 Vintage Fisher Price Little People #996 Airport COMPLETE w/BOTH boxes/EXC+++!
|
|
|
Vintage Fisher Price Little People #996 Airport Play Set COMPLETE w/BOTH BOXES/ EXC+++ (MORE PHOTOS BELOW)
|
Here's a COMPLETE, Fisher Price Play Family Airport (#996) for your inspection. Manufactured in 1972, this CLASSIC play set consisted of 19 pieces and afforded scores of children the opportunity to use their imagination to" fly away" to far off places. Not only is this particular play COMPLETE, but it comes with its original box and its EXTREMELY RARE interior box. In my opinion, this playset is in EXC+++ condition! It also features WOOD/plastic Little People.
The Airport playset consists of a turquoise blue airport base with a plastic control tower, a swing out loading ramp, a working baggage carousel, a ticket counter, a gift shop, a car rental agency, a travel office, a snack counter, and a passenger unloading area. The baggage carousel smoothly rotates and the helicopter's propeller blades swirl when the red handle is turned.
The plastic base itself is in EXC+++-NEAR MINT condition with glossy and bright colors! There are no breaks, chips, cracks, repairs, or gouges anywhere on this base. The only "flaws" I can detect are:
1. Some light scuffs on the plastic where the two runways abut one another; and
2. Some light surface scratches and soiling on the bottom of the base. I anticipate these will become less noticeable with a thorough cleaning and with an application of Armor All Wipes.
As far as the lithos go on this base, I can discern the following "imperfections:"
1. Several of the original factory applied lithos (e.g. main Fisher Price logo, one Baggage Claim litho, the Ticket Counter litho, and the Snack Bar litho) have come loose from the play base. Pending input from the buyer, I'm willing to:
a. Reattach the original factory lithos with Rubber Cement; they should not pose any future problems; or
b. Offer the buyer some reproduction/replacement lithos in lieu of these original lithos. FYI, I procure these reproduction lithos from a seller in Canada. I will let the new owner attach these replacement lithos to the base as I don't want people to think I'm doctoring original sets with reproduction lithos. I offer these replacement lithos free of charge to my customers. The paper utilized to print these reproduction lithos is a good quality "TrueBlock" paper with a sticky back. The ink is waterproof. I will cut out these lithos for you and all the buyer needs to do is peel off the backing and then apply the replacement litho in its appropriate spot. If the buyer wishes to stick with the original lithos, that is fine. Just let me know. In case you can't tell from my photos, the main Fisher Price logo, the Baggage Claim, and Ticket Window lithos exhibit some "bleeding" of the original glue to the surface of the litho. In addition, the Snack Bar litho has some minor, uneven wear around the top and both sides of the litho. The size and color of the replacement lithos are virtually identical to the original lithos with the only difference being that the replacement lithos are a little bit brighter and whiter than the original's (due to age). If the buyer wishes to replace the one Baggage Claim litho, then I would recommend replacing both of them so that the brown tints are identical;
2. A small, 1/4" L tear on the yellow border of the tarmac adjacent to the helicopter landing pad;
3. A faint scratch, @ 1 3/4" L on the Fisher Price Patent Pending information at the end of one tarmac litho; there is also some light soiling, a couple of faint white and light brown stains, and one minor spot of edge wear on the yellow border near the Air Traffic Controller terminal; these stains are not prominent in nature but I feel obligated to mention them; I am not sure whether or not I will be able to successfully remove them during the cleaning process;
4. One, 1/8" L x 1/16" W tear on the main tarmac (e.g. near the center edge of the litho) and a few surface scratches;
5. Some loosening of the remaining Baggage Claim litho; this can either be repaired with Rubber Cement or replaced with a reproduction litho;
6. Some loosening and soiling of the Travel Office litho; once again, this can easily be rectified with some Rubber Cement; I believe the soiling will be alleviated during the cleaning process;
7. Some loosening of the lower right hand corner of the Flag litho along with some bubbling, soiling, and some residual glue leaching through the litho; it should be easy to reattach the litho with Rubber Cement. The soiling should respond positively to a thorough cleaning; unfortunately, the glue stains and bubbling will, in all likelihood, remain; and
8. Other than some light soiling of the boy Air Traffic Controller, the remaining lithos (e.g. Car Rental Agency, Gift Shop lithos) are in PRISTINE condition.
