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Datsuncog

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Posts posted by Datsuncog

  1. 25 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

    There's a Harley Davidson version of the Toyota,& a Police version of the Suzuki too

    Funnily enough, I did encounter the Harley version of the HiLux at the market a very long time ago - but it was a bit scruffy, and I thought the chrome-effect windows looked a bit naff, so I left it.

    1198790174_IMG_20210806_0842162.thumb.jpg.d15d561521a83e7a44c564a89c699339.jpg

    Yet to see the police version of the Suzuki in real life!

  2. I'd imagine a more factually accurate advert might run:

    "About thirty years ago I got this fucked TR6 from Raymie down the road because I'd heard tell that classic cars were gonna be worth big money. He had imported it from the US-of-A via a small-ad in Classic American magazine, promised as a rust-free California car but it actually came from a pond in Nebraska and it was totally hanging. The paperwork was all wrong, so he couldn't get it registered, even then.

    I brought my da's Charolais bull down to him to cover ten of his heifers by way of exchange, and then dragged the TR6 back up the lane behind the Massey. I'd no idea what I was going to do with it, but I fancied myself  going for a bit of a rake down to to Young Farmers Club, y'know, impress the lassies a bit. But I then let it sit rotting in the corner of the yard for ten years, filling up with water, before it broke in half.

    One day I was feeling unusually inspired, so I hacked off everything left behind the bulkhead with a Stihl, pulled the front end round behind the pigsty, and converted the propshaft to run an old Ferguson take-off so it could mix slurry, as a static engine, like. But it wasn't very good at this, especially after I tried running it on red diesel, so I haven't used it since 2006.

    I found the remains the other day when I was out baiting rat traps, and wondered if there were any feckin eejits out there who would give me money for a 'project' which only needs a chassis, a body, an interior, trim and an engine to make perfect."

  3. Clearly, the smoking of crack recreationally is reaching endemic levels in rural areas of Dungannon.

    Screenshot_20240224-0046192.thumb.png.1ba6ab9e29f152c6f6add9707eae7594.png

    Screenshot_20240224-0046512.thumb.png.9dc8d4ae31c91e9bb3ff7a24cfb360cb.png

    Screenshot_20240224-0045182.thumb.png.6f2addc1551e9d69e090071ab59c97ee.png

    "The project will therefore need a body and chassis from some other source."

    Uh-huh.

    Screenshot_20240224-0045492.thumb.png.c42378477436db881e222aafc4fd3288.png

    "The engine (2500cc, American carb version) was in good order and I believe it is very restorable."

    That'll be completely seized, then?

    Screenshot_20240224-0052382.thumb.png.2dbf1219bf42f83f2620043454e5e49f.png

    "A nice project of a very desirable and collectable car for someone."

    This is very much not a nice project for anyone.

  4. 5 hours ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

    When you get bored of the Corgi Land Rover I’ll give it home to go with the canopy-less one you previously supplied. Which brings me to todays big arrival, or as my wife pointed out;probably my favourite present I’ll get for my 60th ! Yes, a Cogbox.

    7D934BB7-BD79-4283-AC41-BB46CB1E97FD.thumb.jpeg.e21bb9a2ddebc6218f323b2093d2e9d2.jpeg

    And as usual I’d forgotten what was in it, the Fiat was a total surprise. The Cortina the only one I’ll be getting for my birthday as MrsN can’t find one ,of any mark,  worth buying in 1:1 so far. Well not this side of £8,000 anyway.

    Hey, glad they all showed up safely - that's not bad going, since I only posted it on Wednesday afternoon.

    Will certainly hit you up if I decide to pass on the Land Rover breakdown wagon.

    And - all the best for your birthday too, dude!

  5. Is that the finish line for today?

    IMG_20240223_1228422.thumb.jpg.ddbf351be4887824e398640e54e60666.jpg

    Y'know, I think it is.

    I'm adding in the Matchbox Magirus Deutz fire tender as I still reckon it's been a pretty special find this week - and also because researching the history of the casting kept me up waaay too late, and sort of spilled over into Tat Friday by default.

