Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

Another parcel... this time from Evri Man in his car™

Matchbox Vauxhall Cresta PA.  Never had one of those before.

Morestone (Budgie) Wolseley Police Car being clambered over.  To go with the big Budgie version.

ERTL 1936 Ford V8 Coupe, Dick Tracy's car in the 1990 film.  Logo on the Dickie seat lid, in case Dick forgets.

And the elusive until now Dublo (Dinky) Volkswagen Delivery Van.  The sole Dublo in the out-of-control 'collection' back here.   To go in the area of cabinet where the maker's self-branded vans go.  There are a few now...

 

Thanks, @Macscrooge 

[Datsuncog]

FFS, what is it about world political leaders muscling in on my turf?

Why are they suddenly all so mad keen to rock up to Belfast on a Friday morning?
 

We know.

We know.

As if it's not tricky enough to get parked around The Markets without CIA goons everywhere.

Well, if he thinks he's going to be swanning back on to Air Force One with a sense of having cemented international relations and with a pocketful of lightly scuffed Corgi Juniors with early Whizzwheels, he's got another think coming...

[MiniMinorMk3]

Old Joe only goes for early Redlines, especially ones in chromatic blue.

 

[Datsuncog]

Probably why he's trying to offload that Budgie Leyland as a swopsie, as he's heard Rishi's got an original Mod Quad stashed in his desk back at No.10...

[MiniMinorMk3]

Talking of chrome plated stuff, here's some Pilens that came plated. I've got a Mini Cooper somewhere.

Adams Probe

Beach Buggy

Renault 12 S

[bunglebus]

14 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Beach Buggy

Is that one still with you? Mine's a bit knackered 

[MiniMinorMk3]

I think it went quite quickly when I bunged it on Ebay. I think I priced it at £50-60 as it is rare.

[flat4alfa]

There is only the one chrome Pilen back here.  A slightly borked example of the Monza GT. 

It shares shelf space with a Joal Monza GT (the red one), which is equally as brittle!

The chrome does try its best to take your focus away from the borked bits

I wrongly assumed that the Joal, Tekno and Pilen all shared the same castings and fittings

But no.  The Pilen is on its own and no parts are shared

Dang!

To be fair, I bet the light opening contraption on the real thing barely lasted a week either

But it is still a quite swoopy shape to get trapped in when it rolls over.  Because Corvair.

 

[flat4alfa]

Hurrah!

My new trainers have arrived!

[flat4alfa]

Oh.

That's not trainers.

[155V6]

There's a Pilen Monza GT in this lot here

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266156225547?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=UYEVthfcT-2&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=UdnbkHTuRz6&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Ends in a couple of hours though

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, flat4alfa said:

Hurrah!

My new trainers have arrived!

Blimey that only went in the post orifice yesterday afternoon. The box came out of the Wembley Nike store in the morning!

[D.E]

Today I picked up a small lot which included some oddities...

... such as this cheaply made plastic Ford Consul.

The badge seems to spell "Stella" or something like that. Googling that doesn't give any results though.

"Bison" bus. Plastic body, tin interior and base plate.

Two Super Kings models in fairly good condition.

Majorette Camargue, two tone yellow with a black interior isn't a combination I've had before.

And a Schuco Taunus. It is rather poorly; the a-pillars are missing, the windscreen is cracked, and the rear axle is bent. 

 

[bunglebus]

5 minutes ago, D.E said:

Today I picked up a small lot which included some oddities...

... such as this cheaply made plastic Ford Consul.

The badge seems to spell "Stella" or something like that. Googling that doesn't give any results though.

That Consul is cool,  can you get a close up of the makers mark?

Copper Caper Cart is one of the last made, in the KP1 series - different colours and no stickers. I is well jel.

 

[D.E]

6 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That Consul is cool,  can you get a close up of the makers mark?

I tried reading it with a magnifier as well and am starting to get convinced that this, indeed, says Stella.

