Shite in Miniature II

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Entertainer 

Annoyingly they have the Harry Potter Anglias too, but because the wizard thing doesn't fit with Entertainer's religious viewpoint, they will not sell them. There's two here but they ain't budging

Fascists! 🤣

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

The first three new releases on Superfast wheels (not adaptions to become a Superfast) popped over

#20 Lamborghini Marzal, #5 Lotus Europa and #56 BMC 1800 Pininfarina

I really ought to seek a better example of the Marzal first release colour.

The Lotus is interesting in that there were blue then pink metallic examples, during same release year 1969.

The Rolls Convertible was also released in 1969

Lotus was first in blue, as shown on the box

 

Something in my memory was telling me that I had seen Europas with the wheels and tyres as seen on the ISO Grifo and Mustang, but it turns out that it was the pre-production superfast wheels that did not have the cut out spokes.

[bunglebus]

Not a lot to write home about in the charity shops, but I did pick this bag up

As I wasn't going to turn down a Fun Buggy for a quid

Sainsbury's had this

As @Spottedlaurel discovered, Sainsbury's once again haven't updated their system so these don't scan at the till - so I had to buy two Volvos instead - anyone need a spare, as I did the same yesterday with one that's going off to the aforementioned forum user

Golf touch up paint has dried

Still annoyed about the Anglias, especially after AliExpress cancelled the two I bought weeks ago

[Datsuncog]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Entertainer 

Daaah - I took a spin up to Belfast over lunchtime today to see if they had any of those Range Rovers out in the Castle Court branch, but no - two Jaguar iPace things and one Nissan Ariya were the only Moving Parts available.

I suspect the Rangies have been and gone - I'm far from the only overgrown child to be seen combing the diecast pegs in that store.

That's a massive annoyance about the Potter Anglia - it's rare to find a retailer who doesn't want your money, but frustrating when it's something you'd quite like.

Still no sign of any more Kowloon'd Hypervans - though I've no doubt they'll show up in Tesco and/ or Sainsburys, who are still topping up their dump bins with cases from six months ago. I'm sure they'll get around to more recent stuff by the end of the year.

[bunglebus]

10 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Daaah - I took a spin up to Belfast over lunchtime today to see if they had any of those Range Rovers 

Still no sign of any more Kowloon'd Hypervans 

I've seen both if you want them?

[Datsuncog]

23 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

I've seen both if you want them?

Cheers, but I'd probably best not open any new Bungleboxes for a bit! I'm sure I'll find both eventually, one way or another - Colin in the market says he's getting in some more Moving Parts this week, so I'll see if he can sort me out. Appreciated, though! 

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

The Rolls Convertible was also released in 1969

Lotus was first in blue, as shown on the box

Yes it seems the Rolls Royce 'Coupe' was released late-1969 as it didn't make the second edition of the 1969 catalogue and was first seen in the 1970 catalogue

It was also joined by the Merryweather, so in effect these were the new castings #4 and #5

A blue lotus has been found!  It has some decent chipping  so was not found on a shelf, so didn't know I had one.  It's all a bit overwhelming this toy car lark.

Anyhow, a line up of #1 to #5 Superfast new-for-1969 castings was achieved

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Surprised you've not picked one up from my diecast sales, must have had half a dozen that colour

I hadn't realised the one here was so poor and wonky-wheeled until now.  

It's not a model I paid much attention to as a lad, probably as a real world example wasn't out on the road.  Only recent years did these things get picked up.  

Marzals by Lesney Matchbox sitting at a car meet with a Marzal by Dinky

[flat4alfa]

The garish colour schemes aren't true to the actual one-off Gandini at Bertone concept, which was a silver white.  Or perhaps it was white first, then silver second; as period photos confuse

It was based on a stretched Lamborghini Miura, making a four seater with gullwing doors.  Air-condizione had to be fitted due to glasshouse temperatures achieved inside.  It's first outing was the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix when Prince Rainier III took Princess grace out for a drive in it

Here is Francesca showing how useful it could be on the school run

The engine was a six-cylinder, half a Miura engine

Dinky took a stab at that and added extra carburettors it seems

The wacky dashboard was something Dinky didn't make a stab at, nor the silver seating colour.  Apparently Francesca wasn't fond of that rear-view mirror position when doing her lippy.

