Shite in Miniature II

[FakeConcern]

1 hour ago, Split_Pin said:

I think the Corgi car transporters are a great idea as they are a useful piece of storage space. After the Ford example I recently bought I have now just won this on ebay:

 

I'd love one of those and saw that one but even though you got that at a good price, it's more than I want to pay. Lucky really or I could have bid against you haha!

[flat4alfa]

Yikes!  Crocs!

Yikes!  Bungle from Rainbow!  Along with a hungry wolf and a geriatric Indiana Jones.

Each are 1 of 8 sets, apparently intended for Spring 2022 but seems not released in the US until autumn

THE PATIOS ARE GOING TO BE BUSY

[FakeConcern]

13 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

What about this Wave Rider set, with surfboards set up in a row, a Lilo Lady having a relax (or might be Chewbacca) and a jazz-hands surfer going for wipeout

Perfect* for Mrs @FakeConcern's  Summer House selection

Apparently 2021 release.  Never knew these existed

That looks great! I'll have to look out it! Thanks for pointing it out...

[Split_Pin]

8 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

I'd love one of those and saw that one but even though you got that at a good price, it's more than I want to pay. Lucky really or I could have bid against you haha!

Haha that's why I kept quiet. It's just a shame that the majority of my Corgi cars are too old for this period and I don't want to go daft buying any more just now! I'm sure my contemporary Dinkys will look just as good on it!

[AndyW201]

Still eagerly waiting for that new Hot Wheels case to arrive here. Much want for the Audi, AMG Merc and Escort.

Had a diecast delivery yesterday from @Fennec. Very pleased with my haul.

Funny, how when I posted the other day about the new Vanguards Escort Cosworth, about there being very little else available, with the Mk5 Escort. Then I happened across Fennec's diecast for sale post, and there were two Schabak Mk5s for the taking...

First of all, I fancied these two because I already have a doom blue Schabak estate version (which I got free with a Schabak XR2i on eBay) and thought a doom blue hatch would go well with it although the metallic blue on these two hatchbacks is much nicer.

They were both sold as projects as there were faults with both, nothing major, pretty much typical faults with Schabak models of this era. They're almost 1970s Polistil-like in their haste to shed parts!

So, we had the one shown above  with the rather nice turbine-style alloys as fitted to high-end and cabriolet Escorts of the period. This one had a detached dashboard with missing steering wheel, missing scuttle/wiper insert and one indicator and one door mirror missing.

This second one was pretty good, and complete, save for a bit of lumpy paint on the bonnet, loose glazing and the tailgate snapped off.

Luckily, the tailgate glass is still intact, as these get quite easily detached and lost. I think I can do something with these two!

Next,  to join my small but steadily growing collection of small scale toys from my childhood was this Majorette Alpine. IIRC Fennec got this without a tailgate, and fashioned one from scratch. Neat job.

I've been dithering over buying one of these IXO partwork Mk1 Sierras for a while, they're still pretty cheap on eBay. But for £1.50, this one was a no brainer,

It's in lovely condition, definitely good for displaying.

Luckily for me, the weird S.American spec coloured striping and marker lights on the bumpers have already been blacked out. Saves me a job! Love the headlight washers!

As with their partwork Mk4 Escort, IXO did a great job with that '80s font on the tailgate badges. Only missing one mirror but hopefully I can rustle a spare one up from somewhere. I know I've got a spare pair of black Vanguards Escort MK3 items in the stash...

Speaking of Mk3s, this Corgi Juniors MK3 was also thrown in as a freebie. Another one for the childhood toys collection! I actually had a red one and a metallic green one as a kid (as well as the 1/36 blue GL and white RS1600i versions).

[FakeConcern]

41 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

Haha that's why I kept quiet. It's just a shame that the majority of my Corgi cars are too old for this period and I don't want to go daft buying any more just now! I'm sure my contemporary Dinkys will look just as good on it!

I can happily say that I would put any suitable toy cars Corgi, Dinky, Spot on on my Ford Carrimore Transporter when I was a kid in the 60s so I'll let you off!

I don't think I have any suitable Corgi toys spare, but I'll keep a look out for you once the boot fair season gets under way.

[FakeConcern]

2 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

I think the Corgi car transporters are a great idea as they are a useful piece of storage space. After the Ford example I recently bought I have now just won this on ebay:

 

Can you get a repro tailgate thing missing from that model? I'm not asking because I've just bid on one myself really.

[flat4alfa]

21 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

Can you get a repro tailgate thing missing from that model? I'm not asking because I've just bid on one myself really.

1146 Scammell tri deck rear ramp    £2.50

model-supplies.co.uk

[FakeConcern]

Just now, flat4alfa said:

1146 Scammell tri deck rear ramp    £2.50

model-supplies.co.uk

I must be blind (or stupid) as I looked at  Model Supplies before posting!

Not defending myself, but it is the most frustrating site ever to navigate and also to order from...

[flat4alfa]

Crap sites keep stock cheap!

