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Shite in Miniature II


Split_Pin

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2 hours ago, FakeConcern said:

I was hoping that the much better informed than me would answer as I don't know if the Imp was only part of that set. My memory told me that the Minis were the black wicker sides one, light blue one and metallic maroon one, but Google says a red Monte Carlo rather than the maroon one. I had several Monte Minis at various times and the wicker on and a maroon one, none of which I now have so I'm not really a reliable witness on this!

The picture of transporter with a full complement will have to wait as none of the Minis I have left are suitable...

Referring to Cleemput's The Great Book of Corgi (which I nabbed a while back at a comparative bargain price), the jury on whether the Imp was sold separately are a little ambiguous:

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Launched in 1963 and noted as 2 items, so it seems possible that blue and bronze were launched at the same time and thus sold individually. But, there seems to be an emphasis on the 'flamboyant' blue, so who knows?!

Also interesting that it's noted as withdrawn in 1966, as:

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The transporter was launched in 1966 and withdrawn in 1968, containing a Hillman Imp.

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The photo in the book shows the Imp as bronze - so possibily, it was withdrawn as blue in 1966, then sold in bronze (presumably exclusive to the transporter set) 1966-68?

Either way, there's written and illustrated proof of the Wicker clad and Monte Carlo Minis being part of the set, so there's at least one part solved!

EDIT: Seems the Monte Carlo Mini was substituted in 1967:

16747728444397871020946813890365.thumb.jpg.933434a7f93d538c3a7e0879a96e4547.jpg

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No parcel for me this week as I'm not at home, and if I am it will be a flying visit before going to Frankfurt - hopefully I'll find some decent diecast while I'm there. 

However I do already have this

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Courtesy of my boss who did a bit of Hot Wheels hunting on my behalf in Berlin this week

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So, mystery models - not such a mystery if you understand the codes though!

1st of all the series 2;

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Not very clear but ends 01 so that's car #1 - GMC Syclone. I also have #2, the Plymouth Barracuda. 

Series 3

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I've got #3 VW (new) Beetle, #4 Purple Passion (49 Mercury) and #8 Drift Rod - I think in error as I wanted the #8 Fish N Chipped from the other set. However there's an extra one with no code on the pack

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However having a feel through the bag reveals it's another Purple Passion and not the Bugatti Chiron that's worth millions* of pounds - all those were gone obviously. 

Do I open them or leave them sealed in eternal darkness?

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All things considered, I'm afraid this ain't a vintage week - so fret not for the safety of your dwindled, end-Jan bank balances...

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Buses and coaches were evident, and trams too, but mostly in those annoying generic Atlas boxes that give no clue about what's inside.

A bit of rootling round uncovered some slightly more interesting newer models - all at £5 each, should anyone be interested?

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Mostly there were 40s/ 50s buses in there, so I didn't waste my pixels.

Merchandising skills on point again...

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Some tidying revealed a few items of interest:

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Corgi Plaxton in Bluebird Express livery and Falkirk on the destination board - the gratuitously oversized box wasn't the best, but this 1990 release might still please someone ?

Herpa Setra double-deck in HO scale was great though - gold, orange and brown livery looked simply awesome.

I was a bit conflicted about this one...

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On one hand, a mint boxed 40yr old Mettoy-era Corgi for £5 - on the other hand, I find it kinda difficult to get very excited about these releases. While the Leyland Roadtrain is an interesting model, it's not something I ever recall seeing on the road - so the nostalgia bug didn't really bite here. The size of the cab compared to the trailer also looks a bit off.

Also in the £5 box was this 'Routemasters in Exile' box set, featuring Northern operators:

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Seemingly never even unwrapped. I can remember selling these back in the mid-90s when the shop I worked part-time was proudly listed as an Official Corgi Stockist.

The £1 tub was there today, kinda...

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A thorough search failed to turn up the green Mazda 2 that @AndyW201 had requested last week - but I'm now starting to wonder if he has two boxes; one blue plastic tub and one heavy cardboard crate?

Last week the £1 models were in a cardboard box - so I may strike lucky if he brings that one back in next week.

