Tinplate6 Posted August 24, 2015 Share Posted August 24, 2015 Ok, I have long pondered this toy, and how it fits into my collection. Now, we all know the rules on space guns (rules I break often) and what makes them spacey. Although this is not a gun, it is clearly a space weapon...it shoots atomic peas for cryin' out loud, how much evidence do you need?! Just for the record, atomic peas are smaller and have a denser molecular structure than the average dried versions. To begin with, this is a very rare toy, I have only seen it on the Toy Raygun website ( it isn't in the Raygun, Zap or Blast Off books ) . But it isn't exactly the same one, as the online version is called the Super P Jet, but they are essentially the same toy (see thumbnail below). When I found it over a year ago, I recognized it immediately for what it was. The toy was priced at $167, and I jumped at it. Unfortunately, shortly after the auction's close, I was notified by the seller that he had refunded my money because while getting ready to pack it, he had stepped on it, crushing the tip of the piece. I was beside myself, as I knew I would not find another one. Fast forward a year later, and I saw the same piece on eBay now offered for $46, ok, yeah, it was still broken, but for that price, I'll buy it...again. Well, when it arrived, the first thing I noticed was how tiny and fragile this was. I originally thought it was about 13 inches long, more like a blowgun, but it barely measures in at 8 inches. The barrel, which is smaller than a soda straw, was cracked in several places, but I was able to inject super glue into the cracks and wire it shut until it was dry. I then coated the barrel with a few coats of clear polyurethane to fill in the cracks a bit, and it came out pretty good. I really love the look with those crazy fins and rings on the barrel. Unfortunately, there are no manufacturer's marks or name on it, just "Super Pea Shooter". I wonder if it came in a box, or as a cereal premium? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dratomic Posted August 25, 2015 Share Posted August 25, 2015 REALLY cool piece, Brady! I love this toy... Still hunting for one! I remember when you told me about winning it... and then losing it. Tragedy! Heartbreak! Gnashing of the teeth and beating of the ground! And that was just me! I can't imagine how cruddy you felt about it! ;) I'm glad you were able to salvage it. To be honest, the pics make it look good as new. Great restoration job, and congrats on adding a rare toy to your collection! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks Doc, the repair was decent, but up close you can still see hairlines in the plastic. But here's the neat part, if you get really close, the plastic actually has tiny metal flecks in it, which is unusual.So, I have not been able to find anything about this toy, other than the brief post on the Raygun website; do you think this might have been a promotional item, from a popsicle or cereal company, perhaps? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandro Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 Beautiful little toy! Congrats T6! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted August 26, 2015 Author Share Posted August 26, 2015 Thanks Alessandro.Say, if Joe K. or Brian H. are looking in, since you fellows are our research specialists, might you be able to find information on this oddball item? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted January 24, 2016 Share Posted January 24, 2016 Brady, I put that beauty on my wants list the moment I saw it. Today I found one in lovely condition. It could be English manufacture - the Brits often copied American pieces: the plastic is plain red without any hint of speckles. My wife refuses to let me have any dried peas to test it. I can't track down the pea-shooter but there's a circumstantial press cutting for 1953 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted January 24, 2016 Author Share Posted January 24, 2016 Ha! It seems the toy business is a double edged sword! At least that dates it to 1953, I just wish we could find a catalog listing. Brian, please post a photo of your "weapon" as soon as it arrives...congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbang Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 I got mine years ago from a dealer in the UK. I bought another toy from him and he threw this one in for free, I was happy to get it. A cool little space gun. I assumed it was made in the UK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Thanks, Richard. UK seems a good bet for this shorter, red model. Here's mine. It had a shred of rubber band in one of the grooves so it may have been sold on a header card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted January 25, 2016 Author Share Posted January 25, 2016 Yup, that is definitely the same toy. Augh, too bad the card didn't come with it! Richard, is yours red too, or some other color? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbang Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Yes. Red too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fineas J. Whoopie Posted January 25, 2016 Share Posted January 25, 2016 Love it! Congrats Brian. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted September 8, 2021 Share Posted September 8, 2021 An English dealer unearthed a batch of six of these at a seaside resort. Here are the different colour combinations along with the original Brady/Brian/BigBang red version at the top. These six are all more fragile than the red one. The plastic seems thinner and lighter, and the moulding has more flash. The shape is also slightly different, with three central rings instead of two, and a slight change to the center. Definitely two different manufacturers. These are bin toys rather than the better quality red one for which there's almost certainly a card. I love variations! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 Unbelievable! These are incredibly rare, and to find 6 in various color combinations is amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbang Posted September 16, 2021 Share Posted September 16, 2021 Congrats on that Brian! I've never seen those colors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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