2003 Archive 
ENGLISH PREMIUM MODEL KITS
Small plastic premium toys included in a box of cereal were once an institution in the West. Back in the days when people's heads were screwed on correctly it was understood that only a nitwit could eat a small toy. These days however, a small toy packed in a box of breakfast cereal is viewed as a dangerous commodity from the perspective of the "educated" consumer and a potential lawsuit from the standpoint of the cereal companies. Thus, the days of getting something worthwhile in a box of cereal are long gone. Another strategy engaged upon by food product marketers which continues to the present day is the mail away premium. Mail away Gerry Anderson premium model kits were also available in the UK during the late 1960s.
ENGLISH BREAKFAST CEREAL PREMIUM MODEL KITS
Back in the late 1960s, Kelloggs made two wonderful lines of small polystyrene model kits based upon Gerry Anderson subject matter available in England.
Kelloggs Thunderbirds Cereal Model Kits
In 1967 Kelloggs packed small 2 to 2 1/2 inch snap together plastic model kits in each pack of Sugar Smacks cereal. Each special box of Sugar Smacks cereal featured artwork of Scott Tracy eating a bowl of cereal while seated at the controls of Thunderbird 1. The kits included in this range were a two piece TB1, four piece TB2, seven piece TB3, and one piece TB4. The kits were molded in red, blue, yellow, or green plastic. Considering what they were, each kit was a good representation of the TV craft.
Kelloggs Captain Scarlet Cereal Model Kits
In 1968 Kelloggs followed their successful Thunderbirds promotion with a range of small 2 inch snap together Captain Scarlet model kits packed inside of each specially marked package of Sugar Smacks cereal. Similar to the Thunderbirds packages, each Captain Scarlet box of Sugar Smacks featured color artwork of Captain Scarlet eating a bowl of cereal. The kits included in this range were a fourteen part MSV, eighteen part SPV, ten part Patrol Car, and five part Spectrum Helicopter. These kits were molded in white, blue, and red plastic. Considering their small size, each kit was impressively detailed. Each Spectrum ground vehicle kit featured rolling wheels and the helicopter featured a spinning rotor.
Boots Thunderbirds Christmas Cracker Model Kits
Thunderbirds fans and model kit collectors were pleasantly surprised during the 1992 Christmas season when the Boots store chain in the UK marketed a box of ten Christmas crackers which contained a selection of small Thunderbirds theme items including a range of six small snap together polystyrene model kits. Each Boots Christmas cracker model kit was about 2 inches long.
A box of crakers would contain a full set of TB1 - TB5 plus the FAB1 Rolls Royce. Each small kit was molded in the appropriate color and came with adhesive paper markings. The kits were a bit crude when compared to the prior Kelloggs efforts but considering their small size they really were not too bad.
MAIL AWAY PREMIUM MODEL KITS
During the 1960s three English companies provided Gerry Anderson related mail away premium model kits available to food product consumers who ate enough of their product and mailed in a token sum of money.
Lyons Maid Fireball XL5 Model Kit
In 1963 the Lyons Maid company made an exclusive styrene model kit of the Fireball XL5 spaceship available by mail order to buyers of Lyons Maid ice cream products. The 12 inch long model kit featured a section of Space City launch track, decals, and a Steve Zodiac badge. The kit was actually made in the UK by the Rosebud/Kitmaster company which was later absorbed by Airfix. Any idea if the old XL5 molds still exist? This desirable premium model kit was recently the subject of a limited edition resin recast by Comet Miniatures.
Lyons Maid Stingray Sumbarine Model Kit
In 1964 the Lyons Maid company made an exclusive styrene model kit of the Stingray submarine available by mail order to buyers of Lyons Maid ice cream products. The 9 inch long model featured a full interior and rotating eddy damper. This item was actually made by the Airfix company. This rare mail away model kit was also recently the subject of a limited edition resin recast by Comet Miniatures.
