Shite in Miniature II

[bunglebus]

2 minutes ago, RoadworkUK said:

Properly astounding work.

I did need some serious magnification to do the details!

[Jon]

Had a delivery of another impulse buy item, yesterday:

A Tomica Dandy Citroen H van.

 

Being Japanese, it does of course have some English phrase decals.

 

Some of which make less sense than others. The faded line above says "GOOD OLD DAYS TIN TOY" - the second reference to Tin Toys in relation to Tomica in mere hours, after@bunglebus's notes regarding knock-off Tomicas. But perhaps just coincidence, rather than a Tomica/Tin Toys link?

 

You'll have to trust me here that this really does read "BEST QUALITY AMERICAN FREEZER". I'm imagining that's a Japanese company that sells honey(?) but the words are all too generic for me to find any reference to the real life firm.

 

The base is screwed on these vans - and indeed on another Tomica Dandy I bought off Trademe a couple of weeks ago and have yet to photograph. Their casting dates are a bit of an unknown to me but judging by the box art I've seen, I'm imagining late 80's/early 90's. On the ragged edge of my interest period but nice to have a Japanese made 1/43.

 

What I really like about these H vans is all the opening parts. Those sliding side doors are satisfyingly smooth to operate. I swear the channels must taper ever so slightly towards the end of the door travel, as they click in to place beautifully - and stay there! But if so, I can't see it. Perhaps Tomica may be able to meet Elon Musk's demands for 10 micron precision tolerances in the Cybertruck's stainless panels...

 

Out back, more play admiration value. Admittedly, the bottom doors are a little floppy in comparison to the side and hatch doors. Note the screw in the roof - the rear box body beneath it is modular but you'd be hard pressed to worry about the join (I think general clunky H van design helps). It compares favourably to the door gaps of a Dinky MGB, for instance...

 

Here's a couple of images nabbed from Ebay, showing the reasoning behind this. Not sure those graphics have aged that well!

I do have a soft spot for food trucks and mobile grocers, purely for all the miniature detail. My Lesney canteen trailer is a great example and my Corgi Juniors Mercedes mobile shop was a notable addition to my toy box but I'll admit that the clunky hinge work and questionable decals somewhat mire this effort, so I doubt I'll be looking out for one.

 

Then, as I was at a bit of a loose end yesterday, I popped off a couple of quick scene shots. 

 

Only taken on my phone, not my proper camera - need to get the mojo back a bit, on that front. That said, the other Tomica Dandy is a prime candidate for some archived backgrounds I have.

 

Anyway, if this has inspired anyone to bag one of these, may I present the link below:

https://www.diecast4u.co.uk/tomica-dandy-citroen-h-van-american-freezer-van-rare

Check the ash tray for loose change and you should cobble together the mere £150 being asked!!

Rest assured, I paid a tiny fraction of that.

[flat4alfa]

Perhaps next time if still there, the Vanguard please

I told myself I had one already / balked at paying over a fiver / or summat

It transpires I don't have one after all.  So for £3, should have had that... 

Lush. 

[flat4alfa]

While on the subject, had an idea

SZ

RZ

But beaten to it!  This chopabout RZ effort on the Matchbox, found on Planet Diecast 

[danthecapriman]

14 hours ago, bunglebus said:

I don't remember how or why I got this Matchbox Alfa SZ - and why I decided to improve its looks, as its not my normal cup of tea. Still, I think I've at least made it a bit better than it was

 

All parts are original, just cleaned/polished/painted.

Tried to recreate the black parts of the interior over the original colour. Probably the most appropriate car for those wheels too

You didn’t get that Alfa from one of my sales? It sort of looks familiar.

Its another Matchbox I had no idea they made until I found one in a job lot.

[bunglebus]

4 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

You didn’t get that Alfa from one of my sales? It sort of looks familiar.

Maybe! Got it on the 20th of Feb according to my Flickr data

[danthecapriman]

39 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Maybe! Got it on the 20th of Feb according to my Flickr data

Just had a look back through that thread, and you did have one from me by the looks of it.

 

 

Certainly looks a hell of a lot better now!

[bunglebus]

On 14/05/2023 at 21:17, FakeConcern said:

Will you please stop posting these interesting Hot Wheels?

Just found another one if you want it!

[bunglebus]

Weird find of the day, Schaper Stomper 4x4

Stompers are battery-powered toy cars that use a single AA battery and feature four-wheel drive. They are driven by a single motor that turns both axles. They were the first battery-powered, electric, true 4WD toys. Stompers were created in 1980 by A. Eddy Goldfarb[1] and sold by Schaper Toys. Later, in the United Kingdom, Corgi Toys marketed identical toys in Corgi labeled packaging called Trekkers but made by Schaper. Genuine Stompers were sold by various companies around the globe and were also made by Schaper. There were similar products manufactured by Soma and LJN (Rough Riders). Both companies were involved in lawsuits by Goldfarb and Schaper. Settlements were made and the companies continued their line of toys. As of 2019, Goldfarb continues to live and work at his design studio in Southern California.[2]

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, Jon said:

 

 

I like those Tomica Dandy H vans. I've had a few over the years. Some of them create quite a stir on the Ebay when sold off, especially the food trucks. Plain ones don't do so well, but they do better than the Matchbox Collectable Taste of France series.