    So there we are - a banger of a day, and all thanks to @bunglebus for making time to call up for some tat market action!

    Hopefully that'll not be the last time a thread regular makes it over to these damp shores... I can't guarantee dryness, but I can guarantee you'll be most welcome.

    Until next time... Happy Friday, kids.

  6. But! That's not all... because today you see, there was a Bunglebox in the mix also...

    IMG_20240223_1216052.thumb.jpg.5c70bba71c3ca2761870744f7b0c15f7.jpg

    And within was...

    IMG_20240223_1222532.thumb.jpg.4708c9347036b7e45e893650e1272cf3.jpg

    Some Matchbox I couldn't resist when they came up on the @bunglebus sales thread.

    IMG_20240223_1223282.thumb.jpg.befdaf53d1d53a578794eade0088cc70.jpg

    A few service vehicles which appear better than the ones I have already...

    IMG_20240223_1223502.thumb.jpg.a43244a5e8d1ab541f6566cacbe63f4b.jpg

    And some construction site vehicles likewise.

    Some of these may go down to my folks' place for my brother's kids to play with, but I'm already thinking they're maybe a bit too nice for that.

    Plus some others:

    IMG_20240223_1224272.thumb.jpg.ec29babb05a6d1472a08e50159b05e81.jpg

    The controversial generic tractor unit which may have been modified from a Leyland prototype (and which I erroneously thought for years was a Mercedes); a Rover SD1 peelermobile with more paint than my current version, and a delightful Land Rover 90 which is exactly the same as one I had as a kid, only it's not had the roof turned yellow with prolonged UV light exposure.

    And! Bonus unexpected Corgi Cubs:

    IMG_20240223_1224522.thumb.jpg.824dbec2f9ffc44a22825088ab5814ba.jpg

    The ambulance isn't one I've had before, and the Fire Chief car's a bit cleaner than the one I already have.

    Hmm... maybe the kids should get these instead, and I'll hang on to the Matchbox a wee bit longer...

    There were also these:

    IMG_20240223_1225422.thumb.jpg.23f371dc0e8baef236c2104f96c53874.jpg

    Recent Mattel releases which I've found unaccountably difficult to track down locally.

    I believe the Proton and bay window VW pickup were sourced from Germany, so this truly is an international operation happening on the Smol Tat Thread.

    Which brings us to an additional Proton that was in the box - one that'll be added to the current @andy18stat box, for eventual shipping onwards to Bulgaria.

    IMG_20240223_1226142.thumb.jpg.6eb7db0bba69c1eb5905f65cc25007a2.jpg

    So there we go... I tell you, it's a whirlwind...

  7. And wrapping up today's Tat Stall acquisitions was this filthy but still appealing Corgi Commer milk float.

    IMG_20240223_1220192.thumb.jpg.e2753c250da1f4e8b50c2eee8339dc2b.jpg

    It's one I was missing - I have a white chassis from a Constructor Gift Set, but no milk float back on it.

    IMG_20240223_1220252.thumb.jpg.43e89e8e13601eece66b56954b853be2.jpg

    Although this is the mainline release without the removable back.

    IMG_20240223_1220332.thumb.jpg.4f23790e8dea7662dd92ba0b4107e27a.jpg

    Hopefully it should scrub up alright - a spot of soapy water later should make it a little more presentable, and then it can join the others on the fleet.

  8. Also putting in an encore from its January debut was this 1-75 range Ford Model A van.

    IMG_20240223_1219552.thumb.jpg.5068ccfaa51bd53817d3d8bdf87e6900.jpg

    I know, I know - they're everywhere, they're boring. The omnipresent Kelloggs Cornflakes promo. I know.

    But it's totally pristine. No yellowing to the roof, no dulling of the chrome. It's perfect.

    I'll be honest: I just love this era of box. It's these illustrations I lusted over when I was like three or so.

    IMG_20240223_1220082.thumb.jpg.4ea96098f48645e7bca14291a5571ca7.jpg

    So I wasn't going to pass up a lovely clean boxed example at a fiver. I'm pleased with this, although I realise probably shouldn't be.

