Mattel - Flying Aces - Squadron Command Cockpit Launcher -1976 w/ orig. box

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Mattel - Flying Aces - Squadron Command Cockpit Launcher and two planes - Printed & Made in the U.S.A.! - 1976 w/ original box and 2pc set of original paper instructions included. Toy is played-with perhaps a couple of times, if that. It is in really fine shape! With No breaks, scratches, blemishes, or anything that looks like it is about to break on toy whatsoever! The launcher runway deck-catapult and trigger mechanism works perfectly. The original rubber bands DID come with this set BUT they were so decayed and fused together in brittle clumps that there was NO way of saving them. (--NOTE: I found two of these boxed sets in my parents' closet, and one still unused with rubber bands and parts STILL sealed in original plastic bag BUT rubber bands are decayed even in the still sealed bag. Rubber does do this over time--). The toy does require two different length bands which I am including. They are enough for me to have tested the launching of planes --and they fly NICE!! But do take note. The bands are general rubber bands and they do need to be more or less of the correct length and tension. For example, IF, too short or tight tension, they pull planes off of launch deck -OR - IF, too long or loose tension, they planes won't fly the cool distances that they are capable of. This toy is safe for indoor use, as the planes are made of a "Tuff-lite" soft rubber. But they do fly high and far, no kidding... So, outdoor use would be far more adequate to achieved distance! The planes have of NO scuffs, blemishes, creases, breaks, or any damage to them or the landing gear/underside. They are NOT even gnawed as they tend to have been from kids chewing on them in the past -- at least, thats the condition I often see them on ebay if they ever come on the market, which they do not often at all. The color graphics on planes are noted as "ThunderBirds" on box! They are F-5 Freedom Fighter Jets. There is some extremely light factory rubbing on color scheme of planes BUT NOT worn from playing! These Mattel Flying Aces sets actually do not appear on ebay very often. The cockpit decals are applied to dashboard launcher and color graphics are clean and crisp with no water damage and no peeling away. The two paper instructions are original, with very, very slight fraying on an edge/crease. And some brownish color blemish/discoloration of main fold-up instruction sheet, it is heat discoloration and NOT water damage. The box is very worn. With all flaps and panels present. With tape on some edges. It has NO water damage BUT because it sat shelved against cedar closet wall with vertical heating vent running hidden behind wall, it posed heat in that area of the closet and caused boxed things to have the "sandwiching" effect of the surface, paper-graphics separate itself from the inner cardboard corrugation. It is also what caused the discoloration on paper instructions. But the box IS all there. And paper discoloration is actually no as bad as it appears on the pictures. Special note: only some stuff in boxes were affected and each to differing degrees of faults by heat in closet...only this boxed toy got it bad. Anything else that I will be posting did not suffer as this did. Flying Aces stored in parents' cedar hall-closet, as I mentioned before, all these years with other vintage toys and personal stuff...it's a walk-in closet!! Lotsa stuff!! And for the most part, everything that was stored in there HAS stood the test of time. Grant it, some toys were played with.... These toys not only belonged to brothers and me but my mother was a toy fanatic and a collector of worthy things, and she got this for us on birthdays and xmas mostly from the long-gone mom & pop stores and "Old" FAO Schwartz in here in New York City. She even bought extras as last minute gifts for other unexpected drop-in friends with kids during xmas holidays, or even as game prize give-aways at birthdays. Smoke-free & pet-free home. No funky musty smell! Please, see all pictures for details, as I offer point of views from all angles. So... read more

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