Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

Idea for the spare

[andrew e]

Spotted elsewhere… 

[flat4alfa]

17 minutes ago, andrew e said:

Spotted elsewhere… 

GED 861N has been immortalised

[andrew e]

Who made that?

[AndyW201]

Meccano Tranny looks like an IXO partwork.

[Datsuncog]

Well then!

Out into the snow melt, and not a moment too soon - suffering from a chronic lack of customers, Blokey had already packed the stall up and was heaving it away to his van.

Luckily, the diecast box was still accessible...

...and I was able to extract what I needed.

(You can quite clearly see the shonk on the Dinky tipper's axles here.

Ditto, the charity stall was in the process of being cleared - but VHS sales must have been inexplicably slow, as the Tony Pond TT video was still there.

Phew.

This left me in a minor pickle, as I'd now spent my last 25p and had nothing left in my pockets to procure the laughably poor Prelude from Alan's 50p tray... 

So rather than slip/slide/stump off to a cash machine in the city centre and then all the way back again, I took an executive decision to leave it for this week.

Let's see how the cards fall in future weeks, yeah? 

And that's a stern reminder to myself to keep a spare 50p stowed in my bag, to prevent this shameful situation from ever happening again.

With not much further market action occurring, other than everyone packing away and going home to thaw out, I set off across town... seemingly on some sort of diecast-inspired quest with no clear goal in mind.

I haven't been past Cash Converters for a while.

And oh, what was this in the window?

Boxed Speed Kings Lightning F1 car's not quite my thing, but seems to represent quite good value at £12.

Reproduction French Dinkys were up for a tenner each.

Heading inside, there wasn't all that much - a nice but pricy Celica GT4...

And this discount store stalwart from another age.

Plus Days Gone and Thomas The Tank Engine stuff, of course.

But we're not here for that.

Nipping round the corner brought me back to The World's Smallest B&M™, and I took a quick peek in there in case I'd overlooked a rack of Hot Wheels Flying Colours or something, but no.

Last Friday's bonanza was not to be repeated - about half the mainlines were gone, including the white Porsche Carrera I should have bought instead of the Delorean.

Shuffling across the slush into Royal Avenue, and Castle Court had both a branch of The Entertainer and another Poundland...

Entertainer, however, didn't have much to tickle me:

No Matchbox to be seen anywhere, and more of the same Hot Wheels mainlines (albeit in long card format).

Some premiums...

And Car Culture stuff, apparently reduced (but still kinda pricey):

They're also the only place I know that stocks Siku, but at a fiver for the smallest single models, who's buying them?

They are, however, still made in Europe rather than the far east - Poland, the packs say - so maybe their pricing is really a more accurate reflection of how much it actually costs to make and sell a small metal toy while ensuring appropriate environmental and social standards are met for workers and the factory?

Hmmm.

With this weighing on me, I toddled on to Poundland - which had no Hot Wheels, or indeed any diecast of interest at all.

So that was that.

Poundstretcher, out the side of Castle Court in Castle Street, surprised me with two pegs stuffed full of Matchbox Working Rigs.

But other than the generic garbage truck and the Pierce fire ladder, all the others were just the same two GMCs that the Carrick store had.

Which brought me to something of a crossroads... did I dare to go back over to the model shop at Smithfield? I haven't been there for a number of years now, for various reasons...

But is a tat sweep really a tat sweep if one of Belfast's premier diecast lairs remains unexplored?

[MiniMinorMk3]

Just found a couple more E-Types that I have added to my E-Type post. They are from AutoArt.

Coupe and Roadster Series 2 V12

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, andrew e said:

Who made that?

 Ixo for Hachette's Autoplus Collection partwork in 2016.  As far as I know, only available in France.

Another for Hachette in France:

This one for Altaya's Michelin Collection

Two for Eaglemoss for Italian market

Altaya for Spain

[Datsuncog]

So I went across the slippy-slushy road into Winetavern Street, and through to My Old Toy Box.

Now, I have some issues with this place, which I've previously expounded on at length - but for the benefit of those at the back, I'll summarise here:

**{whiney whingey screed removed as it's probably not fair of me to rag on someone running their own business}**

So - that's why I hadn't been back.

Until today.

[flat4alfa]

21 hours ago, andrew e said:

Spotted elsewhere… 

Another of GED 861N but in colour

[Datsuncog]

So there are a lot of cabinets outside the shop, in the covered mall area, and that's where I tend to browse first.

Yes, that's £30 for most of an unboxed Superkings Ford Transcontinental.

The Volvo race support was a slightly more reasonable £8, but a bit roughed-up.