Some f14 versions.

These must be early 1990s due to the cigarette decals.

Michelin one is a popular version.

They were also sold in Kado branded boxes...

but the base was still Tomica Dandy.

And finally, these Miki House versions. Miki House was a Japanese retailer similar to Mothercare.

 

 

[bunglebus]

New in at BuM

[sierraman]

I remember the Alfa SZ being really hard to find at the time, I didn’t see one in the flesh until I restarted collecting when I had kids in my twenties. 

[danthecapriman]

22 minutes ago, sierraman said:

I remember the Alfa SZ being really hard to find at the time, I didn’t see one in the flesh until I restarted collecting when I had kids in my twenties. 

I don’t remember them at all tbh, it was only when I found that one above in a job lot earlier this year I realised it was a thing. I remember looking at the date on the base and being very surprised!

[bunglebus]

Feeling a bit knackered after two boot sales and a Basildon adventure, so I'll take pics of my finds tomorrow - for now here's an interesting one, Corgi Ferrari but presumably sold as a Hot Wheels going by the Ultra Hot wheels

[Split_Pin]

21 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Feeling a bit knackered after two boot sales and a Basildon adventure, so I'll take pics of my finds tomorrow - for now here's an interesting one, Corgi Ferrari but presumably sold as a Hot Wheels going by the Ultra Hot wheels

The Corgi casting is different, it had metal b pillars, I think this looks like a HW casting. 

If not them I'm really confused, what does the base say?

[bunglebus]

19 minutes ago, Split_Pin said:

The Corgi casting is different, it had metal b pillars, I think this looks like a HW casting. 

If not them I'm really confused, what does the base say?

Corgi!

Seems it's a known version of the Hot Wheels casting from 1996. 

[Split_Pin]

56 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Corgi!

Seems it's a known version of the Hot Wheels casting from 1996. 

We need to find a Corgi Testarossa badged as a Hotwheels now!

[sierraman]

The glass was completely deaded on the Rolls so I had to make one from a redundant MB29 Mini glazing unit. Looks ok I think. 

[junkyarddog]

Finally!!🙄

[sierraman]

Finished result. Had to raid the Sierraman Breakers for another base and wheels though...

[sierraman]

Found a good hood on a breaker though... I’m a sad bastard aren’t I! 😂

[FakeConcern]

7 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Just found another one if you want it!

I must resist...

I must resist...

I must resist...

 

Wow what a memory you have! Thank you so much for thinking of me, but I'll turn this down as I really don't want to get into collecting Hot Wheels (no really I don't), if it was a Mini I would though!

[bunglebus]

Ah you owe me 50p! 😄

For some reason these things stick in my head, I did find another X-Raycer Scion a little while ago but it didn't have the removable body.

No worries, I'll stick it in the eBay pile

[MiniMinorMk3]

Random pic of the day

[bunglebus]

Update time. Bought a few of the Fat and Furious set I spotted in BuM

[bunglebus]

This came in the post. Box isn't great but the Gulper within is pretty good

[bunglebus]

Moving onto boot sale and charity shop stuff with big Matchbox. The 70s were a weird time, case in point generic transporter and V8 Caterpillar 

Cossie is all there other than the wheel centres

Smaller commercials consist, among others, of a Major Pack Bedford

A "My First" Dump Truck

Royal Mail branded Dodge 

Another "My First" in the form of the Leyland Titan

Plus two trailers with decades between them

[bunglebus]

More Royal Mail stuff in the form of this Group C Racer

Ever since @Datsuncog found me the more unusual red Gruesome Twosome, the flippin' things keep turning up!

Tincorner is really nice and worth £3 all day

Making a hat-trick of "My First" models, why are these Astras always battered?

Nice rozzers Jag

Think Prairie is a duplicate 

Lasertronics Merc 500 SEC doesn't laser or tronic anymore

Can't remember the name of this series

Don't think I had a G wagon at all before finding this Matchbox 200 GE

Only picked this up as the aerial was intact. Might pinch it for an earlier one in need. Maybe

[bunglebus]

Corgis, really pleased to find this Rockets Jag even with its defects. Not an easy one to track down!

Couple of Chinese releases, can't get a handle on the chronological order of these as the Porsche has a metal base

Cubs doesn't actually have any branding on it - but we know!

[bunglebus]

Battered Husky Bug has a better body than one I started to restore that has some odd casting defects

Only Lone Star commercial I've seen that's supposed to be an actual vehicle 

Trickshifters Firebird

Here's that Guisval Seat Ibiza following some emergency repairs to the rear wheels

Solido Pug could be up for grabs - fairly scuffed but otherwise OK

Soma Porsche 928 should do something once new batteries are installed

No-name pickup just because I liked it

And probably the worst rendition of an E30 I've seen - excellent effort by High Speed here