Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

Another didn't know had

Buns of  Steel

[bunglebus]

Regular TH not really unless the casting itself is a good one, so the yellow Mini recently, Miata a while back, Subaru somewhere in between - they're fairly sought-after. 

Those two ^ you're not going to retire from

[NorfolkNWeigh]

  On 30/03/2023 at 16:28, sierraman said:

Who was worse Jeff Levy or John Noakes when he scammed hundreds of kids out of old Dinkys and Corgis? Legend has it on the Blue Peter appeal he took all the good shit home with him and it resides in his loft, all the less desirable stuff or ones he had duplicates of he just stamped on repeatedly whilst Valerie Singleton turned a blind eye. 

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I used to cry when they proudly showed all those old Dinkys going into a shredder, 50 years later I probably still would.

[Datsuncog]

Peter Purves' basement, yesterday.

"They're mine, kids - all mine!"

Noakesey in the background still looking for that elusive Corgi MGC in orange...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

My Evil Mother almost sent the box of my Dad’s battered old Dinkys from my Grandmas house, luckily she was stopped by my Dad , me, my brothers and cousins.

Ive got them now, and am estranged from my Mother, coincidence? I don’t think so.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

  On 31/03/2023 at 10:20, Datsuncog said:

Peter Purves' basement, yesterday.

"They're mine, kids - all mine!"

Noakesey in the background still looking for that elusive Corgi MGC in orange...

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What was the thinking behind it? Scrap* metal would be melted down and the £5 raised would go to the admin of a charidee or something? 

[Metal Guru]

  On 31/03/2023 at 10:34, Dick Longbridge said:

What was the thinking behind it? Scrap* metal would be melted down and the £5 raised would go to the admin of a charidee or something? 

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It must have raised more than when they asked for milk bottle tops. How many millions of them to raise £5, back inthe 60s when £5 was a weeks wages.

Even aged 8, I was sceptical how they could get enough money from the stuff they asked for.

[bunglebus]

First I've heard of this thankfully. 

I hope the old buzzards enjoyed their minibuses 

[NorfolkNWeigh]

They had tons and tons of stuff sent in, that pile in the background was one days worth of packages, I think .

You forget how many kids watched Blue Peter when there were only 2 channels and it ran for weeks.

[sierraman]

  On 31/03/2023 at 10:20, Datsuncog said:

Peter Purves' basement, yesterday.

"They're mine, kids - all mine!"

Noakesey in the background still looking for that elusive Corgi MGC in orange...

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Also... send in your ‘unwanted’ brass. If you’ve any gold bullion lying around getting in the way send that in as well. 

Another anecdote from those Blue Peter pyramid scheme was that John Noakes and Peter Purves came to blows over a Corgi Preistman crane, Purves caught Noakes slipping it into an old Fine Fair bag to put in the back of his car to trade at a swap meet, words were had and Purves ended up giving Noakes a dry slap in the BBC bar when it emerged he’d been taking the valuable shit to a Swapmeet over the weekend.

[sierraman]

  On 31/03/2023 at 10:49, NorfolkNWeigh said:

They had tons and tons of stuff sent in, that pile in the background was one days worth of packages, I think .

You forget how many kids watched Blue Peter when there were only 2 channels and it ran for weeks.

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There really was nothing else on, I’d doubt my kids would even give blue peter the time of day. 

[Datsuncog]

So... on my second perambulation of the market, post-coffee, I noticed some ructions going on around Alan's Emporium... A number of handy-looking lads with big boots and walkie-talkies milling about, and slightly raised voices.

Was it the Tat Police, conducting a raid? Had complaints been raised about the propensity for unboxed Days Gone to be offered out at £5, in blatant violation of International Tat Convention protocols - with instant justice about to be served up?

Ultimately, no.

It appeared that the stall was four inches or so too far to the left, and another stallholder had complained. So everything had to be moved.

Which was annoying, as I could see there was some New Stuff out on the table...

Gnnnng. Frustrating. I flitted about, casting a fretful eye on the table.

Before long the kerfuffle was resolved, and the Guardians Of The Market moved off to check that no further infringements were occurring over at the Dutch Pancake stall.

Allowing me to move in.

