Don't Judge a Book by its Cover

Wednesday, September 10,2014
  Continuing fantastic weather for September:
      Sunny, clear skies, and hot (not too hot)

Don't Judge a Book by it's Cover

  I like to return to the websites of  everyone who has helped me out on my blog. I get to write more about them,and hopefully someone will visit their websites, and perhaps even bid or buy something. I was on ebay on the weekend, when my eye caught some very nice Meccano airplanes. Most people over 50 would remember these fantastic construction sets. They'd come with nuts and bolts, a small screwdriver and wrench, a plan,and of course all of the parts. Not only  could you build something, but you got to play with it later.

  I modified my search parameters (settings) on ebay  to include the name of the seller. The seller's ebay name came up and it was tgh1948.  I recognized the  pseudonym because I was bon in 1948. I quickly checked my files,and sure enough, I had written 2 posts about Mr. Tom Harkness. I wrote Tom via ebay, and asked if he's like me to send him the whitened and better-exposed images that I'd be suing for my blog. He said OK.

  The reason for my title is that you have to read the description of an item up for sale, and well as look at the feedback rating of a seller. If the photo or photos are weak, you can always ask the seller to send you improved ones, or ask the seller to replace the weaker ones on ebay. Of course, if you know the basics of any photo-editing software, you can easily improve an image.

Please click here to visit Tom Harkness' ebay store

Below is one of the photos for a rare 1930's  Meccano Constructor Model Aeorplane.

THe image was underexposed at least 3 f-stops.

It's truly amazing what detail can be recovered. In the era of film, it would be impossible to recover the detail in such an underexposed negative or slide.

 Below is the exact same photo.
A photo-editing software has been used to bring back the detail, colure and exposure.
I also did "my usual", that is to say, placing the toy against an entire white background and  on an entire white foundation.

Although we all know about the helicopter, the gyro airplane actually was the pre-cursor to the helicopter. This "airplane" is the smallest of the 3 Meccano airplanes presented today.

I always liked these bi-planes. This one reminds me of the Alfred Hitchcock and Cary Grant film - "North By Northwest". Cary Grant is supposed to meet someone in the middle of nowhere oat a crossroads of huge fields. Out of nowhere,this biplane comes swopping down and tries to kill him. 

I won't say any more, as this is a true "classic" film!

Like most kids in the 1950's I had a Meccano set. However, this was just one go a dozen or more toys that I had. Perhaps if I had only this set, I would have asked for more sets and I would have ended up designing the Concorde or  Space Shuttle.

Dream on - In my dreams!
Well at least I can write fiction!

Thanks for dropping by to visit,
and as always,
have a great part of the day or night, 
wherever you may be,
Stacey
toysearcher@gmail.com