Shite in Miniature II

[Datsuncog]

So, turning to the tat boxes...

Well, first off Market Blokey's upgraded his selection of rather battered tomato boxes to two fancy plastic lidded tubs. Ooooh.

This is good in one way, as it hopefully means less diecast falling out the holes at the sides, but is problematic in another as the boxes are quite full, and quite deep, increasing the amount of frantic hoking required. When I arrived, a few other chaps were going through the boxes with all the finesse of terriers hopped-up on double espressos, making me fear for the paintwork of those decent examples still remaining therein. It also makes it hard to be sure I've seen every model in the tub, and that gives me Teh Fearz.

Second off, there has been a lot of sales action since last week, seemingly by collectors with the same discerning eye as some upstanding citizens of this parish... regrettably, pretty much all the really good stuff I'd been asked to look out for had gone, such as the early 70s Superfasts.

I'm kinda kicking myself, as I knew there were a fair few which would draw interest - but I was in a bit of a rush last week (and also partly reeling from my plastic Fiat 127 find).

So, sadly, all the Matchbox in Adventure 2000 colours were gone; the Capris were gone; all the AMC Javelins were gone... I know. I'm sorry.

But here's what there was...

Lotsa 70s/80s Corgi, including inevitable BP promo models.

More 70s/80s Matchbox, including lots of Super GTs and some fairly hammered 90s/2000s Matchbox too.

The green Mercury Commuter in the bottom-right corner had been literally hammered, with the roof all caved in, which is why I left it.

And more of the same, though with added Majorette... the orange Fiat Ritmo had lost its boot, although had gained some jazzy racing numbers applied in felt-tip.

And a few more Corgi/Majorette. There were about four of those crew-cab Majorette Transits in a variety of colourways, though none in terribly good nick. Just sayin'.

Yank Ford cabover truck and trailer from Majorette weren't too bad, though obviously the loading ramp was gone from the trailer.

 

Delving a bit deeper, here's a Corgi Whizzwheels Hot Rodder, as seen upthread as a pirated casting.

Bit  of an odd Corgi...

A pull-back Porsche 935 with rubber rear tyres, juxtaposed with its unpowered brother.

Don't remember seeing one of those before.

A couple of Superfast Lasers remaining too, although their wheels seem to have lost their lustre a little.

 

And, as an aside, one of the charity shop stalls also had a small selection of diecast this week...

Mostly utter crap, but some were so bad they were almost good...

Like this piece of Far-Eastern tat, made using the absolute minimum of metal possible to obtain the vague shape of a Porsche 928.

The same stall also had this Matchbox Superkings Bedford TM in Kellogg's livery; it was in ok shape with a few scrapes and some UV fading to the plastic bits on the trailer. Asking price for this was £10 - with the stallholder defensively claiming, "it's from 1973, you know!" as I put it back amidst the bullet cases and books about paramilitaries. I refrained from saying that it was from 1981, at the earliest, because I'm trying to quit being a prick.

I could also, from this stall, have procured some Trolls - as well as a variety of Irish Proverbs, some leprechaun snowglobes, and yet more books on The Troubles...

Ah, St George's. You're too good to us.

[egg]

@Datsuncog - how much is the Atlas Kodak van please?

[155V6]

I've got a Corgi pullback Merc 190 similar to that Porsche,never seen another one

[sierraman]

You snooze you lose! ?

[Split_Pin]

Pullback Corgi is a new one on me. I had that Porsche in 'Polo' livery from BP.

[Datsuncog]

12 minutes ago, egg said:

@Datsuncog - how much is the Atlas Kodak van please?

He's wanting £10 for it!

[Datsuncog]

On ‎9‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 12:42 PM, sierraman said:

You snooze you lose! ?

I know - I'm kicking myself!

There was an unusual Dodge Dakota pickup in sort of a weathered black/sand colour that I'd never seen before; possibly part of a playset. Was really hoping it'd still be there today, but no dice...

[EDIT: This one!]

On ‎9‎/‎20‎/‎2019 at 12:36 PM, 155V6 said:

I've got a Corgi pullback Merc 190 similar to that Porsche, never seen another one

Gonna have to do some digging on the Corgi pullbacks now... if you think you might fancy that red Canon example, happy to dander over!

[155V6]

Thanks for the offer,but trying to cut down ?.Looking forward to your research though.

[Datsuncog]

So, the question on everyone's lips is surely... just what did I manage to come away with?

This.