[AndyW201]

Well, had to nip by Morrisons on the way home. No new case stuff, only a curious mix of older case long and short card stuff. Still, all was not lost...

Was happy to get this, as while I am far from a completionist, I am trying to get all of the '80s edition cars.

Pleased to get this too. Love the lighting!

I do like this funny car casting, this makes the third one of this casting I've got so far.  Brings back memories of weekends at Santa Pod back in the '90s!

Was chuffed to bits to find this as it was one I missed out on when it came out. I was surprised to find out it was the first of the "The '80s" collection as I thought it was a Retro Racers or Race Grafix release. So that makes 8 out of 8 so far for The '80s, apparently the last two for 2023 are going to be an Audi Sport Quattro and the new tooling '82 Supra.

Managed to get this beauty when it came out, but now I have both long and short card versions. Apparently this means a lot to some people...

[AndyW201]

Having had an hour to spare, I had a piss around with the Schabak Escorts.

I dismantled the one that had all it's bits but had a snapped tailgate and dodgy bonnet paint. While it was down to a shell, I glued the glazing unit back in and re attached the tailgate. Problem was the small cast in brackets that hold the tailgate hinges in had broken (as they do on Schabaks, my XR2i suffered the same first time I attempted to open it!). I bodged it back by just gluing the hinges into the brackets. So sadly the tailgate can't be opened now, but its back on at least.

I removed the dash and scuttle/wiper insert to fit to the better car and fitted the loose dash into this one. Shouldn't be too hard to rustle up a spare steering wheel and scuttle panel for this.

Love that they decided to feature an opening bonnet and engine detail on these, then fitted the 1.8 diesel!

So now the one with the alloys and  nicer bodywork now has a dash and scuttle panel, I found the missing door mirror in the box, so that's now reattached, only thing it needs now is a right hand indicator. The 'spares car' will also live again!

[Amelia]

40 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

Having had an hour to spare, I had a piss around with the Schabak Escorts.

I dismantled the one that had all it's bits but had a snapped tailgate and dodgy bonnet paint. While it was down to a shell, I glued the glazing unit back in and re attached the tailgate. Problem was the small cast in brackets that hold the tailgate hinges in had broken (as they do on Schabaks, my XR2i suffered the same first time I attempted to open it!). I bodged it back by just gluing the hinges into the brackets. So sadly the tailgate can't be opened now, but its back on at least.

I removed the dash and scuttle/wiper insert to fit to the better car and fitted the loose dash into this one. Shouldn't be too hard to rustle up a spare steering wheel and scuttle panel for this.

Love that they decided to feature an opening bonnet and engine detail on these, then fitted the 1.8 diesel!

So now the one with the alloys and  nicer bodywork now has a dash and scuttle panel, I found the missing door mirror in the box, so that's now reattached, only thing it needs now is a right hand indicator. The 'spares car' will also live again!

Glad you're getting them sorted! 

[Datsuncog]

Called into the 'big' B&M earlier on.

The full range of Flying Customs were now on the pegs.

Pics are a bit crappy, as the store lights were quite bright and I was trying to reduce the reflective glare.

Also, there was like a five-year-old and his dad looking at the Ryan's World toys right alongside, who probably reckoned I was a right old weirdo. Kinda put me off my stroke.

Still no prices on the pegs for this range, so I refrained.

If they were £1, then absolutely. Maybe even £2. But I had visions of getting to the till and being charged £7.99 each, so I bowed out this time round. 

Great pack illustrations, though.

[Datsuncog]

Also ducked into Cash Converters earlier too, on my way back from the Post Office. They sometimes have some interesting stuff for £not that much.

Polish Czech tinplate replica fire engine by Kovap was deffo interesting.

I'd a few VWs by this maker a few years back - they were pretty good quality.

Couldn't quite make out the price on this Corgi K.I.T.T. - box was a bit bashed, mind.

Is there much love for Solido Toner Gam II range of fire & rescue models?

Funny, I just can't get all that excited about them. Siku, yes - but this, not so much.

Some big 1/18 stuff also in evidence - this Opel Speedster was quite appealing in bright orange.

But here's surely the zenith of collectable models...

Mmm, a Lledo Model T van with a Coronation Street theme and the plastic on the window box all split and raggedy.

Pure class.

Well worth a fiver of anyone's money, surely?

I now realise I should have nipped over to The Entertainer just in case the Belfast branch was also stocking up with those rather lovely Hitch N Haul twin packs, but instead I squandered my lunch break ogling this rubbish...

[AndyW201]

56 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Called into the 'big' B&M earlier on.

The full range of Flying Customs were now on the pegs.

 

Still no prices on the pegs for this range, so I refrained.

If they were £1, then absolutely. Maybe even £2. But I had visions of getting to the till and being charged £7.99 each, so I bowed out this time round. 

Great pack illustrations, though.

Wow! Need to hit the B&Ms around our way. Much want for the Nova wagon and Plymouth. The flying Customs were £1.99 when I got mine last weekend.