 

I'd just picked up the Corgi Juniors Capri and Lesney Pontiac when Alan quietly sidled up and advised that he had some 'other stuff' behind the stall, if I was interested...

Crumbs.

This is probably how it all started for Guy Burgess.

And lo, carefully hidden away from the prying eyes of CSI St George's, we had...

This lot.

All tucked away in a 1960s leatherette attaché case, in best Cold War thriller tradition.

I like his style.

I mean, it was nearly all shite - but definite miniature autoshite.

Not just one, but two plastic Ford Focus Mk1s.

A fairly crude no-name De Tomaso Pantera, and a Mazda MX-5 with fitted hardtop.

Similarly unbranded Mercedes 207D with a foldable lighting rig attached - and presumably a more-than-passing similarity to the Matchbox version...

Food truck complete with server figure is surely the spiritual successor to the old Lesney Commer Canteen van.

Even if their prices are off the scale.

Fiver for an ice cream? Get in the sea.

Unbranded Mitsubishi Shogun and Vauxhall Frontera with tribal artwork were surprisingly heavy in the hand.

I daresay it's been 'inspired' by the Matchbox Isuzu Amigo - though the canopy on the back is a new addition.

Jeep and Chevrolet Blazer also no-name, but better made than might be expected.

I knew about the Hot Wheels Mini with the removable shell, but this one featuring a similar trick was new to me.

Also a recent-ish looking Hot Wheels Stingray, which was both surprisingly light and a surprisingly old casting.

I was severely tempted by this 1/43-ish New Ray Alfa 156 Sportwagon, but it was a bit bashed and I could sense that a Slippery Slope™ was close at hand...

There wasn't much on the 50p Tray...

And his £10 buses remained unsold.

So - I made a few purchases, before skipping off into the rain-sodden morning to get back to the car... and I'll take some pics of those shortly!

[RoadworkUK]

That boxed EFE Fleetline is quite pretty, but I DON'T COLLECT BUSES

[andy18s]

Did you grab the Frontera and Pajero by any chance?

[danthecapriman]

Postal operative has been this morning with a US airmail box!

Found out about these Tonka Jeeps by chance when looking at something else. Had to have a Gladiator pick up as it’s my favourite Jeep of ever! 
Don’t know much about these tbh, when they were made etc but a very nice pressed metal big toy. Most seem to be missing their grill and headlights now and there weren’t many available over here either.

[quicksilver]

  On 31/03/2023 at 11:00, sierraman said:

Also... send in your ‘unwanted’ brass. If you’ve any gold bullion lying around getting in the way send that in as well. 

Another anecdote from those Blue Peter pyramid scheme was that John Noakes and Peter Purves came to blows over a Corgi Preistman crane, Purves caught Noakes slipping it into an old Fine Fair bag to put in the back of his car to trade at a swap meet, words were had and Purves ended up giving Noakes a dry slap in the BBC bar when it emerged he’d been taking the valuable shit to a Swapmeet over the weekend.

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On a more genuine note, that Blue Peter appeal is how Pirate Models got started and the good stuff did get saved. A couple of collectors realised there could be some valuable toys donated that would fetch more at auction than as scrap so they volunteered to sort the wheat from the chaff and earn the charity more moolah. As so many of them were missing parts, they started making reproductions and called themselves Pirate Models as they didn't have Dinky's permission, but as it turned out Dinky didn't have a problem and started referring parts enquiries to Pirate. They later moved on to making bus kits and are still in business but now owned by the notorious John Gay.

[sierraman]

I apologise if I’ve caused any offence by making up stories or bringing Blue Peter into a bad light. 

[Christine]

Bunglebus Uncle  was shagging Valerie at the BBC ,and she pinched loads  to pass on to his nephew  ,  Master Bungle , that's how he's got so many....

[Dick Cheeseburger]

  On 31/03/2023 at 13:22, sierraman said:

I apologise if I’ve caused any offence by making up stories or bringing Blue Peter into a bad light. 

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Innit.

It all went downhill when the lovely Janet Ellis left. 

[Split_Pin]

I had been looking longingly at a real one of these on Marketplace .

 I think I'll stick with this very terrible but wonderful CM Toys diecast model which I bought way back in 2008. I think its even rarer in the UK than the real car!

