Shite in Miniature II

[MiniMinorMk3]

I lost patience with Mattel years ago when they got the exclusive rights to Ferrari. I had been happily collecting Ferrari F1 and road cars in the 1990s when suddenly Mattel did the deal. After which they did nothing with it part from release a couple of F1 cars a year, and very few road cars in 1/43rd. Eventually they started making older F1 stuff, and older road cars, but the numbers they released them in just saturated the world-wide market. They did not learn as they just repacked the same models in different boxes without changing the liveries for different drivers or races. Nearly all the road cars only came in re-sale red. 

Eventually I gave up collecting them and sold off all my Ferraris. After 10 years of collecting I had around 250 F1 cars, and run out of space to put them.

[quicksilver]

Exclusivity deals with manufacturers rarely work out well. Corgi had (not sure if they still have) such a deal with Wrightbus. They didn't produce any new castings of Wrightbus products that collectors really wanted but denied every other willing company the opportunity to do so, so all it achieved was forcing this hungry market to go unsatisfied while they released umpteen slightly different Borismasters. How that benefits anyone escapes me.

[Split_Pin]

I agree that Mattel have tragically misread the market. They need to look at the fact that they've missed the mark as far as the retro collector market goes. Look at Lego and more recently Playmobil who are releasing items relating to classic cars and vehicles from TV shows from the 1960s to 1980s. 

Mattel have a great range of castings  of European and British cars but some are hard to get. The market can be perverse though. Lots of potless desperados scalping the desirable castings to sell for one or two pounds profit when they first appear, only for further cases to become available so the items on ebay are no longer worth more and they subsequently sit around in someone's cupboard for goodness knows how long.

If I was them I'd limit the fantasy castings as its no longer the 1970s and concentrate on making different case mixes for Europe/UK and the US. In other words, less US based cars for this side of the pond and the inverse for the US. I'm an idiot but even that must surely make sense?

[155V6]

Just got back from a wet & very cold car boot with this lot

[155V6]

Poundland had these,one of the mixes we missed?

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

Just got back from a wet & very cold car boot with this lot

Politoys Herbie! No way!

[bunglebus]

1 minute ago, 155V6 said:

Poundland had these,one of the mixes we missed?

Yes! Nova please!!1!

Cor and a red/white Dodge Sweptside - think you need to go and scoop up the lot 

[sierraman]

3 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

I agree that Mattel have tragically misread the market. They need to look at the fact that they've missed the mark as far as the retro collector market goes. Look at Lego and more recently Playmobil who are releasing items relating to classic cars and vehicles from TV shows from the 1960s to 1980s. 

Mattel have a great range of castings  of European and British cars but some are hard to get. The market can be perverse though. Lots of potless desperados scalping the desirable castings to sell for one or two pounds profit when they first appear, only for further cases to become available so the items on ebay are no longer worth more and they subsequently sit around in someone's cupboard for goodness knows how long.

If I was them I'd limit the fantasy castings as its no longer the 1970s and concentrate on making different case mixes for Europe/UK and the US. In other words, less US based cars for this side of the pond and the inverse for the US. I'm an idiot but even that must surely make sense?

I think you’ll find in America they have a saying ‘What’s the need for common sense when you have rules’. 

I’ve never understood the idea of traipsing round every Tesco in the district to make 89p on eBay but a select band of folks do. I did manage to find a ‘Best of British’ Capri on Friday which I was chuffed about, normally that’s the first to get scalped. 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Todays instalment of Roadside Assistance include the other German club, the AvD (Automobilclub von Deutschland) and the TCS (Touring Club Suisse).

Schuco DKW F89 AvD

Schuco Opel Astra Caravan

Gama-Mini Opel Kaddet

Schuco Opel Olympia TCS

Schuco Opel Omega TCS

Norev Peugeot 807 TCS

 

 

[sierraman]

2 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

Poundland had these,one of the mixes we missed?

They had those in Spain recently, that’s where I picked up a Chevy Nova. I’ll drop in tomorrow and check stock 😂

[155V6]

5 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Politoys Herbie! No way!

Yes,it's missing headlights,rear seats,rear wheels,& glazing,but the paint is pretty good & it still has all it's stickers

[MiniMinorMk3]

8 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

Just got back from a wet & very cold car boot with this lot

 

5 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Politoys Herbie! No way!

I had one of those about 10 years ago and bunged it on Ebay. I fell off my chair when the auction finished. People go nuts for those Herbies.

[155V6]

8 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Yes! Nova please!!1!

Cor and a red/white Dodge Sweptside - think you need to go and scoop up the lot 

I was going to buy some,but the queue was about 53 miles long 🙁

[bunglebus]

8 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

Yes,it's missing headlights,rear seats,rear wheels,& glazing,but the paint is pretty good & it still has all it's stickers

Did they have glass originally?

Edit 

Looks like front screen only. This one is for sale on carmodel.com for just* €250

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

Yes front glass only

I like the Tekno version with the figure climbing out

But the rarest and most sort after (read expensive) is the Matchbox version

 

PS None of these were ever in my collection, all found on Vectis.co.uk

[bunglebus]

12 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

I like the Tekno version with the figure climbing out

That's very cool, and leads me to a bit of Herbie trivia. That classic image from The Love Bug that the Techno represents:

Contains a glaring error - there's no "53" on the door...

Also Googling "Techno Herbie" leads to some very unexpected results!

There's one on eBay UK for just* £367.50 with free post though!