Smith Crisps Thunderbird Model Kits
Smiths Foods made four different small snap together polystyrene Thunderbirds model kits available to purchasers of Smiths Crisps Thunderbirds Are Go crisps during 1966. Each special bag of crisps featured artwork of a TB craft and an offer for the small mail away Thunderbirds model kits. The Smith Crisps model kits were TB1, TB2, TB3, and TB4. Each kit was molded in blue, green, red, or yellow plastic and about four inches long. The kits could be obtained by mail order one at a time for 1/6d plus three empty Smith Crisps bags or the entire set could be obtained for 4/3d plus six empty bags.
Kelloggs FAB1 Model Kit
During 1966 Kelloggs UK made an 8 inch snap together FAB1 model kit available by mail to purchasers of Sugar Smacks cereal. This kit was molded in pink, transparent, and chrome plated plastic. It cost two cereal box tops plus 5/11d.
Kelloggs SPV Model Kit
During 1968 Kelloggs UK made a snap together polystyrene SPV model kit available by mail to purchasers of Sugar Smacks cereal. This kit was molded in color and featured rolling wheels and stick on paper markings. It cost two cereal box tops plus 5/11d.
Kelloggs Mac's Car
During 1969 Kelloggs UK made a snap together polystyrene model kit of Mac's Car available by mail to purchasers of Sugar Smacks cereal. This roughly 8 inch kit was molded in color and featured chrome plated engine parts, rolling wheels, and operating variable geometry wings. It cost two box tops plus 8/11d.
JAPANESE THUNDERBIRDS CANDY PREMIUM MODEL KITS
Small premium toys which are included within a box of candy or gum are essentially a Japanese institution. It's this writer's understanding that such things have been available to Japanese children in one form or another for nearly a century. In most respects, the concept is similar to the familiar Western practice of packing small toys inside boxes of breakfast cereal. In the West, such premiums have always been minor items which are merely intended to serve as an inducement to buy the food product. In Japan however, it's the toy which is actually being sold to the consumer.
The confection, such as it is, often seems to be included in the package more for tradition's sake than anything else. Japanese candy premium toys are targeted to children of both genders and all ages. They cover a surprisingly wide variety of subject matter. For example, there are candy boxes which contain toy figures, puzzles, dollhouse furniture, miniature playsets, cars, stationary items, and jewelry. Best of all, however, are those confectionery products which contain small plastic model kits. Japanese candy premium model kits can be found in a surprising variety of subjects. Godzilla and Ultra Man are perennial favorites which seem to be available from one or more companies at any time. Other favorite subjects are robots, armored fighting suits, animation or video game characters, aircraft, ships, trains, and automobiles. TV and film based premium kits are often produced, particularly when the subject matter is science fiction or fantasy. For example, highly detailed styrene plastic model kits were produced around 1989 of Batman and the Batmobile as seen in the first Tim Burton Batman cinema film.
In general, the quality and level of detail incorporated into these candy premium model kits are impressive. Though generally costing under 500 Yen and less than 5 inches in length, many compare favorably to "regular" plastic model kits. Japanese candy premium model kits are usually molded in color, often in several colors, and some even come with marking sheets. Such kits are usually engineered to be snapped together without the use of adhesives.
Occasionally parts are split up and packed into several different boxes of candy forcing the consumer to buy many packages to complete the model! Japanese candy premium kits are often marketed as a series of related collectable items. Some companies clearly mark each box in a way that indicates exactly which model kit is packed inside. With others, there is no way to know which item within a particular range of kits is enclosed. Premium kit subject turnover is very high. Products generally go out of production and become unavailable within the space of a few months. TV and film related candy premium kits are always particularly limited in terms of availability.
THUNDERBIRDS CANDY KITS
Gerry Anderson's Thunderbirds TV program has always been extremely popular in Japan. Thus, it should come as no surprise that Thunderbirds craft have been the subject of Japanese candy premium model kits. Actually, several different companies have marketed Thunderbirds candy premium kits on several occasions.
