Novelties

The green shoe version (8-inch) may have been designed for display by preferred Yashica dealers over the more common red shoe guy. Just a wild guess.

Hot on the heels of the Shiga Xmas candle above was this item - a leather Contax Pen-case.





Contax Pen Case_Targa 


In my various searches, I had not come across this item so the sight of it came as a surprise.  Suffice to say, it has now found a home in Wales.

Very nicely made, it can house a couple of full-size fountain pens or even a 3-pen set comprising, fountain and ball-point pens plus a propelling pencil.  I have illustrated the inside of the case by adding a couple of examples of my other obsession which is Sheaffer Targa Pens.  Here you can see the Fred Force 10 Targa set from 1992 which features the very distinctive cable twist styling to the pens' bodies which are made from palladium with gold-plated details plus a 18K gold nib instead of the usual Targa 14K version.  I don't usually buy the metal Targa pens but opt instead for their lacquer models, some of which are outstandingly beautiful.  Regardless of which Targa fountain pen you find, of all of the fountain pens I've used since the 1950s, these have the best nibs and enhance the quality of your hand-writing.

Just as with Contax and Yashica, there are occasions when only the best will do - and the other quality that all three marques share (at least from their classic periods) is reliability.

Earlier in this thread, I showed a Contax Ceramic Pen, it will be placed permanently inside this case, along with its original box.

OK. Following hot on the heels of the lemon squeezer set is this amazing 1966 dealer promotion for the new Electro 35.





Shiga Dinghy for Electro 35



As you might be able to see, it is an inflatable dinghy which features Yashica Sailor Boy riding a dolphin; it also features, prominently, the name of the Electro 35.

This has been opened for the first time and is larger than I was expecting, meaning I can't use my usual set-up to picture it.  Until I have the breath to inflate it and a large infinity background sheet, this piccie will have to suffice.  An inflatable boat to promote an electronic rangefinder, hmmm, run that past me again....

This and the previous post show an outdoors theme that was evidently running through the marketing brains of Yashica in the mid-1960s.  I have also just discovered a Yashica Picnic Set - no Shiga logo on that, just the Yashica brand - but it would seem to maintain the theme though I have yet to discover how the picnic set was being used - consumer prize or incentive, or perhaps another dealer promotion?  We'll see....

OK - I've tried to avoid buying this for the last 3 months since spotting it in Japan but I felt sorry for the lack of interest so it's now found a home in Wales: it's the Yashica Picnic Set dating from 1966.





Electro 35 Picnic Set


The year may give you the clue; yes, it's yet another strange promotional item for the launch of the Electro 35.  I suppose the idea is that you should take your take your new rangefinder with you on family outings and so to encourage you, here is a 4-place picnic set...  Or something like that.

We have witnessed some strange Electro 35 promotions: the darts set, inflatable boat, lemon squeezer, playing cards and now this...  The sake must have been flowing like water in the marketing department...

Hello,

Here is another Yashica card deck, seems it was part of the Electro 35 merchandising:







Here is the source, in case someone is interested: www.kleinanzeigen.de/s-anzeige/2744123086-245-617

Very nice find, congrats!... any idea about the year?

I was thinking the same, and the FX-D Quartz came to my mind too. Then, I have tried to find some information on that hexagonal red Q symbol, but I do not see it in any of the C/Y cameras nor documents (manuals, brochures, pictures, etc.), so not sure if it was something general from that era or created by C/Y.