Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

Not bad

Choice of cowboys, can't see the interiors

[sierraman]

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

[flat4alfa]

31 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Not bad

But was SHE there though today

[flat4alfa]

30 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

I suppose that is the business model: twin sets with figures are 'gift set' occasional buys for an event like a birthday, bought by parents

The singles are what the kids buy with pocket money

Anyway, Modelmatic sold out all their sets of that Pony Trailer one at £8.99, so some collectors want them.   I'll give Cogdistibution.com a ring to see if they are getting some in for their Exclusive Patio Bundle CogBox 

[Datsuncog]

 

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

Yep, not cheap...

The original Two Pack/ Hitch 'n' Haul sets from the 1970s were, I understand, priced at a bit less than two individual mainline Matchbox models - mainly because they used older/ simplified castings. I guess they were a way of encouraging kids to spend a little more. Yet these twin packs are four times the price of a £2 single model - and while the inclusion of figures and accessories does push it into more of a gift set than a single toy, they do look a bit Christmas-cracker grade.

I've always found The Entertainer to be kinda pricey, so I'm not all that surprised... having said that, I can imagine they might start off with them at a higher price for a few weeks before putting them onto a half-price offer; £4 sounds nearer the mark they should be at in the first place.

(I once worked in a place which just about stayed within the Consumer Rights Act by buying stuff in with an RRP of £20, setting one solitary item on an out-of-the-way shelf for 21 days or whatever priced at £40, before repricing them at £20, putting up big signs to say 50% OFF!! and setting up a big display in the middle of the store. Sad thing was, it worked like a charm to get people buying stuff.)

Prices seem to be all over the place with Matchbox right now - I'd be interested to know what the wholesale prices are...

For example, the Working Rigs range I found in Poundstretcher for £6 a throw earlier in the month...

Then a fella from the market was knocking them out at a fiver...

Then the lad running the overpriced model shop in Smithfield was doing them at £4...

(didn't get a pic, though)

And finally Poundstretcher dropped theirs to half price at only £3.

So are they worth £3 or worth £6?

I guess it's for the market to decide...

[bunglebus]

22 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

But was SHE there though today

No. Some wizened old hag instead

:sadface:

[w00dy]

Finally got one of these beauties. Had given up hope of finding one. £2.30 at Sainsbury's stopped me from getting the 300sl with the horrible red wheels though.

[eddyramrod]

"Pat" has just come to my door with a little brown box, which it turns out came from Norn Iron, and we all know what that means!  A bunch of lovely new Matchbox (one of which will be getting painted for the Screen collection) and a bonus copcar for the 1/43 arm of another subset - a Policia Fiat Punto.  Magnificent, thank you so much @Datsuncog  

No pictures yet because my camera's packed in (second one in a year) so I have to go and find another one now.

[Zie]

Just Two new items this week. Couldn't say no to this from B&M but still no Red Rs2000. 

Thanks to Sierraman for the memory jog about these.  Little-un loves it. 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Does anyone fancy this original 80s 1/18 Bburago Ferrari Testarossa for £8? 

It's really clean and the paint shines up a treat. The only issue is the front hub pins are damaged so one front wheel is floppy. The other has been glued and is stable (and still turns left and right). The other is easy enough to glue into place or alternatively display as is - you don't really notice it to be honest. Complete with original box (missing plastic). 

Postage can be arranged no issue. 

 

[Datsuncog]

Splendid mail call earlier...

There was kinda no point even pretending to MrsDC that it was anything other than automotive-derived frippery.

And inside...

No caffeine needed - we've got a heart rate of 120bpm going here already.

Boom!

Some fantastic diecast courtesy of @Fennec!

Oh my.

Some of these were replacements for items I'd hastily divested myself of ahead of last year's house move, and have been repenting at leisure ever since.

So it was good to have the Hot Wheels Land Rover SIII, and also the Matchbox Subaru Sambar, '62 Ranchero, '57 Thunderbird and '75 Caprice all back with me.

I'd thought I'd hung on to my Land Rover - but no, apparently not. Ah well, this is a fine replacement.

The Sambar is just so tiny! It's still great.

I'd got rid of a whole load of unopened blue and white Mk1 Escorts, which - going by eBay prices at the time of purchase - had seemed like a smart investment, until suddenly there were plenty to go around and prices cratered.

Oh well. I prefer the orange paint on this one anyway.

The Subaru Brat's one I could never find on the pegs while out shopping, so it's good to have one finally.

Equally, I do love the lines of the original Esprit and it looks gorgeous here in black with gold pinstriping.

I'd hemmed and hawed long enough about picking up one of these Moving Parts Buicks - I like them, but not the premium price tag shops tend to put on them. So jumping on this was the proverbial no-brainer.

