Norvic Philatelics - GB New Stamps and Special Postmarks
Classic Toys stamps - 22 August 2017
The
Ten
Stamps - all 1st class
Sheet 1: The Merrythought Bear. Sindy Doll, Spirograph,
Stickle Bricks, Wm Britain Toy Figures.
Sheet 2: Space Hopper, Fuzzy-Felt, Meccano, Action Man, Hornby Dublo
Trains.
The stamps - all 1st Class
1st Class: The Merrythought Bear
Merrythought is a toy manufacturing company established in 1930. Its most
famous individual bear was arguably ‘Mr Whoppit’ which was based on the
"Woppit" character from the Robin comic in 1956 and which became the mascot
of land and water speed record breaker, Donald Campbell. The origin of the
firm’s name is uncertain but may have derived from the archaic word for
‘wishbone’ which the company has used as its emblem since 1992.
Merrythought was founded in 1930 by Gordon Holmes and George H. Laxton and
its first catalogue - launched in 1931 - included the first Merrythought
teddy bear ‘Magnet’ (‘M’ series).
1st Class: Sindy Doll (first appearance
1963)
Sindy was the best-selling toy in the UK in both 1968 and 1970. with her
wholesome looks proving a big hit. Originally designed by Dennis
Arkinstall for Pedigree Toys and Dolls, she was modelled on an adolescent
girl, and new outfits were issued every six months. A vast range of
accessories followed, including a fully equipped kitchen as well as a grand
piano. In the early 1970s Sindy was made to look more American, but the
latest incarnation has returned her to her roots – she is once more modelled
on a 12-14-year-old girl, with a face very similar to her original one.
Sindy is quintessentially a British doll.
Awarded ‘Toy of the Year’ by the British Association of Toy Retailers in
1970.
1st Class: Spirograph (first appearance
1965)
Spirograph employs complicated mathematical formulae to create hypotrochoids
and epitrochoids, using ‘rotor’ and ‘stator’ pieces. This sounds much too
complicated for a toy aimed at children, but the mathematics works unseen in
the background – all a child has to do is stick a coloured pen through a
hole in one of the Spirograph tools on a piece of paper, twirl it around a
few times and watch a pattern emerge. This basic concept h as been
embellished with 3D, magnetic and foil versions, ensuring it is much more
than a period piece. Awarded ‘Toy of the Year’ by the British Association of
Toy Retailers in 1967.
1st Class: Stickle Bricks
Stickle Bricks are primarily intended for toddlers and were invented in
1969. An individual stickle brick is a colourful plastic shape which is a
few centimetres long and which has a "brush" of small plastic "fingers" on
one or more edges. The fingers of adjacent stickle bricks can interlock,
allowing them to be joined in various ways. Standard sets of stickle bricks
contain triangular, square and rectangular pieces. Most sets also include
other types of pieces such as heads, wheels and teddy bear shapes.
1st Class: W. Britain Toy Figures
The William Britain company originally produced lead soldiers but
subsequently switched to plastic, acquiring a manufacturer of plastic
soldiers, Herald, in 1959. The soldiers proved particularly popular in the
1970s, the key selling point being that they came ready-painted. US Cavalry,
Greek warriors and cowboys and Indians were among the most popular
characters. More detailed versions were produced on metal bases and the
soldiers were sold individually to keep their prices manageable for
children.
1st Class: Space Hopper
Although the origins of this concept are Italian (Aquilino Cosani registered
a trademark for a ‘Pon Pon’ in 1968), it was initially intended as an
exercise device rather than as a toy and featured a wooden handle. The
version we know and love was a British creation, from Mettoy. It was Mettoy
that added the ribbed, antennae -like handles and the iconic kangaroo face,
in 1969. The ‘Space Hopper’ name captured the imagination of children who
were not put off by the fact that it was quite difficult to control and move
at any sort of speed.
1st Class: Fuzzy-Felt
Fuzzy-Felt was created in 1950 by Lois Allan and comprises a flocked backing
board onto which a number of felt shapes - silhouettes or more detailed
printed versions – can be placed to create different pictures.