[bunglebus]

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, 155V6 said:

There's a Pilen Monza GT in this lot here

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/266156225547

Ends in a couple of hours though

@Jon

20 mins left on this little lot

Quote

Located in: Auckland, New Zealand

Oh, and good morning!

[Jon]

3 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

@Jon

20 mins left on this little lot

Oh, and good morning!

What?! 

Seems they went for a good price for so many but I reckon the SM was of most personal interest, there.

I'll have to keep tabs on that seller!

[flat4alfa]

15 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Good stealthing.  Not sure if same firm though

That STELLA made tinplate models in the former Czechoslovakia and brand logo is an arrow through the name

The other STELLA doesn't, but it does have a logo that looks like a fat bloke with a hat, applying a power-drill to his groin.   I might need another coffee.

[flat4alfa]

11 hours ago, Jon said:

Seems they went for a good price for so many but I reckon the SM was of most personal interest, there.

That Pilen looked suspiciously similar to the JOAL back here

But it's not

[barrett]

6 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

That Pilen looked suspiciously similar to the JOAL back here

But it's not

The Pilen is a re-make of the Corgi SM (but with much improved detail thanks to the wheels, headlamps etc). I'm pretty sure the Joal is a re-make of the Solido one:

[flat4alfa]

Yes that would make sense

[mat777]

 

20 hours ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

Talking of chrome plated stuff.......

Adams Probe

 

I really, really like that. It just looks uber cool and so of its time, love the coloured translucent plastic to finish it off as well! What scale is it? (looks 1:43?)

 

On 3/6/2023 at 5:18 PM, bunglebus said:

 

Thing is, you can quote horsepower, engine size, quarter mile times and speeds etc etc - they just won't ever make as much of an impression as being somewhere near one when it launches, as above it literally vibrates you, the ground and everything else. They are truly, awesome in the truest sense of the word.

Oh god yes! Sitting in the top of the stands there's a literal, visible sonic shockwave that thuds into your chest as the cars launch. Absolutely epic and bonkers stuff - I was lucky enough for my first experience of it to be an NHRA meet that coincided with me being in California a few years ago. Would go back again in a heartbeat!
(Though one thing I definitely will NOT do again is stand next to the car as it's being warmed up in the pits. I soon found out exactly why the pit crew and some seasoned spectators were wearing gas masks!)

 

Continuing my recent posts, onto the last 2 shelves of my collection! 

This shelf is "Best of British", and features my oldest (by time owned) model at the forefront - Corgi's Aviation Arvchive 1:72 Guy Gibson Lancaster, "Admiral Prune", in standard configuration. It's a hefty chunk of tin, and despite now being a good 20-25 years old and dating back to the launch of the AA series, still has exquisite detailing. It's probably not a model I'd buy nowadays as I tend to only go for stuff I have a really keen interest in, but at the time I was big into WW2 planes - it used to be paired with a Spit, Hurricane and ME109 which have all long since been sold on. This was too nice to part with, though.

Next to it is a model that again whilst lovely I probably wouldn't buy myself, but was a Christmas present from an ex one year - the Corgi/AA Red Arrows Hawk in 1:72. This is the "RAF 100" colour scheme which was a very limited edition when new, which is again why despite having ditched the girlfriend, I couldn't bring myself to part with the model.

Starting off a new thread on this shelf is the Western Models 1935 Blue Bird in 1:43. I discovered recently that both WM in the 90s, and Bizarre in the 10s, did 1:43 runs of classic British LSR cars - Blue Birds of various evolution, the Golden Arrow, and the 1000hp Sunbeam. I'm a sucker for anything art-deco and loved the derring-do history of the cars and drivers, so plan to eventually have the Sunbeam, Arrow and Bluebird arranged to chart the progress of the LSR in that era. The WM models are about half the price of the Bizarre ones, but lack a lot of the finer detail and quality due to their age. This is not really noticeable on Blue Bird due to the simple shape, but for the other two cars the difference in marked. My OCD tendencies therefore dictate I will be saving up for the better versions as and when they may appear on ebay (there is actually a Sunbeam on ebay right now but having just bought another real life car, I need to calm down a bit...)