Proper pics to follow once I've cropped/resized (which always takes longer than one might hope)

[Datsuncog]

On 9/13/2019 at 12:49 PM, egg said:

@Datsuncog - any cheap regular wheels, I'm in! Cheers.

First up, some stuff which @egg might be interested in...

At 50p each, the Fairlane and Ergomatic may be some use as wheel donors? Lotus (also 50p) is actually  in quite good nick, bar the transfers.

And then there was this, at £3:

Few chips and a bit of chewing to the rear roller door, but rather a nice little example of the Karrier TV van... I believe repro ladders, aerial and tiny television sets are obtainable from Steve Flowers and elsewhere.

If you fancy some or all of these, happy to add them to your box!

[sierraman]

Is that a black base Transit in there? 

[Datsuncog]

Next up, some 70s Superfast action from Matchbox...

The pair of Transits were grabbed principally because they were Ford and orange, and the Mk1 Capris from last week had gone. I know, that's a piss-poor reason. If anyone wants them, just holler.

[EDIT - now spoken for!]

 

The Motorhome and Ambulance were snaffled as replacements for ones I had as a kid and ruined with Grafix Traffix pens. Bit chipped, but mainly dirty.

The MkIV Cortina is one of my all-time favourite models ever, especially in this metallic red which is so close to Ford Jupiter Red. It's not pristine, but one day I really will treat myself to a mint/boxed example. The damage to the wing looks partly like corrosion, so I'll see how well it cleans up

The Mercury police car is a later Superfast example, probably supplied as a two-pack in the late 70s/early 80s. I bought this to compare with the Laser Wheels example from last week, as I think there's been substantial changes to the baseplate.

The blue Pontiac is simply one I've never owned!

 

And, for Sierraman - the blue MB68 Cosmobile.

 

Sorry the others were no longer there!

[Datsuncog]

2 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Is that a black base Transit in there? 

Yup - two of the blighters! They're yours if you want 'em!

[sierraman]

Go on then you’ve bent my arm. Put them and the cosmobile to one side for us. Cheers

 

[Datsuncog]

MOAR Matchbox, then - now firmly into the 1980s.

Oosh!

The Transit Supervan II is from the Road Blasters range; it originally would have been packaged with a sort of cage with guns and stuff all round it. The grille's a bit chewed, but the paint's not too bad.

Renault 11 nabbed just because it's a bit of an oddity. I've owned one before, and have no particular desire for another, but here we are.

Mk2 Astra GTE is pretty much the same; it's not in great nick, but if anyone wants it for a repaint, you're most welcome.

Dodge Daytona Turbo Z is in reasonable shape; Sierraman had been after a red one but it was also gone, so I dunno if this grey one is any use?

Dodge Dakota pickup acquired in lieu of the weathered-finish one I saw last week and didn't buy (which I've now learned came from the 'Scrapyard 5-pack set' from 1999). I bought one of these new in about 1988 on holiday in Donegal, then played with it in the sea and it quickly acquired rusty wheels and the paint lifted, to my great disappointment. Then my brother's hamster compounded matters by chewing the spotlights off the roll bar.

It was all a tale of woe, I tell you.

This one's a bit tatty, but might scratch an itch for a week or two. As with the above, all open to rehoming.

 

The Plymouth Gran Fury police car is a slightly tidier version of one I had as a kid (but with amber glazing); I'm quite fond of these. Also looking for a M/B blue and white version with grey painted base, from the Universal years.

The Pepsi Challenger-liveried Chevrolet Pro Stocker has a tale.

I received one of these in December 1984, I believe - my parents had gone up to Belfast to do some Christmas shopping one evening, leaving me and my infant brother with my grandparents. On their return (which seemed like the middle of the night, but was probably only about 9.30pm), I was presented with one of these, boxed, "for being good" (ha!). It came from Belfast's legendary Leisure World, a huge toyshop in Queen Street.

I really loved this particular toy, and it was briefly promoted to my 'best car' status - please tell me I'm not the only freaky kid who did this - until one day I was messing about in the back garden, whizzing my cars up the slide, when I overcooked it slightly - sending my Pro Stocker deep into the hedge behind. Much searching and clambering through the hedge failed to find it, and I was inconsolable.

About seven or eight years later, while trimming said hedge, my dad then found the car - now missing most of its paint and looking quite sad. In an effort to spruce it up, I tried to paint it... using Tipp-Ex.

You can imagine how good that looked.

