Shite in Miniature II

[flat4alfa]

33 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I appear to have accidentally* created an ideal minishite 4x4 off-roading centre

 

[Datsuncog]

Fantastic finds, those AMTs - well bought!

Let's just pause for a minute to remember that all seven of those came in at less than what a local charity shop wanted for this load of wank in a wooden display cabinet:

£75.

For that.

I'm living in the wrong town...

[bunglebus]

I do wonder about charity shop pricing - are they just whimsical or do they do some research? I appreciate they can't check everything but to ask £75 they must believe those cars were actually from the 1920's-30's rather than the 80's-90's

I did chuckle at the £5 Sports Car Collection models earlier after seeing several boxes full literally in the next road

[Datsuncog]

Did some further puttering round the shops over the weekend, just to see what's what...

Tesco's selection of Matchbox looking a bit depleted:

Interesting that all the Cycle Runner trailers that pair with the Nissan Hardbody have gone, while the ones from the previous case selection (the sheriff impound ones) are still there.

Hot Wheels also still selling well; with any luck a new case will be getting tipped in soonish.

Lots of those cartoonish Batmobiles left, though.

Hot Wheels five-packs still on their 2-for-£14 Clubcard Price offer; sadly the same courtesy isn't extended to Matchbox.

I really do like that metallic brown W123.

Sainsburys had nothing new, just the dregs of the late 2022 Hot Wheels case still kicking around, their packaging now looking a bit bent and torn.

Lidl had nothing left at all from their unexpected 2023 Hot Wheels case extravaganza from the other week.

The smallish local Poundland had a single peg of recent-ish Hot Wheels mainlines, though mostly comedy/ fantasy castings so not really my bag.

Poundstretcher, once upon a time a happy hunting ground for Hongwell Cararama and Maisto, had nothing of interest either - no Matchbox, no Hot Wheels, no nuthin'.

Going a bit further afield did take me into the Asda Home store in North Belfast - where they had loads of Majorette, to my surprise.

But not cheap. £16 for a premium five-pack.

I'm not honestly all that enamoured with newer Majorette, by and large - although decent enough models, well detailed and all, I just can't quite warm to them. Likewise modern Siku offerings - I can appreciate them, but I don't really want to own them all that much. And their relatively high prices also help to cool my cheap-ass ardour.

Pricier than Mattel's standard five-packs, anyway.

They also stocked articulated trucks in the vein of Matchbox Convoys, buses and twin-packs with a trailer. Nice enough, but not massively appealing.

Confusing pricing seems to indicate the Hot Wheels mainlines are £1.90, while the 'character range' (seemingly tie-ins from that Disney Pixar 'Lightyear' film) are £3, but thrown into the same dump bin, for maximum chaos. Nothing exciting in there, anyway.

Toys are dear enough these days.

A quick turn over to a different branch of B&M elicited nothing; no more Hot Wheels Flying Customs anyway. They seem to have pretty much sold through, in this neck of the woods anyway.

Another big Home Bargains store in the Cityside mall failed to come up with much, other than more of those Matchbox Action City garage sets still on the shelves.

TK Maxx had finally got some Majorette in, though a little pricier than mainland stores - didn't someone say the individual models were £2 in their local store?

£2.99 here for individual models.

I was a bit tempted by some of the vans and stuff, it's true.

Likewise the trailer sets - better value than Asda too.

Not sure I'd class a tractor and logging truck as 'Street Cars ', but ok.

Premiums with their separate box were kinda nice, it has to be said. A lot of detail on these.

Lastly, I scuttled over to a fairly large Poundland store, and was surprised to find not only a fair amount of Hot Wheels but multiple pegs full of long card Matchbox stuff, at only £1.50 a throw.

There were lots of those annoying little skid dumper things and the speed detector trailers, but also some better stuff.

Now I did take some photos of their selection but curiously none of them came out properly - are Poundland employing some sort of anti-tat surveillance technology?