  9. Also finding favour the second time around were these pair of Lesneys:

    IMG_20240223_1221192.thumb.jpg.6b5bbb36a2daf941acc0305b1616a250.jpg

    Once again, present in January but kinda too pricey at £5 each.

    On 26/01/2024 at 08:49, Datsuncog said:

    He wants £5 for the chipped, unboxed MoYs and Days Gone and the Humbrol'd EFEs in the smaller box.

    IMG_20240126_0739012.thumb.jpg.54730cb4647c0cc6277902d26bce8e91.jpg

    I mean, what?

    Really?

    £3 is rather more palatable to me, for the Superfast Monteverdi Hai and for the regular wheels Opel Diplomat.

    IMG_20240223_1221282.thumb.jpg.d0bc8a1f9ed8f218eb8b8a4fba6649b1.jpg

    The Monteverdi is just so 70s; it looks awesome.

    I can't remember if I have a Diplomat already - but this one's pretty clean, so if it turns out to be surplus, it's available for the £3 paid.

  10. Then there was this Corgi Land Rover breakdown wagon:

    IMG_20240223_1220432.thumb.jpg.d89e6618f82d9606f2907653c04f1e89.jpg

    Missing its towing hook, although it's been ingeniously reconfigured so it can now act as a mobile gallows, so, y'know... swings and roundabouts.

    IMG_20240223_1220482.thumb.jpg.0e65fd6c8d41e69502702ae2b3bbda99.jpg

    The tinplate canopy had come loose and was in the bottom of the box - it's a little bit bent, but I sort of like it because of that.

    IMG_20240223_1220562.thumb.jpg.04c3c486ad5994e8d80098e5bea31473.jpg

    It just feels like an honest little model that's been used, but not abused, during a long working life.

    IMG_20240223_1221062.thumb.jpg.a6eb725069a4fb8a5e6a2822a9c103a3.jpg

    I had one of these as a kid and managed to lose it during an ill-fated trip to the beach at Kilclief, when a deep tunnel in the sand collapsed while it was 'driving' through, and no matter how much I dug I just couldn't find it again.

    Nice to have one again - and, at £5, half the price it was back in January.

    On 26/01/2024 at 09:08, Datsuncog said:

    More boxes of Corgi and Lesney too.

    IMG_20240126_0748372.thumb.jpg.489dee414f87d9b7b5f5a519b6830adc.jpg

    But honestly, I can't be paying those sort of prices for these. I'm not quite seeing a tenner's worth in most of the items offered.

     

    A keeper, for now.

  11. Well, a few things.

    Fortune was smiling upon @quicksilver...

    On 26/01/2024 at 10:20, quicksilver said:

    @Datsuncog was this in the £5 or £10 box? If the former can you grab it for me please?

    IMG_20240126_0740032.thumb.jpg.e61c2a6e54dca70787445502f6a43211.jpg

    IMG_20240223_1217032.thumb.jpg.43a451414d7226c6ad5e91f91c4add86.jpg

    The requested Majorette gooseneck caravan in Coca Cola Football colours turned up again in one of today's boxes.

    IMG_20240223_1219062.thumb.jpg.cd3c5a875b9ac7d10421ab7cd3ffb10b.jpg

    It's a curious thing; after a fair bit of poking at it, it became clear that this was the same casting as the Majorette camper - it just has the plastic back removed, and a wind spoiler hiding the hole in the roof where the front clips on (I believe Majorette had done that before - turning the Renault 18 Taxi into a caravan towcar with a wind deflector clipping into the same aperture as the taxi sign)

    Screenshot_20240223-1458522.thumb.png.0355442830ac38473ddeedc70bac78fd.png

    Look at that. It even has the gooseneck hitch just visible through the window.

    It's also odd in that Majorette tended to model accurate renditions of vehicles, but it seems that this is just a generic pickup of no particular manufacturer. It looks a little bit Ford or Mazda, but not definitively either of them.

