Tinman Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 I picked up this set of 3D ray gun puzzles and would love to find an English example one of these days...especially with the card. Is anything known about these; the camera doesn't show it but the hard plastic does look dated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fineas J. Whoopie Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Sorry I don't have any info on these but I just noticed that the trigger is actually the tip of a knife. Cool. I never noticed that before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 I posted a pic of the set on FB (Vintage Space Toys) and one of the members said they were made by Merit. I asked if he had any other info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Here's the one I have, yes, it's made by Merit...Cat. No. 4469. The graphics are great. I wonder what the; J & L Randall Ltd. and Potters Bar, refer to? Perhaps that's the printers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandro Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 Beautiful card! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted March 17, 2017 Author Share Posted March 17, 2017 Hmmm, then maybe mine aren't made by Merit. Brady, your gun seems to have J. & L. R. LTD. and Made In England markings...mine have no markings, only a number on each part. The card is awesome...would love to photograph it front and back during my next visit! For display purposes only of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted March 17, 2017 Share Posted March 17, 2017 J & L Randall sold items with the trading name Merit. They are English toy makers, largely responsible for many of the important Dan Dare toys. I remember the craze for these take-apart puzzles in the early 60s. There are hundreds of themes but the English versions, which seem to be copies of American originals, come on beautiful backing cards. In the US they seem to be called keychain puzzles. A guy over here makes beautifully accurate metal copies of this space gun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinman Posted March 18, 2017 Author Share Posted March 18, 2017 Thanks for the insight Brian. There seems to be a ton of the other-style ray gun puzzle out there but these, not so much; I'm no sure what that means, maybe the molds never made it out of the US or UK. I'd really like to find one with the UK markings and I'm guessing the backing cards are an extreme rarity. I'd also like to see the metal copies if you could provide a link or picture. Here's a picture I took of Brady's...it's a real beauty: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigbang Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 U Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil R Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 How do you calculate the math on the possible color combinations? My two are not included on the card with 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 My guess is the different colored parts were in trays, and the folks on the production line, just grabbed whatever color and put them together. If you multiply the colors, by the pieces, that's a lot of possible combinations. Drk Blue Lt Blue Green Yellow Red White Pink Barrel Scope Cylinder Trigger/pommel Grip Body I came up with 42 possible combinations...that is, assuming we know that these are the only colors used. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Nerd alert: I think they exercised some artistry: no two parts have the same colour, 42 unique combinations. If they just choose at random then there are thousands of combinations. That would range from an all pink gun through to all dark-blue one. They probably chose a "looks right" combination and accepted that a few parts would be the same colour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Quite true, my learned compatriot, I hadn't thought of that. Say Brian, we never uncovered the meaning of the "Pottters Bar" notation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Potters Bar? A suburb of London. The home of clarinetist Acker Bilk whose one and only hit record you will instantly recognise. Best avoided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tinplate6 Posted March 18, 2017 Share Posted March 18, 2017 Ha! Thanks Brian, mystery solved. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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