The Guriko Kits
During the late 1960s, the Guriko company packed tiny polystyrene Thunderbird model kits along with their caramel candy. These Guriko premium kits were fairly accurate representations of the TV prototypes. A simple kit of TB1, TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, or the Air Force carrier jet from "The Duchess Assignment" episode was packed inside of each Guriko caramel candy box. These kits resembled the small Thunderbird machines available around that time in England packed inside boxes of Kellogg's Sugar Smacks cereal.
The Modern Premium Kits Thunderbirds returned to Japan in a big way during the early 1990s at the same time the TV show was being reintroduced to England. No less than three different Japanese companies marketed four different ranges of Thunderbirds candy premium model kits from 1991 to 1993.
Furuta
The first Japanese company to produce modern Thunderbirds candy premium model kits was Furuta. Furuta marketed Thunderbirds Part 1, product code F-15, during early 1991. Each Thunderbirds Part 1 box contained a metallized plastic bag filled with chocolate covered puffed wheat grains and a small styrene kit of TB1 or TB2.
A few months later, Furuta came out with Thunderbirds Part 2. This product expanded the Furuta Thunderbirds model kit line to include TB4 and the Jet Mole. During 1992, Furuta came out with Thunderbirds Part 3 which added TB5/TB3, the Recovery Vehicle, and the Elevator Car to Furuta's line of Thunderbirds candy premium kits.
Each version of Furuta's Thunderbirds product cost only 150 Yen. The Furuta Thunderbirds candy premium model kits ranged in size from 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length. They were very well made and highly detailed. Each kit was molded in appropriate color(s) and included a sheet of adhesive backed paper markings. Articulated display stands were included with the TB1, TB2, TB4, and TB5 kits. It is significant to note here that the TB5 and TB3 kits were packed together in one box as a set and that the TB3 could be docked to TB5.
The Elevator Car and Recovery Vehicle kits each came with enough markings for the several different vehicles seen in the respective "Trapped in the Sky" and "Pit of Peril" TV episodes. Unlike many other candy premium kit packages, it was possible to determine exactly which model was included in any given Furuta package. This was done by means of a number printed on the kit's instruction sheet which was visible through a hole in the side of the box. Furuta's Thunderbirds products came to the shops in colorful store display boxes which held ten packages. These display boxes were perforated diagonally along the top to permit the contents to be dispensed.
Morinaga
The Morinaga Nutritional Products Company produced two different candy products which contained Thunderbirds premium model kits during 1992. Thunderbirds Super Real Model Morinaga product M-15, Thunderbirds Super Real Model, consisted of chocolate covered cookie balls packed with a small styrene plastic Thunderbirds vehicle kit.
Like most other similar Morinaga products, the confection and the model kit were actually packed in two separate boxes which were joined together with clear plastic shrink wrapping. The Morinaga Thunderbirds Super Real Model kit line consisted of eight different Thunderbirds vehicles which ranged in size from 2 to 3 inches in length. This line included TB1, TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, the Jet Mole, the Recovery Vehicle, and the Zero X.
Like the larger Furuta items, each Morinaga kit was exquisitely detailed and molded in appropriate colors. The kits came with a sheet of color markings that had the assembly instructions printed on the opposite side. Unlike the Furuta kits, which had markings that were printed on adhesive backed paper, the Morinaga kit's markings were on thin sheets of transparent adhesive plastic material.
It was impossible to tell which kit was contained within any given Morinaga Thunderbirds Super Real Model package without actually opening it. It was the author's experience that TB3 and TB4 were packed out in significantly smaller numbers than any of the other kits. Because of this, a collector had to buy numerous packs of candy in order to obtain a full set. Ten packages came packed in each store display. These displays consisted of a simple low cardboard tray decorated with Thunderbirds graphics which held the packages in place using plastic shrink wrap. Retail price per package was 150 Yen.