    IMG_20240223_1218412.thumb.jpg.1070e7d9e203ddf23f2bb33f1e310159.jpg

    Underneath just says 'Camping Car', which isn't very illuminating.

    Still - not bad value for £3, and marking a reduction from previous price points.

    Will set that one aside for you, dude!

  12. 5 hours ago, Jon said:

    Hmm. Cooper-Jarrett trailer with intact doors! If that's a couple of quid, colour me interested. Am still very much after a bogie for the double trailer rig, too...

    Looking forward to further surprise duo updates! Were you aware of a guest appearance prior, Tim?

    Sadly I was already gone for the day before I saw this - but yes, it was a pretty decent example of the trailer.

    IMG_20240223_0851362.thumb.jpg.e2354a2992a4bfb45fc75b807215387b.jpg

    Will keep an eye out for it next week!

    And now - what did I come away with?

  13. With time ticking on, and the workday breathing uncomfortably down our necks, all too soon we had to say cheerio and go our respective ways - but I managed a final sweep just in case anything fantastic had suddenly materialised.

    Because, as we know all too well from this thread, strange things do happen...

    Although I think all the strangeness had already happened for the day!

    Nothing of interest on the £2 table, annoyingly.

    IMG_20240223_0846402.thumb.jpg.bcf9b4fd55e55bbf0afaa6cea903d09f.jpg

    I'd kinda hoped the police Hongwells from last week might have been downgraded to here - but not yet, anyway.

    Some of the boxes had been partially emptied out onto the table, giving us some early Lesneys...

    IMG_20240223_0851192.thumb.jpg.1c47f84f4cb51d4ea83fd3bcf95d2eb3.jpg

    Big tinplate fire truck was quite appealing too.

    IMG_20240223_0852282.thumb.jpg.2b1d4686d3a6bcd88ccf529ad741073d.jpg

    Some okay Superfast era Lesneys too, but quite a bit of repainting was evident.

    IMG_20240223_0852382.thumb.jpg.48d55f73decd7177e4d556378051155b.jpg

    Regular wheels VW fastback was redone in matt red, for some reason, and of course the A-pillar was cracked.

    Corgi Whizzwheels quarry dumper looking a bit ungainly on the speed wheels, as well it might.

    IMG_20240223_0852552.thumb.jpg.b84092b66782c3ae92f0566e0b5e207d.jpg

    Mercury Commuter on wide wheels not too bad; Lincoln on narrow wheels also appealed, but a cracked screen put me off.

    I've a nice regular wheels Lincoln, but I sort of want one of these too.

    I could also have come away with this...

    IMG_20240223_0857102.thumb.jpg.ce4a7c726e53cc9e88eee1622bc42e03.jpg

    Yeah, it's like four rectangular ceramic plates joined together in a wooden frame, and a load of jumbled text and gold leaf on the back of each one with 'authenticity stamps' and limited edition numbers and 'authorised by the estate of Elvis Aron Presley'.

    What would you even do with this?

    So, ruminating, off I went into the brightening morning...

    ...with a bag. Of course.

     

  14. 10 minutes ago, junkyarddog said:

    Bandai?

    I think you might be right!

    The logo in the middle of the baseplate writing looked like a stylised gothic print 'B', as per the lower left hand one here.

    Collecting Tin Toys: BANDAI TOYS CO., INC.

    Awesome, thanks!

    I really liked the Rambler too, but I just couldn't bring myself to pony up £40 for it.

  15. After a good natter, and exchange of mutual tat boxes, there was just about time for a quick whistle-stop tour of the market's other attractions...

    IMG_20240223_0901292.thumb.jpg.1580ace2f21d1e8825074386cce4408a.jpg

    Colin, of the Irish Tat Stall, was away on holiday this week but the new-release 1/72 Oxfords had shown up in the shape of the Emberglow Metro.

    IMG_20240223_0901512.thumb.jpg.74c5bcc28d32c3979a86e15af61484e5.jpg

    Not so much down at the other end of the stall, where Toon'd Hot Wheels Silverados seem to be breeding...

