CIRCUS TIME: Mattel Circus Playset No. 0506 (1973) - Pt 13 Guest Post by Hugh Walter

While the Mattel Circus Play Set series is essentially finished, today's post comes to us courtesy Hugh Walter. Hugh is the owner/moderator of the "Small Scale World" blog whose link is on the side-bar to the right. Hugh says,

"Hi Ed,

Thought you might like to shove these up at the end of the run, they're scans of the less common (apparently) version of the carry case in a sort of pinky-cream/dirty-white/gray, some attempt to make the set more unisex maybe?..." 

As he's based in the UK this tells me that these play sets were sold here and abroad. Perhaps the different coloration was to distinguish between Stateside sales and UK sales???

Enjoy! Opa Fritz 

CIRCUS TIME: Mattel Circus Playset No. 0506 (1973) - Pt 12 Set No. 11 Accessory Act

While this is the last act that came with Mattel's Circus play set, it won't be the last post for this set. The last one will be a surprise post from one our reader's!

This act includes a Twirling Bar and it makes me wonder why Mattel didn't call this the 'Twirling Bar Act' instead of the 'Accessory Act' - unless that is the name given to it in real circuses. I'll have to do a bit of research. The bar is clearly meant to have two acrobats so you'll need to pull the figure from bag no. 10 to make it complete. And of course the Trapeze Act from bag no. 10 will need the figure from this bag to help flesh out that act. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

The unopened package

The scanned package

The insert

Here we have the acrobat from the Trapeze Act helping out on the Twirling Bar

Only one ladder was used when this was set up on the train layout

Here we have both acrobats on the bar

ahhh yes, this is more like it - the Trapeze Act looks complete with two acrobats instead of one!

CIRCUS TIME: Mattel Circus Playset No. 0506 (1973) - Pt 11 Set No. 10 Trapeze Act

The Trapeze Act is rather an odd offering in that, while the set is clearly designed for two figures, only one is included. That being said, just like all the other acts, when taken as a whole the Mattel Circus Playset is pretty awesome. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

The unopened package

The scanned package

The insert

CIRCUS TIME: Mattel Circus Playset No. 0506 (1973) - Pt 10 Set No. 9 High Wire Act

The High Wire Act is really a nice set - one of the nicer ones of the lot. However, as with nearly all the other acts this one does have its idiosyncrasies. For example: if you raise or lower the bar, the clown will not roll up or down: it slides!  Getting the wheel to actually rotate requires - again - extra effort. However, the 'high bar' is slick enough to allow the whole balancing clown and acrobat to move freely enough. Enjoy! Opa Fritz 

The unopened package

The scanned package

The insert

This act had the dry-transfer type decals to apply to the pieces, but again, after so many years they have become unusable

CIRCUS TIME: Mattel Circus Playset No. 0506 (1973) - Pt 9 Set No. 8 Trained Dogs and Horse Act

We are getting near the end of all these Mattel Circus Playset bagged 'acts'. This act, like so many others, relies on figures that are supposed to balance one atop the other. Again - Nope.  I had limited success with one of the dogs staying put on the horses back, but not both of them.  Anywho, it is what it is - Enjoy! Opa Fritz

The unopened bag

The scanned bag

The insert