Estes K-1 Scout - Age of kit?

[dshmel]

Anyone have any idea which year this Astron Scout is from?

[barone]

It's not very old....I'll give you $1 for it.... ;)

[barone]

Seriously....The price of the Scout stayed the same (.70) until 1972. Can you believe it...10 years without a price increase! And it looks like it's pre-Damon.....So my guess is somewhere between 1962 and 1969.

[tfischer]

I'm new at this but I think the Estes logo changed (to the current one) with the Damon takeover in 1969. So this kit was from before that (unless they didn't change the packaging right away, of course).

I just found out I have an unbuilt Scout kit myself, but mine's much newer (probably mid 80's).

-Tim

[ghrocketman]

If it had the hang-tag it would be easy.
First 3 years of Damon ownership had Damon on the hang-tag with the new Estes Logo, but had the old Estes Logo on the header card.
Without the tag it is impossible to give a valid date other than it is pre 1973.
If it had the hang tag one could say if it is pre or post 1969.

[dwmzmm]

That's pretty much how my Astron Scout kit came when I got it in 1969. I don't recall mine
having a header card, so I'm willing to bet that the kit pictured in the first post is a pre-Damon kit. And, if I recall correctly, I think those "inspection slips" stop appearing in Estes'
kits that moved through the production line after the Damon merger. I got my Astron Scout as a free kit for placing over a certain amount in my mail order (boy, weren't those
fun?!)....

[al_packer]

The old Estes logo shown on the kit was designed by John Manson of Colorado Springs for the 651 catalog; Wayne Kellner designed the current one at about the same time as the Damon acquisition of Estes. You'll notice that the rocket and "round celestial object" motif made its way onto the NARAM 12 patches EI produced. For that logo to still be in use 38 years later speaks volumes for the talent of the designer.

Anyway, it would be later than 1965, and earlier than 1969.

[dshmel]

Thanks for the info. That narrows it down quite a bit. This means I was 5 to 7 years old when the kit was produced. Amazing it has lasted almost 40 years intact. I, on the otherhand ....

:)

The old Estes logo shown on the kit was designed by John Manson of Colorado Springs for the 651 catalog; Wayne Kellner designed the current one at about the same time as the Damon acquisition of Estes. You'll notice that the rocket and "round celestial object" motif made its way onto the NARAM 12 patches EI produced. For that logo to still be in use 38 years later speaks volumes for the talent of the designer.

Anyway, it would be later than 1965, and earlier than 1969.