Shite in Miniature II

45,841 · May 11, 2023

You think you have problems - Mrs is playing Jenga with my parcels

9,356 · May 11, 2023

Hey @eddyramrodis it just the grill and head lights you want for Corgi Lancia Zagato?

The grill has most of the chrome missing, but otherwise ok and I've nicked one of the lights, but you can have the one I made.

37,325 · May 11, 2023

3 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

I meant to ask about that. You dipped the glazing brake fluid right? It has fogged on you before.

Was there something specific about the glazing plastic? Same approximate year and just Corgi?

I got the same unhappy result using white spirit to try to soak paint off a Dinky Transit glazing unit....

25,325 · May 11, 2023

34 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Hey @eddyramrodis it just the grill and head lights you want for Corgi Lancia Zagato?

The grill has most of the chrome missing, but otherwise ok and I've nicked one of the lights, but you can have the one I made.

That will be perfect! Thank you so much!

45,841 · May 11, 2023

49 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I got the same unhappy result using white spirit to try to soak paint off a Dinky Transit glazing unit....

Yes...

37,325 · May 11, 2023

Hey, looking better already!

10,033 · May 12, 2023

Barring @danthecapriman tat sale, of which I won't see the result of my feverish bidding for a few months, the diecast fix has been quiet of late (well, the last 3 weeks or so).

I've categorically decided NOT to collect Hotwheels, as ultimately I find it an unsatisfying endeavour for numerous reasons but there have been two exceptions in the last week, for instant gratification and long term regret.

Second one was this admittedly tasty AMG 560 SEC, very reminiscent of the period Matchbox casting but barring the overly deep body skirts, which always annoyed much younger me:

Yeah, I went a bit crazy with the theme but it seemed to suit the subject well. My main hangup with HWs is the packaging, as it makes them boring to own. Best just to accept there's millions of the buggers about hermetically sealed up (the Days Gone of 2050?) and to just rip open the packaging a take silly photos instead.

So that's what I did with these two, also:

Received the white one a while back from a local guy who bought a load of my offcast diecasts to sell on, after I'd remarked not seeing one yet. The red one was picked up from the supermarket last week, since at over 40, I still have little self control.

I certainly got very artwank by the end of the session, as you can see.

Still, it's delayed me from trying to work out how to fix my rotten garage wall for a short while, so I suppose it's time to attempt something vaguely useful!

37,325 · May 12, 2023

Loving those pics Jon!

All my Hot Wheels/ Matchbox get opened now; their only purpose is to be enjoyed, they're not investments to me.

There really are some superb castings out at the minute, though - and more to come, with any luck.

31,667 · May 12, 2023

Here's something you don't see modelled much

Norev Renault 15

And for comparison here's a Solido Renault 17

45,841 · May 12, 2023

More mooching around the shops, speak now if you fancy any of these. Comes to something when Metal Machines are the same price as Hot Wheels

45,841 · May 12, 2023

Amazed to see the Color Shifters Mini still on the shelf - it can stay there for £7

3,726 · May 12, 2023

7 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Amazed to see the Color Shifters Mini still on the shelf - it can stay there for £7

£7 ! 😳

4,348 · May 12, 2023

Just ordered these from Ana's Hot Wheels site on FB. The Mitsi is one Ive already got but in the small box. I've never found a carded one in the wild.

The Audi E-Tron, though, is a new one I've not seen yet in the shops. Must be from the impending new case (that we may or may not get over here...)

37,325 · May 12, 2023

14 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Amazed to see the Color Shifters Mini still on the shelf - it can stay there for £7

Actual image of Sainsburys' corporate buying team discussing Hot Wheels price points.

40,209 · May 12, 2023

16 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Amazed to see the Color Shifters Mini still on the shelf - it can stay there for £7

Asda do the two-car dunking drum set for £13 it says so here on their webshite

40,209 · May 12, 2023

45,841 · May 12, 2023

Big Entertainer!

Ran the gauntlet past those annoying Fart Ninjas to this

All older releases though.

Range next door had a handful of slightly newer ones but nothing exciting

40,209 · May 12, 2023

42 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

They are 2020 releases I don't remember Tesco getting hold of

45,841 · May 12, 2023

They were turning up in Poundstretcher for a while (like today) and I got mine out of the 2p machines at Hemsby last summer

8,657 · May 12, 2023

On a fb auction page

40,209 · May 12, 2023

15 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

POSTLADY™ HAS DELIVERED

Oh what have I done...

As today is a Market Breaky™ - an identifying game is open instead!

Here is what was unwrapped. What do you see? Farmer Tom knows already

Procurred for £2.08 each (+P&P) from a job lot BIN spotted by roving tat spotter @64A60

28,060 · May 12, 2023

A Vogue with a roof is a novelty on here.

45,841 · May 12, 2023

Ghia with mutt

40,209 · May 12, 2023

19 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

They were turning up in Poundstretcher for a while (like today) and I got mine out of the 2p machines at Hemsby last summer

Ah. I've haven't been into a Poundstretcher since the toilet roll famine of covid.

37,325 · May 12, 2023

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

They are 2020 releases I don't remember Tesco getting hold of

They seem to have been Chinese-market models brought over as parallel imports, arriving here in dribs and drabs - Home Bargains and The Original Factory Shop both had them on the shelves in 2021, and Poundstretcher had them last year (and still does, plainly).

I've seen them on general market stalls too - plus obviously they've appeared at amusement arcades also - so they seem to have wound up going through general wholesale channels, Maybe Makro or Costco was knocking them out by the carton at some point?

At a guess, all the virus-related bother in China and beyond from 2020 onwards possibly meant that Chinese distributor warehouse stock ended up sealed off while in transit for months/ years in some areas - and was long obsolete by the time anybody got round to emptying containers?

