With only just over a day to go it's neck and neck with Space Invaders and Pac-Man on 32% of the votes each. Early contender Asteroids seems to have run out of steam (shame) and what happened to Qbert? Vote now, Donkey Kong demands it!


On Sale now in RETRO GAMES - a nifty hand-held Pac-Man game by Namco.

The full poll details can be viewed at http://uk.toluna.com/polls/1679082/What_was_your_favourite_'80's_video_game?

I finally got around to inspecting some coins that have been lurking in a metal box for some time. I know very little about coins so my first port of call was trusty Google search and a spin around eBay. Two of the coins are 1960 Queen Elizabeth II Crowns, produced to commemorate the New York Exhibition in the same year. I believe such coins are termed as 'uncirculated' - strangely meaning the coins are released to the public, and have a value (five shillings in this case) but are not meant to be used generally circulated. They are usually released by mints or coin dealers as collectable pieces. Condition of the coins is important, with high gradings being the holy grail. It is possible for commemorative coins which are not circulated to remain in excellent condition. Although both coins I have seem to be in reasonable used condition, the edge of one is more worn than the other. The better coin is now listed on Spook Central Collectables - see Elizabeth II Crown

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Sitting in a display cabinet for at my parents house for well over forty years have been three tiny Dalmatian dog figures. I can't remember a time when they were not there. They are clearly characters from Disney's '101 Dalations' animated movie, but how and when we acquired them has been forgotten. Because of their age it isn't surprising they are a little worn. I believe they were all hand-painted, and some colour (mainly black) on ears and spots has worn off or faded. Their tails are probably shorter than they once were.

It hasn't taken long to find out the figures were made by Louis Marx & Co., Ltd. They originate from play sets consisting of six different scenes from the story of 101 Dalmatians. The scenes each had between six to ten characters against an illustrated background. Each play set also came in two sizes, standard and large.

101 Dalamatian Disneykins were produced from 1961 mainly UK, Europe and West German markets. Because of the fine illustrations, and the fact that some main characters were not available individually by Marx, the play sets are very collectable.

I am finding naming the three dogs quiet difficult (assuming they have names) so I will photograph them soon and post under the 'Slueth' category of this blog. If anyone can identify them please leave a comment or send an email. Also which play set they originate from. The titles are: The Wedding Scene, Hell Hall Scene, Barn Scene #1, Barn Scene #2, The Journey Home Scene and The Reunion at Home.

Much more information and excellent photographs can be found at http://www.disneykins.com a site dedicated to Disneykins.

I have acquired two Lomonosov figurines which I believe date from the late 1960s. The red 'Made in the USSR' stamps on the bases indicate they were produced before Communism was over thrown. I have heard they are becoming very sought-after. The figurines are a Winter Squirrel and a Hippo, and are in excellent condition. Photographs and further information will be posted on the new Lomonosov Porcelain page shortly.

New for sale is a very nice Captain Scarlet action figure by Vivid Imaginations. Produced around 1993 it comes complete with Scarlet's Electron Gun.
www.spook-central-collectables .co.uk/captain-scarlet-collect ables.html

A shiny new Facebook page is now online. As collectables are photographed and documented we will post images to Facebook to provide a visual reference and link to each item on the main site www.spook-central-collectables.co.uk.

Come one, come all to http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spook-Central-Collectables/141726655913089 and don't forget to give us a 'like.'

Please feel free to comment, discuss, and ask questions regarding the collectables. Or just have a chat about all our favourite toys and collectables, I admit to being a Ghostbusters fanboy - but I haven't the memory for detail that I once had. I'm amazed how some aspects of Ghostbusters are so avidly researched and recorded. Wan't to know more about the classic Proton Packs the Ghostbusters used? Try http://ghostbusters.wikia.com/wiki/Proton_Pack for a start!

At last after much planning and research the web site is published. The process of listing all the items in Spook Central's storage facility has proved very time consuming, so a decision has been made to publish the bones of the site, and add listings over time. This way the site will grow in various directions and we can also work on promoting Spook Central to reach collectors far and wide!