Thunderbirds Tracy Island Base
This 100 Yen Morinaga product was quite different than Thunderbirds Super Real Model. Product code M-12 contained coconut caramel candy along with one of eight different Thunderbirds model kits. These kits were apparently molded in a soft polyethylene material.
Each kit was approximately 1 inch long and came with a small display base segment. The display bases of all eight kits in the range could be interlocked to make a compact "Thunderbirds Tracy Island Base". The kit variety of this item was exactly the same as that offered by the other Morinaga product, however, each kit was molded in the "deformed" style which is very popular in Japan. Though simple in nature, these kits were about as authentic as the "deformed" medium permits.
Each craft and base segment was molded in color. Unfortunately, these colors were by no means authentic. Early kits were molded in green. Later kits were molded in yellow. The display bases were molded in a uniform tan color. No marking of any kind were included with these kits. It was impossible to determine which kit was included in any given box without opening it. However, this range of kits did seem to have been distributed on an even basis. There was no real store display packaging provided for this product. Ten packages were shrink wrapped together for distribution to stores.
Bandai
It may surprise some readers to discover that mainstream kit maker Bandai has been in the candy premium business for some time. They actually produce a wide variety of candy premiums toys and model kits. Bandai offered a product called Thunderbirds the Best during 1993. Each box contained a small plastic bag of hard sugar candy, a tiny color Thunderbirds trading card, a rubber International Rescue pilot figure, and a simple 1.5 inch soft vinyl model of a Thunderbird machine.
The Bandai kit range consisted of TB1, TB2, TB3, TB4, TB5, TB6, the Jet Mole, the Recovery Vehicle, the Firefly, and FAB1. These kits were not very accurate. In most respects, they were actually caricatures of the TV prototypes. Each kit was molded in a powder blue soft vinyl compound. No markings were provided. Each box contained a small trading card which had a photograph of the kit's prototype on one side and the assembly instructions printed on the opposite side.
Each 100 Yen box was clearly numbered to indicate which kit was enclosed within. One of five different 1.5 inch soft vinyl figures of a Tracy brother in International Rescue costume was randomly inserted into each box. These figures were very well molded and were good likenesses of Scott, Virgil, Gordon, John, and Allan Tracy. Bandai's Thunderbirds the Best packages were sent to the stores packed as a complete set of 10 kits in a simple white display box.
SUMMARY
The small English premium model kits are sought after collectibles which occasionally show up for sale at UK toy shows and in magazines like Model and Collector's Mart for between $5 and $40 each. I have only seen one of the larger Kelloggs mail away premium model kits offered for sale, FAB1, and that cost $150 in unbuilt condition.
The Boots Thunderbirds Christmas cracker set was a very limited production item which was difficult to obtain even when it was allegedly available in the stores. I have not seen any turn up on the secondary market yet. Each of these modern Thunderbirds candy premium kits were available in Japanese stores for approximately a year.
Though not widely distributed outside of Japan, small numbers of the kits were imported by Japanese specialty grocery stores located in the United States and England. Some of these stores actually had stocks of these products on the shelves long after they became generally unavailable in Japan on account of shipping lag time. Naturally, a few SF collectable dealers in the US and UK managed to obtain some of these kits. Several advertisements briefly appeared in the US "Toy Shop" magazine and some examples were seen offered for sale at various toy collector's shows. Prices actually seen around 1992 ranged from a low of $5 to over $20 per kit.
The Furuta, Morinaga, and Bandai Thunderbirds candy premiums were reviewed in the Japanese "Model Graphix" #10 and "Hobby Japan" #11 magazines during late 1992. Both issues featured color photographs of built and unbuilt kit specimens.
Dennis Nicholson's superb "Gerry Anderson Memorabilia Guide" book features photographs of the Kelloggs, Smith Crisps, and Boots premium kits, several Furuta, Morinaga, and Bandai kits plus a photograph of the Guriko Air Force jet kit.