It's weird seeing the Carlton one, because that feels like it's the one I had as a kid, but there are things I remember about mine that were different. I remember the vents in the tail fin moulded to look more like rounded pipes rather then regular vents (for example)
I bought just about every version of the Imai Thunderbird 2 back in the 60s and also the second series Thunderbird 2 from the early 90s. It is still being produced by a company called Aoshima.
The models side of things really wasn't on my radar when I put this together I must admit. Ironically it was after I'd gathered these examples that I saw another TB2 on eBay that puzzled me because when I had it in hand it had no markings on it. It was then that I realised that that was of course a whole other world - not toys, as such, yet there was still playability there...
I have the large scale cgi reboot tb 2 and tv 3, tb 2 is missing the seats, aswell as Virgil and Gordon. Tb 3 comes with Alan and Kayo. Very good video
I had the matchbox Thunderbird 1, 2, 3 and 4 that fitted in Tracy Island.. i also had a big TB1, and the very same big TB2 with the 3 red buttons on the back includiing Scott and Virgil action figures.. I always hated the fact they did not sell Thunderbird 5.
I had the Carlton ones as a kid, loved them both. The only thing I didn't like about the bigger one was that it played the landing sound effects when you put the legs down, becausethat wasn't how it went in the show, but otherwise, great. I think they didn't paint the number 4 on the Pod door with the Carlton releases because the smaller one also came packed with the Mole (which typically launched from Pod 3), and Carlton also sold other Pod vehicles for the bigger one, albeit separately. So they probably chose to have a generic Pod that could count for any of the six depending on what you put in it. Also, that's not the original Thunderbird 4 that came with the smaller Thunderbird 2. The one that game with it is much less detailed. If I had to guess, I'd say it might be the one that came with the second Tracy Island they put out in that line, which was smaller and included all the vehicles, but I never had that so I might be wrong.
Thanks Toa that's all very very helpful. If you have a look at my Bolton toy fair pick up video you'll see I just picked up a Carlton Vivid small TB2 box for the first time. That would support your theory on pod numbering or lack thereof a lot, I didn't know it came with the mole as I only had it loose. And you think the island toys might be different again? Also interesting...
@@ExcelsiorsDomain You're welcome, happy to help. There are three Island sets that I'm familiar with, for the classic series that is. There's the original that sold out immediately and led to the famous Blue Peter project. Then, there was the Carlton Vivid one, which was very similar to the original release, but with added electronics. At some point there was a running change to this version, that added motorised lifts to the pool and roundhouse, lifting Thunderbirds 1 and 3 to surface level. I had the original version, got Christmas 2001 (my parents had the smart idea to make me wait until I had all six vehicles of the regular toys before I got the Island). The third one is something I remember very little of. If I recall correctly, it came out not long before the 2004 movie, and was on shelves at the same time as the movie toys, but it was definitely the classic vehicles that it came with. It was smaller, and it had different features. There was an additional compartment for Thunderbird 4 to store in, located just to the side of the main runway. Unlike the previous one, it came packaged with similarly-smaller Thunderbirds. Besides that, I don't remember much about it. I never got it, as I already had the bigger one and all the vehicles. I haven't been able to find it online.
@ToaArcan Think I've found the one you're talking about, it's misdescribed as a Matchbox 92 this one folds up into a cube a bit like the film one from Bandai. Looks like Vivid did a 40th anniversary range, which is what my Bolton set is from. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/225859209284?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=cepEa96vQMm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=KwP6r6w7QYu&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY
I had a TB2 in the '70s which I bought with my pocket money when I was, maybe, around 7. Mine was metallic blue like yours. I seem to remember it having a plastic bottom that was rivetted to the top. My little brother put it in the oven when my Mum was cooking something and the legs and lower part of the body melted. That had a plastic TB4 in the pod. I've just bought a Corgi TB2 at the age of 54. The circle is finally complete.
The large Thunderbird 2 from Vivid/Carlton was released twice, once in 1999, and as a 40th Anniversary set in 2005. The 2005 release had two extra vehicles, a 5" Firefly and a 5" Mole, both with lids to insert mini figures but i can't recall which mini figures came with it. To confuse things even more, Carlton/Vivid release 4 blister card pack episode based mini sets in 1999, all of which included 1 or 2 mini-figures - "Pit Of Peril" features a 3" Mole, "City Of Fire" featured a 3" Firefly, "Attack Of the Alligators" had an Alligator and two Hover Bikes and "Desperate Intruder" came with The Hood submarine, and i'm sure that set came with the Gordon mini-figure you have in your TB4 in this vid (The correct Gordon figure is in your TB1 video :) ). I've often seen the Supersize TB2 on ebay listed with the 3" Mole & 3" Firefly, which they never came with. Should also be noted that the 3" Mole, 3" Firefly and Hood Submarine could all hold the mini-figures.
I'll see your confusion and raise you a triple pack I have of 3 of the individual blister packs you describe - the Hood's submarine I now have loose as well. I was looking at an auction for the 4 individual packs but it's a lot when I have most of the components other than the alligator! I've gathered more of the Vivid range since this video but whilst I have a 40th pack of the smaller TB2 with extra vehicles I'm not sure I've seen larger versions of the Mole and Firefly beyond the episode based ones. I'll have to keep an eye out.
Well funnily enough I just had a quick look and there's only one obvious 40th anniversary TB2 auction which is just an instruction leaflet, and I can't see any difference between the Mole and Firefly listed there and the ones that I have that take the minifigures but I guess it's hard to tell scale. So are there two minifigure scales? I think I'm thoroughly confused now and need sleep!
The ones from the 90s onward tend not to be, certainly not loose. Which is strange in a way, because they were built to last. I think Thunderbird s has had so many toy iterations the market is pretty saturated.
I had a Thunderbird 2 & 4 in the 80s I'm sure it was Dinky that made them as they made USS Enterprise NCC 1701 THUNDERBIRD 2 and Space 1999 Eagle this was between 1978 and 1983 I had all 3
Quite possible the Dinky products stayed on shelves a long time and being die cast they're very durable. I often wonder how many you'd end up with if you could just snap all the ones in circulation into one room!
There is a disclaimer to that effect pretty early on! This is just the main UK variants. There's no way my budget or time would have stretched to every last one I'm afraid!
I think you might have been trying to direct me to a point in the video but it didn't work for me on mobile? Which flavour of supersize did you mean? Ironically the most modern one's cockpit seems to have been mauled by my son at some point!