1st Class: Meccano
Invented by Frank Hornby, this was originally marketed as ‘Mechanics Made
Easy’ (1901), but the name was switched to the more familiar Meccano in
1907. Meccano retains the basic elements including the spacing on the
perforations and the 5/32inch Whitworth thread on the screws, meaning that
new Meccano sets can still incorporate old pieces. Meccano has embraced
advances in technology with its recent sets, but the enduring appeal of the
originals is borne out by the fact that special editions continue to be
produced in the traditional red and green colour scheme. Meccano is one of
the crown jewels of the British toy industry, although now French-owned, and
similar products from the USA (Erector sets) and Switzerland (Stokys) are
testimony to the strength of its appeal. Meccano remains amongst the most
collectable of British toy manufacturers.
1st Class: Action Man
American toy firm Hasbro invented the concept of a doll that boys could play
with - 1964’s GI Joe, with features based on decorated war veterans. The
first dolls made under license from Hasbro for the UK market appeared in
1966, initially named Action Soldier. Later named Action Man and produced
under the name of Palitoy by Cascelloid of Leicester, UK-specific outfits
were produced. Among the most popular are footballer kits and the Red Devil
parachutist.
Awarded ‘Toy of the Year’ by the British Association of Toy Retailers in
1966. A 2004 poll of the public to find Britain’s Favourite Toy placed
Action Man at number 2.
1st Class: Hornby Dublo
It might appear as if nobody else was making toys early in the 20t h
century, but Frank Hornby was at it again with these scale model train sets,
first introduced in 1920. Originally, sets were buil t on the ‘O-gauge’
scale (about twice the size of the current Hornby sets). This was the
standard format in America, where Lionel trains continue to be the choice of
wealthy train enthusiasts. Hornby’s genius was to switch to the OO-gauge
(known as ‘Horny Dublo’) from 1938, which allowed for complex layouts to be
built on a smaller budget and in a smaller space, taking into account the
modest size of the average British living room. Hornby trains are able to
appeal to many different characters types across multiple generations,
making this a toy that a small child can enjoy with a parent and grandparent
at the same time. Like Meccano, Hornby has gone through many ownership
changes but is currently firmly established once more as part of Hornby
Hobbies.
The mid-1950s was the most productive period for Hornby trains, with quality
tinplate freight, coaches and locomotives which tend to be among the most
collectable.
Technical details:
The stamps were designed by Interbang using photography by John Ross ©
Royal Mail Group Limited 2017. The 35 x 37 mm stamps are printed by
International Security Printers in lithography, with ordinary gum.
The stamps will be issued in two sheets with five se-tenant designs per
sheet, enabling customers to buy a vertical strip of five of any
individual bird.
Acknowledgments:
All photography by John Ross © Royal Mail Group Limited 2017: The
Merrythought Bear © Merrythought Ltd 2017; Sindy is the registered Trade
Mark and Intellectual Property of Pedigree Dolls and Toys, used under
licence by Royal Mail Group Limited; SPIROGRAPH © 2017 Hasbro. All
rights reserved. Licensed by Hasbro; STICKLE BRICKS © 2017 Hasbro. All
rights reserved. Licensed by Hasbro; W. Britain toy figures © The Good
Soldier LLC/W. Britain 2017; fuzzy-felt® © Mandolyn Ltd 2017;
MECCANO® & © 2017 MECCANO, used under licence. Ferris wheel model
built by Ralph Laughton; ACTION MAN and all related characters are
trademarks of Hasbro and are used with permission © 2017 Hasbro. All
rights reserved. Licensed by Hasbro; Hornby Dublo © & ™ Hornby Hobbies
Limited.
Products issued, available from Royal Mail:
Set of 10 stamps (2 strips of 5) --
Strip of 5 from sheet 1 or sheet 2, or vertical strip of 5 of any single
stamp
First day cover --
Presentation pack -- Stamp
cards (set of 10)
Special Postmarks
Postmarks available for the day of
issue are shown on Royal Mail's Postmark Bulletin, download
from here.
(pdf)
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This page created 12 July 2017