I'll stick with this for now

 

[MiniMinorMk3]

24 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That's very cool, and leads me to a bit of Herbie trivia. That classic image from The Love Bug that the Techno represents:

 

We could start a game of Spot the Difference with various stills from the film

Wide rims

Thin rims and an older body shell

[bunglebus]

Oh yeah there are loads of errors throughout, especially the use of earlier cars with the oval windows cut out. 

I just like that one I posted as it's such a well-known image and used on the DVD covers, movie posters etc

[FakeConcern]

I was perusing ebay when Mrs Concern looked over my shoulder and decided she couldn’t do without a Corgi Renault 16 Tour de France camera car, so a bid was placed and it arrived very quickly after we won it.

We both prefer the toys to be a bit playworn (it actually looks rather better than it appears in the pics) and this looks to be straight from the toy box just as it should.

I found a small plastic base in the back of it and got excited for a second thinking it was from one of the cyclists, but it turned out to be a base for a soldier or Crusader.

I have a number of retro French cycling figures to pose it with, but they’re 1/32 so a bit too big and now the hunt is on for actual Corgi ones.

Looks ok from this angle...

Not so good this way...

For some reason it’s easy to find the figure, but not the bike, why anyone would want the cyclist without it I have no idea.

Unfortunately the usual Corgi/Dinky spares websites don’t seem to do them, so wondered if anyone here has seen them available anywhere?

 

PS I've just caught her looking at the Corgi Citroen DS race directors car and Corgi Pug 505 Team car on ebay haha

[Split_Pin]

It's a great model that! I got mine in 1990 obviously way before you could easily get replacement parts so my mum made a camera from balsa wood painted silver and I found a suitable figure. I could probably replace those with more genuine looking parts now but somehow that would erase its story.

 

[155V6]

55 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

That's very cool, and leads me to a bit of Herbie trivia. That classic image from The Love Bug that the Techno represents:

Contains a glaring error - there's no "53" on the door...

Also Googling "Techno Herbie" leads to some very unexpected results!

There's one on eBay UK for just* £367.50 with free post though!

I'll stick with this for now

 

I've got a carded mainline version somewhere,also this plastic pullback by Dickie toys

I had a quick look on eBay for parts for the Politoys Herbie.I could get a pair of headlamps & a front screen for about £35,but it still wouldn't have any rear wheels 😂

[MiniMinorMk3]

1 hour ago, FakeConcern said:

 

Unfortunately the usual Corgi/Dinky spares websites don’t seem to do them, so wondered if anyone here has seen them available anywhere?

 

 

Norev  made various 1/43rd TdF figures. 

Norev - The Tour of France in miniature (tourdefranceminiature.fr)

You might find some on ebay

[Remspoor]

Like you do when you are bored you are on the interweb, just looking.
I found this range from Silas models. 1/43 and in resin.

https://www.carmodel.com/trademark/silas?enc=1

I do not do Farcebook but here is their page too. I therefore cannot see it all. https://www.facebook.com/silasmodels/

Then there is these diorama models.

http://www.milenarose.com/index.php

 I think they are maybe connected to Silas

http://www.milenarose.com/silasmodels/

 

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, 155V6 said:

I had a quick look on eBay for parts for the Politoys Herbie. I could get a pair of headlamps & a front screen for about £35,but it still wouldn't have any rear wheels 😂

Screen is flat so plasticard or adapt from a donor piece would do.

Those Politoys wheels are gash anyway, I loathe them as much as Speedwheels on a Stalwart.  So perfect* opportunity to swap the lot out with something from a cheap ruined donor by Vanguards or Days Gone 1:43, or better still the wider rims off a New Ray.  Well that's what I would do.  But I can't.  Because you have won the purchase of the day and jealousy has made me pointlessly enthusiastic 😄

[MiniMinorMk3]

48 minutes ago, Remspoor said:

Like you do when you are bored you are on the interweb, just looking.
I found this range from Silas models. 1/43 and in resin.

 

 

I've had a couple of the Silas models. They are very well finished, but then they should be a £80+, an look better than some of teh hand built white metal items you can get. They are made in quite small runs of each colour, so there value should hold out on the secondary market. They also produce a lot of cars that have not been modelled by others. The only down side is the chrome trim on some models, which is foil tape, can lift after a while.

Whenn I come across any pictures of the ones I have had I will post them up.

 

Also here's a link to the Milena Rose main web site.

Milena Rose Dioramas

[bunglebus]

Don't know where this guy found the images, as all his content seems to be lifted from other youtube channels - but it includes some interesting upcoming Matchbox castings

Some are clearly going to be premium versions such as moving parts or collectors. KG is excellent as I think there's only been a convertible previously, and Twizzy is an unexpected one. Willys is crying out for Gasser-fication

[bunglebus]

Also a few I've liberated from the Lamley website, ovloV should pair nicely with the Hot Wheels wagon version

A Moggy salon to go with the excellent convertible

Moving Parts Unimog

RX-7

Boss Mustang

'64 Riv

Sadly the article seems to suggest that the KG I posted before will be part of a Target/Walmart only set. Sigh...

[flat4alfa]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

1970 Ranchero!

[flat4alfa]

57 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Autozam AZ-1.  Unusual choice.

Let me guess - Mattel are going to forget to supply Japanese stores with this one.  The sole market the real thing was sold in.

[AndyW201]

1 hour ago, bunglebus said:

Don't know where this guy found the images, as all his content seems to be lifted from other youtube channels - but it includes some interesting upcoming Matchbox castings

Orange Escort MK2 in the background?