 

The final shelf is reserved for an "Icons of Transport" smorgasbord. 

The Universal Hobbies 1:18 Defender is another model I've had for a very long time (remember when quality new 1:18 diecasts were £35 each? Yeah, that long...). As a lifelong Land Rover fan I had to have it when I saw it in the shop, and this one is a G4 Challenge (modern day Camel Trophy equivalent) edition TD5. Pleasingly it has all the correct spec bits for that era of Defender inside, above and underneath - I had been tempted to swap it out for a newly-launched 1:18 Camel Trophy Defender by Almost Real. Their models have the benefit of 20 years newer detailing processes, as per the name, but.... when I got to look at one up close, I saw that the 1980s subject vehicle was sporting the doors, dashboard and seats from a 2012-on Defender and the bonnet was totally the wrong shape. Extremely disappointing and a schoolboy error in copying what was evidently the first Defender they came across. Top marks to UH for getting it right!

Next up is the 1:24 Franklin Mint Corvette C3. Like the Lanc, this again was a model I bought on impulse at the time and probably wouldn't buy today. As you'd expect from a Franklin Mint model it's stunningly realistic, even down to tiny HT leads made from fishing line and tiny numbers on the dashboard dials. I'm umming and aahing whether to keep it or not, for as pretty as it is it just doesnt "do it" for me in terms of theme (I like corvettes but I'm a C4 kinda guy really).

Finally, by far the biggest model I own - Sun Star's 1:24 Routemaster bus. I fucking love Routemasters, IMO one of the best looking buses and also a genuinely revolutionary piece of engineering when they came out. Like the Showman's Engine in a previous post, this is a model I didn't have money or space for when they were in production about 15 years ago, and they nowadays go for silly money. There was a large variety of liveries produced so at least there was quite a choice, but I wanted a vintage/period livery rather than one with modern adverts such as the late-life Routemasters. Eventually I tracked this one down in Greece for a semi-sensible price, and so it now sits intimidating all the other models  😅

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, mat777 said:

I really, really like that. It just looks uber cool and so of its time, love the coloured translucent plastic to finish it off as well! What scale is it? (looks 1:43?)

Cheaper way in would be to get a Corgi

change the wheels and paint it

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, mat777 said:

 

I really, really like that. It just looks uber cool and so of its time, love the coloured translucent plastic to finish it off as well! What scale is it? (looks 1:43?)

 

Starting off a new thread on this shelf is the Western Models 1935 Blue Bird in 1:43. I discovered recently that both WM in the 90s, and Bizarre in the 10s, did 1:43 runs of classic British LSR cars - Blue Birds of various evolution, the Golden Arrow, and the 1000hp Sunbeam. I'm a sucker for anything art-deco and loved the derring-do history of the cars and drivers, so plan to eventually have the Sunbeam, Arrow and Bluebird arranged to chart the progress of the LSR in that era. The WM models are about half the price of the Bizarre ones, but lack a lot of the finer detail and quality due to their age. This is not really noticeable on Blue Bird due to the simple shape, but for the other two cars the difference in marked. My OCD tendencies therefore dictate I will be saving up for the better versions as and when they may appear on ebay (there is actually a Sunbeam on ebay right now but having just bought another real life car, I need to calm down a bit...)

 

Yes the Adams Probe is 1/43rd. It is very similar to the Corgi version, the only real difference being the rear end treatment.

 

The resin cast Bizzare LSR cars are excellent models, and far better than the white metal Westerns. I have a few of the Bizzares over the years, being lucky to find them at bargain prices at toy auctions. 