I know my description sounds horrendous. However, keep in mind I'm being super "nit-picky" here. I do not want anyone to be disappointed by their purchases from me. The graphis on these lithos are detailed and whimsical in nature. Relative to most #996 Airports you might see, these tarmac lithos are GORGEOUS (EXC+++-NEAR MINT-MINT)! Miraculously, the tarmac with the red crank on it has escaped having any rubs on it. Most of these sets at least have a circular rub on this tarmac because of the crank.
The Air Traffic Controller's window is free of any apparent scratches. Once the dirt is removed, it should gleam. NOTE: I have lowered my overall rating of this base from EXC+++-NEAR MINT to EXC+++ solely because of the detached lithos. Once these are reattached or replaced, this base should look remarkable. I've taken some photos with the original lithos being momentarily tacked in place with scotch tape so you could get an idea of how they might look. Please disregard the wrinkling and curling; I'll take care of this when I reglue the lithos.
Besides the airport itself, the set also includes a HTF turquoise trimmed jetliner with its original pull string (EXC++-NEAR MINT--several surface scratch on the door latch and to the left of the door on the top of the plane; I may be able to buff some of these scratches using Armor All wipes; in any event, you really have to be searching for them in order to see them). The plane still makes a whirring sound as it moves across the floor and the pilot still swivels his head to and fro. The door tends to drop open when in "flight." I will be fixing this before sending the plane to its new owner. The pull string has a few "nibbles" or "chews" on the end of the string. Both tail lithos are intact and free of any marks, stains, or creases. There are a few isolated tiny bubbles, especially on the left tail litho, but everything else is GREAT. The colors of this plane are bright and attractive with no cracks, chips, breaks, or discoloration; the "tires" display moderate wear. ALL IN ALL, this plane looks SPECTACULAR; a plane in this condition can fetch up to $25-30 by itself on E-bay);
Other items contained in this fun-filled set are:
1 VHTF red orange and yellow helicopter (NEAR MINT--- check out the glossy patina of this piece; it looks BRAND NEW; NO CHEWS; the only thing I can detect are some subtle, pin-head size spots and a possible, shallow melt mark on the back of the helicopter towards the rudder; I frankly don't know what to make of these; since I haven't yet cleaned this piece, I don't know if the spots will come off; the possible melt mark is so hard to see, I hesitate to even mention it; it's that hard to see);
1 HTF red orange/yellow jet refueling tanker w/original hose and nozzle and Fisher Price on wheels (MINTY MINT---nozzle is free of any chews!);
1 yellow baggage cart with Fisher Price on wheels (MINTY MINT);
1 red/orange baggage cart with Fisher Price on wheels (MINTY MINT);
1 HTF yellow/red orange tug tractor (MINT);
1 green/white 2 seater side by side passenger car with luggage rack and Fisher Price on wheels (EXC+++-NEAR MINT--some dulling of the wheel caps and a tad amount of rust; I believe these wheel caps will become more shiny following a liberal application of Naval Jelly);
1 white/green 2 seater side by side passenger car with luggage rack and with Fisher Price on wheels (NEAR MINT--once again, shows some dulling of the wheel caps; this should clean up nicely with an application of Naval Jelly);
2 VHTF round green pieces of luggage (NEAR MINT--couple of teeny indentations on handles; probably caused by a child's tooth); and
2 VHTF yellow square pieces of luggage (MINT).
The set also comes with 2 WOOD/plastic and 4 ALL WOOD Little People that were original to this set:
1 HTF short, WOOD/plastic turquoise bodied African-American pilot (MINTY MINT);
1 HTF short, WOOD/plastic turquoise bodied flight attendant w/blonde hair (MINTY MINT);
1 RARE tall, WOOD/WOOD blue bodied Mom with blonde pony (MINT);
1 RARE tall, WOOD/WOOD green bodied Dad with brown heat stamped hair and metal rivet (EXC+++-NEAR MINT--minor paint wear consistent with age around middle "belt" of piece);
1 RARE, WOOD/WOOD yellow bodied frowning boy with red cap facing forward and freckles (EXC++--light scuff on top of the hat and a few "nibbles" on the hat's brim); and