I've started coming round to Jaguar E-types again lately - and I'd like to compare this casting with my '60s original version.

This is a Matchbox 65th Anniversary release too, which is nice to have.

I couldn't pass up this custom Matchbox R11 once I saw it in the sales thread.

I think I may even have supplied this one as a tatty donor car, many moons ago - looking much better now.

And a bonus freebie '72 Ranchero custom in the box, too!

Whew! Very pleased with these - many thanks!

[Tenmil Socket]

4 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Splendid mail call earlier...

There was kinda no point even pretending to MrsDC that it was anything other than automotive-derived frippery.

And inside...

No caffeine needed - we've got a heart rate of 120bpm going here already.

Boom!

Some fantastic diecast courtesy of @Fennec!

Oh my.

Some of these were replacements for items I'd hastily divested myself of ahead of last year's house move, and have been repenting at leisure ever since.

So it was good to have the HW Land Rover SIII, Subaru Sambar, '62 Ranchero, '57 Thunderbird and '75 Caprice back with me.

I'd thought I'd hung on to my Land Rover - but no, apparently not. Ah well, this is a fine replacement.

The Sambar is just so tiny! It's still great.

I'd got rid of a whole load of unopened blue and white Mk1 Escorts, which - going by eBay prices at the time of purchase - had seemed like a good investment, until suddenly there were plenty to go around and prices cratered.

Oh well. I prefer the orange paint on this one anyway.

The Subaru Brat's one I could never find on the pegs while out shopping, so good to have one finally.

Equally, I do love the lines of the original Esprit and it looks gorgeous in black with gold pinstriping.

I'd hemmed and hawed long enough about picking up one of these Moving Parts Buicks - I like them, but not the premium price tag shops put on them. So jumping on this was the proverbial no-brainer.

I've started coming round to Jaguar E-types again lately - I'd like to compare this casting with my '60s original version.

This is a Matchbox 65th Anniversary release too, which is nice to have.

I couldn't pass up this custom Matchbox R11 once I saw it in the sales thread.

I think I may even have supplied this one as a tatty donor car, many moons ago - looking much better now.

And a bonus freebie '72 Ranchero custom in the box, too!

Whew! Very pleased with these - many thanks!

Have the wheels been changed on the Renault? They don't look like MB wheels unless I'm mistaken... that style of MB wheels are usually concave.

[Datsuncog]

16 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Have the wheels been changed on the Renault? They don't look like MB wheels unless I'm mistaken... that style of MB wheels are usually concave.

Yup, well spotted - different wheels on the R11, I think to make it look a bit more like @RobT's 1:1 version:

[sierraman]

Took me ages to find it but this is one of my favourite Superkings releases. 

[155V6]

I saw this on a shelf in Sainsbury's just now

Of course,no stock to be seen 🙄

[sierraman]

Not sure this is the correct tractor unit but it seems to fit...

[flat4alfa]

Post Lady has been today.

A Mini-Dinky duo had been procurred: Ford Corsair and MGB

For some reason the MGB is scarce

Especially with its full complement of OPENING THINGS

Sadly not its screen though. Will have to sort something out there, as there are no aftermarket efforts for these

Have often wondered why MGB was not modelled much in the 1960s

Not in the small scale die-cast around 1:65 anyhow

Corsair was bought essentially for its boot lid, to fit to my nicer* one...

But the lid is jammed in a borked way after all.

Doh.

[bunglebus]

I've had a lot of deliveries this week, but been really busy so not had time to photograph anything - this is the current state of the worktop in the outhouse, almost all of that is new and needs cataloging including the contents of a Cogbox

EDIT also some DTCM cars too, sorry!

[Datsuncog]

25 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

The contents of a Cogbox

Blimey, has that shown up already?!

I only posted it at lunchtime yesterday - second class!

Still, glad it's all arrived safely; looks like you'll be kept busy for a while there...

[Amelia]

5 hours ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Have the wheels been changed on the Renault? They don't look like MB wheels unless I'm mistaken... that style of MB wheels are usually concave.

Yeah, they are Majorette wheels, swapped with one of the Citroen Xm's @andrew egot

[bunglebus]

5 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I've started coming round to Jaguar E-types again lately - and I'd like to compare this casting with my '60s original version

I don't remember seeing those blue Anniversary cars on the shelves. Nice find

[barrett]

Well, I can't compete with @bunglebus for new arrivals, but there is at least one addition.

Politoys M500 Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint from 1965. Not the catalogue number - this is the very first of the metal 1:43 Politoys. I'm not sure how their launch strategy went, but I think the first 15 catalogue numbers were all 1965 releases, although I'm not sure if they all arrived at the same time - I suspect probably the first 10 were all 'launch models' and the others followed later in the year. Whatever, this is where it all started.

