Boxed sets from the Thomas Salter 1981 Trade Catalogue:
One can't avoid the feeling that Letraset expected 3-D Double Doodles to be more successful, allowing for more titles to follow; but two years later, there was still just the one: "Intergalactic Action".
The Galactic Star Base, on the other hand, is the spitting image of the Sarah Kay Playhouse — right down to the consecutive serial numbers.
L71 & L72 were portmanteau numbers, each covering more than one product. These portmanteau serials became the norm rather than the exception in the last couple of years of Letraset (Thomas Salter used their own serial number system):
- L71
- L71/1: Walt Disney TV Casting (plaster casting with transfer sheet, as with the Thelwell Pony Plaques in the photo above)
- L71/2: 3-D Double Doodles
- L71/3: 3-D Double Doodles
- L72
- L72/1: Sarah Kay Playhouse
- L72/2: Sarah Kay Playhouse
- L72/3: Sarah Kay Playhouse
- L72/4: Sarah Kay Playhouse
- L72/5: Letraset Galactic Star Base
- L72/6: Letraset Galactic Star Base
- L72/7: Letraset Galactic Star Base
- L72/8: Letraset Galactic Star Base
The Sarah Kay Playhouse was reprinted as L90/7-L90/10.
3-D Double Doodles (1979) [L71/L81/L91]
Intergalactic Action
You get two vacuum-formed plastic sheets each printed with a 'space scene', a transfer sheet for each scene, four fibre-tip pens (in red, orange, yellow & blue) & a wooden lollipop stick (which goes unmentioned in the instructions, but is clearly intended for rubbing down the transfers).
Original photo courtesy of Phil Birkbeck, "bodthemad"
When I obtained a set recently, one of the scenes had been used, but luckily a few years ago Phil Birkbeck (eBay ID 'bodthemad') got in touch with photos of his unused set, so we can show you… everything.
Original photo courtesy of Phil Birkbeck, "bodthemad"
Phil's 'SX1' scene, above, & my two scenes below. Scans & photos of low-relief plastic sheets are never going to be perfect, but I'm sure you get the general impression!
Oops! One of my sheets has been mostly rubbed down on the vacuum-formed backing. But here's Phil's equivalent sheet:
Original photo courtesy of Phil Birkbeck, "bodthemad"
The 3-D Double Doodles were reprinted as L81 & as L91; L81/4 is the Thelwell Pony Plaques.
The transfer sheet serial numbers can appear in two colours, which usually means a reprint (the 2nd colour is the reprint job number). So L71/2 was reprinted as L91/1 (blue ink), & L71/3 as L81/3 (in blue).
The style & content of the transfers are very similar to the 1982 Thomas Salter 'Space Attack' packet series, but the sheets for those were very small & they didn't have serial numbers.
1979 is when Letraset started to hand over to Thomas Salter — which explains why there are two different addresses on the packaging. The Kent address is Letraset, & the Scottish address is Thomas Salter. There doesn't seem to be any mention of Thomas Salter anywhere, though; it's all 'Letraset Consumer Products'.
Letraset Galactic Star Base (1979) [L72]
One of our members purchased this set, but he hasn't been able to scan it or send it for scanning just yet. Meanwhile, these photos give a pretty good idea of what's in the box.
It's a simple cardboard cut-out construction toy, but with the added benefit of transfers to be applied.
As mentioned above, there are four transfer sheets: L72/5, L72/6, L72/7 & L72/8.
Here's the base, into which the various cardboard models are inserted:
The instruction sheet gives the clearest idea as to what's involved:
• Transfers on Plastic, Plaster & Cut-Out Cardboard Models →