There's a nutter from the Netherlands on Ebay that's selling his CM Toys collection and they're about £150 each. He doesn't have an XG though. Haha.

[Datsuncog]

So then... what am I trying to convince myself that it was worth dragging my arse out of bed for?

Well, I'll say that when it comes to shite carrier bags, Alan's game is strong.

And this is what I came away with:

The no-name, barely identifiable beige blob is - potentially - a BA8 series Honda Prelude.

Not so much cast, as lightly rubbed against the mould.

Weird little thing, but an unusual contemporary rendering of this particular generation of Honda's personal luxury coupé.

Even if it does look like it fell out of a cracker.

So I'll put this one aside for @junkyarddog, who previously expressed a mild interest - though after last year's Siku episode which almost generated an international incident, I think I'll wait to post this one the next time I'm over the border (which might be a wee while away).

 

The MB016 Pontiac was nabbed because c'mon, for 50p you don't turn one of these down.

Some light scuffing to the big bubble arches - but, seeing as this version in gold paint was only available for the 1981 catalogue year, these aren't all that common.

 

The Corgi Capri struck me as it looked pretty minty, and well worth a punt... I had a really rough one of these in the past, but moved it on a while back.

But on closer inspection:

Someone's put the back window through, then tried to effect a repair using sticky tape!

Ah well. At least the paint's good.

 

Hot Wheels Ford Maverick, because it's fairly tidy -  and also the recent Maverick chat on here about Tonka versions.

 

This is a bit unusual - one I initially thought was a Matchbox based on the colour and level of detail, until the wheels indicated it wasn't.

No maker's name, either. Quite a detailed chassis and drivetrain, though.

Apparently a 1940 Ford Sedan Delivery - but who made it?

 

And finally:

Who doesn't like a Smiley Transit?

Think this one was part of a 5-pack in the mid-late 2000s; I had a mainline painter & decorator version at some stage, but alas no more...

I don't mind keeping these for myself - but equally I'm happy to pass them on to anyone who fancies them, for the 50p each I paid Alan!

[Datsuncog]

And not only, but also:

[Rover414]

Well, my package from @Datsuncogtouched down this morning. The 3 standouts would be the Corgi Travel London Solo, Corgi Wright Gemini and of course the Jotus rear engined Routemaster. The Solo is still cellophane wrapped so I just grabbed a few pics of the FRM and the Gemini.

First up we have Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL LF52USU (VLW80) which nowadays in reality forms part of the Bromley Bus Preservation Groups rather extensive collection of buses. The model was from a time when Corgi had extensive releases in the OOC range and they really did capture the Gemini well right down to the badging on the rear - some later releases of this casting had really heavy window printing which made them look out of scale.

 

Next up is the Jotus Routemaster, the real star of my box being a 1/300 resin model that was picked up for just a fiver of the famous stall - although it doesn't have the outer box, it is fully intact otherwise which is more than can be said for the one on ebay which is missing a few parts which could be yours for £146 all in. Anyway, a few photos of it below with one alongside the previously shown Corgi Gemini and another beside EFEs 1st generation casting of RM1.

 

Big thanks as ever to @Datsuncog for these!

[eddyramrod]

No pics, for obvious reasons, but yesterday I had a nice box arrive from @155V6 containing a variety of pre-assaulted diecasts for my paintshop.  There were three, (count 'em, three!) Cortinas covering mk2, 3 and 4, a lovely big Volvo estate and some other oddments.  They will eventually all get repainted, with the possible exception of the Volvo, which was the original object of the exercise!  But parked next to the matching green one on my shelf, it actually doesn't look too rough, so it may yet escape the drill.

As always, endless thanks to my supplier!

[Datsuncog]

I couldn't help myself.

I was thinking about this one all the while I was tappy-tapping on my phone and swigging coffee. And when I went back over to the stall, well, it was still there.

A sign, surely.

And still sealed.

But not for long.

This is, of course, one of the Atlas reissues of Dinky France products from the 1960s - the #540 Opel Kadett A.

Not an original.

Not for a tenner, anyway.

Oh-so-bright blue, and the shape certainly giving off strong vibes of its contemporaneous half-sibling, the Viva HA.