Its definitely silver since it was restored at Lamborghini, after it had been sold from the Bertone collection in 2011 and went to live with a Swiss collector who parted with $2.1M for it.

So.  Paint all your playworn Marzals silver inside and out and be done with it

[sierraman]

I liked the rear screen on them. 

[Datsuncog]

Not much in the way of Matchbox magic to be found in Belfast over lunchtime - as well as striking out in The Entertainer, I did a low pass of the city centre TK Maxx branch but they only had the same Action Drivers sets as the Newtownabbey branch. Poundland had lots of mainlines of the blue and orange varieties, but none that I'm looking out for.

As if to underline my hazily serendipitous viewpoint of 'eh, they show up eventually', I made a bit of a find over at the cramped B&M store in Rosemary Street:

I'd been keeping an eye out for one of these Silverline F&F Jettas a few months back, but they always eluded me - tons of all the others from the same series in various shops, but never ever this one.

For reasons best known to themselves, these examples were being displayed on pegs about eight feet off the ground, right up by the ceiling - I could see at least four Jettas in amongst the El Camino, Humvee, Chevy Nova and Buick Grand National, but I could only manage to grab this one by literally leaping up in the air and dislodging it from its peg with my fingertips.

I'm sure the CCTV footage gave the staff a chuckle.

Good workout, anyway.

And it was reduced to £2.99, because OLD STOCK, so that was even better.

I've never seen the film this car was used in, but never mind - it's an odd choice of a vehicle, and I kind of like it for that reason alone.

As far as I'm aware, this casting has never appeared as a standard mainline - only as a premium or semi-premium ('Silverline') release. This does at least ensure that the tampo detailing is quite comprehensive.

It's kinda daft, and a bit of fun, and I'm pleased to have finally got my mitts on one - the unexpectedness of it on a wet Wednesday just makes it better.

[Datsuncog]

7 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

It was also joined by the Merryweather, so in effect these were the new castings #4 and #5

Annoying how fragile the bumper corners are on those Merryweathers!

Mine's otherwise fairly decent in terms of paint and stickers, but has taken a knock and is missing a lump out of one side.

7 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

It's all a bit overwhelming this toy car lark.

Amen to that.

[bramz7]

Some unusually high prices for Norevs...although both fairly rare. 

Both unboxed and played with. 

I picked up a boxed one for less than half of this, admittedly from a European seller. 

This ended on £32. It is a rare one but it surprised me. 

[flat4alfa]

19 hours ago, sierraman said:

I liked the rear screen on them. 

Hexagons, formed from aluminium

Apparently Marzàl translated from Corsican is Marshal

Lamborghini Marshal

Cambridge dictionary said:

Quote

Marshal: to bring together or organize people or things in order to achieve a particular aim

So.  Reclined seating to induce backache for four persons relying on italian electricals running the air conditioning.   Perfect for a trip to Ramsgate.

[sheffcortinacentre]

7 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Found it!  First published 2019, of course to coincide with 50 years of these things:

To celebrate actually finding something in this hoarder's house of mess, the Verniers came along for a peek

Bugger can't find a single copy of it.

[sierraman]

6 minutes ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Bugger can't find a single copy of it.

I’m just gonna download it I think 

[bunglebus]

It is a bit Max Power but a nice enough casting all the same

[bunglebus]

17 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Apparently Marzàl translated from Corsican is Marshal

Lamborghini Marshal

Cambridge dictionary said:

Which is nice.

[sheffcortinacentre]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’m just gonna download it I think 

Far to technical ,plus I prefer a paper copy ( I'm not lost in the 70's  for nothing).

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, sheffcortinacentre said:

Far to technical ,plus I prefer a paper copy ( I'm not lost in the 70's  for nothing).

