peeling paint, G, they'd have been perfect. It would be nice to see Matt and his team make a return one day in new improved versions.
ReplyDeleteI've got a book about action figures of the '60s and there's a chapter devoted to them. I must re-read it. I'll take a look at the website as well at some point.
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