I'm not sure whether I kept this or not, but anyway - this is a replacement of sorts, looking in roughly the same condition as mine when it went into the hedge in 1985.

Memories, hey?

[Datsuncog]

And one last gasp from the Matchbox camp - the rear of a Matchbox Majors Bedford Transporter, plus a Corgi Juniors trailer for... er, something else.

I have deep suspicions that the Bedford trailer is the same one that was for sale, complete with tractor unit, over a month ago. Much as I hunted, I couldn't find a Bedford truck in the boxes, so I wonder if it's somehow either got lost or some plank bought just the front end.

Either way, if anyone wants it, then 50p will take it.

I've no idea what the Corgi trailer would have been - it looks like some sort of superstructure is absent - open to ideas!

[sierraman]

16 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

MOAR Matchbox, then - now firmly into the 1980s.

Oosh!

The Transit Supervan II is from the Road Blasters range; it originally would have been packaged with a sort of cage with guns and stuff all round it. The grille's a bit chewed, but the paint's not too bad.

Renault 11 nabbed just because it's a bit of an oddity. I've owned one before, and have no particular desire for another, but here we are.

Mk2 Astra GTE is pretty much the same; it's not in great nick, but if anyone wants it for a repaint, you're most welcome.

Dodge Daytona Turbo Z is in reasonable shape; Sierraman had been after a red one but it was also gone, so I dunno if this grey one is any use?

Dodge Dakota pickup acquired in lieu of the weathered-finish one I saw last week and didn't buy (which I've now learned came from the 'Scrapyard 5-pack set' from 1999. I bought one of these new in about 1988 on holiday in Donegal, then played with it in the sea and it quickly acquired rusty wheels and the paint lifted, to my great disappointment. Then my brother's hamster compounded matters by chewing the spotlights off the roll bar. It was all a tale of woe, I tell you.

This one's a bit tatty, but might scratch an itch for a week or two. As with the above, all open to rehoming.

 

The Plymouth Gran Fury police car is a slightly tidier version of one I had as a kid (but with amber glazing); I'm quite fond of these. Also looking for a M/B blue and white version with grey painted base, from the Universal years.

The Pepsi Challenger-liveried Chevrolet Pro Stocker has a tale.

I received one of these in December 1984, I believe - my parents had gone up to Belfast to do some Christmas shopping one evening, leaving me and my infant brother with my grandparents. On their return (which seemed like the middle of the night, but was probably only about 9.30pm), I was presented with one of these, boxed, "for being good" (ha!). It came from Belfast's legendary Leisure World, a huge toyshop in Queen Street.

I really loved this particular toy, and it was briefly promoted to my 'best car' status - please tell me I'm not the only freaky kid who did this - until one day I was messing about in the back garden, whizzing my cars up the slide, when I overcooked it slightly - sending my Pro Stocker deep into the hedge behind. Much searching and clambering through the hedge failed to find it, and I was inconsolable.

About seven or eight years later, while trimming said hedge, my dad then found the car - now missing most of its paint and looking quite sad. In an effort to spruce it up, I tried to paint it... using Tipp-Ex.

You can imagine how good that looked.

I'm not sure whether I kept this or not, but anyway - this is a replacement of sorts, looking in roughly the same condition as mine when it went into the hedge in 1985.

Memories, hey?

I found your camper thing that I got from you other day. Plans afoot to strip it down and re-wheel and repaint it this winter. 

[Datsuncog]

And speaking of Corgi...

Two Capris (one with sunroof and one without, I note); a Dyane; a Jeep complete with fold-down screen but missing its driver; an early Corgi Juniors Bedford TK still on Husky wheels; and a Mack R Series tractor unit.

Annoyingly the Bedford is missing its glazing, but the lifting boom is unusually still intact.

The Mack shows the kind of scale discrepancies that turned my playtime into a series of annoyances and frustrations...

I had a sort of green army version of the Mack too, which I liked principally as it was similar to Kris Kristofferson's rig in the film Convoy which was probably my favourite film when I was about ten. Along with Smokey and The Bandit. And The Cannonball Run. And Duel. And (the original H.B. Halicki) Gone In 60 Seconds.

Hell, if it had a car in it, then I probably would have claimed it as my favourite film.

Once again, I might keep the Mack and the Dyane for now, but if anyone wants the others at 50p a pop, let me know.

[Split_Pin]

Can I dibs one of the Capris please and if Sierraman doesn't want the Daytona I'll take that as well?

[Datsuncog]

And now, across la Manche for some frogchod… 1980s Majorette pickings.

