18 replies to this topic

[dratomic]

I went to an astronomy convention today -- run by our own Solar Ray! -- and got to hang out in the Big Bang Toys booth. It was fun!

And of course I took some pics of the toys. I should probably point out that I was using a funky lens which is why the depth of field is so shallow and the vignetting around the edges is so pronounced. Photo shop was only used to push the lights/darks and adjust the color a bit. Just having a little fun with photography. :)

Edited by dratomic, 29 April 2012 - 05:41 AM.

[dratomic]

More.

[dratomic]

Last.





And just to be a little more arty... Lol.


And that's that!

[thx1138]

Cool pics !!! :)

[kennetzel]

Great pics of some classic stuff. I have the LEM in plastic however. Got it from Stan at Botstock six. Cool little toy.

Edited by kennetzel, 29 April 2012 - 11:54 AM.

[Kilroy]

Cool stuff! Love that helmet! Were there other toys there other than the Big Bang booth?
You come home with anything?

[dratomic]

Well... Actually, I sort of came home with the white space helmet and those Ideal goggles. So yeah... those are spoken for. :)

I also picked up the J & E Stevens Neutron Blaster (see the post in the Ray Guns section), though that was already paid for and I just wanted to avoid shipping charges.

There weren't any other toy booths besides Big Bang's. Lots of telescopes and related equipment, and a few booths selling meteorites and fossils. Fun stuff to explore, even if I didn't really understand most of it. I almost bought another meteorite (to add to my tiny collection of two) but decided to let it pass. I do love looking at them, though. Rocks and metal from space! So awesome...

I might have a few more photos of Big Bang's table... I'll have to see. I posted the best ones, but maybe I'll post the crappy ones just to show off a few more of the toys that were available. (And still might be!)

I was really struck by how many people came into the booth to talk about the toys -- and to share memories of their own childhood toys. One guy talked about owning the aluminum "tin can" helmet as a kid. He said he actually used it for protection -- the place he lived had a lot of birds who used to swoop in low and fast, and he'd wear the helmet to keep from getting beaned!

Another guy told us about his dad's Nu-Matic paper popper. And someone else remembered having a High Wheel robot.

Everyone liked to talk about Captain Video. I thought it was kind of strange that they'd reference that particular show instead of Space Patrol or Tom Corbett, until I was reminded that Captain Video stuff made an appearance in an episode of the Honeymooners -- that's what lodged it in people's minds. Synergy... ha!

One particularly nice moment: A lady whose son just couldn't stop coming back to the booth to drool over the toys eventually bought one of the less expensive Japanese tin litho guns for her kid -- and he seemed thrilled. I thought it was kind of nice -- one of these old toys actually going to a kid! (And yes, he seemed to understand that the toy is old, delicate, and valuable... He seemed ready to treat it well.) Perhaps we've planted the seed for a new generation of collectors! :)

All in all, I had a real fun time.

Edited by dratomic, 29 April 2012 - 04:05 PM.

[Phil R]

Wish I had been there, Brian. Love that white helmet. I don't ever remember seeing it before. What is it from? Well I checked it on search and it's listed in your website as an Orbit helmet? So many space toys and so few brain cells.

Edited by Phil R, 30 April 2012 - 01:58 AM.