    No Matchbox this week, and no new Greenlights to interest me much.

    The Charity Stall had nothing bar some very cheap plastic toys in a 50p rummage box, but nothing really to tickle our collective fancies.

    Alan was... Alan.

    IMG_20240223_0900532.thumb.jpg.0627f957a145ff52fd53b0e4e2e19c60.jpg

    He won't be rushed.

    So, while waiting for him to set out the 50p Tray, time for coffee and buns over at Drop Hopper...

    IMG_20240223_0814502.thumb.jpg.86a99dae6dfb278f0673886f55f6713b.jpg

  16. But there were some new tinplates, too.

    IMG_20240223_0742552.thumb.jpg.0060dc12acc0a7acfdf2949b62652946.jpg

    And oh, this Rambler station wagon was just glorious. How it's survived in such good nick is anyone's guess.

    The Greyhound bus alongside also appeared to be an original example, in superb order - as was the ocean liner beside that.

    IMG_20240223_0740532.thumb.jpg.fc77c36fb4326665bf12acc605be400d.jpg

    However, nice as this Cadillac and Buick appeared to be, I'm pretty sure they're remanufactured examples from the early 1990s - something about them just seemed a bit off. The wheels appear identical to those of a tinplate Corvette I bought new in about 1992, and they were held together with Pozi screws which seems a little anachronistic.

    Still, I've no doubt they'll still display very nicely - and appealing as they were, I don't think it's a road I want to start going down.

    Nor could I afford to - I believe the sum of £40 each was mentioned...

    IMG_20240223_0746022.thumb.jpg.3c674bbe3e9dc92f26f5db99f30d66d6.jpg

    Some smaller tinplates up top were quite jolly, though.

    IMG_20240223_0746092.thumb.jpg.8729a957f8e13d6c688d91576a785941.jpg

    This unbranded friction-drive suction lorry complete with a crimped-shoelace 'hose' was quite charming.

    And this small clockwork rendering of a Mercedes W111 was lovely and bright:

    IMG_20240223_0746222.thumb.jpg.5e73cccb6b020197c2e88ae9936cc0ad.jpg

    The printed details were very nicely rendered, even if the generic car shape means that the distinctive 'heckflosse' tail fins are rounded off.

    IMG_20240223_0746282.thumb.jpg.fdacbfe46e9c46e047a940ce09efae23.jpg

    But I'm not gonna get on the tinplate train, nooo... 

    Our Nemesis chum from took the big tinplate double decker bus with Good Year advertising that's just about visible behind the Rambler; I envy his storage space!

  17. Yes indeed, kids... some apparent Twilight Zone shiz going down this morning at St George's Market, with an unprecedented two-hander Bunglecog/ Datsunbus mashup on the cards.

    I'd been given a heads-up a few weeks back, so it was great that the planets aligned and we could make it happen. Excellent to finally meet you, Rich!

    IMG_20240223_0846312.thumb.jpg.7c7d567be1068d7ee9a04bf5366ede33.jpg

    As you'll also have discerned, it wasn't quite a case of tat unlimited on the Main Stall this morning - in fact, the Twilight Zone vibe was further enhanced with a bit of déjà vu going on...

    IMG_20240223_0718152.thumb.jpg.7b1cd7c4d2e7c822f63051bf01ebb15d.jpg

    Mmm, if you cast your mind back about a month or so, these were all kinda familiar.

    IMG_20240223_0723132.thumb.jpg.bb96f13e79f3d4f4df0c7e17ea6a4c95.jpg

    And so were these.

    On 26/01/2024 at 08:45, Datsuncog said:

    But there were new tat boxes. And they weren't half bad. Some smaller stuff...

    IMG_20240126_0732162.thumb.jpg.a26a94caf3ca72b2e267301431f5c2ac.jpg

    And some bigger stuff.

    IMG_20240126_0732222.thumb.jpg.6b91c5dc68e832e5387ed8d8eabe0ecb.jpg

    Small stuff involved many of the Lesneys and Huskys we know and love...