1933 Bluebird

1964 Bluebird CN7

John Cobb 1939 Railton

1927 Sunbeam 1000hp

1970 Blue Flame

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

And talking of the Probe, there was one at the Thirlestane Castle show back in 2015.

It was powered by a Land Crab 1800 engine

[MiniMinorMk3]

23 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

There is only the one chrome Pilen back here.  A slightly borked example of the Monza GT. 

 

Tekno also did a chrome Monza

[bunglebus]

I should take some brave pills and paint the roof pillars

[bunglebus]

2023 Matchbox now in Tesco

[Datsuncog]

On 3/10/2023 at 4:50 PM, Datsuncog said:

the Superkings Suzuki alongside is a bit of a rarity, and not unreasonable at £15. Rolls Royce is a tenner.

Remember this little lot of 1980s Matchbox Superkings goodness, from Friday?

And that @Noel Tidybeard was keen on the Suzuki at the advertised price of £15, while @Split_Pin was interested in the Rolls at £10 - the same price as the E32 BMW and Jag XJ12, which also came from here?

Well, I went back in yesterday afternoon.

First thing that I noticed was that the shelves had been rearranged, and so these Matchbox had been moved from the very bottom to the middle tier.

Mmm, okay.

Second thing I noticed...

Sorry, what now?

Ah great.

Those... weren't the prices shown on Friday.

I wonder if he noticed me looking at these, then wandered over afterwards and thought "mmm, those are a bit cheap"?

Well, bollocks.

I mean, it's his shop and all, etc etc, but still - that's a bit of a hike.

I bet the lower prices are still written below the stickers, directly onto the box.

Cos that's what he does, and it bugs me inordinately.

Forty year old Mettoys - price scrawled on, in permanent marker. It's not like he doesn't have labels either.

Ah well. Right.

That threw me a bit. It's a cash-only store, and I'd made an ATM withdrawal on the way over based on the prices I believed they were.

I'm still happy to go back and get these two, folks - if you're alright with the 33% and 50% price hikes, respectively. But I didn't want to charge on ahead and scoop them up at a higher price than I'd led you to believe.

I mean, they may well still be cheaper than equivalent eBay pricing - but nonetheless, I felt quite miffed about this turn of events.

So let me know if it's a yea or a nay to proceed.

Just to wind myself up even more, I glared at the sealed freezer bags of tat heaped up, still with zero takers.

I don't know why this place irritates so much - but it does.

Actually, I do know. I'm also regretting deleting my whingey screed from Friday now.

Aaaaaaand breathe.

 

So, trying very hard to feel a little more zen, I wandered over to the loose tat section at the far end of the counter.

The Mercedes C111 was still there, as was the Paul Bracq designed BMW Turbo concept car, from 1972.

Both are Hong Kong made Lintoy clockwork models; both (still) priced at a fiver.

Not mint - but both pretty good. Didn't try the powered mechanisms, though.

So, I did buy this pair - any good to @flat4alfa?

Otherwise I'll offer them out more generally on my tat thread (which I really ought to update later on).

There were also a few other oddities which I hadn't noticed on Friday:

Kidco Corvette and no-name 300ZX key cars, at £1 a throw.

Majorette beach buggy with yellow wheels and a front light bar, at £2.

Texaco and Agip transfers look like they're Scalextric waterslides added on by a young owner, not Majorette originals.

Though I could be wrong...

This Siku model of a 1920s White lorry was one that's unfamiliar to me - but priced at £15.

And I hadn't really noticed before, but there are loads of these ceramic pigs stuffed into various cabinets - I think @bunglebus mentioned these earlier in the week. No gold ones, though.

I did manage to pick up the Corgi Rockets GP Beach Buggy for Mr. Bus, and in an effort to throw off my grump, treated myself to a not-quite-mint, but still very nice, Whizzwheels Lotus Europa.

The buggy's paint could be better, but the windscreen and rollbar are intact so I guess that's not too bad for the price.

So - all a bit meh, I'm afraid.

Old toys, eh? Minefield.