Tom Corbett Space Cadet Accessory Assortment (various, 1950s)....

Description

Tom Corbett Space Cadet Accessory Assortment (various, 1950s). This quartet of premiums lets would-be cadets suit up from head to hip in true Polaris Unit fashion. Center stage is the Official Space Cadet belt by Yale, its gleaming rocket buckle still fastened to the original punch card (rocket die-cut remains unpressed). Brittle rubber bands now secure the strap on only one side, and the card shows moderate edge wear, a corner crease, and light surface scuffs, yet the bold red-and-white launch graphics still fire the imagination. The matching chromium-plated insignia badge from the mail-away kit retains sharp rocket fins and accents, with only faint age-tarnish.

Lighting the way is a USALite "Rocket Lite" flashlight pin, bronze rocket over red back plate, factory-mounted on a combination display/member card. A tiny chip at the rocket's back plate and heavy card scuffing attest to decades of duty, but the bulb still glows when the nose is pressed. Rarest of the group, a pristine countertop display card presents six gray-bodied Rocket Lites arrayed for five-and-dime impulse buys; the stand-up easel remains functional, and the card is bright, with virtually no wear. Together, these pieces capture the merchandising orbit of Tom Corbett's televised adventures-linking mail-order fantasies, store-counter eye-catchers, and functional tech novelties in one mission-ready lot, perfect for crowning any Golden-Age space collection.

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