    IMG_20240126_0739012.thumb.jpg.54730cb4647c0cc6277902d26bce8e91.jpg

    Quite a few had been on the receiving end of the Humbrols, though.

    IMG_20240126_0740032.thumb.jpg.e61c2a6e54dca70787445502f6a43211.jpg

    Majorette gooseneck camping trailer was quite nice, though.

    Again, bit of a mixed bag in the bigger box...

    IMG_20240126_0734202.thumb.jpg.479560dc592de0fe0c5f078b3c414d20.jpg

    A lot of repaints in here, and a wide range of eras. Noddy Car is by Morestone.

    IMG_20240126_0734352.thumb.jpg.7511d12c6f2ac9fa7ad715622f9ffc88.jpg

    Matchbox from the fifties to the nineties, plus assorted modern bits.

    IMG_20240126_0740372.thumb.jpg.aced6db466dbdce30f70d3357c3735e8.jpg

    Dinky Rover P4 looked ok; Lesney King Size Foden missing its tipper flap but otherwise not bad. Corgi Pug 505 cycling support car a bit worn, and lacking accessories.

    IMG_20240126_0741042.thumb.jpg.aec1987c05fcb98c2e1e1b5e5ef0b0c3.jpg

    Corgi DS saloon quite clean (there was a Safari in there also); Highway Maintenance Mazda B1800 had sadly suffered from hitting a lump of debris at speed.

    IMG_20240126_0735272.thumb.jpg.6ab16f8ebb233366d603cd05e1e80b75.jpg

    Thunderbird was an odd one - labelled as a DCMT Roadmaster, so pre-dating the Lone Star branding.

    IMG_20240126_0738102.thumb.jpg.39265aed9aaf941f406f2a7433ddb7a4.jpg

    Worn, but still eminently displayable.

    IMG_20240126_0736102.thumb.jpg.3826c4b94b2d76e88f485dc85165bf6b.jpg

    Brace of Corgi Whizzwheels R-R Vigilants - paramedic and police variants.

    IMG_20240126_0740332.thumb.jpg.84f0b06c53c02242a0f2446be65649b6.jpg

    Dinky Hudson Hornet not all that common, I don't think.

    And this tired but still fairly magnificent Polistil Citroen BX in 1/24 scale...

    IMG_20240126_0738132.thumb.jpg.6925d33e3594b9fd3b5eea1cbfa76301.jpg

    As you may imagine, I was happily picking through the boxes and scooping potential purchases, when I thought to enquire what the tariffs were looking like this week.

    Ten pounds on the stuff in the big box.

    Five pounds on the small stuff.

    And the 1/24 items?

    £20.

    IMG_20240126_0741192.thumb.jpg.9cd6db10b1a05aa0700a7042012cbf48.jpg

    Oh.

    Yes, a lot had evidently been sold since the 26 January event, so the Dinky Rover P4 and Corgi Citroen DS were long gone, more's the pity.

    BUT - the prices were a lot better this week.

    This is how it goes, I guess.

    IMG_20240223_0727552.thumb.jpg.2062d5dcbd723ad5f3e83d48cf719a06.jpg

    And these... eh, let's not talk about these, they're all so very familiar.

  18. Well, obviously, I couldn't just leave it behind.

    IMG_20240222_1529002.thumb.jpg.86f3db0337e18bc3794910575adaa065.jpg

    This casting was originally introduced as the Super Kings K-110 Magirus Deutz Fire Tender, all the way back in 1984 as one of Universal Toys' new expanded range of post-Lesney 'big toys'.

    Fire_Tender_(1987_K-110_In_box).JPG.thumb.jpg.c95f442f12cf4ae84038a24a6b211c68.jpg

    It featured a working turntable ladder which revolved, raised and extended manually.

    Fire_Tender_(1985_K-110).thumb.jpg.69ece6400b7bc0af85e444c54ddca55e.jpg

    After two years in the lineup it was retooled and renumbered as K-132 for the 1986 catalogue year, with different tampo decals and the addition of steerable wheels activated by pressing down on the emergency lights on the roof, now mounted further back to accommodate the steering mechanism.

