Shite in Miniature II

39,408 · December 7, 2022

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I've heard about it but hasn't happened anywhere I've been - popped into 3 this week, one in Kent had the B case, as did Smyths funny enough.

What? Matchbox in Smyths?

56,253 · December 7, 2022

28 minutes ago, sierraman said:

What? Matchbox in Smyths?

Ah no sorry Hot Wheels B case....

Didn't think many places would have that one yet that's all

56,253 · December 7, 2022

This one slipped under my radar - what's the chances of Smyths getting them?

27,904 · December 8, 2022

Rumours suggest that Barrow might be getting a Smyths soon, so if the Rover turns up I'll let you know.

5,103 · December 8, 2022

18 hours ago, sierraman said:

The Siku Minis always looked like they’d had a cover sill badly welded over the top.

Now that’s scale realism 🤣

56,253 · December 8, 2022

Just seen this on FB - Mattel celebrating 40 years in Malaysia, and introducing a new casting which was the first locally produced car - are we really going to have a Hot Wheels Proton?

39,408 · December 8, 2022

I hope so but knowing Hot Wheels they’ll absolutely ruin it by slamming it and having a 14 litre V12 sticking out of the boot.

56,253 · December 8, 2022

Proton drift car? 😁

40,653 · December 8, 2022

I first learned of the country of Malaysia through the base of a Hot Wheels Stutz, when I was about five or so.

I'm probably not alone in that - you could say that the toys really put Malaysia on the global map, by dint of putting them in the hands of millions of kids worldwide.

I'd love to see a Proton MPI model released too.

27,904 · December 8, 2022

So would I! I'd be all over one immediately to paint Willow Green, like our old one.

42,600 · December 8, 2022

18 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Finally, this cute little Polistil R5. Quite similar to the Matchbox version to my eye

Talking of Italian built Renault 5, here's a Politoys 1/43rd

56,253 · December 8, 2022

Aldi have monster trucks for £3.99

Land Rover is cool

But not as cool as the iced Delorean

5,226 · December 8, 2022

I was in Tesco at lunchtime and the standard Matchbox were £2.50 each!

20,295 · December 8, 2022

Super GT.

I have a few of the earlier incarnations when they were "streakers."

56,253 · December 8, 2022

2 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I was in Tesco at lunchtime and the standard Matchbox were £2.50 each!

Probably just your store and a few others, so they can boast about them being reduced next week

10,105 · December 8, 2022

There was a small diversion on the way home from work yesterday to pick up this lot from FB Marketplace

Buses aren't really my thing but these Dinky Atlanteans are quite nice

Corgi giveaways

Matchbox Regular Wheels,should the Bedford tanker have glazing?

Matchbox Dinky Austin van,& random Chinese truck

My favourite though is this Dinky Holden

It's a nice old thing,although I can't remember ever seeing many of them around.Obviously,I'm not (quite)old enough to remember how popular it was when it was a current model 😂

22,431 · December 8, 2022

8 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

There was a small diversion on the way home from work yesterday to pick up this lot from FB Marketplace

Buses aren't really my thing but these Dinky Atlanteans are quite nice

Corgi giveaways

Matchbox Regular Wheels,should the Bedford tanker have glazing?

Matchbox Dinky Austin van,& random Chinese truck

My favourite though is this Dinky Holden

It's a nice old thing,although I can't remember ever seeing many of them around.Obviously,I'm not (quite)old enough to remember how popular it was when it was a current model 😂

The Bedford never had glazing. I have the Holden with metallic brown paint. I thought I had posted a photo of it some months ago. I cannot be assed to try and find it. The search of my attachments in a profile is basic. I was loosing the will to live

56,253 · December 8, 2022

No glass, but at least you have the interior for yours

27,904 · December 8, 2022

1 hour ago, Remspoor said:

The Bedford never had glazing. I have the Holden with metallic brown paint.

I was about to post these very words!

I don't remember seeing the Holden in blue, so well found there. Mine (charity shop bargain about 7 years ago) still has most of its original metallic gold paint, and is therefore unlikely to get "restored" in the near future. It's a model I never had as a kiddy, although I remember it in the catalogues for absolutely ages.