It's lovely! Maybe not quite as accurate in shape as most Politoys, but it has a specific charm to it

Full range of flaps, of course, plus tilting seats and engine detail - the template for everything that followed, basically

A very simple base compared to later efforts. This is one of the rarer models in the series, and usually commands quite silly money, so despite being quite broke I had to jump on this as soon as I saw it for a reasonable price (very reasonable, actually - about half what it normally sells for) and I'm really pleased with it. Depressingly I reckon I could have bought a quite nice actual car for what I've spent on this shit over the last couple of years, but I'll just tell myself it's an 'investment'.

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, barrett said:

Depressingly I reckon I could have bought a quite nice actual car for what I've spent on this shit over the last couple of years

Funny enough I've been thinking along similar lines - I was at a VW show last weekend and thought maybe I should try and save up for a nice classic (probably a Beetle) and spend a little less on tatty old toys. Trouble is I'm weak and easily tempted!

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, 155V6 said:

I saw this on a shelf in Sainsbury's just now

Of course,no stock to be seen 🙄

You got me all excited!  I misread and thought you meant Tesco...   I dashed over there just now and saw this

Will head to Sainsbury tomorrow, but bound to be a time waste as there's barely a thing there normally

[bunglebus]

A few pics I took this week and forgot about.

How is this British (Entertainer)

Twin pack in TK Maxx is something I've not seen before - shame the cars were crap

[flat4alfa]

Fished this out of the Matchbox tray, the sole remaining Citroen Ami

Not that I really wanted it, but I had to come home with something.  It rang through as £2 as well, not £2.20

Also went B&M (which closes at 10pm now, as from today, the cashier said) STILL NO FLYING CUSTOMS.

But there was a few of the Mix 2 box of the 2021 'Orange and Blue Series'.  So picked up the Project Speeder as for some reason it stood out and I had to pretend I succeeded in something

[bunglebus]

4 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Mix 2 box of the 2021 'Orange and Blue Series'

They had absolutely loads of those in QD a few months ago, no chase cars though. It wasn't a great one but the rest are nice, especially the Porsche 

 

[Datsuncog]

Well kids - should just about have time for a very brief turn through the market early tomorrow morning - due to industrial action, the building's inaccessible this Friday so annoyingly I have to be back home again in time to log in for a remote meeting. I may or may not therefore have time to post much in the way of 'Live From Tat Central' pics - will try, though!

I'll be keeping an eye out for that unusual resin front loading Routemaster, and also any cheap Vanguards left from last week (esp. Consul GT).

Plus anything else compelling and/or cheap... of course.

Assuming I don't get attacked by giant bats or anything on the way in.

Which is always a worry.

[flat4alfa]

[Datsuncog]

Sun up.

Overcast, but drying after a wild and wet old night.

Traffic worse than usual and parking surprisingly hard to find, even before 8am.

But there was stuff to be seen...

Has to be said, it was all about the Vanguards and similar today. Still priced at £10, and seems to be more from the same collection as last week's lot, going by the loose nature of the acrylic cased models.

Loads of the blighters - though not much which I didn't already own in one form or another.

Oh, and buses. Some, not many.

But only a fiver asked on those.

No 50p Tat Box this week, I'm afraid, and no older stuff at all really.

Although some of these Vanguards are now past their 25th birthday, so I guess 'old' is relative.

I was quite tempted by the blue A40, but on closer inspection it had suffered from a rather unfortunate over-application of superglue while a former owner was attempting to fit the wing mirrors, so... I didn't.

Gotta say, that's one of the things that really winds me up about these older Vanguards in the cardboard boxes - I don't understand why they didn't just fit the damn mirrors at the factory, rather than giving the buyer a dicky little arts and crafts project with every purchase... especially when the model wouldn't go back into the box once fitted.

So the choice was either to fit the mirrors (and risk ruining the model with glue) and accept the model would never again go back in its box, or else leave them off and be permanently annoyed by the empty mounting holes in the wings.

I know I've given off about this before, but sometimes I like to get myself all in a lather about nothing.

Hey, it's a hobby.

White Granada was nice, but I already have a few Mk1s. Note the door mirrors all squished on this one.

I also have a few Mk2 Granadas - and Mk3 Zephyrs.

This Electric Blue Escort had suffered some sort of glue-based misfortune as well, plus it wasn't benefitting from rattling round loose. Most of the boxes here were pretty ratty, sadly - this was one of the worst.

Clear plastic-front on this Herald box threw me a bit - I don't ever remember seeing early 1/43 Vanguards packaged up like Days Gone...

...but it seems this was a promo model with Diecast Collector, so I guess that explains it.

So I refrained from spunking money I don't have on stuff I don't really need...

...and toddled off round the rest of the stalls, just in case they had something I couldn't afford and didn't need.