    Further changes were made when the colour of the ladder changed from grey to white...

    Fire_Tender_(1987_K-132_In_box).JPG.thumb.jpg.0f122808525caaef0097887e24b56580.jpg

    ...and the wheel centres went from chrome-effect slot mags to slightly less snazzy red plastic ones, along with the interior going from white to black (as did the front wheelarches, which were part of the same moulding).

    Fire_Tender_(1989-91).thumb.jpg.a259dd0a11357c1aede36cadc6fb4301.jpg

    In the early 1990s, the former Super Kings emergency vehicles were grouped together into what was called the Action Emergency range. It was accompanied by this dramatic artwork on the inside and back of the box, showing many of the models that made up the range:

    Action_Series_Emergency_(Super_Kings).thumb.jpg.a2ff350e3c495cab926541756e182f2c.jpg

    The catalogue number for the Magirus Deutz Fire Tender also changed again at this point, to EM-5; although the K-132 code remained cast into the base, along with the defunct Super Kings logo. This time, no changes were made to the model itself.

    Not long after, the packaging also changed again to folded-over, open-fronted boxes - possibly as a cost-cutting measure, as by this stage Universal were making substantial losses and seeking to offload the Matchbox brand.

    Fire_Tender_(1991_EM-5).thumb.jpg.5ed8c8545836c04c90df10a637317b03.jpg

    With the sale of the Matchbox brand from Universal to Tyco in 1992, it seems the casting continued on as before with slightly revised packaging, in terms of graphic design if not in style:

    IMG_20240222_1529122.thumb.jpg.1de3932af8448eed4f133ec13147ce2f.jpg

    The toy I brought home with me today seems to be a super-late example, as the Matchbox Wiki seems to reckon that the fire tender was last produced in 1992 - but that's not what the box says:

    IMG_20240222_1317352.thumb.jpg.cdf060643d83414017bbbe26ae196d30.jpg

    Sadly, the Tyco years seemed to mark a bit of a low point for the Matchbox brand - to the extent that I don't have many catalogues from this era, so I can't have a flick through to see when it last made an appearance. The big Charlie Mack book seems not to bother with this information.

    But even so - I can't help but get a bit of a thrill from finding a NOS Matchbox on a toyshop's shelves some thirty years after it was made. Leaving aside for a second that this specific model doesn't really look thirty years old - or indeed, forty years old, as that's how old the casting is - can you even imagine finding a 1964 model still sitting on the shelves in 1994?

    Where has this little thing been, all this time? Did it fall into a corner of the storeroom and only just got found again? The packaging is absolutely as-new, and there's no dust or anything on the lorry. The price sticker looks new, too.

    £8.99 seems about right for the time, price-wise - I can remember Super Kings cars in Woolworths priced at around £5 in the mid/late 80s, so I'd expect a fire tender with extra working bits to be a little more than that again, a few years after.

    And, what with inflation and suchlike, I guess I could claim I got it half-price...

    Screenshot_20240223-0027482.thumb.png.406e77965b205ab342b6b8137a4e677d.png

    All in all, very mysterious.

    But, it just goes to show - you never know what's out there...

  19. Took a bit of a lunchtime adventure to another town today, incidentally.

    Because I knew there was a newsagent which has a really old-school toy department upstairs.

    IMG_20240222_1321082.thumb.jpg.a4d4891149c0a10dce4e7caa1873d871.jpg

    I haven't been in for many, many years - but, as mentioned upthread, I've developed a bit of an odd hankering for those Matchbox Action Driver sets.

    This is a branch of Stewart Miller - once a fairly substantial chain of eight or nine newsagent/ bookseller/ toy stores, but now there's just the two branches left.

