Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

40 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

One of my favourite cars

Hopefully I can do it justice. Having problems with the casting being porous on the roof which creates a bubble under the paint when I apply a bit of heat. 

Fingers crossed the paint will harden enough that I can mask the roof off without removing any 

[FakeConcern]

53 minutes ago, MiniMinorMk3 said:

The Brighton Toy & Model Museum's collection is still there.

… Other exhibits | Brighton Toy and Model Museum (brightontoymuseum.co.uk)

When I went there recently the only Spot On models were buildings...

Some Dinky

and Matchbox

Loads of Corgi..

 

[bunglebus]

I wonder what the survival rate is for the average toy car? Must actually be pretty good despite the efforts of Bl*e Pet*r to melt them all down.

I mean how often do they actually get thrown in the bin? They either end up in collections or do the jumble sale/charity shop/boot sale/eBay circuit

[FakeConcern]

I quickly had a look at my Spot Ons to see the bases as this seems to be topical now.

Ford Thames Trader, nothing, not a dickey bird...

TR3, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Gt Britain

Land Crab, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Northern Ireland

Jag, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Gt Britain

Silver Wraith, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Gt Britain

A40, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Gt Britain

Prinz, Spot On Models by Triang, Made in Northern Ireland

Really strange the Thames, I wonder how I even knew it was Spot On?

[Spottedlaurel]

Matchbox were on clearance at 50p in our local Tesco. Not worth making a trip out for, but Miss SL's BF was passing and picked up half a dozen of the old favourites.

[Datsuncog]

Despite forum issues...

... it's that time again.

[andrew e]

I thought it was just me! How was I going to live vicariously through a fellow shitter in another country!

Phew panic averted 😂

[flat4alfa]

[bunglebus]

I had the same massage this morning, worked on my laptop but not my phone. All OK now it seems

[Datsuncog]

Ok then - a slightly cooler morning with a bit of dampness, and the aforementioned issues with the forum causing a degree of consternation.

But Tat Friday always gets through.

(Except when it doesn't)

Upon bustling in, just after 7.30, I clocked our old chum The Nemesis checking out a new Tat Box...

Well - I say new; that white-painted Corgi Karrier box van has certainly shown up before.

But the others... I think they could be new to us.

Freshly dredged, possibly.

So - slightly later than we might like - let's take a closer look, hey?

[sierraman]

That’s 50p stuff surely! 

[flat4alfa]

I'd have the Karrier box van if it was 50p

[Datsuncog]

It ain't 50p, sadly.

[flat4alfa]

Surely the Lesney Thames Trader Trailer isnt more than five 50 Pences. 

[sierraman]

I’m amazed he sells anything, it looks like my scrap box in there 😂

[flat4alfa]

Oh he will, because I'm here and I am mug. 

[flat4alfa]

18 hours ago, Datsuncog said:

In 1952 Minimodels launched the 1/30 Scalex range, which were 'keyless' clockwork racing cars, operated by pulling out the steering wheel to wind up the motor.

... 

However, demand for clockwork toys dropped off and by 1956 the company was in trouble. Fred tried a number of things, but settled on developing a racing track system where the players could actually control the speed of the cars as they played.

Starting off with electric motors fitted to Scalex cars to run on railway track, he finessed this down to cars fitted with motors running on rubberised track fitted with pickups, powered by batteries, and controlled with on-off hand throttles. He called this Scalex-electric, soon shortened to Scalextric.

Good write-up for CogBook™ inclusion 😎

The pull-string operated a flywheel mechanism so wasn't strictly clockwork (angry old men might shout).  The 'Startex' brand was used for those, once there were bigger ideas for 'Scalex' so there was some cross-over.  The Talbot Alpine had the steering wheel pull, while the Jaguar had the pull as the exhaust pipe as Doris inspects here

[Datsuncog]

So what was there in the somewhat dubious depths... well, this:

Various early Lesney and Dinky items, with a smattering of more recent ERTL character stuff and far-eastern no-names.

Scruffy Bburago F40 and a doorless Majorette Caprice cop car probably won't set anyone's undercrackers alight with desire. Early regular-wheels Silver Shadow mostly alright; Ford pickup with the usual front end damage. Bedford OB removals van pretty shagged.

Mostly more recent stuff here, though the Dinky Austin Champ looked reasonably restorable.

Naturally, m'learned friend was alongside, having beaten me to the box again today... but I started taking them out to get a better feel for what was what...

