Shite in Miniature II

[FakeConcern]

All bargains if £3 or less, I've never paid less than £5 for any Corgi Mini at a toy fair.

[sierraman]

I’ve found the toy fairs to be a veritable gold mine of decent stuff. Highlight for me last time was a Corgi Escort Police car and for a paltry 50p a Bburago 1/24 Alfa 33. Seemed to be as many people selling off their collection as there were traders, maybe a sign of the times? Loads of 50p boxes as well. Makes going to the car boot a waste of time and fuel. 

[Split_Pin]

47 minutes ago, 155V6 said:

A few finds from tonight's toyfair

Corgi Mini with more paint than the one I already have

Lone Star fire engine,has been partly repainted(badly),but it's all there 

Some tyres for my poodle van

AHC Seat Ibiza,limited edition apparently

And a metal tilt for a Corgi Chipperfields Land Rover,in case I buy one with it missing.At £3.00,this was the most expensive thing I bought

That Seat is excellent. AHC Pilen also made models of Volvo 440/60/80 for dealers at the time, very nice pieces too.

[bunglebus]

10 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Similar to the one in the Moving Parts range? I picked a gold one up in France this summer.

Yes I'd say that's the same casting

[bunglebus]

Scouting around Cardiff and Newport this morning, lots of Hot Wheels on display in the usual suspects but only one good find so far 

[flat4alfa]

Yes confirmed as same number MB1263, 1988 Chevy Monte Carlo LS

2021    Moving Parts        Black 
2022    Moving Parts        Gold
2023    Collectors Series    Metalflake Blue

More effort went into detailing the Collectors one, and not that much more expensive?  Modelmatic did it for £9:99, Moving Parts £6.99

[flat4alfa]

14 minutes ago, bunglebus said:

Ah just seen your posting.  Down to £7.20 from £9 (in Entertainer, is that?)

Talk yourself into it!

[bunglebus]

5 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

Talk yourself into it!

I need no encouragement. TR acquired along with a Lexus LFA for Spottedlaurel 

[MiniMinorMk3]

14 hours ago, 155V6 said:

A few finds from tonight's toyfair

Corgi Mini with more paint than the one I already have

AHC Seat Ibiza,limited edition apparently

 

That Mini looks better without the paper stickers that they came with.

13 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

That Seat is excellent. AHC Pilen also made models of Volvo 440/60/80 for dealers at the time, very nice pieces too.

I've had the Seat in red and metallic grey

Same model but from AR-GEE

Not only 440...

480...

but 850s as well.

[bunglebus]

Cardiff Newport and Gwent explored. This is the only thing I got for myself 

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, flat4alfa said:

1988 Chevy Monte Carlo LS

Interesting that Mattel under Hot Wheels have already run a model of the Gen-4 Chevrolet Monte Carlo post-'83 facelift, as a '86 Monte Carlo SuperSport with the Cowl Induction hood, since 2010

Not only that, of the 17 colourways (so far) they have also included a gold and black

[danthecapriman]

Did some grinding on a few the other day.

Started on the HW 47 Chevy. Removed the sun visor to give it more of a classic look. 
Used the dremmel and small files to gradually remove material until it lined up with the moulding on the inside of the roof. Checked the glazing too which fits fine still.

 

And did some surgery on the Corgi A60. Chemical metal putty to fill the roof hole.

Then carefully grind and file away the two stupid cast L plates front and rear. 
They’ve almost completely gone now. Front one was easy to get rid of but the rear was more difficult without damaging detail I want to keep. I did nik the bumper and edge of the boot lid though. 
I’ve given the roof another skim of filler to build up the right shape in the middle and put a tiny bit on the rear L plate area, bumper & boot lid where I caught them.

 

Painted the MB Moggy Minor.

And Corgi Buick.

I’m going to try to get a batch of various models done into full body colour while the temperature outdoors isn’t too bad. Then when it gets cold I can just sit and paint in the details, lights, trims etc. 

[Cookiesouwest]

Some more code 2 have turned up.

Made by Corgi and commissioned by Model Bus Creations.

