calling all stingray toy fans :)

[Cool Caveman]

I agree with Mike, I'd go for aesthetic balance. Adjusting tone curves to remove the fading and layer of grime effect would be my starting point.

Having said that, there is an aesthetic charm to the shortcomings of print technology of the 60s, so I wouldn't want to make it look like it was printed yesterday on a high quality Japanese press.

In Photoshop I would look at adjusting the colour starting with the neutral grey dropper tool in the levels or curves dialogs first rather than do a strong white point adjustment. The stock was uncoated, and was a little grey/white as opposed to blue/white.


When I had my Troy puppet made I had the option of choosing the skin tone that was accurate to the actual puppet used in production - a quite dark skin tone to stop it getting washed out on film under the strong studio lights - or a perceptual skins tone that was how we saw the end result. I chose the latter.

Originally Posted by TerraForm1

All good points Mike. Thanks.
I'm pretty confident that Gordon scanned the box firmly held against the glass, so no folding angle distortion or colour shift there. Also, (unique to this box design) the outer faces had no folds - They were all flat. So I'm pretty sure the triangular swatch is the original, untouched colour preserved by the overlapping panel.

I can definitely see that there's an original colour change from the sides to the top panel that I missed on my first layout so I'll be addressing that issue this week.

I'll probably end up creating a composite artwork that respects the box as it appears in Gordon's scans while incorporating some qualities that reflect a 'fresh off the press in 1964' look as well.
Cheers,
Graeme
TF1

[john houston]

Hi john here doese anyone have a built comet miniatures vacform stingray i could purchase

[Cool Caveman]

No, but I have an unbuilt one if you're interested...

Originally Posted by john houston

Hi john here doese anyone have a built comet miniatures vacform stingray i could purchase

[john houston]

thanks for reply what sort of a price are we speaking about i had one for umpteen years and decided to make a plaster water line model when i tried to remove the plug i shattered the vacform it went a bit brittle

[Cool Caveman]

John, let me dig it out and see how it's survived the years of storage. I sent you a PM too.

[john houston]

Thanks im bearthed in the UK

[mike s]

oh HAPPY day - look what I picked up this afternoon

this is truly mint, looks like it was made last week - the flaps still have springiness to them when you open them

it has never been off the card - it is from a batch that never made it to the shops back in 64

(sorry about the photo quality but the light has gone)

DSCF0041.jpg

ps now I've got this I am pondering doing some repro boxes, dunno if there would be any interest..?

[mike s]

I think I'm going to have to remove it and take it in the bath - not the box though just the toy

[Cool Caveman]

Congrats Mike, that's a beautiful example!

Originally Posted by mike s

oh HAPPY day - look what I picked up this afternoon

[TerraForm1]

You can officially colour me aqua-marine with envy.
Lovely acquisition Mike!

[mike s]

thanks guys, I cannot believe I finally have one of these

my friend Andrew Holmes had it in the early 70s and he'd been given it by the family across the road, not sure if they got it new or from a jumble

I was obsessed with it and eventually we got it in the family - Andrew gave it to my brother - agh!!

so anyway of course I ended up with it - the mechanism at the back was long gone so I used to look at the stub where it had been and also the tab at the front and ponder over how it had worked - I think we worked out it might have used an elastic band but it was very mysterious

one day as I was playing with it in the sink it fell apart to reveal a block of polystyrene foam sealed inside to help it float

of course latterly I painted it and made the other half of the eddy damper from polyfilla in an early crude casting attempt

so, hard to describe the feeling of having this - museum quality piece which I expect I will never part with, or at least not until I'm 95 and the heating bill needs paying

[mike s]

I'll put some better pics up later if I get a min

update: DSCF0049.jpg

still ropey pic but more in focus than the last one

I forgot to mention: I took it out and the rubber band is still in there - its not on the sub, its wrapped round the inner box and held in place with tape, so if you have one of these take out the inner and have a look, it might still be there

[mike s]

here's some daylight pics - pretty amazing condition huh

eagle eyed observers will notice that's the clockwork toy in there - thats cos I took the rubber band one out to play with

DSCF0006.jpg
DSCF0008.jpg
DSCF0010.jpg
DSCF0013.jpg
DSCF0016.jpg
DSCF0018.jpg

[Cool Caveman]

That's one of the cleanest boxes I've ever seen - you're very fortunate!

Originally Posted by mike s

here's some daylight pics - pretty amazing condition huh

[TerraForm1]

Yes, no sign of colour fading at all. As you say - Museum Quality.
So: When can we expect delivery to the TerraForm1 Museum of Anderson Antiquities?

Thanks for the really nice photos Mike. They illustrate the creativity of the packaging designers of the period despite the limitations of the technology. Not thrilled with the portrait of Troy though. It looks like my last passport photo I had taken when suffering with the flu.

Strange though - The die-cut opening on the top yellow panel seems a bit... superfluous... It doesn't really add anything to the shelf appeal or play value of the toy does it? The effect could've been easily achieved with direct printing on the outer box. I'm guessing that the yellow inner tray slides out and supports the printed purple semi-circle?

T'Form1

[mike s]

cheers T-form

yeah I dunno why that bit on the top flap is die cut - I guess it was supposed to be popped and bent so it was upright, maybe for in store display..?

heh Troy is not too bad - the pic on the clockwork one is dodgier

yeah the inner tray slides out, and taped onto it and still intact is the rubber band - woooo!

Originally Posted by TerraForm1

Yes, no sign of colour fading at all. As you say - Museum Quality.
So: When can we expect delivery to the TerraForm1 Museum of Anderson Antiquities?

Thanks for the really nice photos Mike. They illustrate the creativity of the packaging designers of the period despite the limitations of the technology. Not thrilled with the portrait of Troy though. It looks like my last passport photo I had taken when suffering with the flu.

Strange though - The die-cut opening on the top yellow panel seems a bit... superfluous... It doesn't really add anything to the shelf appeal or play value of the toy does it? The effect could've been easily achieved with direct printing on the outer box. I'm guessing that the yellow inner tray slides out and supports the printed purple semi-circle?

T'Form1

[john houston]

HI cool caveman have you thought about a price yet for your vacform stingray ..i was away for a couple of days ....

[john houston]

HI i need a few more posts before i can pm .. can any body help me with a resin or fibre glass copy of the wave stingray.. im missing the cab and cab fins

[john houston]

HI STINGRAY 48442 do you have any of the small stingrays left ..

[Cool Caveman]

John, I PM'd you...

Originally Posted by john houston

HI cool caveman have you thought about a price yet for your vacform stingray ..i was away for a couple of days ....