Shite in Miniature II

[sierraman]

Early 70’s, generic design, the jet carrier is the same almost. They experimented with solid axles on this, can only think of one other that did this. 

[danthecapriman]

56 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Still hunting for that Minor, has it got opaque windows or are they just dark?

Definitely needs customising, either original colours or a 70s theme on slot mags I think. Or both. Or a gasser, or...

As @sierraman said, it’s clear but the plastic has a greyish tint to it.

It’s a nice little thing though, paint colour aside. Definitely one to look out for, and with a bit of luck they’ll do other colours in time.

[danthecapriman]

Here’s that Chevy Fleetline.

Again, looks a nice shape from that airflow period of streamlining. Sun visor is a bit oversized and the hot rod paint scheme ruins it a bit imho, but the casting should definitely be a good repaint candidate. Maybe remove or reduce the size of the sun visor and it’ll be reet!

[danthecapriman]

Und ein panzer!

Good looking estate, only slight gripe is the big fuck off mounting pillar through the middle of the boot area inside!

 

Ass end details.

The Mazda actually is quite a nice little truck.

[Split_Pin]

Crikey the Minor and 240 are superb! Want!

[danthecapriman]

4 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Crikey the Minor and 240 are superb! Want!

I’ve got the moving parts Minor convertible too, which is nice but the standard one is the one to go for I think.

And I still haven’t seen the 240 anywhere round here! Someone has to be getting to them early and putting them on eBay!

[bunglebus]

Just photographing a bunch o'tat for sale at 7pm 

[Datsuncog]

10 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Someone has to be getting to them early and putting them on eBay!

I was in The Entertainer at lunchtime on a Volvo hunt myself (no luck, mind) and an advert came over their in-store radio looking for temporary retail staff to stock shelves overnight... now that's gotta be a plum job for getting first crack at any new cases, no?

I'm almost tempted...

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

I'm far from an expert on anything Matchbox, but I believe it could be part of the set with Mustang II as per my picture so I assume mid 1970s. 

About that. Here are the trio lurking in the back of my display case

[RoadworkUK]

I have the white and red set on the left. The transporter's wheels are still caked with plasticine. WHY do kids do that?

I loved playing with that set, but after turning 7 or so I found it immensely annoying for A) the truck being fairly badly out of scale with its cargo, b) it being nonsensical, and C) the Mustang being oddly proportioned, like a funnycar.

[Datsuncog]

Some new stuff in the market at lunchtime...

I'd have noticed this Budgie articulated truck if it was on the stall earlier, for sure.

It's a fairly slapdash repaint, but quite striking nonetheless.

Based on a real AA Traffic Control Unit with a Seddon cab? I hope so.

Other items were kicking round a tub under the stall - I think I've seen these before, though.

The remainder of the Franklin Mint stuff was now rather easier to see:

And there was a load of random car and bike stuff dumped in this DIY oil drain tub.

A quick flick through the US licence plates showed examples from quite a few different states - some of them looking quite old:

The asking price was confirmed at £10 each; seems kinda pricey, but then what do I know?

As we know, however, the price may come down in subsequent weeks if there's no takers...

[danthecapriman]

12 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I was in The Entertainer at lunchtime on a Volvo hunt myself (no luck, mind) and an advert came over their in-store radio looking for temporary retail staff to stock shelves overnight... now that's gotta be a plum job for getting first crack at any new cases, no?

I'm almost tempted...

I’m convinced that’s what must be happening!😆

Someone is intercepting the boxes and bagging the desirable ones for eBay trading. I don’t really know what the J or H etc etc boxes are or what’s in what box unfortunately so for me it’s a total lottery of what’s available wherever I happen to be.

[RoadworkUK]

Must say those Franklin Mints are almost tempting.

Almost. 

But not quite. I will continue to resist.

I've impressed myself with my resolve lately, I must say.

[Datsuncog]

So, pocketing the Dinky Bedford truck for Dan, I then headed across town to see if there were any further diecast delights to be uncovered...

The big Poundland in Ann St seemed to have tidied their pegs a bit - there were a few nice Hot Wheels and Matchbox of recent-ish origin, though none I was mad keen to possess:

Think this Rallye Porsche 928 is a fairly new release?

[sierraman]

36 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve got the moving parts Minor convertible too, which is nice but the standard one is the one to go for I think.

And I still haven’t seen the 240 anywhere round here! Someone has to be getting to them early and putting them on eBay!

But what for? They’re £2.40 in the Entertainer, which realistically are the only people that actually restock them, then they’re selling them on for £6-7 delivered. What are they making? 50p? 😂😂😂

[danthecapriman]

1 minute ago, sierraman said:

But what for? They’re £2.40 in the Entertainer, which realistically are the only people that actually restock them, then they’re selling them on for £6-7 delivered. What are they making? 50p? 😂😂😂

I think they must be getting more pleasure from depriving me of the ones I want!😆

[bunglebus]

12 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I don’t really know what the J or H etc etc boxes

I'm sad enough to subscribe to several YouTube channels that unbox them, usually well ahead of when they eventually find their way onto the shelves here. I'm slightly behind after taking out a free Amazon trial and delving into quite a lot of Roadkill etc that we're no longer trusted to watch on Motortrend. 