Wright Gemini 2

Go Ahead London - Elizabeth Line

Brighton & Hove

Excuse the crap pics

[sierraman]

Those moving parts look good but £7.20 is salty, hopefully they’ll knock them down significantly when no bugger buys them. 

[flat4alfa]

3 hours ago, sierraman said:

Those moving parts look good but £7.20 is salty, hopefully they’ll knock them down significantly when no bugger buys them. 

They're 'Collectors' range, not common old 'Moving Parts'.  Doubt they'll get cheaper than that

[Split_Pin]

19 minutes ago, flat4alfa said:

'Collectors' range

Doubt they'll get cheaper than that

*Days Gone models*

*Gentle weeping*

[Jon]

Forgive my ignorance but are these collectors Matchboxes anything special, beyond an opening feature? 

Certainly not my cup of tea but I bear no judgement - life would be boring if we all collected the same stuff etc.

That said, I took a cursory glance at the prices and stock of a local MB seller and came across this set:

 

 

Seemingly all the more common 'car guy' tropes catered for here. Despite the description mentioning several times that this is a set of 5 cars, that's clearly wrong.

Working out at a mere* £3.36 per car, I'm guessing this is a veritable bargain?

https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/matchbox-70th-anniversary-8-vehicle-premium-collector-bundle/R2890602.html

[FakeConcern]

5 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

Did some grinding on a few the other day.

Started on the HW 47 Chevy. Removed the sun visor to give it more of a classic look. 
Used the dremmel and small files to gradually remove material until it lined up with the moulding on the inside of the roof. Checked the glazing too which fits fine still.

 

And did some surgery on the Corgi A60. Chemical metal putty to fill the roof hole.

Then carefully grind and file away the two stupid cast L plates front and rear. 
They’ve almost completely gone now. Front one was easy to get rid of but the rear was more difficult without damaging detail I want to keep. I did nik the bumper and edge of the boot lid though. 
I’ve given the roof another skim of filler to build up the right shape in the middle and put a tiny bit on the rear L plate area, bumper & boot lid where I caught them.

 

Painted the MB Moggy Minor.

And Corgi Buick.

I’m going to try to get a batch of various models done into full body colour while the temperature outdoors isn’t too bad. Then when it gets cold I can just sit and paint in the details, lights, trims etc. 

@danthecaprimanI'm loving your projects in progress reports it's brave of you to share them in early stages (should there be a new thread for this?) makes me feel jealous and envious of you getting so much done and all looking so good. When i started on this tiny tat shit earlier this year I got a load done over a short time, but now I'm so slow. On good, dry days like today I seem to always have other things to do, like today out all morning cycling with Mrs Concern and this afternoon trimming the hedges in the front garden. On bad weather days not good for getting paint done, so I've been working on a project that is cut and shut, but it's taking so long, no teazers as I want to make sure it actually works before sharing it. We've also just converted the smallest bedroom into out joint hobby room with a worktop all along one wall so we should be able to get stuff done over winter. It's nice to have company while working on tiny tat!

I'll still have to do any spraying in the shed on my own though, but I'll try a cardboard box booth and I need to order a mount thing for holding the models like yours.  I have around 20 stripped castings I want to paint before the really cold weather sets in so i can put them together and do all the fun stuff then.

[bunglebus]

15 minutes ago, Jon said:

Forgive my ignorance but are these collectors Matchboxes anything special, beyond an opening feature? 

Certainly not my cup of tea but I bear no judgement - life would be boring if we all collected the same stuff etc.

That said, I took a cursory glance at the prices and stock of a local MB seller and came across this set:

 

 

Seemingly all the more common 'car guy' tropes catered for here. Despite the description mentioning several times that this is a set of 5 cars, that's clearly wrong.

