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 muddyfunster |
Aurora Models |
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Posts: 184 (05/27/2009 07:28:11) |
Does anyone here collect the old Aurora models (Frankenstein, Wolfman etc) and can anyone tell me how popular they used to be? Are they well known in the
States or fairly obscure now?
Any help would be great. Cheers Ed Japanese Movie Poster Company
www.japanesemoviepostercompany.com |
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oldposterho |
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Posts: 1363 (05/27/2009 09:06:39) |
I doubt they're obscure to a certain generation of boys who grew up in the '60s. I had a bunch as a tot, all put together of course. I remember hating
Aurora models in general (I was more of a plane guy myself) because they were so poorly made and rarely fit together as well as models from other makers.
I'm almost positive the vast amounts of glue I (unintentionally) inhaled have had an impact on what's left of my brain.
I've often thought about these and I'm pretty sure there's a pretty big market in these, not sure whether it's important for them to be unassembled or not. I hope there ARE collectors here, it's a cool subject I'd like to know more about as well. --Peter |
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Jens Erik Thomsen |
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Posts: 105 (05/27/2009 09:20:26) |
Oh, there definitely are collectors out there. Some of the sets have even been re-issued a couple of times over the years. My cousin had their
Frankenstein's Monster kit standing on top of his closet back when I was a (very) small boy in the 70's. They must have sold the set in Denmark, too,
or maybe he got it on a vacation somewhere, I don't know. I remember being quite scared by it and yet attracted. I didn't want to go into his room
alone.
Come to think of it, my cousin did have quite an impact on my interest in film. He used to show me films on his 8mm projector, and when they later were the first family I knew to get a VCR, he showed me 2001: A Space Odyssey, even though I was much too young to understand it. I still remember loving it, though, if nothing else then for the spaceship models. 
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comicart |
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Posts: 3275 (05/27/2009 11:03:39) |
I had all of the monsters kits, more than once each. Built them all and then had them fight my toy soldiers, sticking fire crackers inside them & blowing
everything up (hence, needing to build them more than one time)
I still have a King Kong that I bought & built again about 25 years ago and yes, they are valuable.. some of these kits sell for $1000 |
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posteropolis |
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Posts: 2875 (05/27/2009 13:28:46) |
I had the Superman and Batman kit, now long gone. A friend of mine still has one of his, Dracula's Dragster. Built-up and painted. And he has the box for
it, too! (probably worth more than the model)
Canadadave
Posteropolis: Try it, you'll like it. www.posteropolis.com Check out the Bargain Bin! Visit my eBay Store. |
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honeybryder |
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Posts: 2804 (05/27/2009 15:18:25) |
I had all the Monster kits as well, and they do fetch a fair penny at auction (or used to) especialy if still in the original box.
susan |
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cinemarts |
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Posts: 1392 (05/27/2009 17:51:45) |
Had them all. Even managed to get the one that was eventually banned here - The Guillotine - which had moving parts and you could keep chopping off this little
figure's head
over and over. Ironically, in the 1960s when they first appeared, all the old Universal monster movies (and King Kong) were banned here as were all the monster movie mags. So apart from the odd pictures in books and what you could get slipped through customs once in a while, the Aurora kits were a monster kid's first look. A later run had glow-in-the-dark heads. As I recall at one stage there were posters done of the box art. Rich might be able to elucidate on these, and whether and where the original dies for the kits now reside. Phil |
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comicart |
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Posts: 3279 (05/27/2009 19:36:48) |
I don't remember the posters you mention, but the dies were bought by the company that did the later versions of the kits (Monogram??)
here's one example of a model I'd like to put together
aww hell.. here's another pic of her.. I think she's better than the Wolf Man
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cinemarts |
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Posts: 1396 (05/27/2009 20:48:03) |
Where do I get one of those outfits in the top picture?
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magnum55 |
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Posts: 4852 (05/28/2009 08:11:32) Er(OT)ic |
cinemarts wrote: Castro Street.
Eric
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comicart |
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Posts: 3280 (05/28/2009 09:01:14) |
magnum55 wrote:LMFAO |
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CSM |
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Posts: 924 (05/28/2009 10:01:31) |
cinemarts wrote:I thought they came with the model kit?
CSM
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cinemarts |
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Posts: 1401 (05/29/2009 07:55:03) |
I have been to Castro Street.... one of the best parties (the whole street) I ever went to.
It was only a few weeks before Harvey Milk was killed. |
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comicart |
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Posts: 3282 (05/29/2009 08:46:21) |
were you wearing one of those outfits???
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cinemarts |
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Posts: 1409 (05/31/2009 06:29:17) |
No, not on that trip.
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Crowzilla2 |
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Posts: 1428 (05/31/2009 07:41:34) |
The two rarest/most expensive of the Aurora kits are the Godzilla's Go-Cart and the King Kong's Thronester. MIB examples used to top out at $5,000+ and
$3,000+ respectively. Although prices on most of the Aurora kits have dropped across the board in recent years, those two would probably have held up a bit
better because of their rarity (I know of a Godzilla's Go-Cart with box that recently sold for a little over $2,000 but haven't heard of a MIB selling
in the last couple of years).
The original box art on the other hand continues to be hoarded and spiral upwards in price.
For the best in Horror/Science Fiction Posters visit:
www.PlatinumPosters.com Our Current eBay Auctions |
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cinemarts |
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Posts: 1413 (05/31/2009 12:16:32) |
I'd love to see a pic of these/and box art if anyone has one on file.
I can recall the Big Frankie, but never got it being (then) something of geek/snob and thinking that sending up the Universal monsters was.. er.... inappropriate. |
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comicart |
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Posts: 3296 (05/31/2009 12:41:56) |
http://home.cshore.com/bucwheat/aurora.htm
http://www.samstoybox.com/toys/MonsterModels.html here's someone selling Munsters Kit is $1200 http://www.shopwiki.com/Aurora+Model+Kits |
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CSM |
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Posts: 938 (05/31/2009 14:24:27) |
I think the "Forgotten Prisoner of Castel-mare" and "The Mummy" are pretty awesome. Although I have no doubt that I wouldn't have the
time or patience to put these together (and paint them!) - let alone the skill
CSM
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oldposterho |
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Posts: 1367 (05/31/2009 14:34:01) |
Looking at these reminded me that I had the Frankie, the Creature ft Black Lagoon, the Phantom of the Opera and the Forgotten Prisoner (with glow-in-the-dark
skull which did make it the most bad assed of them all). The boxes really brought back the memories.
--Peter |
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Time Zone |
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Posts: 53 (05/31/2009 15:32:01) |
I've got about 800 of those Ymir kits out on my lawn. Had no idea i was sitting on a gold mine.
Kurt
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