[junkyarddog]

I do love a virtual tat box rummage!😁

[flat4alfa]

I think Katie Price does that sort of thing now

[Noel Tidybeard]

it gives me sedness to see the renner17 looks like a bent axle

if not and its pennies yes please

[Datsuncog]

Since the Thames Trader tractor unit's been mentioned already, let's start with it:

Berkeley Caravan ok but missing its hitch, while the CA evening news van seemed to be wearing every one of its 60-odd years in the toybox.

Karrier Refuse Collector not too bad, though missing a rear section (I think). M3 Personnel Carrier had lost its windscreen superstructure, while the Commer TV Service Van was just a shell, until I found the (broken) base right at the bottom of the box, and reunited them as best I could.

Bedford looks like it's had a bad time of it.

Mmm, yeah. No.

The Zodiac floppytop had similar windscreen woes, while the Scammell snow plough was missing a critical bit of kit; ditto the Euclid dump truck. The Albion Chieftain cement truck was largely ok though, while the Minor and Commer Cob had some base issues to be sorted but were otherwise pretty sound.

Minor and Cob already claimed, I should point out!

(It's been a confusing morning)

Moving up to King Size Lesneys, the Foden Tipper, Ford D-Series flatbed artic and Merryweather Fire Engine were in varying states of dilapidation and incompleteness.

Hey, we've seen better.

Some well-worn Dinkys were also lurking - a Vanguard with a nasty-looking axle limp, and an Oxford MO.

Both looked like they've been collected with a fishing rod.

Even older Dinky lorries were in evidence:

And this tiny little wheel-less Dinky MG, which was nearer Matchbox size...

 But kinda looked about right, next to the lorries.

Unknown maker fire engine was crude, and to be honest not all that appealing:

No clue.

Dinky Taxi has had some hard wear.

Nemesis nearly took this, but put it back when he clocked the busted A-post.

This modernish Hot Wheels Mustang was ok, though.

Metal base mid-90s casting.

Speaking of Hot Wheels, is this curious McDonald's toy meant to be based on the Silhouette?

There was also the dregs from last week up top:

But I think we went through these in detail last week, no?

This box fresh Buddy L was new, though:

A not-unreasonable £20 asked on this one, which has somehow avoided Death By Sandpit.

I have to say, there was a bit of mild jealousy towards some of my fellow diecast addict's finds this week...

Blue Corgi Juniors Land Rover towtruck isn't one I've seen before, but... 

WHAT

IS

THAT

**Swoons**

[Datsuncog]

9 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

it gives me sedness to see the renner17 looks like a bent axle

if not and its pennies yes please

R17 was more than just a bit borked, sadly... more pics to come!

[flat4alfa]

That Buddy-L is a museum piece! 

Dinky MG would be a Dublo at that size

[bunglebus]

6 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

WHAT

IS

THAT

**Swoons**

I have something with a similar base - Tomica?

[Datsuncog]

29 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Dinky MG would be a Dublo at that size

I'll have to check - it looks much bigger than 00 scale, bigger than any of the Dublos I've had, and bigger than late-50s Lesneys...

Yet seemingly a good bit smaller than a standard Dinky.

50mm exactly in length.

A one-piece casting, and the underside says 'Meccano Dinky Toys' at the bonnet end, and 'Made in England' at the boot end.

[Datsuncog]

3 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I have something with a similar base - Tomica?

I think it's a Tomica rip-off - some light Google-Fu indicates they did make a Skyline of that generation, but it had opening doors. This one has nothing opening.

It seems that Tins Toys in Hong Kong ripped off the casting, but it seems like a pretty crude rendering, with a plastic base and blanked-off rear window for some crazy reason.

It does, however, have the same T242 code - someone's listing one on eBay at the minute, complete with a drilled 'n' glued base and Corgi Junior wheels, just for maximum batshittery.

Why it's missing part of its front wing is anyone's guess.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/295891164171

'Nissa Skyline'. 

LOL.

Most curious.

It wins the prize today for 'model I'd most like to have taken home with me' - but sadly, it won't be.

[flat4alfa]

19 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

I'll have to check - it looks much bigger than 00 scale, bigger than any of the Dublos I've had - yet seemingly a good bit smaller than standard Dinky.

50mm exactly in length.

One for the research pile then! It looks smaller than the Cortina MKII in the Nemesis layout though. I don't want it though, unless around a pound

[flat4alfa]

29 minutes ago, Datsuncog said:

Oxford MO.

Both looked like they've been collected with a fishing rod.

Paging @sheffcortinacentre

[Datsuncog]

9 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

I don't want it though, unless around a pound

It piqued my curiosity enough to pay £2 for it!

I'll have a trawl through the Mike & Sue Thompson Dinky Bible later on, and see if they can shed any light on it.

Pics added upthread to give a sense of size/ detail.