It's a nice model, with suspension, steering and other luxuries that came late to the Dinky brand, like glazing and a plastic interior.

Towing slot on the base too - though dunno what this might be found towing in real life.

More unusually, this one has windows that raise and lower - a feature a couple of French Dinkys boast, including the Panhard 24.

Is it nice?

Oh yes.

But somehow I don't vibe with it quite as much as the recent Corgi repros.

Guess I'm just a Corgi fanboi at heart...

Still, a nice little something to have at the end of a sometimes tumultuous week.

Happy Friday, kids.

[junkyarddog]

  On 31/03/2023 at 13:53, Datsuncog said:

I'll wait to post this one the next time I'm over the border (which might be a wee while away).

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That's a plan,I'm in no rush.

I've never seen a 1:64 4th gen Prelude before.

  On 31/03/2023 at 13:53, Datsuncog said:

Even if it does look like it fell out of a cracker.

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🤣

[Tenmil Socket]

  On 31/03/2023 at 13:59, Rover414 said:

Well, my package from @Datsuncogtouched down this morning. The 3 standouts would be the Corgi Travel London Solo, Corgi Wright Gemini and of course the Jotus rear engined Routemaster. The Solo is still cellophane wrapped so I just grabbed a few pics of the FRM and the Gemini.

First up we have Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL LF52USU (VLW80) which nowadays in reality forms part of the Bromley Bus Preservation Groups rather extensive collection of buses. The model was from a time when Corgi had extensive releases in the OOC range and they really did capture the Gemini well right down to the badging on the rear - some later releases of this casting had really heavy window printing which made them look out of scale.

 

Next up is the Jotus Routemaster, the real star of my box being a 1/300 resin model that was picked up for just a fiver of the famous stall - although it doesn't have the outer box, it is fully intact otherwise which is more than can be said for the one on ebay which is missing a few parts which could be yours for £146 all in. Anyway, a few photos of it below with one alongside the previously shown Corgi Gemini and another beside EFEs 1st generation casting of RM1.

 

Big thanks as ever to @Datsuncog for these!

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I don't collect buses but those are nice!

For quite a while now I've regularly seen some very old buses journeying through St Helens on a weekend full of passengers.

I'm assuming they organise tours from the museum in the town centre?

I keep meaning to look into it as I bet they smell fantastic inside!

[Datsuncog]

  On 31/03/2023 at 13:59, Rover414 said:

Well, my package from @Datsuncogtouched down this morning. The 3 standouts would be the Corgi Travel London Solo, Corgi Wright Gemini and of course the Jotus rear engined Routemaster. The Solo is still cellophane wrapped so I just grabbed a few pics of the FRM and the Gemini.

First up we have Wright Eclipse Gemini bodied Volvo B7TL LF52USU (VLW80) which nowadays in reality forms part of the Bromley Bus Preservation Groups rather extensive collection of buses. The model was from a time when Corgi had extensive releases in the OOC range and they really did capture the Gemini well right down to the badging on the rear - some later releases of this casting had really heavy window printing which made them look out of scale.

 

Next up is the Jotus Routemaster, the real star of my box being a 1/300 resin model that was picked up for just a fiver of the famous stall - although it doesn't have the outer box, it is fully intact otherwise which is more than can be said for the one on ebay which is missing a few parts which could be yours for £146 all in. Anyway, a few photos of it below with one alongside the previously shown Corgi Gemini and another beside EFEs 1st generation casting of RM1.

 

Big thanks as ever to @Datsuncog for these!

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Hey, glad they showed up safely - only just realised I forgot to let you know after I'd posted them!

Most of the time the market's kinda samey - BUT every now and then something out of the ordinary does show up, and I guess it's the never-ending thrill of the chase that gets my bone-idle self up and out of a Friday...

Delighted these have found an appreciative home! 

[sierraman]

Picked up the Matchbox 4Runner today, basic but likeable model, would look good weathered with mud etc.

[bunglebus]

  On 31/03/2023 at 11:29, Datsuncog said:

Food truck complete with server figure is surely the spiritual successor to the old Lesney Commer Canteen van.

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A copy of the Hot Wheels Good Humor Truck/Ice Cream Truck/Quick Bite (and many other names)

I have a copy myself somewhere