Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

When I win the Euromillions I'm buying all the pegwarmers and donating them all to children's homes.

Then I'm buying all the Days Gone and throwing them in a shredder

[sierraman]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

OMG many Hot Wheels in Lidl's rummage bins for cheaps:

Shame they're all mid-2024 releases though - the case with the yellow Chevelle SS and red BMW E30 wagon in it.

Oh well, I'm sure there'll be loads of happy kids with these, even if the collectorati will already have them.

One thing I've noticed is that places like Poundland, Home Bargains and Poundstretcher tend to have their Hot Wheels pegs arranged way up at adult eye level - which is fine for quasi-geriatics with bad backs like myself, but pretty rubbish for kiddiwinks.

If kids can't reach them, then they're never going to buy all those unwanted pegwarmer Rink Racers and Deora IIIs to allow a restock with fresh cases!

There really does seem to be a glut of unsellable toys clogging up local stores right now.

I'd say the jump from 99p just a few years ago to as much as £2.40 for a Mattel mainline hasn't exactly helped matters.

I think it’s a given Matchbox have completely abandoned the U.K. nothing new in the shops realistically in a year. A few in Poundland that have probably come here via the grey market but I think it’s safe to say apart from a few retailers that have access to the stockists that it’s completely deaded now. 

[FakeConcern]

4 hours ago, sierraman said:

Yes, quite sad really. You spend your life building it up then it just gets chucked in a box and took to the nearest auction/car boot/charity shop. My philosophy is enjoy it for what it is now, when you are dead you are… well… dead.
 

Whatever happens happens. I wouldn’t expect the wife to know what was what (or if she’d give a shit for that matter…) so it’ll likely just get took down the auctions or most likely get totally bummed over by someone giving her £50 for the lot. 😂

Either way I’d be pushing daisies up by then so I wouldn’t give a shit. That said I’d like to think someone would pick it up and take as much enjoyment as I have from it. 

Fuck that, I'm taking them all with me!

[ambassador84]

51 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I think it’s a given Matchbox have completely abandoned the U.K. nothing new in the shops realistically in a year. A few in Poundland that have probably come here via the grey market but I think it’s safe to say apart from a few retailers that have access to the stockists that it’s completely deaded now. 

Not quite thankfully.  The new 2025 batches seen at B&M Bargains, Poundland and Tescotainer are all from official sources and no reason to suggest have abandoned Matchbox here in the UK.

However I did notice Sainsburys have reduced their Moving Parts stock to clear though interestingly have got in the very latest 5 packs.

[flat4alfa]

Jaguar Supercat XJS-HE advertisements, showing the double-stripe along the flanks

[sierraman]

12 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

Not quite thankfully.  The new 2025 batches seen at B&M Bargains, Poundland and Tescotainer are all from official sources and no reason to suggest have abandoned Matchbox here in the UK.

However I did notice Sainsburys have reduced their Moving Parts stock to clear though interestingly have got in the very latest 5 packs.

I’ve seen the batch with the gold SL but that’s from ages ago. Nothing new whatsoever that I can see. 
 

They’ve made it that hard I’ve just given up bothering now. 

[ambassador84]

4 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I’ve seen the batch with the gold SL but that’s from ages ago. Nothing new whatsoever that I can see. 
 

They’ve made it that hard I’ve just given up bothering now. 

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

[sierraman]

32 minutes ago, ambassador84 said:

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

If the market demand for Hot Wheels is much higher than Matchbox then they are unlikely to want to stock them. 

[ambassador84]

15 minutes ago, sierraman said:

If the market demand for Hot Wheels is much higher than Matchbox then they are unlikely to want to stock them. 

Precisely though I feel if Matchbox were more readily available, well priced and regularly restocked then they would sell much better. The trouble with the UK is the choice of 1:64 brands available is a fraction of what it once was. 

Go to France or many other European countries and their supermarkets and toy shops have a much better selection. I was in Japan and Hong Kong last May and the selection there was off the scale! 

[Lord Sterling]

7 hours ago, ambassador84 said:

We have got as far as 2025 Case B, Europe is now on C though D and E have been spotted in Australia and Asian countries.

Matchbox are freely available through various importers and distribution companies to any business who wants them. Unfortunately the problem is most, especially the big name retailers, won't stock them for whatever reason. Unimaginative buying staff seem welded to the idea all we Brits need are Hot Wheels and shitty HTI Teamsterz generics.