1 RARE, WOOD/WOOD blue bodied girl with blonde braids (MINTY MINT-braids firmly attached).
Last, but not least, this set comes with its original exterior box along with its SUPER RARE interior box. While the exterior box has some wear (e.g. extraneous tape, creases, major and minor rubs and edge wear, a couple of tears on the front of the box, tears along a couple of its flaps---some of these have been been repaired with tape etc.), the box still sports all of its original flaps and provides a reference for the accessories and Little People associated with this set. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being PERFECT, I would rate this box as being an 7.5/10. The SUPER RARE interior box, however, is in EXC++-NEAR MINT condition (9.0/10). It has a few creases and one light stain on the front of the box.
All in all, this is an INCREDIBLE set and one that is VHTF in this good of condition with ALL of its pieces! It would make a great gift for an avid Fisher Price collector or for some lucky youngster.
This set will be thoroughly Q-tip cleaned prior to shipping it to its new owners. I spend a MINIMUM of 1 1/2 - 5 hours cleaning each and every VINTAGE Fisher Price playset that I sell (except for those clearly marked as being in "MY ROUGH ROOM"). I use a variety of cleaning products. I pride myself on my clean sets. All you have to do upon receiving my sets is to unwrap them and put them on display or give them to some lucky child to play.
I've been "hypercritical" in my description because I don't want anyone to be disappointed by this set. Many of my former customers have stated their purchases from me FAR EXCEEDED my descriptions and their expectations. They are amazed with the quality of my merchandise, its cleanliness, and the pains I go through to pack their play sets w/TLC. I wrap each individual item in bubble wrap and pad everything with styrofoam chips, extra cardboard inserts, and white packing paper. I want these toys to last for another generation and beyond.
These are some of the best toys EVER manufactured for young children. Instead of sitting there and passively watching a toy perform for them (e.g. blinking lights, sounds etc), the children are enticed to develop their open-ended, imaginative play skills. Thus, they become ACTIVE learners. In the process, they also hone their cooperative, dramatic role-playing, and symbolic play skills, their acquisition of basic language-based concepts, and their beginning narrative or story telling skills. All of these are prerequisites necessary for future academic success.
Give them the best, VINTAGE FISHER PRICE:)
REMEMBER, THESE ARE VINTAGE FISHER PRICE TOYS! THEY WERE NOT DESIGNED FOR CHILDREN STILL MOUTHING THEIR TOYS OR UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE.
ALSO, THESE VINTAGE FISHER PRICE TOYS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE RECENT MATTEL RECALL OF FISHER PRICE TOYS. THESE TOYS WERE MANUFACTURED IN THE GOOD OLD U.S.A. THEIR DURABILITY AND SAFETY (NO LEAD PAINT ETC.) HAS NEVER BEEN QUESTIONED!
This particular set weighs 8 lbs., 4 oz. UNWRAPPED. My zip code is 47905 (Lafayette, IN). This playset will be shipped inside an outer protective box. In all likelihood, due to the size of the original box, the outer box will probably be considered over-sized by the different carriers.
NOTE: IF YOU DO PURCHASE THIS, PLEASE DO NOT SEND IMMEDIATE PAYMENT. I'M FINDING THAT FED EX HOME DELIVERY IS RUNNING ABOUT 33% CHEAPER THAN THE USPS (EVEN PARCEL POST) AND UPS GROUND.