These were a bit unusual though, buried under the Matchbox and Hot Wheels - High Speeds, in acrylic boxes:

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Nice, and not bad value for a quid, but I refrained this time - I sold off my 1/64 stuff a while ago, and probably shouldn't restart...

Up top on the main stall, there was very little diecast action, sadly: a trio of Corgi Classics Daimler bloodboxes was about the height of it:

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And that, as they say, was pretty much that - a quick spin round the other stalls revealed not very much of further interest to the denizens of this thread - no Charity Stall this week, and Alan was still setting up his Emporium very slowly when I passed - the 50p tray was there, but empty. 

Meh.

The Nemesis was looking similarly disconsolate, and after seeing him hovering around the Tat Stall without lifting anything, later found him commiserating with Colin/ Davey off the Toys & Novelties Stall (trading as 'Mulligan's Irish Gifts') about general inflation and the price of things these days...

Strange times, y'all.

Still, I can't leave you hanging with no diecast on a Friday - so here's a newly liberated Hot Wheels Jeep Wagoneer, unboxed last night a few weeks after I bought it.

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Oosh dem wheels.

So there we go - I've to be in a meeting shortly here, so you can guarantee I'll spend the whole thing fretting about that Royal Mail Leyland and will then rush back over after 12 only to find it gone...

I'm predictable like that.

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1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

 

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Oosh dem wheels.

So there we go - I've to be in a meeting shortly here, so you can guarantee I'll spend the whole thing fretting about that Royal Mail Leyland and will then rush back over after 12 only to find it gone...

I'm predictable like that.

I'm trying to work out if that Wagoneer is a subtle remodelling of the Matchbox Wagoneer or not:

953320368_Screenshot_20230128-002128_FreeAdblockerBrowser.jpg.4c7f7229f8f6aa618ef0694f0b72b86c.jpg

Seems crazy to offer the same thing in both partner companies but I'm sure there's some logic in it, somehow.

I'd say to bank that fiver instead of spending it on the Royal Mail truck from the tat market and put it in a mental pot for something down the line that's irresistible but potentially £5 overpriced...

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Couple of other recent additions.

Corgi Regal’s.

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Matchbox Mini, Mercury, Zodiac, Escort, Capri & the Cortina I posted above.

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Heres my Dinky AEC tanker. Missing its hoses…! I’ve checked inside the tanker. Only a scrap of paper in there! Oddly mines has grey tanker tops & caps. Wonder why they did different colours?

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The transporter set GS41 came with various sets of cars.

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Change of rally Mini and red saloon

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Now metallic red saloon mini and red MGB GT. MG should be at the front and Imp in the middle

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now yellow MG and Monte Imp

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Red Cortina, Rally Imp, RAC Rally Mini

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Later version with different orange and white cab, and Saint Volvo

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As for the Imp, the bronze one was available as a single car.

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and rarest of all is the Jensen's promo version in pale blue

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53 minutes ago, Rover414 said:

If the GM Buses & London Country Atlanteans and Devon VR hangs about I'd be interested in them.

Will head over shortly and find out if they're still there!

41 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Couple of new additions in the post today.

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Really nice Matchbox Cortina to replace my old rough one in the same colour, and one you’ve seen before courtesy of @Datsuncog thanks for that, it’s a lovely model!   

Crikey, has that Corgi Classic 315 arrived already? I only posted it yesterday lunchtime!

Good stuff - it really needs a good scrub, but I thought I'd leave that pleasure for you...

(Or am I the only weirdo who really enjoys cleaning up dirty old toy cars?)

Enjoy!

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49 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

Couple of other recent additions.

Corgi Regal’s.

266AD885-307C-4797-9EF8-3379753DF0A4.thumb.jpeg.1a602dfb3482ca9ac1458bba198733e8.jpeg

Matchbox Mini, Mercury, Zodiac, Escort, Capri & the Cortina I posted above.

8F717D51-B107-41F5-80AE-0CC27BC4BF39.thumb.jpeg.8f82587a3a360328ba2a2d42d8e5ca41.jpeg
 

Heres my Dinky AEC tanker. Missing its hoses…! I’ve checked inside the tanker. Only a scrap of paper in there! Oddly mines has grey tanker tops & caps. Wonder why they did different colours?