100%. I travel to Europe a couple of times a year and always marvel the amazing selection of Matchbox/desirable Hot Wheels cars they get compared to us. 

My local superstores here in the UK always have such a boring, unimaginative stock that few people want to buy. I'm guessing also you have the greedy eBayers who'll buy a whole pack of them for £2.50 each or whatever they are now and sell them on eBay for £15 a pop.

I'm hoping to go to Belgium at the end of this month so will be doing a tour of my the local supermarkets there.

[uk_senator]

16 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Just won at auction again. £35 plus commission.

My Dad once got me that orange & green street sweeper as a kid, with its little brushes underneath! My younger brother also had a couple of those yank muscle car hot rods, I think they were metallic pink & blue? Got a feeling they`re still in his old car box at my parents that our kids have subsequently played with.

[uk_senator]

16 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Some new arrivals for me;

The Jags both came from the same seller who was selling them as a pair.

I already had the White XJR from many years ago when AutoArt wasn't at the silly prices they are now. At least I have one to display. 

That green SII is lush! 

I`ve got the black XJR, to match my (now departed) real one:
 

[ETCHY]

16 hours ago, Lord Sterling said:

Some new arrivals for me;

The Jags both came from the same seller who was selling them as a pair.

I already had the White XJR from many years ago when AutoArt wasn't at the silly prices they are now. At least I have one to display. 

The green S2 appears to have wheels from something else. It should be wearing these:

But alas doesn't. It doesn't offend me, I'm sure I can procure some originals from somewhere.  What its currently wearing are not bad.

I missed out on a Kenwood Transit van that was being sold here, the thread was getting silly so I decided to procure one myself elsewhere. I got this at a fairly good price. It appears to have been boxed for most of its life and I'll continue that tradition. I have saved the box from any further deterioration by taping up the edges of the box where it's beginning to come apart. 

The motorway services van is a little more playworn, but nevertheless all still there. A easy majority of these vans have broken glass shells so it was good find one I'm with good suspension and intact glass.

Also, the plates on the motorway services van have seen better days. If anyone has some spare plates, please let me know. I don't have a working printer.

From the seller of the Jags, I also shot in a last minute bid and will be getting these soon:

The E-class Merc is a Herpa 1/43 and appears to have had its alloys changed, they don't look offensive either but at some point I'd like original alloys if I can get some. The W123 is a Minichamps model. Both procured for extremely £cheaps.

That Jag Xj6 is a beauty, they really have captured the shape of the real one.

Gotta love a Dinky Transit. Fantastic model that Imo,  I didn't know there were grille differences on them.

[bunglebus]

10 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

Gotta love a Dinky Transit. Fantastic model that Imo,  I didn't know there were grille differences on them.

They changed the casting, early ones have a sliding driver's door, side door and twin rear doors, later ones are larger and have just a side door and a rear tailgate. That casting was later modified into the MK2 keeping the main body unchanged. 

I actually prefer the later version

 

[Split_Pin]

I had 3 of those Transits, 2 later ones and an early. I only kept the earlier version because I love old vans with sliding doors! Both great toys. 

[eddyramrod]

Ahem, Transits?

I remember the Accident Unit in its first incarnation, from new.  When I was a kid I never had the later versions but I've been making up for it since.  I have a couple of unrestored first-types:  one at least won't be getting restored, it's good enough as-is; one is in the queue for stripping and painting, and will most likely become a civilian van of some sort.

The dark blue one in the photos is a first-type and came from @FakeConcern some time ago, with the rear arches butchered and some missing parts.  So I made some arch flares and converted it to a twin-wheeler.  The New Age camper came from @danthecapriman with none of its doors, and IIRC no wheels either, so I cut the back off and slid a Cheapo caravan on the back instead, just like people did in the 70s.

[FakeConcern]

17 minutes ago, eddyramrod said:

Ahem, Transits?

I remember the Accident Unit in its first incarnation, from new.  When I was a kid I never had the later versions but I've been making up for it since.  I have a couple of unrestored first-types:  one at least won't be getting restored, it's good enough as-is; one is in the queue for stripping and painting, and will most likely become a civilian van of some sort.

The dark blue one in the photos is a first-type and came from @FakeConcern some time ago, with the rear arches butchered and some missing parts.  So I made some arch flares and converted it to a twin-wheeler.  The New Age camper came from @danthecapriman with none of its doors, and IIRC no wheels either, so I cut the back off and slid a Cheapo caravan on the back instead, just like people did in the 70s.