Best I could retrieve from my phone. Very odd.

I restrained myself, and only came away with these two beauties.

I know, I already have the Civic in yellow and in red - but I do so like this casting.

The SII Land Rover was one I had in red as part of the 'Best of the UK' range from 2021, but I got rid of both (!!) my examples without ever even opening them.

Silver linings and all that - I much prefer the colour and wheels on this version.

And I've opened it, too.

Life's too short for sealed packs, kids.

[bunglebus]

Interesting, those Matchbox are from a case Tesco neglected to get.

I'm on the hunt for Majorettes as I want the VW ones, nothing in Asda but I'll try TK Maxx later

[Datsuncog]

Yeah, the 2022 Matchbox longcards in Poundland seem to have been sourced from China, going by the sticker on the back of the blister pack - presumably some sort of parallel import?

Haven't seen any Majorette VWs, other than two versions of the Crafter van in TK Maxx, but will keep a weather eye out...

[Bren]

My most recent purchase. I had this in junior school - I swapped it - but I had never seen one offered with the old style box.

[RoadworkUK]

Those AMT promos upthread are spectacular.

Being that they were found in Chelmsford, I wouldn't mind betting that their previous owner had something to do with Ford at Dunton or Warley.

[Datsuncog]

12 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I do wonder about charity shop pricing - are they just whimsical or do they do some research? I appreciate they can't check everything but to ask £75 they must believe those cars were actually from the 1920's-30's rather than the 80's-90's

Given they were looking £8 each for the boxed Days Gone, the charity shop staff may have done a quick free-form estimate and figured the unboxed models were worth £5 each - possibly backed up by some highly optimistic eBay 'Buy It Now' listings - so all fifteen totalled £75, and then they'd throw in the luxury* wooden display cabinet for free.

Bargain.

Even though they only comprised a motley selection of dusty Lledo promotionals which came free with boxes of Bassetts liquorice allsorts and Cadburys easter eggs, and those Corgi Cameos given away by Kelloggs, I can still imagine the chorus of "Them's rare, them's Dinkys..." should I have made enquiries.

A few weeks later, they were reduced to £50 for all fifteen.

A few weeks after that, they were gone from the display case.

Maybe they sold?

If so, good on them! I hope the buyer was happy with them - and hey, perhaps they were?

After all, there's no accounting for taste...

[bunglebus]

I went to the auction this morning - a couple of familiar faces I see selling at the toy fair were present, and between them and two other bidders, hoovered up all the diecast for what I felt was strong money.

These two Dinkys and a MOY for £80 for example 

Biggest shocker was a pile of mail-in cars, Lledos, Corgi Juniors, Frosties Siku Jeep etc etc. Nothing especially exciting other than a Convoy - £50! I was will to go to maybe £15 to sell some on. The boxes of Supercar Collection cars were £50 odd

The Bond partworks were all around the £100 mark - even the airbrush compressor I bid on went for £55 - about £20 more than I was happy paying.

It wasn't all bad though - I was reminded I had a £5 voucher from Hobbycraft as I belong to their loyalty scheme - no min spend so I bought a can of paint for 50p.

I'd advise anyone wanting supplies to sign up

 

 

[flat4alfa]

Went to B&M in two towns last night. No new mainline HW stock in 4 weeks now.  A box of Matchbox (in one) has been put out though, same box we know.  In the other, no mainlines at all, just the F&F set, hanging on the mainline rotary rack and all price tags removed

Went to ASDA.  Hopeless.  Some dregs of Majorette and no HW at all.

Went Tesco.  No new mainline HW or MB stock in 4 weeks now

Currently looking at house prices in and around Chelmsford.  Clearly THEY get the stock AND the boot sales.

[bunglebus]

I've been getting the urge to work on some early Lesney stuff for a little while, so two have been mercilessly torn apart. First to the finish is this Lincoln Continental 

Colour is supposed to be brown but goes maroon depending on the lighting

Not normally a brown person but something told me to buy a can the other week, and I felt a dark colour was best to contrast the interior and chrome. There were a couple of casting lines to remove but overall the casting is a beauty, that grille especially. 

