One of my other hobbies is collecting vintage toy ray guns. I was just wondering if anyone else is into this. I’m old enough to remember when this stuff was new! For instance, here is a remarkable, near-mint Space Patrol dart gun set, complete with the original darts. One of them set off a cap when it hit, the other had a warhead that unscrewed to reveal a secret message compartment.
This relates to a kids’ sci-fi series, “Space Patrol”, that ran on TV and radio from 1950 to 1955. You could buy these guns in department stores, and the actors used them frequently on the TV show.
I have even older ones- metal Buck Rogers pop guns from the early 1930’s and 40’s. When I get around to putting them on photo bucket, I’ll post a few pics. They also are in exceptionally good condition, and would you believe they still work? When you swing the handle forward, you compress air in a chamber, and when you pull the trigger, you get a really good loud “pop!” Most of these disappeared into metal scrap drives at the beginning of WWII.
There is a very brief scene in the movie “Redtails” where the pilot, Ray, displays one of them to another pilot before a mission. He mentions it is his “lucky Buck Rogers gun”.
Here’s one of the Buck Rogers pop guns from the early 1930’s. It was called the “Wilma” gun because if was smaller than the similar Buck Rogers gun. You could get these anywhere for 25 or 50 cents.
I forgot to mention, as a point of interest, that both of those metal Buck Rogers guns were made by Daisy Manufacturing, the BB gun people! But these guns shot nothing, they just made noise.
I remember those . Do you remember the funky space helmets they had back then too ? I remember one birthday , one of my uncles was fascinated by the " BUCK ROGERS " stuff and gave me this neat "RAY GUN "a "UTILITY BELT "and a funny looking helmet.That helmet never would stay on straight ! AH , But that was fun , oh I miss those days . Tankerbuilder
HEY , CHUCK , did you remember that MARX did a whole line of that stuff ? When you got it ,it also had some ,about 1 1/2 inch tall "SPACEMEN " too ? I think at one time I had about forty "SPACEMEN " and gobs of the little green SOLDIERS too . Tankerbuilder
I’m a sucker for the old “pulp” type sci-fi weapons. Ever seen Dr. Grordbort’s collectible weapons? If not, you should check them out. Not vintage, but definitely fun. Here’s a link to the Pomson 6000 Sub Atomic Wave Gun.
Yes, I do have more! Here is the Buck Rogers Sonic Ray gun, with original box and code card, from about 1950. It used 2 C batteries and was actually a flashlight with a buzzer. Many variations on this style were produced over the following years, but this was the original and best looking of the bunch.
I also remember the Marx playsets and toy spacemen. I had the Tom Corbett Marx playset, and I still have all of the figures to this day, including the little removeable clear space helmets! Glad to know you folks remember this stuff fondly, too!
Here are two of the Marx figures that came with the playsets. I put them in this shadow box, along with Space Patrol “Space-O-Phones” (string telephones) and the “Cosmic Smoke Gun”. These were featured in the plots of several “Space Patrol” TV shows and you could get one by mail order by sending in a cereal box top and 25 or 50 cents!
Somebody mention space helmets? Here is the Captain Video helmet that you could get for sending in a buck or two with a proof of purchase of the sponsor’s product.
YEAH , that’s what I am talking about .Mine looked like a fish bowl on steroids . I believe there were at least four or five different designs . I don’t remember what brand mine was , but , the back part of the bowl was not clear and the thing kept turning to one side or the other during play .
I will say this , I kept mine clearer and cleaner than my buddies . We got what back then was considered a great spaceship. They used to pack refrigerators in a cardboard box framed with wood . What a great space-ship ! CADET CHUCK , are the engines warmed up ? We have to go to warp NOW ! ! Tanker-builder