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Your lorry cab also has a blue interior, mine has cream. 

These were made from 1966 to 1977. Early ones had a card box and the last ones had a large clear plastic blister and card bottomed box. Nice to see that the toy remained heavy and well made right into the Crap Era of Dinky.

I'm going to give mine a clean when I finish work and look for the tanker caps on ebay.

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14 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Your lorry cab also has a blue interior, mine has cream. 

These were made from 1966 to 1977. Early ones had a card box and the last ones had a large clear plastic blister and card bottomed box. Nice to see that the toy remained heavy and well made right into the Crap Era of Dinky.

I'm going to give mine a clean when I finish work and look for the tanker caps on ebay.

I never noticed the cab interior colours!  
Makes you wonder what a big toy of this quality would cost nowadays? Just picking it up you can feel the ‘heft’ and quality of the things. I’m well impressed with them.

Heres the spares list;

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373306508125?hash=item56eacd435d:g:mFEAAOSwMrxfiDK6&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAsPTU2MRGX1BpmNUjS9pQtyWhculpLmxZK5PHUg0E%2F1XZVsuMYuK%2Bck2FMAWxrhGX9QASCZSjVWB9ZA8ynaXVEMflmx9gb4CB%2FkdbKHQkF%2BCDbBBffCd2JltJaSwIEKAjuvDN4X70GMZNTE0Y63RE2hvtVbhbVKojaMQXqzOLRX3zfrNqjTsKIbDfOtVmXNiaAM5GE40OXTI4VltE9n3svh9kfYRzwNROUUCkmKdNlfjQ|tkp%3ABk9SR-aorrS-YQ

I might get a set of hoses for mine.

What are you cleaning yours with? 
Mine needs a clean but I really don’t want to damage the old stickers.

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Thanks I was just looking on ebay for those and couldn't find them.

I use a cotton bud or small blunt instrument sheathed in a baby wipe for the hard to reach parts and a baby wipe or antibacterial wipe for everything else.

That will let you clean around the stickers without getting them waterlogged.

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46 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

am I the only weirdo who really enjoys cleaning up dirty old toy cars?

No I often borrow my partner's toothbrush and dunk them in the sink. The ones with paper decals are a bit harder and usually get attacked with wet wipes and cotton buds. 

A convertible with a dirty interior is especially pleasing I find

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10 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I've to be in a meeting shortly here, so you can guarantee I'll spend the whole thing fretting about that Royal Mail Leyland and will then rush back over after 12 only to find it gone...

I'm predictable like that.

So very predictable...

Upon scurrying back over just after 12, the Corgi Trucks Leyland was indeed gone.

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Bah.

A much later Corgi Weetabix promo Volvo box truck had appeared in the meantime, plus a Bbbbburago 1/43 Dodge Viper, but that was scant comfort.

Oh well.

All the Atlas buses and trams were gone, surprisingly, and a few EFEs had also been rehomed - including the Devon-liveried Bristol VR -  although both the GM Atlanteans were still on the table, so I picked those up for @Rover414:

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I hadn't noticed this one previously, either:

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Quite a nice Code 3 short National.

I also clocked that the Routemasters In Exile set was now up on the main stall, with presumably an attendant hike in the price.

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Most of the stall's wares this week were china and glassware, with the usual healthy sprinkling of old photos, random tools and kitchenware, plus sun-faded pictures.

There were also more 8-tracks, and darned if we're not getting some rock 'n' roll this week.

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Well, some.

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I was also tickled by this Professionals annual...

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But leafing through it gave me ABSOLUTELY NO hot Ford action.

No pics, no cartoons - nowt.

Could have been some sort of licencing issue, but the best I could find was a weirdly truncated 6-Series BMW posing as Doyle's car:

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And - is that meant to be some sort of Porsche?

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So - I didn't.

What he did have on the stall was a box of old local history magazines, which just so happened to have a publication in it which I've been trying to find for nigh on 30 years - so that was quite fortuitous.