T-Hunted often show prototypes and sneak peaks at stuff too, although their FB and Insta posts are a bit easier to look at than their infuriating website. Sometimes I wonder how I actually get anything done...

[Datsuncog]

Next, with some time-saving scuttling through the narrow, winding Entries running between Ann St and High St like the rat I am, Cash Converters over on Bridge St is becoming a regular stop-off on the Friday trail.

Pricey Scalextric - the two big Aussie Falcons we've seen before, and a Capri - at £40 a pop.

More reasonable was this SCX Mercedes (?) racing truck, at a tenner:

Top whack today was this repro Mettoy Austin FX4 taxi in tinplate, by Corgi - unusual, but also a thumping fifty quid.

Though this Hebmuller military VW was a comparative steal at only £4.

Plus, bargains* to be had in @Sierraman corner:

Nothing irresistible to make me reach for my wallet, but I feel it's worth checking in here on the regular after the unexpected Lesney-fest a few weeks back...

[bunglebus]

8 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Though this Hebmuller military VW was a comparative steal at only £4.

That's cool, I occasionally see their military VW stuff pop up. Think I've got a KDF with a roofrack of theirs somewhere, nicely done if you like that sort of thing

Hebmuller had a good working relationship with VW in the early days post WWII, making a few different version such as this for the police, and the famous roadster - sadly the factory went up in flames and they never recovered. Karmann also worked closely with them and finished the last few cars that could be salvaged

[Datsuncog]

Round the corner in Rosemary St, The World's Most Cramped B&M had loads of Hot Wheels and Matchbox - but all the same old stuff we saw back at the start of the year:

Some cursory poking showed nothing really new.

Nipping round the corner and into Castle Court brought me to The Entertainer:

3 for 2 on Hot Wheels - but not much of massive interest. Some Premiums remained, reduced at £7.20, but nothing we've been feverishly discussing.

Matchbox stand seemed to contain a blend of several 2023 release cases, but no Volvo 240 and no Minor:

Meh.

A final swing out to Poundstretcher over on Castle St did reveal a load of Matchbox on clipstrips:

But these are all older 2021/22 releases, aren't they?

Pricey enough, too.

Seem to be longcard Chinese domestic market parallel imports, as with previous Poundstretcher products from Mattel.

Still, can't say I didn't like the silver Golfs.

Also - multiple examples of a solitary Hot Wheels Subaru, and only the Subaru, on the shelves:

Weird.

Leaving me just enough time to grab a Mystery Pastie from the bakery in College St before shuttling back over to the office.

Phew.

In an ideal world, I'd also have checked TK Maxx, the other branch of Poundland in Castle Court, and the model shop over at Smithfield - but you gotta pick your battles, hey?

[Datsuncog]

And so - I think that kinda wraps it up for this week.

Happy Friday, kids - and stay warm 'n' dry, if you possibly can!

[sierraman]

Considering whether to go to the Doncaster Swapmeet on Sunday, sometimes it’s good other times it’s a bit cack, it’s not so much what’s on offer it’s the lack of social awareness and bathing of some of the attendees. 

[bunglebus]

Same with the toy fair generally. Usually worth it to perv at all the toy cars though 

[bunglebus]

I was reminded early to trawl Matchboxworld's Insta for some upcoming releases

Will we see the Muscle releases?

[sierraman]

79% of it we will never see. 😂

[bunglebus]

Same might apply here, what looks like a set of wagons (to use the American parlance) - all with seemingly new wheel designs

[danthecapriman]

Commer is out of the paint stripping booth and had a warm soapy wash off to get rid of any grease, paint stripper and old paint.

It’s come up really well! Almost a shame to put paint on that shiny metal!   
There’s quite a few tiny dings, scratches and gouges here and there, but it’s had over half a century of being battered about in toy boxes and stuff. A tiny bit of filler should put the worst ones right. 
The ‘Commer’ badge on the front wasn’t legible before, and I had to spend a while with a pick hooking out all the dissolving old glue and paint from the rear door hinges and tail lights. 
The silvery blue colour I got it in wasn’t it’s first repaint either, there was a darker blue under that!

Just leaving it to dry off overnight now. I really like this van!

[Datsuncog]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

it’s not so much what’s on offer it’s the lack of social awareness and bathing of some of the attendees. 

You need to go prepared...

Unfortunately I'll be using the respirator until Sunday, else I'd have fired it over to you.

[sierraman]

Just now, Datsuncog said:

You need to go prepared...

Unfortunately I'll be using the respirator until Sunday, else I'd have fired it over to you.

Last one I went to the guy insisted on a cowering his not inconsiderable weight over the box, examining everything in it, then after giving an anecdote or fact about it, threw them back in, notice the word ‘threw’, not place. He was literally putting his shoulders into it. 
 

[FakeConcern]

I'm intending to go to a toy & model fair on Sunday, so PPE at the ready!

One of the worst hazards however is the attitude, Mrs Concern gets treated as "the little women" mostly and asked things like " have you seen the toy pram over there?" haha!

 

@danthecapriman I love the Commer van! Please remind us of what paint stripper you're using as it does seem to do the job!