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Plasticine Sets
Trumptonalia.
Camberwick Green Harbutt Plasticine sets x2
Around 1900,William Harbutt invented a formula to make modelling clay easier to work and slower to dry out,and called it "plasticine".
He set up a factory just outside Bath,and the company produced all manner of variations there until it finally closed in the early 80's.
And here are 2 tv spin-off sets they did for Camberwick.
This first example was produced in 1967.
The box is about 13.75" long x 6.5" wide and just 0.5" thick.
ie. long,narrow and slim,because it simply contains 7 long strips of different coloured plasticine,wrapped in cellophane and placed on a piece of corrugated card. And nothing else.
And whilst we all know what plasticine looks like,I've included a pic of it,just in case you want to know what this particular set should look like,as opposed to one that's had its plasticine replaced. Pic here Cont. .....
....... and the back
The pic,above left,isn't actually a lid as such,but a cardboard sleeve that slides over the box from the side.
And it's the back of this that has the picture-to-colour printed on it -which can be seen if you click on it.
There was also a little leaflet ( below ),showing you what to aim for,with some fairly basic instructions about how to get there on the reverse side ( click on it to see the instructions )
Which is always very welcome.
But it still required enough patience and dexterity to make me think that most kids may have struggled to do any more than roll it into a ball,decorate it with cocktail sticks and call it a hedgehog.
Although,to be fair,even most adults would struggle to reproduce things like the level of detail on Mrs.Honeyman's hat without some watch repairer's tools and a magnifying glass.
And in some circles that hedgehog would probably be lauded as some kind of expressionist masterpiece !
But,whatever the end results,I'd like to think that both sets got a very positive reaction when received.
The back of the box,above,also reveals that it was sold abroad too,as the small block of english text is replicated in 3 other languages -French,Spanish and Danish.
Which is particularly interesting because I've never been able to establish how widely the 3 series were shown overseas. But they clearly made it to Western Europe at least.And,curiously,went down well enough in Denmark for it to be the only Scandinavian country singled out.
Although quite what those viewers made of it all is anyone's guess.
The other,earlier,Plasticine set . . . . .
As you'd expect,the set above is quite hard to find in any condition,nevermind completely untouched.
But this next one is even more of a challenge. And about as rare as a change of underwear for Windy.
Which is slightly puzzling,as it only came out a year earlier,in 1966.
It's definitely a different set though,rather than just the same set with different packaging.Because,in addition to the coloured plasticine,it also came with modelling tools and wire supports.
And they even threw in a picture to colour-in,and the crayons to do it with -presumably as some kind of booby prize for all of us too cack-handed to make anything with the plasticine ! Cont. ......
The back of the box,above,also reveals that it was sold abroad too,as the small block of english text is replicated in 3 other languages -French,Spanish and Danish.
Which is particularly interesting because it's been hard to establish just how widely the 3 series were shown overseas.
So at least we now know they made it as far as Western Europe.
Although it would seem that Denmark was the main ( only ? ) Scandinavian enclave for some reason.
The 2nd Plasticine set
As you'd expect with any kids' toy so old and disposable,the set above is quite hard to find - in any condition, nevermind completely untouched.
But this next set is even more of a challenge.And about as rare as a change of underwear for Windy.
Which is slightly puzzling,as it only came out a year earlier,in 1966.
But it certainly makes its successor look rather lightweight by comparison,by offering more creative options.
Because,in addition to the coloured plasticine,you also got some modelling tools and wire supports.
And they even threw in a picture to colour-in,and the crayons to do it with ! - presumably as some kind of booby prize for all of us too cack-handed to make anything with the plasticine. Cont. ....