Working out at a mere* £3.36 per car, I'm guessing this is a veritable bargain?

https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/matchbox-70th-anniversary-8-vehicle-premium-collector-bundle/R2890602.html

Not seen that set but found most of the cars in a Derby toy shop. Not a fan of the colourscheme so I didn't get any. They were £7-9 each too 

[danthecapriman]

23 minutes ago, FakeConcern said:

@danthecaprimanI'm loving your projects in progress reports it's brave of you to share them in early stages (should there be a new thread for this?) makes me feel jealous and envious of you getting so much done and all looking so good. When i started on this tiny tat shit earlier this year I got a load done over a short time, but now I'm so slow. On good, dry days like today I seem to always have other things to do, like today out all morning cycling with Mrs Concern and this afternoon trimming the hedges in the front garden. On bad weather days not good for getting paint done, so I've been working on a project that is cut and shut, but it's taking so long, no teazers as I want to make sure it actually works before sharing it. We've also just converted the smallest bedroom into out joint hobby room with a worktop all along one wall so we should be able to get stuff done over winter. It's nice to have company while working on tiny tat!

I'll still have to do any spraying in the shed on my own though, but I'll try a cardboard box booth and I need to order a mount thing for holding the models like yours.  I have around 20 stripped castings I want to paint before the really cold weather sets in so i can put them together and do all the fun stuff then.

Thanks!

I don’t mind showing them at the early stages or in progress, my thinking being that it might show other people what’s involved and how to do them. Maybe inspire someone else to have a go too!?

Not that I’m saying I’m any sort of expert! A lot of it is trial & error and just getting stuck in. 
I do fuck things up too. But, it’s not the end of the world. Messed up paint just gets stripped off and redone. Damage to the metal on a model just needs some filler.

The reason I’ve got so much done or in progress is both because I’ve got access to a big shed/workshop so weather doesn’t hold me up, even temperatures don’t matter much unless it’s really cold! 
But also, I’m not working at the moment! With the house move stuff and moving to another area there’s no point me finding another job here so I need something to kill the time waiting.

Ive got model making ‘experience’ from years of building model railways so I’ve got painting experience, plenty of tools etc etc. it’s just a case of doing it on car models instead of trains. At the end of the day, it’s a hobby to enjoy. It doesn’t matter how long it takes or how many you get finished as long as you enjoy doing it.

 

Also, @eddyramrod has given me plenty of help with doing things on these diecast models. And also some of his models providing inspiration and ideas of things to do.

[sierraman]

10 hours ago, Split_Pin said:

*Days Gone models*

*Gentle weeping*

Get at the bottom of the curve... time in the market etc... 1 of only 43,800 produced...

They’re fast becoming a sort of glorified mail order collectors item scheme. 🤣

[bunglebus]

Mrs picked me up a boxed Kadett yesterday. There were loads of long card blue Crapis if anyone's still hunting 

[danthecapriman]

2 hours ago, bunglebus said:

Mrs picked me up a boxed Kadett yesterday. There were loads of long card blue Crapis if anyone's still hunting 

I’ve always wondered why they do three different packaging styles?

Long card, short card, box?? What’s the point. Surely it costs them more money making different types of packaging that in 99% of cases gets torn open and binned.

[sierraman]

6 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve always wondered why they do three different packaging styles?

Long card, short card, box?? What’s the point. Surely it costs them more money making different types of packaging that in 99% of cases gets torn open and binned.

Different markets I guess, the poundstretcher stuff was historically from outside Europe, unsold stock. Last ones I bought had loads of oriental writing on the back. 

[bunglebus]

11 minutes ago, sierraman said:

Different markets I guess, the poundstretcher stuff was historically from outside Europe, unsold stock. Last ones I bought had loads of oriental writing on the back. 

Yes the long cards all have that, from older mixes which has been great, filling gaps from the Tesco debacle 

[bunglebus]

 

[Datsuncog]

6 hours ago, danthecapriman said:

I’ve always wondered why they do three different packaging styles?

Long card, short card, box?? What’s the point. Surely it costs them more money making different types of packaging that in 99% of cases gets torn open and binned.

From my own observations, it seems that they cater for slightly different retail environments.