The dark blue Transit that @eddyramrod has done such a great job on bringing back to life was my childhood one and the young me had cut the rear arches out as I think I was intending to make it a wide arch double wheel van just as Eddy has now done!

Here it is as sent to Eddy

Soon after that I got a really nice one from Dan, but it was the very slightly later version with an orange stripe whereas my original had the lower side all orange so when I saw a nice one at a toy fair I picked it up. It's missing the radar thing, but I have one ready to fit. The other day I happened to put it down on the oak cupboard in out bedroom while I was searching out something else and when I went to get it Mrs Concern had arranged it into a mini display so it's stayed there!

 

[danthecapriman]

I’ve had quite a few Dinky Transits but most have moved on to you lot now!

Still here though are a yellow highway maintenance pair, one mk1 and one mk2.

This one’s here still too.

Started life as an absolutely battered police accident unit that had been beaten to buggery and overpainted. I found it in a job lot on eBay and took pity on it so I stripped it to bare metal and rebuilt it using parts from a couple of other badly damaged ones, then painted it in a civilian colour scheme. 
They are a really nicely done model and customise well too. Only thing ‘wrong’ really is the side door being a bit oddly positioned and sized.

[bunglebus]

I've got a few nice examples on display 

More in the loft of course, and two in the projects box. One is a MK2 I modified as a kid with a set of Corgi Lotus JPS wheels and filed out arches, and a roll cage made of plastic sprue.

I've gone back to this and tried to do a better job making flares but I was struggling and gave up

 

[Split_Pin]

48 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve had quite a few Dinky Transits but most have moved on to you lot now!

Still here though are a yellow highway maintenance pair, one mk1 and one mk2.

This one’s here still too.

Started life as an absolutely battered police accident unit that had been beaten to buggery and overpainted. I found it in a job lot on eBay and took pity on it so I stripped it to bare metal and rebuilt it using parts from a couple of other badly damaged ones, then painted it in a civilian colour scheme. 
They are a really nicely done model and customise well too. Only thing ‘wrong’ really is the side door being a bit oddly positioned and sized.

That looks tremendous! 

[junkyarddog]

Found two of my favourite Bond cars yesterday. 

Also got a Chevette,added some extra detail to it,and took it down to Smoll Eddy's to fuel up.

Of course not to be outdone Smoll Eddy pulled out (ooh er)his own GM 1/4 miler.

You like to drag then Smoll Eddy?

"Never worn women's clothing in my life M8"

[bunglebus]

2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

They are a really nicely done model and customise well too. Only thing ‘wrong’ really is the side door being a bit oddly positioned and sized

To be fair they're slightly odd on the real thing

[MiniMinorMk3]

Another day, another auction. £30 plus commission.

[MiniMinorMk3]

I've done a bit of cleaning from yesterdays winnings.

A bunch of Corgis.

Not much left of teh Scamell

Dumped Mini with busted windows (a common theme with this lot) and no tyres

Also some damage to the casting at the rear 

Dog van with smashed windows and no dogs

Police Imp has been caught up in a riot!

Plod is still in there.

Red Spot Astro pair.

Broken glass with driver

Good glass no driver. Since taking the pictures the drivers has changed vehicles. No sign of the passengers though.

I think the Astro was the first Whizzwheels I got when young and still in short trousers.

VW Bug in Spacehopper orange. The suspension has collapsed, but I guess that's what the VW Stance boys like.

Roger Moore has also been through the riot.

Ford GT70. A car Ford should have built.

This one has a busted screen and a door that does not fit right.

[Split_Pin]

They've had a hard life.

[danthecapriman]

34 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

To be fair they're slightly odd on the real thing

The real ones obviously are hinging doors ‘oldskool’ style so they are technically right in that respect. I think what makes Dinky’s ones look weird though is because they needed the space to cast the hinges which necessitated pushing the door backwards slightly which makes the pillar between cab door and side door too wide.

The modern IXO Transits are brilliant, but the trade off being you don’t get opening doors. Which is good imho as I’m not really a fan of opening parts!

Those side doors are hefty on the real vans! I once closed one on my old mk2 and trapped my fingers in it! Once it starts to close, it’s closing. Just from the weight of the door.

[Split_Pin]

I love my ERTL 1/24 kit. I didn't apply any decals, only a front spoiler which it came with, so it looks like a stereotypical white van. Opening doors and tailgate too!