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Dealer Displays
When Billy Blastoff toys were in circulation, toy dealers could order display setups to show off the Billy Blastoff offerings in a "pilfer-proof" clear dome covering. The full set displays came ready to go with a complete set mounted to a show board with a clear dome over them and a sharp looking title card over the top. These are some of the most desirable items in the Billy Blastoff toy line. On this page, I'm trying to decode what was offered at the time and what may still exist. It's susprisingly somewhat complicated. The more information I've collected, the more interesting this story has become. While there are still some holes, I think I've filled some others with fairly well substantiated estimations. Always looking for more information though so please contact me if you see anything off or missing.
1969 From the US 1969 Eldon dealer catalog. The clear domed dealer displays first show up in the fall 1969 Eldon dealer catalog but the marking of all but Space Scout and Scuba Scout as "new" indicate that these two displays were previously available. I have the fall 1968 and fall 1969 catalogs and nothing in-between so it's hard to say then the first two display were made available. Notice that at this point, "Robot" is not yet named "Robbie".
This looks to be the earliest example of a display set but it seems to be missing the title card. This set sold on eBay 9/30/2020 and I have not seen any of the other sets of this year come up for sale. The seller stated: "Billy's arms are broken and there is a break on another car. I do not know what toys came in the actual display but what you see is what is going with the display." The red toy in the back is a Matt Mason Space Sled and not part of the Billy Blastoff Space Scout display but what's mind-boggling is the color scheme on the Lunar Crawler. First I've seen of that. Kind of split on whether that is from an international set or a prototype. What makes it very intersting is that the Exploration Tractor is not the very first type with the tow hook on the front like in the first advertisement and many catalog pages (here, here, and here) where the Lunar Crawler was already the standard grey and red. Why would it be blue and red at this point?
This amazingly pristine boxed Robbie Robot display was available on eBay for some time. Un-sold as of 10/10/2020. It was pricy offered at $2,500 but it's pretty perfect too. Intersting in that it is a first generation Robbie but the display style is more like what's shown in the 1970 Eldon dealer catalog with the updated gen 2 Robbie. Later, I also bought this same display and it is marked "copyright 1969" on the front and "Stock # 9447" behind the base of the rear of the title card arch. Looking further, now that I have the catalogs you can see that the stock numbers for most of the 1969 sets do not change into 1970 where they now have the arched title card. Also, note that Robbie Robot is only named "Robot" at this point so it's obvious there was still work being done on the products themselves. And, notice the box pictured with the set above includes stock number "9447" and just the word "Robot". For these reasons I believe most of the 1969 domed displays were not produced as they are shown in the 1969 catalog. Rather, they were produced as shown in the 1970 catalog with the arched title card. I believe that the Scuba Scout sets were not changed because they were already produced and stock was being held. In fact, Scuba Scout seems to have remained the same without the arched title card all the way through to 1971. I believe that the 1969 catalog display images were concept drawings used in the catalog as place holders since the displays were not yet produced. I think Space Scout and Scuba Scout came out sometime in late 1968 or early 1969 then the new sets shown below in the 1970 catalogs came out early 1970 and Space Scout and Robbie Robot were updated along with the sets themselves.
Note the prices on this editted section of the 1969 Eldon Dealer catalog. One dollar in 1969 is $8.60 in 2024 meaning those $5 dealer displays would be $43 in 2024 dollars. That $8 Space Base display would be almost $70. Full set please!
1970 From the US 1970 Eldon dealer catalog. Notice that only Robbie Robot and Space Scout displays are marked as new meaning that the others - with the arched title card - must have been offered prior to fall 1970. Note that the Space Base display is marked new and includes a sticker stating that Billy now walks but Billy in the display is still the first generation - non-walking - Billy.
I've been told by a collector that he purchased all 7 displays at an auction of a long closed toy store in London but has since sold them off. These pictures are of his Fire Fighter display. It's good to know that they do exist. Maybe the Robbie Robot one above was from his find.
From the UK/European 1970 catalog.
By 1971 we're back to just Space Scout and Scuba Scout. Likely just what was left in stock being sold off. No evidence that there was ever a dealer display for the Snowmobile set.
This table is a list of all domed dealer displays that I believe existed. Notice the order of stock numbers indicates the release order and note that many of the 1969 sets do not change stock numbers when changing to 1970. This is one major reason I believe that the 1969 displays - with the exception of the Scuba Scout set - didn't look like the 1969 images.
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