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I took a wander around the rest of the market just in case any other wonders had been overlooked, but nah.

Alan's Emporium had unaccountably failed to shift any of the boxless Days Gone for a fiver, and his 50p Tray had no diecast on it this week.

None of the other antique stalls had any new diecast - the Expensive Stall still had those boxed but playworn Corgis offered out for a king's ransom, but it's likely they'll stay there til the crack of doom.

Still, that's the way it goes, sometimes - and with any luck, there's always next week... who knows what might show up then?

Til then - happy Friday, tat-fans.

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Had a wonder into town earlier, popped into a local charity shop just on the off chance anything was in.

Not much really, but I did rescue these for a few quid!

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Majorette Impala police car in pretty good shape. Corgi Transit isn’t too bad. Lesney Mercedes looks rough but it’s complete and rolls well too, and it’s one I don’t have already! The dumper says zylmex but reminds me of early Matchbox/Lesney ones, even the mechanism for the dumper.   
The odd ball though is the Matchbox Bulldog! It’s got a rollamatics style wheel and mechanism so the jaw opens and closes as it drives along! No idea what that was from!? 
I only took it as it would have been lonely on its own! Anyone want it free??

But the real treasure (imho!) was this,

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Yeah ok the screen is smashed out. And the chassis plate is loose so the 5th wheel coupler doesn’t work unless you hold it all together, but it’s not bad otherwise so I’m going to get a replacement glazing piece and strip it for a code 3 repaint!   
Anyone know what trailer it would have had? I don’t recognise the logo or the yellow chassis?

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1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

The odd ball though is the Matchbox Bulldog! It’s got a rollamatics style wheel and mechanism so the jaw opens and closes as it drives along! No idea what that was from!? 
I only took it as it would have been lonely on its own! Anyone want it free??

If you've not sent my DanBox yet, please yes that's the sort of thing my Daughter will laugh at, at breakfast

It's Rotwheeler, new for 1995

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along with another oddball for your Tat Menagerie, named Stinger.

Stinger_29.thumb.webp.61bb90defc785aa61f5dbf4a4667d15a.webp

The year before, you had Tailgator

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and Rhino Rod.

Rhino_Rod_29.thumb.webp.99197d10c3af122587ddbe5373da7d1b.webp

Drugs.

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1 hour ago, danthecapriman said:

Anyone know what trailer it would have had? I don’t recognise the logo or the yellow chassis?

Hoynor Car Transporter

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Presume 'SC' was Silcock & Colling Ltd who were in vehicle haulage 1945-84 and merged with Tolemans

4a-3.jpg

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Were a major player apparently, had the Ford contract (as we can see above) and eventually were brought into Ford Transport Operations division. 

Which means only one thing - you can only put Fords on the back when you fix it to the Hoynor car trailer you already own!

7437711C-8599-4FBB-91BC-DFF38CEEDA19.jpeg

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2 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

The dumper says zylmex but reminds me of early Matchbox/Lesney ones, even the mechanism for the dumper

I've got one of those, P310 Dump Truck

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Can't see any similarly at all with the Matchbox #28 Dump Truck myself

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I've just had a chance to play with look at the toys models from @danthecapriman and they are all great!

Probably the most interesting to me at the moment are the Bentley and the Imp as I haven't had either for many years and luckily they are just how I remember mine looking with a nice amount of wear!

The Bentley has lights missing and no spare wheel, but pretty sure mine was like that and don't ever remember having a spare!

I'd forgotten the Imps had the folding seats worked by squashing the rear down and pushing it, obviously how the springs on this collapsed. I have managed to open the seats up now. The rear window has been pushed a bit too far into the frame and I can't get it open. I can't decide if I should drill the base off to do something about the problems or leave it as part of its history!

IMG_5974.thumb.JPG.6eef0b2c11010b0126cc5bf58ca30319.JPG...

I don't remember seeing the blue Merc in the flesh, but always liked it in the catalogues. It doesn't disappoint...

IMG_5976.thumb.JPG.0f7c2dbc66d8c4e22456d5ac9a6ab8c3.JPG

Also regarding Transporter, I wish mine was the three decker...

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