The short card 2020 releases intended for Tesco are probably still languishing at Felixstowe docks...

28,060 · May 12, 2023

42 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

They seem to have been Chinese-market models brought over as parallel imports, arriving here in dribs and drabs - Home Bargains and The Original Factory Shop both had them on the shelves in 2021, and Poundstretcher had them last year (and still does, plainly).

I've seen them on general market stalls too - plus obviously they've appeared at amusement arcades also - so they seem to have wound up going through general wholesale channels, Maybe Makro or Costco was knocking them out by the carton at some point?

At a guess, all the virus-related bother in China and beyond from 2020 onwards possibly meant that Chinese distributor warehouse stock ended up sealed off while in transit for months/ years in some areas - and was long obsolete by the time anybody got round to emptying containers?

The short card 2020 releases intended for Tesco are probably still languishing at Felixstowe docks...

Ooh, I’ve never seen that 59 Dodge Police Car. I need to get one and ‘ shoot a coat of primer’

This for philistines , is a Copperhead Road reference.

37,325 · May 12, 2023

12 minutes ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Ooh, I’ve never seen that 59 Dodge Police Car. I need to get one

Daaah, I just sold a spare one the other week for 50p!

I'm afraid it's packed and gone now - but clearly there are still some on the shelves in Poundstretcher, if you can find a branch locally...

45,841 · May 12, 2023

1 hour ago, NorfolkNWeigh said:

Ooh, I’ve never seen that 59 Dodge Police Car. I need to get one and ‘ shoot a coat of primer’

This for philistines , is a Copperhead Road reference.

I don't think there were any of those in either box today

37,325 · May 12, 2023

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

More mooching around the shops...

How annoying that the only cheapo Matchbox Working Rigs left in Poundstretcher are the same two I already have...

They're not bad toys, though - and unusual choices of working vehicles to depict.

The GMC attenuator truck doesn't do very much - you can lower the attenuation device at the rear and swivel the direction sign up and down, and that's about it.

The tree maintenance truck has rather more to impress...

Look at the reach on that.

The orange plastic work platform is a bit clunky-looking, mind. Fortunately, it unclips.

Actually, most of the plastic bits unclip, and pretty easily too. I'd say that played-with examples from this range which are still intact will be uncommon in years to come.

I'd originally thought that both these toys shared a common cab casting, but it was only when I compared them that I realised the orange GMC is quite a bit bigger - despite being based on the a smaller G3500 model, while the green cherry picker represents the heavy duty G8600.

Comparing the bases indicates the green version was introduced for the 2011 catalogue year, while the orange one dates from around 2019 - so there's been some upsizing over the years.

Both have been available in different colours in the past, it seems.

I also find it interesting that Matchbox carry their fictional logos across multiple ranges - 'Ozima Tree Service' features in the Hitch & Haul range too.

3,726 · May 12, 2023

On 5/11/2023 at 1:52 PM, Datsuncog said:

Had to nip over to Screwfix early doors today, so took the opportunity to have a peep at diecast availability in the north Belfast area...

B&M (open from 8am, tat fans) had a decent selection, though nothing much new.

Plenty of Hot Wheels, but mostly racer, custom and fantasy type releases left on the pegs. Some of the packaging was quite torn - kids, eh?

Matchbox were now properly in their own space, rather than on clip strips dangling along the aisle.

Nothing we haven't seen before, though. Seemed to be a mix of 2022 and 2023 releases.

Loads of those annoying little baggage truck things, too.

Also still some Flying Customs to be found, though only four varieties left - just one Firebird and one Mustang Mach 1, and the rest were all Barracudas and Custom Ottos.

Nipped across to a smaller Tesco branch which I don't normally frequent - and they'd a good lot of 2023 case Matchbox on the shelves:

But again, we've all seen these before.

Hot Wheels not quite so abundant - and only the Challenger held any vague interest.

Called across to a biggish Poundland store in the main shopping centre, and there was a slightly better Hot Wheels selection to be seen, in terms of realistic vehicles:

More Matchbox here too - first time I've seen mainlines in this branch.

One solitary long card 'Matchbox Collection' model - the fairly unappealing Speed Trapper.

Some oddities in their Far Eastern cheapo 'Nitro Legends' range though - a custom Beetle pickup...

And a reasonable enough stab at a C3 Corvette:

I've seen worse. Much worse. And two for £1 will keep some car-lovin' kiddies happy, I reckon.

Lastly, I swung by another Poundland branch over in the nearby retail park:

Much more space for Matchbox here - a good selection, and much cheaper than those at Tesco.

Makes me wonder how come Poundland can sell current mainline Hot Wheels and Matchbox for £1.50 a throw, when 'every little helps' Tesco are wanting £2.00 and £2.20 respectively?

I'm guessing Poundland aren't making a loss on each sale (well, they were two weeks ago, but that was a different matter...), so that's some fairly hefty profiteering on Tesco's part.

I noticed that this branch had the older paired Camaro from yesterday's 'Then And Now' find:

I thought about it - but I didn't.

I did pick up a Toyota Tacoma from B&M, though.

I've been hemming and hawing about this one for a while, but since it was the last one there, I finally took the plunge...

Others I'd looked at seemed to have really rough, gappy castings around the headlights which put me off - but this one looks fine.

Removable camping rig is an appealing novelty, I'll admit.

And base detail quite good too.

It's not really a vehicle I've a huge amount of interest in - as far as I can tell, the Tacoma is basically a HiLux but not as good - though I've enjoyed seeing plenty of them rescued by Matt's Off-Road Recovery on YouTube, so I guess there's an element of amusement there...

(I'd quite like to see a Hot Wheels version of his 'Banana' Cherokee or, better yet, the MORRvair...)

EDIT: Looks like Johnny Lightning already muscled in there...