Seems I was presumptious that they would be all over eBay

https://www.collectors-club-of-great-britain.co.uk/Store/Reader-Offers/fast-fifty-first-edition-issue-1/

Quote

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Matchbox Superfast Available only as a digital edition

Lets all keep a lookout for a hardcopy one.  I don't want to part with mine, sorry!

[flat4alfa]

This afternoon, POST MAN WITH LONG HAIR dropped off an unexpected parcel from Essex

Inside was...  the Dinky AEC and Trailer combo to make the Chieftain Tank into a set!  Crikey 🙂

FARMER TOM GET DOWN FROM THERE

[Split_Pin]

Y0 @bunglebus can I claim the 240 if nobody has thus far please.

[bunglebus]

I have a couple of other oddments too but I'll put them on my sales thread

[Tenmil Socket]

Me and the Mrs have booked a couple of days off work. We’re going ‘Bennerz’ in a couple of weeks so she’s suggested that we go to Warrington so she can shop in Primark and I can wander round the charity shops. Does anyone know if there’s any decent tat holding places that I can visit?

[sierraman]

41 minutes ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Me and the Mrs have booked a couple of days off work. We’re going ‘Bennerz’ in a couple of weeks so she’s suggested that we go to Warrington so she can shop in Primark and I can wander round the charity shops. Does anyone know if there’s any decent tat holding places that I can visit?

No but in Benidorm there’s a place that stocks Matchbox called Don Dinos. Also ‘El Rastro’ on a Sunday might yield some diecast, it’s a car boot about a mile away. I took the wife on our wedding anniversary- which as you can imagine she was overwhelmed with joy around. 

[bunglebus]

Morrisons actually have a decent selection, new Pink Slips

Even Matchbox 

Monster Trucks are getting weirder

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

15 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

Hexagons, formed from aluminium

Apparently Marzàl translated from Corsican is Marshal

Lamborghini Marshal

Cambridge dictionary said:

So.  Reclined seating to induce backache for four persons relying on italian electricals running the air conditioning.   Perfect for a trip to Ramsgate.

Hexagons were a thing used by Bertone at the time.

Grille on a Fiat Dino Coupe.

[Datsuncog]

This morning I did something I seldom do, and took a wander down to Carrick Market.

It's not really much of a market these days; what was once a thriving weekly gathering of traders and smallholders from miles around selling their honest produce and wares to the smiling townsfolk, has shrunk to about five vans in the corner of a windswept car park selling assorted tat to bewildered pensioners and random weirdos.

Well, one stall does sell fruit and veg, but the others are generally trying to flog car-boot-grade stuff; secondhand clothing, cast-concrete gnomes and planters, assorted china and glassware.

And there's also Colin, from the Irish Tat stall at St George's.

Now he's not always  in Carrick on a Thursday - in fact, on the few occasions I've been inclined to take a mosey down, he hasn't been there. He's mentioned that he barely even covers the cost of the stall and the diesel most weeks, so when the weather forecast isn't great, I don't blame him for cutting his losses and just staying at home. Mostly he's selling greetings cards, puzzle books and stationery - the car park's right on the seafront, and trying to prevent your stock from flying away in the wind probably gets kinda tedious after a few hours.

But! He was there today. With some of his diecast.

I casually asked if the Matchbox Moving Parts order had landed yet.

It hadn't, BUT he got an email from the carrier last night to say that they should be delivered today.

Only there's usually a follow-up email the next morning giving a further reminder of the time, and that hadn't shown up. So - they might not land until sometime on Friday, too late for St George's.

I casually mentioned that I'd be very keen on one of the Moving Parts Range Rovers, should there be any in the box.

Colin replied that he had a Moving Parts Range Rover with him on the stall today.

OMG EXCITE

So he went and fetched it.

Oh.

It's that one.

Not the classic one.

Harrumph.

Eh, you'll not be surprised to learn that I bought it anyway.

[bunglebus]

33 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

bewildered pensioners and random weirdos

Which one are you?

[Datsuncog]

I would have said the latter, but to be fair I'm starting to resemble the former now as well...

...why not both?