    I struck lucky over at the Holywood branch last month with some very nicely priced Matchbox Moving Parts vehicles and a 2020 release Action Drivers set:

    IMG_20240113_1243222.thumb.jpg.957e6d6223e590b2765d9f17ffaa6317.jpg

    IMG_20240130_1559122.thumb.jpg.e856bfac383ac7fbd26840966eb0b4d8.jpg

    IMG_20240130_1559302.thumb.jpg.02114d895fa5af24a4cfba64043f651c.jpg

    And I had been quietly going doo-lally in the intervening period, wondering how I could get over to the Newtownards branch, just in case they had even more.

    So, today something in me snapped and I drove over. About 45 minutes driving, each way.

    Hopes were perhaps unfeasibly high, and...

    IMG_20240222_1316082.thumb.jpg.97dfbb4ade99f501658b161bff03964f.jpg

    There were lots of fairly inexpensive loose vehicles of far-eastern manufacture, but those weren't what I was looking for.

    IMG_20240222_1318072.thumb.jpg.12e18785ef07b505c77ad4d924574349.jpg

    Matchbox... ah.

    IMG_20240222_1316232.thumb.jpg.20dfe19af7fb99d1e62f82703283ec6e.jpg

    Mmm... not such a spectacular selection of mainlines. Mostly just motorbike trailers. And no Moving Parts range vehicles to be seen at all.

    There was an Action Drivers set...

    IMG_20240222_1316552.thumb.jpg.31d1cdb64ea783ab9e287a5da0947a98.jpg

    But it's the same one I bought from the Holywood branch, except it's missing the generic 4x4 vehicle that should be with the packaging.

    So, no dice on that.

    Dunno why I've become so taken with these sets lately. I mean, they're pretty good and all for what they are, but they're still very toy-like.

    IMG_20240222_1318472.thumb.jpg.db2411ccdaef59d437848571a09d8938.jpg

    Nonetheless, I've found myself increasingly looking these up on eBay and Amazon, and watching unboxing videos on YouTube, and... generally falling down a hole.

    Screenshot_20240222-2124272.thumb.png.1f2e48b75a83903a470493a841fbf043.png

    Screenshot_20240222-2125142.thumb.png.3b7834278acec91b9983a2d8482b1411.png

    Screenshot_20240222-2125362.thumb.png.912e4c2abf24f3c02118ef10707e76b0.png

    It's hard not to weep when our Transatlantic cousins casually mention that these sets are 'ten dollars at Target', cos they're generally a brave bit more on these shores.

    But I digress. I wasn't missing out, anyway, and that's the main thing.

    These caught my eye, though:

    IMG_20240222_1318292.thumb.jpg.afb391b662f1c1630328401c1c5e5369.jpg

    A similar idea from Bburago, only bigger - 1/43 cars and buildings.

    Not bad value to be fair, for a fiver.

    But stay! What's this?

    IMG_20240222_1319132.thumb.jpg.4029c6353223668847a205fd81d5a01c.jpg

    Crikey. Bburago City, no less. 

    A smaller picture on top shows the actual contents, indicating that the box may be needlessly oversize:

    IMG_20240222_1319212.thumb.jpg.d9617453b06ef2c454e2022fda006ee7.jpg

    But still, if you wanted to construct a backdrop for displaying 1/43 cars, you could probably do worse for the money.

    IMG_20240222_1319312.thumb.jpg.1efdfe21aa58b90d35f1d31005162e21.jpg

    But I'm not really looking for 1/43 diorama stuff, so... a wasted journey?

    Not quite.

    I was very surprised to find this Magirus-Deutz fire tender down among the loose commercials:

    IMG_20240222_1317222.thumb.jpg.88323790a66f4ae9a52fd6e61b76b22e.jpg

    I mean... how old is this?

    IMG_20240222_1317352.thumb.jpg.cdf060643d83414017bbbe26ae196d30.jpg

    Thirty.

    It's thirty years old. Matchbox by Tyco, 1994.

    And... it's just been here, all this time, unsold and unwanted?

    Apparently so.

    Blimey.

    There were no Matra Ranchos or BMW 7-Series from the same range lurking anywhere else, sadly. I did look.

    But what an oddity. Just goes to show - you never know what turns up, sometimes...

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