56,253 · December 8, 2022

9 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Talking of Italian built Renault 5, here's a Politoys 1/43rd

Nice to a boxed one, I have this one which is still pretty tidy

39,408 · December 9, 2022

18 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

I was in Tesco at lunchtime and the standard Matchbox were £2.50 each!

Inflation or what!

56,253 · December 9, 2022

More of those anniversary cars in co-op. I reckon there's been a container stuck at the docks since Covid full of these.

Apparently the other collector who goes in my local Entertainer bought 6 or 7 boxes of them last week. Good luck to him selling those....

40,653 · December 9, 2022

Bit of déjà vu to the market, this cold 'n' frosty morning - not an awful lot that's new, I'm afraid.

The tubs of pre-loved Matchbox and Hot Wheels, in their cheerily randomised packaging reinsertions, were back again for our viewing pleasure.

Some of last week's 1/76 buses were also back, plus some new '80s & '90s Corgi Classics commercials.

The Corgi Thames Caravanette was gone, though the long-running Dodge Kew animal transporter was still looking hopefully for a new home - as was the repro Dinky Aston floppytop.

The Matchbox Dinky Mercedes-Benz holiday coach is one that gave me pause for thought - I've been idly looking out for one of these for a fair few years, and other than a few box dings this was in good fettle, and reasonably priced at a tenner.

But I dunno... I mean it's nice enough, but the detailing is, shall we say "of its time" - and it's kinda hard to go from today's IXO stuff back to the mid-'90s. Just seems a wee bit crude with its bright red plastic interior and thick chromework.

If I want to sample some in-period Merc coach charm, there's always the splendid Kirk O-302 I picked up a few months back. This one seemed to represent a bit of a backwards step - so, very reluctantly, I put it back.

I'll regret that decision later tonight, no doubt, but hey.

The hugely over-boxed AEC London Transport Bus by Solido was still there, mind. Also at a tenner.

And the Joal Volvo coach was starting to seem more and more appealing too, at £10, but I stopped myself.

Looks even better in plain blue and white, I reckon.

A few additional £10 models remained in a crate round the back of the stall - more early Corgi Classics buses and lorries, for the most part:

Though there were also these far-Eastern 1/76 buses, which someone will probably advise me are worth more than my house:

I understand these are also a tenner a throw.

And finally, some festive fun*:

*sort of

A delightful Corgi Cameos Christmas set, consisting of ten models with some vaguely festive tampo prints, and the all-important Certificate of Authenticity, advising this is one of a mere 20,000 sets produced.

Quite.

I'm not sure what you're even meant to do with these - around the same time, Matchbox Collectibles offered Austin Seven vans with loops so they could at least be hung on a (sturdy) tree - but these seem to be just dust-catchers.

So it's a firm no from me on those.

Otherwise, this fairly playworn Tri-ang garage was quite appealing - but at £50, strong money.

Despite the ad on the side, I don't believe this was actively marketed as part of the Spot-On range - but I'll check my little book later on. Maybe it was.

Some sympathetic restoration could probably see this revived as a very nice display centrepiece, and although far from cheap I don't think it's massively overpriced. But not for me today, thanks.

A quick spin round the rest of the stalls provided little in the way of anything new - Alan's Emporium boasted a couple of okay-ish '90s Matchbox for 50p, but nothing I don't have in at least the same condition.

A scone and a coffee were procured to drive the cold winter away (still registering -1°C on the frosty streets of Belfast), and with that I had to flee to a meeting, but - as ever - I might be heading out again briefly at 1pm so if there's anything critical you can see, do sing out ASAP...

42,600 · December 9, 2022

16 hours ago, 155V6 said:

Corgi giveaways

from FINA petrol stations.

42,600 · December 9, 2022

26 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Otherwise, this fairly playworn Triang garage was quite appealing - but at £50, strong money.

Despite the ad on the side, I don't believe this was actively marketed as part of the Spot-On range - but I'll check my little book later on. Maybe it was.

Some sympathetic restoration could probably see this revived as a very nice display centrepiece, so I don't think it's massively overpriced. But not for me today, thanks.