£25 for the Peterbilt box truck perhaps not outrageous, as it seems relatively clean and complete. £10 on the Laing Hercules crane probably an indicator for the rest of the cabinet contents.

Assorted unboxed MoYs and Matchbox Dinkys not really appealing to anyone...

Though right at the back, the orange Dinky El Camino isn't a bad shout for a tenner.

Atlas Dinky repros seem to be about the £15 mark, from what I can decipher...

But I dunno if the acrylic-box ones are the same, or more.

Now this is nice.

But it could be affordable, or a king's ransom.

These boxes look original...

...but yes:

That's £40 on the unboxed Hot Wheels steering truck and trailer.

Yet inside, he has a mint and boxed late '60s Mebetoys Hot Wheels Silhouette, for only £25.

Yeah...

 

[sierraman]

Were I to venture in to the world of antiques I’d just pick a number off the top of my head and pitch it at that. 🤣

[Datsuncog]

Make sure you write that number in permanent marker on the back, too!

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Though right at the back, the orange Dinky El Camino isn't a bad shout for a tenner.

The El Camino is in fact the Lone Star Road Master El Camino

It would run to £10 on eBay, even with the tailgate missing as is on that one.  Don't ask me how I know

[Datsuncog]

Inside were plenty to tempt:

Phoar. Shell Supercar Collection.

No, not really - but the Superkings Suzuki alongside is a bit of a rarity, and not unreasonable at £15. Rolls Royce is a tenner.

(There are three identical Rollers there, one behind the other.)

Good selection of Vanguards, at the now-typical £36 price point.

Older Corgi, also at £10/15/20.

Right at the back were some of those late '90s reissues of older Mettoy Corgis - a Chevrolet ambulance, a Mazda pickup with removable camper unit, and a Mk2 Transit tipper.

£20 each on those.

And much older stuff up for grabs too, amid recent partworks and what looks like the very last Matchbox Dinky releases, some ex-Vitesse castings which were supplied mail-order only and are quite hard to find.

I don't think these small Corgi boxes are quite right, however. They'll display well, but they appear fictitious. The Whizzwheels Ford D-series skip truck atop a Husky Bedford skip truck box is a bit suss.

Not sure what's being asked for them.

Some of the loose stuff isn't bad, mind...

Most of these are a pound or two; three quid at the outside.

DS is a late one, badged as a Corgi Whizzwheels underneath. Orange GP buggy is a Rockets version. Pink BMC 1800 Pininfarina a bit bubbly, but also only £1. 

(Crumbs, I haven't really got time to comment on all of these). Whizzwheels Europa was excellent, and £3. Planet Scout is the rarer Adventure 2000 gift set variant in pale green.

Road Blasters Mercury also very good nick, and also £3. Gruesome Twosome boasts both engines. Hot Wheels Buick Riviera is a hi-riders version.

Three of those Siku Frosties Jeeps - and an Adventure 2000 hovercraft. Corgi Dyane was clean and all.

Willys Hot Rod is an unusual Matchbox over here - a US release which didn't make it over to the UK as a mainline casting, but was included in certain multipacks.

There was some other loose stuff up top, but it was definitely a case of a few diamonds hiding in the rough...

But - enough of this, I'll cut to the finale!

[bunglebus]

Rockets buggy is probably worth nabbing if it's £3 or so. The orangey one has eluded me so far

There's also the colour changing 959 and Road Blasters Mercury but I have those

[Datsuncog]

Think there was only £2 asked on that one. Bit scratched, but windscreen and rollover bar were still in place.

I will return at some point...

[Datsuncog]

I managed to get the Dodge Royal police cruiser, as requested.

It's well-used, but not a version I was familiar with.

I also found myself plucking this one from the box.

Dinky 39e Chrysler - made between 1939 and 1952, albeit with a hiatus between 1940 and 1945.

So yeah - this'll be over 70 years old then, and possibly nearer 80.

For £5.

I just couldn't leave it, for some odd reason.

Then, twenty-five pence worth of HOT SMOKIN' ROVER 800 ACTION.

And the cassette inside is also the right one (which I hadn't checked before).

And - you can win a DVD player!

Bargains all round, people. @RoadworkUK - it's all yours.

So I did buy something from Smithfield:

Having been looking for a Regular Wheels Miura for years, last week I settled and bought a Speed Kings version.

This week, I find the version I wanted.

Not cheap-cheap; but if I'd seen it on the market stall at this price, I would have bought it.

Even though it's been touched up with some black paint to cover chips...

And now manages to resemble some sort of alternate universe £300 Miura from the pages of Friday-Ad, with a Hammerite tide mark round the sills and arches and the roof hastily covered with vinyl and wob to conceal a bodged sunroof install.

Sold as seen, m8.

