A case in point is this item:
This is a rather large (about two inches across) pin-back badge that celebrates Spaceland...or maybe it's Space Land...or something... The seller wasn't much help. They said that they had found it in a collection of 1950's sheriff badges, and they thought it was a souvenir, but that was about it.
Well, I loved it from the moment I saw it. I really liked the Von Braun inspired rocket, and the mystery surrounding it's origins. Was there really a Spaceland, or was it just a toy badge? Either way, it peeked my interest and the price was very low, so I went for it!
When it arrived, I found out that in addition to being pretty big, it is made of tin, with a large pin on the back. Other than a few scrapes, it is in great condition. I promptly put it on my rocket cap (yes, I have a rocket cap, doesn't everybody?) and then started to research....
On all of the web, I found exactly one article on Spaceland, but it was a really good one! You can find it at: http://bill-yovino.hubpages.com/hub/Long-Island-Spaceland For those of you who may not want to read all of that, here is the nitty-gritty...
Spaceland was located in an old airplane hanger in Westbury, New York. It opened in June of 1958 when Al Hodge (better known as Captain Video) decided to go into the amusement park business to capitalize on his TV fame. Captain Video had been off the air since 1955 and he was having trouble getting acting roles because of his strong association with the character.
The park featured an 80 foot long silver rocket that promised a flight to Mars (it was a sort of early motion simulator ride.) It also had an attraction based on visiting Planet Vulcan, which was a large room that looked like an alien grotto lit with black lights. A guide would warn the kids to watch out for "Purple People Eaters" (which, of course, only eat purple people). The only way out was down a slide that went through a cave with walls "charged with a million volts of electricity!" Pretty serious stuff! The rest of the ten attractions were off the shelf kiddie rides. Unfortunately, repeat business was poor and the park closed in the early 60's. There is an unconfirmed rumor that the Purple People Eaters found work later as Oompa Loompas.
So, it seems that my Spaceland Ranger badge was actually cooler than I first thought! There must not be many of them since the park lasted such a short time, and the history makes it worth every penny I paid. So, the next time you are surfing Ebay, keep a sharp eye out. There are sci-fi treasures a-plenty!
And remember to fly 'em fast and high!
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