TO SHIP FED EX, I MUST HAVE A RESIDENTIAL OR WORK PLACE ADDRESS AND A CONTACT PHONE NUMBER (HOME, CELL, OR WORK PLACE). PLEASE GIVE ME TIME TO DOUBLE CHECK THE ACCURACY OF E-BAY'S SHIPPING CALCULATOR. IT'S FREQUENTLY OFF AND OVERCHARGES PEOPLE PLUS IT DOESN'T INCLUDE FED EX HOME DELIVERY AS A SHIPPING OPTION. I NEED TO MANUALLY INSERT THIS INFORMATION ON YOUR INVOICE. I WANT TO SAVE YOU MONEY ON SHIPPING!
|
|
|
Airport with original lithos "tacked" in place.
|
|
|
|
Original Flag and Travel Office lithos.
|
|
|
|
With original Snack Bar litho "tacked" into place.
|
|
|
|
Frontal view of Airport with original lithos "tacked" into place.
|
|
|
|
Original lithos that have detached from the base.
|
PayPal is the preferred manner of payment. All payments are due within 5 business days of the listing's conclusion.
I also accept bank-issued Cashier's Checks and Postal Money Orders. Due to my bank's policies, I am unable to ship your item until these forms of payment clear my bank (usually within 3 business days). Please contact me if you would like to pay via a Cashier's Check or a Postal Money Order.
The price listed is for the item itself. The total amount due will be the purchase price of the item + the ACTUAL shipping cost to deliver your item to you. All shipping costs or extra fees (in the case of Canadian shipments) are the responsibility of the buyer. I will do everything in my power to find you the cheapest shipping rate—-whether it’s the USPS (First Class, Parcel, or Priority), Fed Ex, or UPS. I DO NOT PAD MY SHIPPING COSTS—-NEVER HAVE AND NEVER WILL! I SHIP WITHIN 48 HOURS OF A CLEARED PAYMENT.
I primarily utilize Fed Ex Home Delivery for items exceeding 5 lbs. in weight, measuring greater than 12 inches in any dimension, or traveling longer distances. I’ve been finding Fed Ex has been running @33% cheaper than the USPS (including Parcel Post) and UPS Ground. FYI, another benefit of using either Fed Ex or UPS is that their quote includes up to $100 worth of FREE insurance. Additional amounts of insurance may be purchased for a nominal fee (that is much less than the USPS). Fed Ex also provides automated tracking updates re: your parcel’s whereabouts directly to your personal e-mail account.
In order to ship Fed Ex (or UPS for that matter), I MUST have a residential or work place address, NOT a P.O. Box number, as well as a home or cell phone. Otherwise, they will not accept the shipping paperwork or transport your item.
Since Bonanza's shipping calculator does NOT offer Fed Ex Home Delivery as a shipping option, PLEASE DO NOT SEND PAYMENT UNTIL I HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MANUALLY CHECK THESE RATES AND INSERT THEM INTO YOUR INVOICE. Otherwise, the shipping calculator may overcharge you.
Packages traveling to Alaska or Hawaii will be shipped Parcel Post via the USPS. Insurance and delivery confirmation are required.
I’m more than willing to combine multiple purchases into one box whenever it is safe to do so to decrease your shipping costs. Once again, PLEASE wait to check out until I can combine your purchases on ONE INVOICE and can calculate their combined shipping rate via Fed Ex. If you pay for these items separately, I get charged multiple transaction fees by PayPal plus you get over-charged on your shipping. Of course, I will refund you any amount over $1.00 that you've overpaid on shipping. However, it's easier on both of us if you wait until I can send you the correct amount.
I’m more than happy to ship selected play sets to Canada. Remember that shipping to Canada can be quite expensive so please contact me for a shipping quote before you purchase an item. I will attempt to find the cheapest shipping rate possible. Canadian customers will be responsible for any brokerage fees, Custom’s duties, or VAT’s imposed by your government. I am not responsible for these charges. Insurance is required for all international shipments.
Last, but not least, I offer a 10% discount for orders totaling $125.00 or more.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL. NO RETURNS ARE ACCEPTED. I have attempted to bring any noted "imperfections" to your attention prior to your purchasing the item. However, I'm only human. If I have missed something or you have a problem with your purchase, please contact me prior to leaving feedback.
Customer satisfaction is #1 for me. I try to provide outstanding service, high quality merchandise, and secure and expedient shipping.
Feedback is important and I will be happy to leave you feedback once I know everything has arrived safely and that you are pleased with your purchase. Leaving me feedback helps me gauge how well I'm doing and also serves the Bonanza community by directing them to sellers who proffer outstanding merchandise and service.
|