French Telecoms R4 van is a little worse for wear, but I found it hard to resist.

Mk3 Escort XR3i with Carlos Fandango wheels isn't too bad, and now fairly collectible because FORD.

Tour de France Volvo 245 isn't a version I've seen before; borderline presentable too.

And moving up a decade...

Peugeot 405 Mi16 is complete but could do with some TLC (just like most of the real-life versions)

Mk 5 Escrote may make a decent project too?

Ice Cream Van is unusual in white; I've owned pink and red versions, but not seen a white one. It seemed too nice to leave for the unsympathetic box-rakers to chip any further.

All available at 50p each!

[sierraman]

I’ll have the Escorts, 405, the renner 4 and the Volvo please?

[Datsuncog]

And, finally drawing to a close (yes, finally), I snapped these up from the charity shop stall, at 3 for a quid...

All terrible no-name vehicles, here we have (probably) a Sierra XR4i, a Volvo 740 and a VW Beetle 'Love Bug' (which may have started life as a keyring, going by the hole in the rear wing).

The Volvo, with its SAFETY tampo print, is brilliantly awful in its proportions and half-arsed crack at an interior:

The Beetle's not too bad, really - wheels suggest it may be made by Welly.

If anyone seriously wants these, they can have them for nowt. I'll call my pound a charitable donation, and leave it at that.

 

So there we go. Not a bad haul, for one morning.

Yes, I brought my own plastic tub this week, to avoid dropping them all over the place like I normally do. And it still wasn't big enough...

 

Oh, and @sheffcortinacentre had requested a  Mk1 Zodiac if available - I've this one set aside for you, if you want it! Blokey charged me £3 for it.

That's it. Yaaay!

[155V6]

26 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

And one last gasp from the Matchbox camp - the rear of a Matchbox Majors Bedford Transporter, plus a Corgi Juniors trailer for... er, something else.

I have deep suspicions that the Bedford trailer is the same one that was for sale, complete with tractor unit, over a month ago. Much as I hunted, I couldn't find a Bedford truck in the boxes, so I wonder if it's somehow either got lost or some plank bought just the front end.

Either way, if anyone wants it, then 50p will take it.

I've no idea what the Corgi trailer would have been - it looks like some sort of superstructure is absent - open to ideas!

The Corgi trailer came like that,with a digger or dumper on the back and also as a box van with Corgi Removals on the side.Both pulled by a Ford D Series.

[Datsuncog]

27 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I found your camper thing that I got from you other day. Plans afoot to strip it down and re-wheel and repaint it this winter. 

Hey, excellent! I'd be interested in seeing how that goes... best of luck!

16 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

The Corgi trailer came like that, with a digger or dumper on the back and also as a box van with Corgi Removals on the side.Both pulled by a Ford D Series.

Aha - it was confusing me slightly in that it looked complete, but at the same time there seems to be tabs and retaining slots which imply other components. Fair enough! I did have a few Ford D Series including a white one with rubber tyres; slightly regretful at having passed it on now...

Thinking about it, really all you folks have seen of my diecast stuff are the ones I've been getting rid of... mebbe it's time for me to break out the stuff I decided to keep...

Perhaps we could see What's In The Box, next week...?

[egg]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

If you fancy some or all of these, happy to add them to your box!

@Datsuncog - Many thanks chap, I'll take the 4 of those please if not already claimed.  I think it means starting a new box for me. Thanks!

[Datsuncog]

^^^^ No worries, will set those four aside! Think there was a repainted Lincoln Continental previously earmarked for you, so I'll pop them all in together. Not a bother!

[ETCHY]

I was in WH Smiths today & the Fast and Fifty bookazine about Superfast Matchbox is out. https://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Store/Reader-Offers/fast-fifty-first-edition-issue-1/#

Seems good, lots of pics for those of a certain age to remember from their childhood !

It's quite dear though at £7.99 . It's got 130 pages.

[egg]

@Datsuncog - I'd forgotten the Lincoln - but happy to add it in! Thanks.

[egg]

Anyone got any tips on 'fire engine red' spray paint? Ta.

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, ETCHY said:

I was in WH Smiths today & the Fast and Fifty bookazine about Superfast Matchbox is out. https://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Store/Reader-Offers/fast-fifty-first-edition-issue-1/#

Seems good, lots of pics for those of a certain age to remember from their childhood !

It's quite dear though at £7.99 . It's got 130 pages.

I'll be looking out for that - cheers for the heads-up!