Long card - seems to be stocked by 'proper' toy shops and the like - bigger illustration gives more appeal to punters young and old. Cheap diecast are good pocket money toys to attract kids into a toyshop - 'footfall drivers' - with an eye on them then spotting something bigger and more expensive while they're in the shop. The Entertainer seems to stock both long and short card versions of Hot Wheels, and only short card Matchbox, so I dunno if there's any hard and fast rule here.

Short card - seems to be preferred by supermarkets and discounters, where display space is at a premium and it's hard to justify taking up a lot of shelf real estate for a low value, low margin product which aren't the main reason for people to be shopping there. The fact most supermarkets prefer to use dump bins to display their Mattel diecast over putting them on pegs and clipstrips reflects that generally these are incidental purchases.

Box - not seemingly seen much in Europe or US markets, but apparently popular in far-eastern markets. Tomica mainlines seem to come in similar boxes, and I noticed in Japan that toyshops often show unboxed models in a display cabinet - you then pull out the drawer, and there's boxed models you can buy in racks behind the display.

Also easier for street vendors and market stalls to sell on a flat surface, than blister pack models designed to hang from a peg or clipstrip.

But Matchbox have a long history of multiple packaging formats - even as far back as the early '70s, Lesney were producing blister pack models for the US market, to mirror Hot Wheels packaging. Around that time, convenience stores, self-serve supermarkets and drugstores started to become more profitable places for customers to make impulse purchases of toy cars rather than just selling through the traditional toyshops.

The 'pester power' of having small, cheap toys available near tills where kids could see and grab them was seen as a good sales driver - and brightly coloured, clear packaging so the toy could be clearly seen was key to this. Corgi had been successfully using this packaging style with their Woolworths-exclusive Husky range since the mid-60s, so in a way it's surprising that it took so long for Matchbox to catch up. 

I guess there's also the multiformat 'collector angle' to consider - kind of like record labels in the 1990s who reckoned that superfans would be only too happy to buy singles in every format, so would release 'CD1' and 'CD2' (same header track, but different b-sides/ live version/ remixes), then 7" vinyl, 12" vinyl, and cassette - occasionally there were VHS and (later on) USB formats available too - just to boost the number of sales, and help achieve a better chart position.

I'm not really sure what the ratio is of sales to collectors vs sales to kids, but I'd guess there's way more sold to kids than to furtive middle-aged men; Mattel seem to take their collectors very seriously in the US, with honorary collector ambassadors appointed and lots of special editions, but I get the impression they're not overly bothered about catering to collectors elsewhere in the world.

I prefer the cardboard boxes, personally - easier to store, easier to open without obvious damage to the packaging, and there's a sort of 'surprise' element when you get to the model inside - hopefully a pleasant surprise!

[sierraman]

I used to keep the boxes but new ones now I chuck them, I’d need a 20,000 sq ft warehouse to keep all the cardboard in! I honestly think in time the ones that will be worth a few quid will be the main line ones, take for example in the 90’s a model could remain in production for 5 years, now you would maybe have availability for just a few months. Could be completely wrong, I don’t collect for that purpose, if I like them then I buy them. The only people benefiting financially will be the kids when I cark it. 

[danthecapriman]

First couple of coats on the 47 Chevy, then mocked it up loosely to see how it looks & make sure it fit together properly still. I’m happy with it I think!

 

Primer for the KingSize Mercury.

Filler rubbed down and primer on the Corgi A60.

Then got bored waiting for things to dry so I decided to strip this Corgi 007 series Chevy Apache.

It doesn’t look anything exceptional tbh, and I only bought it because it was close to ending with no bids so for 99p I thought why not.

Paint comes off nice & quickly, thank you Corgi! Please never change your paint! 
I didn’t get a pic of it so you’ll have to wait, but once that cab is completely stripped and polished up bright it’s absolutely gorgeous! The front end detail looks brilliant. 
Since the chassis is a dually I’m thinking it’d look good as a tow truck!

[bunglebus]

I was told the reason for short and long cards for Hot Wheels was you can alternate them to maximise peg space. Being as the only time I find them mixed up is when some buffoon has been rummaging before me, and that they only come in boxes of one or the other, I think this is unlikely