Lowering was achieved by leaving the plastic suspension piece out. All this could go back to stock if so desired  - but why would you?

[flat4alfa]

Looks great

I don't know how you find the time!

Oh, of course silly me it's perpetually sunny where you are it shows in the photos 😏

[Datsuncog]

That looks incredible!

The grille really does pop against the dark paintwork, and that wash shows off the high level of detail very nicely.

Top work!

[bunglebus]

44 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I don't know how you find the time!

Work has gone quiet for the last few weeks. Good for working on stuff, not so good for the bank account! 

[flat4alfa]

Colour choice is great even though you 'don't do brown' and did you know the original 1964 box art wasn't issued at all as a real model colour anyhow

That's the Continental gen-4B dealt with..

Looking forward to the Continental IV getting the same treatment: lowering, grille wash, detailing like we've never seen 😁

On 2009- Ringed Disc wheels

Oh how I wish I had the time (and sun deck!)

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Datsuncog said:

That looks incredible!

The grille really does pop against the dark paintwork, and that wash shows off the high level of detail very nicely.

Top work!

Front and rear lights in the bumpers are painted too, hard to see outdoors.

I just work with what Ford and Lesney gave me, it's all there but just needs highlighting 

[flat4alfa]

Bungledetail™

[flat4alfa]

Bunglebussed™

[bunglebus]

Big magnifying viewer and very small brushes!

[Dick Cheeseburger]

5 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Big magnifying viewer and very small brushes!

I still reckon you should document a few of your quality restos on youtube. It would be intriguing to watch. 

[flat4alfa]

BungleTube™ complete with Patreon account to cover the work has gone quiet weeks

It could be a new dawn in Internet Influencing.

Might even get invited as a hunky* guest on Loose Women!

[flat4alfa]

I think I overdid the coffee today

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Is notion of being around SloppyWomen a positive thing?!

[flat4alfa]

It might be if it's lucrative.

Asking for a friend

[bunglebus]

1 hour ago, Dick Longbridge said:

I still reckon you should document a few of your quality restos on youtube. It would be intriguing to watch. 

That's been suggested before, I'm just not sure if I could make it work. A fixed camera certainly won't see everything as I'm sometimes using the kitchen sink for cleaning and sanding (must get the outhouse one plumbed in), and outside for painting as I still haven't built a paint booth - I have made part of the extraction system though!

I need a camera on my head, and on mute so you don't hear me muttering to myself...

I was in the habit of at least photographing various stages, but I've done so many I forget a lot of the time now. I do like the bare metal stage though

[flat4alfa]

Just speed up the film and put Keystone Cops music behind it. 

Hey presto!  No muttering heard 

[155V6]

I called into the car boot on the way to work & came away with these

Custom Fleetside is missing the glass & a cover over the bed?,can't complain with a Redline for a pound though 😀.Jaffa Mobile was the same price & is nicer than the one I already have.Corgi trailer was 50p,needs some tiny tyres.

I came home to find a parcel.I do like Lone Star Impy & Flyers cars,but I don't go out of my way to get them.I do have a soft spot for car transporters though,so when I saw this on eBay,I managed to get it for the starting price

I've never seen one in the flesh before,& only found out they existed a short while ago

No need for a rear ramp

Top deck lowers completely

My Lone Star cars are packed away,so I loaded it with what was lying around

The trailer is quite good,but the tractor unit is horrible to be honest 😂

Apparently,this was a late release & only came in a set with the late cars with no opening parts & black windows.

A pity it didn't come out earlier with a nicer cab,the one it has is riveted to the trailer,so no changing it for something else

 

 

 

[sierraman]

That Tyre Fryer is a bargain, easy £15 worth on ebay

[bunglebus]

I've been hunting for those Jaffa cars, I did get that one but without the sticker