I now declare the Schabak Escort finished.

Now it's all buttoned up, it is a lovely model. The colour is really nice, and the paint is still in really good condition for a model from a German maker of the era. I've got Gama and Minichamps models that are terrible for paint imperfections.

Being a Ghia, (only noticed the tiny boot badges when taking these pics), it has posh colour coded bumpers and the alloy wheels look right on there.

Dash and correct-for-the-year pre-airbag wheel now in place!

Mirror now back in place. Note that the mirrors on these are weird, they are about the right shape, but are mounted on a thin post on the door sill, like on a 1970s car, not in the corner like on the real thing. The mounting posts are really thin and the mirrors are easily snapped off. Scuttle panel and indicator  'borrowed' from the other car also fitted.

A nice example of a car that was once street furniture but now mostly disappeared, which is what the vast majority of my collection consists of. The Mk5 Escort might have been terrible, I know, I drove enough of them for a living back in the day, but it's still all about the memories. (Taxi driver, early twenties, Middlesbrough town centre on Saturday nights. Draw your own conclusions...😄)

[bunglebus]

37 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

If they were £1, then absolutely. Maybe even £2. But I had visions of getting to the till and being charged £7.99 each, so I bowed out this time round

I would REALLY like this set! If you're passing...

I do have the 55 Chevy as it somehow ended up in a 10 pack 

[Datsuncog]

57 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

If you're passing...

I'll see what I can do. 

😉

[flat4alfa]

10 hours ago, AndyW201 said:

The flying Customs were £1.99 when I got mine last weekend.

Bargain!  Modelmatic want £25 for the set

They are all the Mix 2 box from Flying Customs 2021, so that is the full set of the mix on those pegs

The Nova Wagon is a must have, shirley.  What with the old Hot Ones wheel style from 1980

It's a shame they didn't do the Otto or the GTX in that wheel style.  Which means...

[flat4alfa]

9 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

I'll see what I can do. 

You could become the pan-UK middle-man supplier at this rate

Cogdistribution.com

[MiniMinorMk3]

A Schabak Sierra Sapphire Ghia yesterday

[andrew e]

I do love a Schabak, reminds me that only forced induction Sapphires got the grill in Europe.

[flat4alfa]

Had a look and in April 2021 the Flying Customs were $1.49 each in Target stores US

Which adjusted for CPI 12.65% inflation rate would be $1.68 today

Anyway, the point is that although they were never priced as a premium line, I'm reading that they became quite sought-after and the '55 Chevy and the '64 Nova Wagon were the most popular

[bunglebus]

Not bad

Choice of cowboys, can't see the interiors

[sierraman]

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

[flat4alfa]

31 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Not bad

But was SHE there though today

[flat4alfa]

30 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

I suppose that is the business model: twin sets with figures are 'gift set' occasional buys for an event like a birthday, bought by parents

The singles are what the kids buy with pocket money

Anyway, Modelmatic sold out all their sets of that Pony Trailer one at £8.99, so some collectors want them.   I'll give Cogdistibution.com a ring to see if they are getting some in for their Exclusive Patio Bundle CogBox 

[Datsuncog]

 

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Hmm £8 is very salty for 2 models and a few plastic figures that cost 0.1p to make. 

Yep, not cheap...

The original Two Pack/ Hitch 'n' Haul sets from the 1970s were, I understand, priced at a bit less than two individual mainline Matchbox models - mainly because they used older/ simplified castings. I guess they were a way of encouraging kids to spend a little more. Yet these twin packs are four times the price of a £2 single model - and while the inclusion of figures and accessories does push it into more of a gift set than a single toy, they do look a bit Christmas-cracker grade.

I've always found The Entertainer to be kinda pricey, so I'm not all that surprised... having said that, I can imagine they might start off with them at a higher price for a few weeks before putting them onto a half-price offer; £4 sounds nearer the mark they should be at in the first place.

(I once worked in a place which just about stayed within the Consumer Rights Act by buying stuff in with an RRP of £20, setting one solitary item on an out-of-the-way shelf for 21 days or whatever priced at £40, before repricing them at £20, putting up big signs to say 50% OFF!! and setting up a big display in the middle of the store. Sad thing was, it worked like a charm to get people buying stuff.)

Prices seem to be all over the place with Matchbox right now - I'd be interested to know what the wholesale prices are...

For example, the Working Rigs range I found in Poundstretcher for £6 a throw earlier in the month...

Then a fella from the market was knocking them out at a fiver...

Then the lad running the overpriced model shop in Smithfield was doing them at £4...

(didn't get a pic, though)

And finally Poundstretcher dropped theirs to half price at only £3.

So are they worth £3 or worth £6?

I guess it's for the market to decide...

[bunglebus]

22 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

But was SHE there though today

No. Some wizened old hag instead

:sadface:

[w00dy]

Finally got one of these beauties. Had given up hope of finding one. £2.30 at Sainsbury's stopped me from getting the 300sl with the horrible red wheels though.