So, that's that for this week... Once back at my desk, I just had time to gobble down some unspecified Indonesian ramen noodles, which turned out to be Pain Flavour...

I didn't even get as far as adding the chilli powder.

And that was kinda that.

Happy Friday, kids - stay safe and stay warm.

[FakeConcern]

20 hours ago, barrett said:

hmmm, thought they look like the smaller Spot On size (Mini, Goggomobil, Isetta etc) but I've just measured mine (stop it!) and they're about 12mm outer diameter

I don't have any of those Spot Ons, not even a Mini (and at current prices probably never will!) so couldn't compare.

16 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

The trailer supplied in the Lotus Racing Set had rather small wheels:

Might fit that?

Now that's an idea, my trailer may not have the tow hitch, but it does have wheels...

Hard to see in the pictures, but trailer tyre is noticably bigger than repro.

16 hours ago, Jon said:

I wondered if the mystery tyre might be from a Spot On, too (minus lettering).

Consulted my bookshelf Zephyr which has tiny hubs (see AS Sapphire for comparison):

 

But it's got big fat sidewall specimens, so I'm guessing these aren't the intended recipients.

Putting them back in their places, I remembered this:

Comically tiny hubs/tyres compared to other Spot Ons but they do look right.

 

Then I snapped a quick comparison, which inadvertently emulated some worn out overpriced shite grudgematch.

Grrrr! etc.

Now I do have a Spot On 1800, but without wheels! However I think this shows that the repros would be too small

That also reminds me the Spot On AS Saphire is another toy car I had, but now can't find!

11 hours ago, 155V6 said:

Corgi Heinkel bubble car?

That seems a likely contender, but again the repro is smaller...

I've now been working on my Steve Flowers order and remember why I hadn't finished, all that scrolling up and down the various lists, trying to work out which tyre and what size jewel for a headlamp!

[Datsuncog]

2 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

I've now been working on my Steve Flowers order and remember why I hadn't finished, all that scrolling up and down the various lists, trying to work out which tyre and what size jewel for a headlamp!

I think that's why I've made so little progress on a Steve Flowers order I've had in list form for about ten years!

Bloody hell, that's annoying.

[RoadworkUK]

8 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Then, twenty-five pence worth of HOT SMOKIN' ROVER 800 ACTION.

Bargains all round, people. @RoadworkUK - it's all yours.

OH MY GOD. Thank you.

I will have to hide it on the toppest of my top shelves. It ranks way beyond the Director's cut of Emannuelle in the NSFW stakes.

[danthecapriman]

Crikey, some of the prices in that shop were a touch salty! I need to re-evaluate my pricing I think!😁

Speaking of which, I’ve got a few more job lots incoming any day now, so watch this space.

[Split_Pin]

FORTY QUID for a steering rig? I bought the very same model from one of you chaps a few years ago and it must have been a quid at most.

[Datsuncog]

 

On 3/10/2023 at 5:43 PM, Split_Pin said:

FORTY QUID for a steering rig? I bought the very same model from one of you chaps a few years ago and it must have been a quid at most.

Heh, you bought a couple off me - including that one - and I think they were 50p a throw!

They're not super-common, but they ain't that rare either...

On 3/10/2023 at 5:36 PM, danthecapriman said:

Crikey, some of the prices in that shop were a touch salty! I need to re-evaluate my pricing I think!😁

You can be sure he doesn't shift all that much!

[danthecapriman]

1 minute ago, Datsuncog said:

You can be sure he doesn't shift all that much!

There were a few shops like that around here, I used to pass by quite often while I was out and about at work and they’d always have the same stock in the front window and never anyone inside buying or looking. 
Always made me wonder how they managed to stay in business. How do they even make enough to cover the property rent or utility bills etc?! 

[flat4alfa]

Quote

What be that white plasticy yankee, bottom left?

[flat4alfa]

Quote

Was that a Majorette BMW orangy thing top left £3?

Also on top row in red Mercedes C111, who did that one?  It it the Lintoy with the clockworking motorisation like this?

If so for £3 yes please.  But is it though... as there is a Days Gone next to it with PRICE TAG

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

Having been looking for a Regular Wheels Miura for years, last week I settled and bought a Speed Kings version.

This week, I find the version I wanted.

Cor.

So you have the missing part from the parts donor last week

Quote

I have jealousy

I wonder if it could be dibbsed one day.  Asking for a friend.

[flat4alfa]

2 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

**{whiney whingey screed removed as it's probably not fair of me to rag on someone running their own business}**

Aww...  I wish I'd screen grabbed or quoted it!

It was epic.

[junkyarddog]

3 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I took an executive decision to leave it for this week.

Very wise!

*Breathes sigh of relief*