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[Aurora Model Kits]


The chance to combine science fiction/horror with a top rated TV show was something legendary 50's and 60's kit maker, Aurora, simply couldn't resist. So it comes as no surprise that two of the three Lost in Space kits (#419 & #420) the company issued would feature the cyclops from the episode "There Were Giants in the Earth." The classic scene depicted in these two kits was one of the greatest dramatic moments in the series, when the cyclops monster was about to throw the huge boulder crashing down on the Robinsons. One of the curious things about both these kits is that Aurora inexplicably neglected to include a figure for Penny Robinson. Another strange feature was that the numbering of the kits did not reflect the year of manufacture. Hence the last kit produced, the Robinson Robot issued in 1968, bore the number 418.

While all three kits are highly prized today by collectors, without a doubt the large Lost in Space diorama kit (#420) featuring the out of scale Robinson Chariot is the most sought after. This kit in sealed condition is usually valued at double the price of the other two kits - and it's not hard to see why. Not only was the Chariot thrown in, but the base was extended and the cyclops was perched on a much higher cliff making the monster look so much more menacing. All this for just 50c more than the original cyclops kit (#419).

Today we can only speculate why Aurora never produced a Jupiter 2 model kit. Perhaps they thought customers would find the design too "boring." How wrong they were!

Today Aurora's Lost in Space kits rank among the most expensive kits you can buy. This can be explained partially by the huge resurgence of interest in Lost in Space in recent years. It's worth remembering however that the production runs on most TV based kits were deliberately limited. Executives were attuned to the fact that once a TV show was cancelled interest in the show would wane. Therefore a combination of both demand and rarity explains the dramatic hike in price of these classic kits in recent years.










Click here for cool Lost in Space stuff!